Determination of antibiotic residues in the pasteurized milk produced in West Azerbaijan province,North West of Iran

Objective:To monitor antibiotic residues in pasteurized milk in West Azerbatjan province,North West of Iran.Methods:In this study,848 pasteurized milk samples were collected from factories and tested for the presence of antibiotic residues using the Copan test kit based on the manufacturer's instructions.Results:Results indicated that 30.14%of samples were contaminated with a variety of antibiotics based on the detection of associated residues and 3.19%of these samples were suspected.Given the current rise of antimicrobial resistance among microbial pathogens,these findings amplify the need to ensure continuous monitoring of pasteurized milk that intended for human consumption.Conclusions:Continuous monitoring of pasteurized milk may improve human health but also limit the development and transmission of antibiotic resistant strains in the environment.