Development of New Lower-Cost Alternative Methods for Screening of Antibiotic Residues in Meat

Our study targets the development of microbiological methods alternative, effective and economic, for the screening of antibiotic residues in red and white meat. Two methods are developed and compared with conventional methods: a one plate-method and a tube-method. The results show that the one plate-method is effective with the Mueller-Hinton medium inoculated with Micrococcus luteus. This method presents the same results as the Prémi®test. It is promising as a screening alternative method: it is sensitive and does not detect false positives. The tube-method presents significant results for the Mueller-Hinton medium supplemented with Bromothymol Blue at 0.01 g/l, containing NaCl at a concentration of 50g/l and inoculated with Micrococcus luteus at 144,109 CFU/ml. The optimal test volume of meat juice is 100µl. The incubation time recorded under these conditions is 2h-2h 30min. In conclusion, alternative screening methods, sensitive and adapted to our economic means have been developed. A validation is recommended to prove its application.