Professional Examination of Chemical Residues in Poultry Products from Commercial Farms in Oyo State

Commercial poultry production in Oyo State, South West Nigeria, involves the routine use of veterinary drugs, growth promoters, and feed additives, and the potential for residue carry-over into poultry meat and eggs consumed by Nigerians is a significant food safety concern requiring professional examination. This study examined chemical residue levels in poultry meat and eggs obtained from five commercial poultry farms in Oyo State. Target analytes included tetracycline antibiotics, sulphonamides, streptomycin, and the coccidiostat compounds monensin and lasalocid. Meat samples were prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis, and residues were extracted and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV and fluorescence detectors. Oxytetracycline was detected in 48 percent of meat samples and 24 percent of egg samples. Concentrations in meat ranged from below the limit of quantification to 228 micrograms per kilogram, with values in fourteen samples exceeding the EU maximum residue limit of 100 micrograms per kilogram. Sulphonamide residues were detected in 32 percent of meat samples. Monensin was detected in 22 percent of egg samples, indicating improper withdrawal period management before egg collection from medicated flocks. Farmer interviews revealed that 70 percent of farm operators did not observe recommended withdrawal periods before slaughter. These findings highlight significant food safety risks from antibiotic and coccidiostat residues in Oyo State poultry products and urgently recommend mandatory veterinary prescription requirements, withdrawal period enforcement, and routine residue monitoring programmes by NAFDAC.

Keywords: antibiotic residues, poultry products, HPLC, veterinary drugs, Oyo State