Antibiotic tests in milk: where they are needed and how to avoid mistakes

Testing is important during raw milk intake, after animal treatment, when batches are mixed and before milk is sent for processing. The earlier the risk is detected, the lower the batch loss.

Common problems include incorrect storage, wrong incubation time, contaminated pipettes, incorrect milk temperature and visual interpretation of weak lines without a defined rule.

Clarify antibiotic groups, detection limits, test format, incubator requirements, shelf life, storage conditions and whether operators receive clear instructions.

Antibiotic residues in milk cannot be reliably detected by taste, smell or colour. Concentrations may be very low, but still enough to create a processing and safety risk. Control should therefore rely not on operator intuition, but on a clear procedure: sampling, test, incubation, interpretation and batch decision.

Bioeasy 4in1 BSCT covers groups that are especially important in milk control: beta-lactams, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and tetracyclines. 16in1 is a different format designed for broader screening. It is worth considering for large plants, laboratories and situations where more substance groups must be checked quickly within one intake-control logic. The choice should not be “the more, the better”, but based on the real risk scheme: which drugs are used, who supplies milk, how intake is organised and what requirements the plant follows.

Rapid tests depend on temperature, timing and consistent reaction conditions. If heating is approximate, timing is shorter or longer than required, or conditions vary between operators, sensitivity and repeatability suffer. The incubator is not an accessory “for the kit”; it ensures the reaction proceeds as the manufacturer designed it. That is why for Bioeasy we treat the Mini Incubator as a mandatory part of a proper method.

For milk, both processing suitability and safety matter. Technical regulation and sanitary requirements treat milk as a product where veterinary drug residues must be controlled. EEC Council Decision No. 70 clarifies the approach to maximum residue levels of veterinary medicines in food of animal origin. For plants, the practical conclusion is simple: intake control must be organised before batches are mixed and before raw milk enters production.

LabLog Group works in Uzbekistan and helps choose a test not by package design, but by the real task: farm, intake, plant, laboratory, sample flow, antibiotic groups and documentation needs. Bioeasy 4in1 BSCT is usually in stock; 16in1 and other tests may also be available. We supply incubators, can select a Reader, train staff and help build a procedure so the test becomes part of the quality system, not a one-time check.