Can the use of coccidiostats in poultry breeding lead to residues in vegetables? An experimental study.

The aim of this study was to provide information on the dietary exposure of the European public to coccidiostats via vegetable consumption. Five groups of poultry followed a three-phase feeding schedule with feed containing the maximum allowed level of a coccidiostat: monensin, lasalocid A, salinomycin, diclazuril, and nicarbazin/narasin, plus one control group. Vegetables were cultivated on soil amended with manure (10 g of fresh weight/kg of soil) from the treated poultry. To mimic a worst-case scenario, vegetables were also grown on soil spiked with coccidiostats. For each vegetable/treatment combination, samples were harvested, freeze-dried, and analyzed using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Analysis of the vegetables demonstrated that these plants are capable of taking up these coccidiostats from the soil. However, the results indicate that these low incorporation levels, coupled with food consumption data and acceptable daily intakes, are unlikely to pose a direct threat to public health.