Development of a screening system capable of detecting a broad range of toxic and illegal drugs in red meat

Project start date: 1 December 2001
Project status: Completed
Project type: Food safety
Discipline: Food chain
Author/s: Prof Richard O'Kennedy, Dublin City University
Collaborator/s: Prof Chris Elliott, Queen’s University Belfast

Research objective

The financial incentives to use illegal growth-promoting substances (such as the beta-agonist Clenbuterol) in beef production, can be significant. This presents a real food safety risk as even trace amounts of these substances in food can cause severe food poisoning. The problem is that current analytical tests will only detect drugs chemically similar to Clenbuterol, and not other beta-agonists that are chemically difference such as Zilpaterol. The toxic effects of exposure through residues of these drugs in meat has not been ascertained.

The primary objective of this research was to utilise recent advances in drug residue detection technology to improve the detection capability for detecting a wide range of illegal and harmful beta-agonist drug residues in red meat. The tests developed were used to determine the level of abuse occurring on the island of Ireland. The outcomes of the research were disseminated to all relevant stakeholders with a view to implementing the methodology for the purposes of deterring unscrupulous primary producers from using illegal growth promoters.

Outputs

Research report

Title: Development of a Multi Beta Agonist Detection System
Date: 9 September 2003
Summary: Unpublished report, available on request.
Findings:
A multi-beta-agonist detection system was developed and implemented in both animal tissue samples and feedstuffs using two different but complementary analytical techniques:
- (a) a broad-spectrum biosensor immunoassay using a monoclonal antibody against Clenbuterol that can detect a wide range of beta-agonists and that cross-reacts with Zilpaterol, and
- (b) a radiolabelled receptor assay used against the beta2-adrenergic receptor for detecting a wise range of beta-agonists in feedstuffs.
The receptor assay did not detect Zilpaterol which shows that this drug is not a true beta-agonist and dies not bind the beta2-adrenergic receptor.