Antibiotic Residues in Food: A Global Concern for Human Health

Abstract

Presence of antimicrobial resistance bacteria (ARBs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in food is a potential risk to the public health. Food animals are considered as key reservoirs of ARBs. Food can be contaminated with ARBs, ARGs and antibiotic residues in several ways, i.e. (1) by use of antibiotics during agriculture production, (2) presence of resistance genes in bacteria that are purposely added during the food processing and (3) through cross-contamination with ARBs during food processing. Contaminated food products without undergoing prior processing or preservation can be consumed, which poses a potential risk for transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans. In this chapter, we are evaluating the food safety concerns related to the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and residues in food, their impact on human health, their detection methods and few recommendations given by international and national agencies.