Chloramphenicol antibiotic found in German pigs

In Bavaria, Germany, 25 farms were closed off in mid January 2012 after urine of  pigs tested positive for chloramphenicol, an important antibiotic. Officials found that feed supplied to pig farms by the Bavarian dairy factory Ehrmann contained the antibiotic.

Ehrman says that the laboratory of the quality management wrongly discarded the antibiotic. Choramphenicol is used in minimal amounts for selective culturing of moulds. Laboratory waste must be disposed properly or incinerated. [1]

How much?
It is worth to look after details on how much chloramphenicol got  into the production water, the so called “white water”. This production water contains a considerable amount of milk products and is used as feed in pig farms. To contaminate animals of 25 farms, over a period which made it possible to be detected by veterinary controls, implies considerable amount of antibiotics. Otherwise, the dilution factor of the “white water” would have turned  “laboratory ” residues undetectable.

Antibiotics in pig farms [2]
Antibiotics are commonly used in commercial swine production in the United States and around the world. They are used for disease treatment, disease prevention and control, and growth promotion. When used for growth promoting purposes, antibiotics are given at low concentrations for long periods of time given as feed and water additives which improve daily weight gain and feed efficiency through alterations in digestion and disease suppression.

Residues of Chloramphenicol, no matter how low, are of risk to humans. In humans chloramphenicol is being suspected to cause aplastic anemia, a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. Other studies suggest that chloramphenicol is toxic to the  embryo/foetus and reproduction system.

Chloranphenicol prohibited in animal breeding
Chloramphenicol is since 1994 prohibited in animal breeding for food, according to the EU regulation 2377/90, Annex IV [3], ammended by the regulation 37/2010 Table 2 (Prohibited substances) [4]. The directive 96/23 lays down measures to monitor the substances and groups of residues of toxicologic importance [5]. The directive 2003/181 setts  the minimum required performance limits (MRPLs)  of 0,3 μg/kg for Chloramphenicol [6]. Minimum required performance limit(MRPL) means minimum content of an analyte in a sample, which at least has to be detected and confirmed.

[1] Antibiotika im Tierfutter Mastbetriebe bleiben gesperrt. Sueddeutsche.de 23 Jan 2012.
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/antibiotika-im-tierfutter-mastbetriebe-bleiben-gesperrt-1.1264097

[2] Subtherapeutic antibiotic use in swine. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtherapeutic_antibiotic_use_in_swine

[3] Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 of 26 June 1990 laying down a Community procedure for the establishment of maximum residue limits of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31990R2377:EN:HTML

[4] Commission Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 of 22 December 2009 on pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding maximum residue limits in foodstuffs of animal origin
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:015:0001:0072:EN:PDF

[5] Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996L0023:EN:HTML

[6] 2003/181/EC: Commission Decision of 13 March 2003 amending Decision 2002/657/EC as regards the setting of minimum required performance limits (MRPLs) for certain residues in food of animal origin
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:071:0017:0018:EN:PDF