Do you have to worry about antibiotic residues in your food?

Taking antibiotics to treat bacterial infections can sometimes disturb your gastrointestinal tract. Although these drugs target harmful bacteria, they can also eliminate the right ones.

You may also have heard concerns that antibiotics can be present in foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products.

Like humans, animals sometimes fall sick and need prescription drugs, including antibiotics. In the past, some antibiotics have also been added to livestock food to promote growth, although this practice has been limited to the United States.

Thanks to strict regulations and tests, The levels of antibiotic residues in the American food supply are generally very low.

Since August 2024, the Food and Inspection Security Service (FSIS) has required companies to justify complaints “raised without antibiotics” on meat and poultry labels, preferably with third -party certification.

When animals are used for food, federal agencies closely monitor the use of antibiotics. The FSIs and the FDA have strict rules and test requirements to prevent dangerous antibiotic levels from entering food supply.

For example, farmers must document the use of antibiotics in poultry and cattle, and meat that is positive for unacceptable residues cannot be sold. In rare cases of violations, producers can face serious sanctions.

Researchers always study how antibiotic residues can affect human health, including potential impacts on the intestinal microbiome. However, most of the available studies are based on the laboratory and human evidence of damage remain limited.

Some cases of allergic reactions have been reported in people who are very sensitive to antibiotics. However, regulatory guarantees maintain the extremely low overall risk.