Antibiotics in Milk

• What are the food safety hazards?

• What are the food quality hazards?

• Are there other hazards?

Antibiotics in Milk

Food Safety Hazards• Sensitivity and allergic reactions• Bacterial resistance to antibitioticsFood Quality Hazards• Inhibit bacterial activity in cheese/yoghurt Other Hazards• Image/reputation• Financial consequences

Types of antibiotics

• Dry cow antibioticsDry cow antibiotics– Used at drying off

– Oil-based/high antibiotic concentration

– Last for approximately 56 days

• Milking cow antibioticsMilking cow antibiotics – Used during lactation

– Water based/low antibiotic concentration

– Last for approximately 3 days

Risk of antibiotic contamination of milk

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

High High

Low

Fresh calvers Drying off

Class Exercise

• How do antibiotics end up in milk bulk tanks?

How problem occurs

• Fresh calvers – dry cow therapy

• Freshly dried off cows – accident

• Other antibiotics – foot treatment etc

• Weekend milking – change in milkers

• Hired labour

• Dump bucket/dump line

• Poor cow identification

Antibiotics in milk- reasons why it happens

• Poor identification 40%

• Improper withholding times 23%

• Poor separation of cows 19%

Class Exercise

What steps can farmers take to prevent residues occurring in milk?

Preventing antibiotics in milk

Follow product instructions

• Read the label

• Is it the right medicine

• How is it to be given – eg intramuscuar

• What is the correct dose

• How often should the treatment be given

• What is the withdrawal period

Clear cow identification

Must be clear identification system for treated cows

• Spray paint – udder /legs

• Tape on leg/tail

• Ankle straps

Isolation/ Separation

If practical isolate or separate treated cows

• Run dry cows as a separate group

• Milk treated cow last

Class Exercise

• What records are needed for treated cows?

Records

• Whiteboard/blackboard

• Explanation of identification system

• Cow number and quarter treated

• Date & time of treatment

Legal Requirement to complete Animal Remedies Register

Awareness

Make sure all milkers are aware of what cows are treated by:

• Telling

• Writing details on a whiteboard

• Writing a note

Do not assume that other milkers know or understand how the system works

Dump Buckets

Care with dump buckets/ dump lines

• Ensure bucket is big enough

• Make sure that dumplines are diverted from bulk tank.

Dry Cows

• Check withdrawal period of antibiotic

• Make sure interval between calving drying off is longer than withdrawal period – or be sure milk is withheld after calving

• Clear long lasting identification mark

• Separate dry cows from milking cows

Fresh calvers

• Check treatment details of all freshly calved cows

• If a cow calves inside the withdrawal date check the date that milk can enter the bulk tank.

• Make sure that all milkers are aware of milk re-entry date

Withholding Times for Dry Cow Tubes

Product Name Minimum Dry Period

Withholding time after calving

Bovaclox DC xtraBovoclox DCCepravin Dry CowChanamast DC4C Dry CowKloxerate Plus DCKloxerate DC extraLeo Red Dry CowNafpenzal Dry CowNeobiotic Dry CowNoroclo x Dry CowOrbenin Dry CowTetradelta DCOsmonds Teat Seal

49 days +45 days +51days +28 days +28 days +45 days +49 days +28 days +28 days +28 days +28 days +28 days +30 days +28 days +

96 hours 96 hours96 hours96 hours84 hours96 hours96 hours84 hours108 hours96 hours60 hours96 hours84 hours96 hours

Warning: These witholding times may have changed.

Please check actual withdrawal date stated on product label for above products.

Withholding Times for Lactating Cow Tubes

Product Name Withdrawal Period for Milk

Cepramycin MCChanamast LCErythrocin IntraInterkanKloxeratePlusMCLactacloxLeo Yellow MCMutijectNafpenzal MCNoroclox QROrbeninPendicloxLCSynlox LCTerramycin IntraTetra Delta MCVetimast

96 hours72 hours36 hours96 hours72 hours72 hours84 hours72 hours84 hours60 hours84 hours60 hours56 hours72 hours72 hours96 hours

Warning: These witholding times may have changed.

Please check actual withdrawal date stated on product label for above products.

Antibiotics in milk- reducing the incidence

• Reduce mastitis incidence

• Separate dry cows from milking cows

• Improve identification of treated cows

Other Residue Hazards

• Other medicines – e.g. fluke doses

• Feed contamination – e.g. pesticides

• Moulds & Mycotoxins – mouldy silage

• Detergents, cleaning agents –

• Taint: certain feeds, farm disinfectants

A Hazard Anaylsis Approach

• Hazard: Residues in Milk (Chemical hazard)• Source: Antibiotic• Critical Control: do not let antibiotic milk into milk

tank• Procedures/controls: withdrawal dates cow identification dump buckets/line• Records: Whiteboard, medicine records