Nitrofurans in Meat

• Nitrofurans

Nitrofurans are broad-spectrum antibiotics that can kill most Gram-like, fungal, and protozoal pathogens. Nitrofurans have been widely used in poultry and aquaculture to treat enteritis, acne, red fin disease, ulcer disease, etc. Nitrofuran is a stable yellow powder, tasteless or slightly bitter. The nitrofuran prototype drug is rapidly metabolized in the living body, and its metabolites and proteins combine to become quite stable. Therefore, the detection of metabolites is often used to reflect the residual state of nitrofuran drugs.

Figure 1. Nitrofural (nitrofurazone)

• The Harm of Nitrofurans in Meat

Furanone is a strong carcinogenic drug, and furazolidone is moderately carcinogenic drug. Studies on mice and rats have shown that furazolidone can induce breast and bronchial cancer, and the risk of cancer is dose-related. Nitrofurans are rapidly metabolized in the body, and some of the metabolized compounds bind to the cell membrane protein to form a bound state, and the bound state can remain stable for a long time, thereby delaying the elimination rate of the drug in the body. Ordinary meat processing methods (such as barbecue, microwave processing, cooking, etc.) are difficult to degrade large amounts of protein-bound furazolidone residues. These metabolites can be released from proteins under weakly acidic conditions. Therefore, when humans eat meat containing nitrofuran antibiotic residues, these metabolites can be released from the protein under the acidic conditions of human gastric juice and absorbed by the human body, causing harm to human health.

• Regulation for Residues of Nitrofurans in Meat

Owing to their low price and good effect, nitrofurans are widely used in livestock and aquaculture to treat enteritis, acne, red fin disease and ulcer disease which are caused by Escherichia Coli or Salmonella. Nitrofurans have been banned in animal foods in some countries, and residue detection of nitrofurans in aquatic products has been strictly implemented because nitrofurans and their metabolites are carcinogenic and teratogenic to humans. In July 1990, the European Union promulgated the 2377/90/EEC regulations to classify nitrofurans and their metabolites as Class A banned drugs. Since 1995, the European Union banned the use of nitrofuran antibacterial agents in livestock and poultry and aquatic animals, and strictly carried out the detection of nitrofuran residues in imported food fish, shrimp and poultry.

• Other EU Requirements for Animal Derived Foods

1. Foods should have a clear identity; 2. Food companies should establish a HACCP plan. 3. Special requirements: during the transportation of animals to the slaughterhouse, the welfare requirements of the animals to be slaughtered should be guaranteed. 4. Animals should be fully rested before slaughtering, and animal welfare should be guaranteed. 5. Animal-derived food companies must obtain the registration of the competent authority in accordance with the conditions stipulated by the regulations. 6. Animal slaughtering and segmentation operations must meet specified hygiene requirements.

• Related Regulations

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2045 of 23 November 2016 amending Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 as regards the substance gamithromycin (Text with EEA relevance)

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