Quinolones (including fluoroquinolones)

Quinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics often used to treat bacterial infections in a wide variety of food-producing animals. Veterinary medicines, such as quinolones, offer key advantages in maintaining livestock quantity and quality, most notably through disease prevention. These advantages can sometimes lead to overuse across the agri-food sector, which may put consumers at risk.

Veterinary drug residues, when consumed in significant quantities, can result in physiological effects in humans. As a result, concerns about the possible occurrence of residues of these drugs in food have led to a need for analytical methods capable of monitoring quinolone residues at trace levels.

Legislative bodies responsible for maintaining the safety of food offered to consumers have established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for a range of veterinary medicine residues. MRLs for quinolones are defined in Commission Regulation (EU) 37/2010 and apply to a range of tissues from food-producing species.

MRLs have been established in muscle, skin/fat, liver, kidney and milk for the majority of these compounds.

Fera can accurately analyse samples including poultry, game, red meat, offal, shellfish, fish, eggs, honey and milk for residues of drugs in the quinolone group, helping to ensure that your food products comply with the required regulatory limits.

This test screens for the presence of the following compounds: Ciprofloxacin, Danofloxacin, Difloxacin, Enrofloxacin, Flumequine, Marbofloxacin, Nalidixic Acid, Norfloxacin, Oxolinic Acid and Sarafloxacin.

The analytical method used at Fera is based on sample extraction using QuEChERS methodology. Testing is then carried out using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).

Fera’s food safety experts use established, accredited analytical testing methods to detect and quantify quinolone residues within your food samples. We provide the evidence required by regulators to verify that levels of quinolone residues within your food products are compliant.

Our analytical methods are validated in accordance with the principles set out in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Multi-Residue Option

This test is available as a standalone analysis or as part of our broader veterinary medicines multi-residue screen.

See what’s included in our Multi-residue screen (Option 1).

Confirmatory Analysis

Where required, confirmatory analysis is charged at the same rate as the primary test. We will contact you before proceeding. Confirmatory results will be delivered within 10 working days of your instruction.