The dairy industry has an obligation to ensure that antibiotics (as well as other chemicals) which may be present in the milk of treated animals are effectively managed to ensure […] that systems are in place to verify that antibiotic residues are not present in milk above maximum residue limits (MRL).
One such method is the routine screening of farm and tanker milk using commercially available rapid test kits. Such methods provide real-time guidance on the suitability of milk for processing.
Unisensor provides test kits that can be used to screen for antibiotic residues in milk.
Screening methods are generally qualitative tests, and give a positive or negative result to indicate the presence or absence of particular antibiotic residues in the milk or dairy products […].
Screening tests are divided into either broad or narrow spectrum test methods. A broad spectrum test detects a range of classes of antibiotic (such as beta-lactams, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines and sulphonamides), whereas a narrow spectrum test detects a limited number of classes. (source)
Example : Unisensor provides a rapid test detecting simultaneously Betalactams, Tetracyclines, Streptomycin and Chloramphenicol (4Sensor BSCT - KIT060) as well as a rapid test detecting only Betalactams in milk (BetaXpress - KIT044).