Fast Antimicrobial Screen Test (FAST): Improved Screen Test for Detecting Antimicrobial Residues in Meat Tissue

Abstract

The Fast Antimicrobial Screen Test (FAST) is a simple and quick screening test developed to detect antibiotic and sulfonamide residues in food animal carcasses in slaughter establishments. This microbial inhibition test detects antimicrobials that are allowed to be used in food animals. It has the ability to detect these antimicrobials at or above the allowable limit in carcass kidney fluids in 6 h. Laboratory evaluations show that the lower limit of detection (LLD) of FAST and the Calf Antibiotic and Sulfa Test (CAST) for antibiotics tested was the same, but the LLD for sulfonamides of FAST was lower than the LLD of CAST. Compared with the Swab Test on Premises (STOP) developed in 1977, the LLD's of FAST for both antibiotics and sulfonamides were significantly better. Under field conditions, the sensitivity of FAST and CAST to antibiotic and sulfonamide residues in animal kidneys was not significantly different, but the time required by FAST was significantly lower than CAST (6 versus 18 h). Compared with the STOP, the sensitivity and the range of detection by FAST for all antimicrobials were significantly higher and the testing time was lower (18 versus 6 h).

Microbial screening methods for detection of antibiotic residues in slaughter animals

“…The possibility for preliminary identification from activity profiles was also explored for the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) method [ 25 , 26 ]. This method consists of seven test plates and is used by the USDA-FSIS as a microbial confirmatory procedure for samples which tested positive in initial screening tests such as STOP [ 27 ], CAST [ 28 ], and FAST [ 29 ]. The method does not use the commonly applied K. rhizophila ATCC 9341, but uses two erythromycin- or (dihydro)streptomycin-resistant derivatives, which may improve the identification of macrolides and aminoglycosides.…”

“…The performances of Premi®Test and a similar B. stearothermophilus tube test, KIS TM , were evaluated to asses the possibility to replace FAST [ 29 ], a B. megatherium one-plate test operated by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service [ 52 , 53 ]. In addition to kidney fluid, which is the test matrix for FAST, also serum was tested since it would allow antemortem screening.…”

Examining the occurrence of residues of flunixin meglumine in cull dairy cows by use of the flunixin cull cow survey

“…The FCCS was necessary because the in-plant FAST only detects the presence of antimicrobial residues and not NSAID residues. 6,7 Flunixin' s tolerance concentrations in cattle tissues have been established at 0.125 ppm (1.0 ppm = 1.0 mg/g) in liver and 0.025 ppm in muscle. 8 Therefore, tissues from cattle with concentrations in violation of the established tolerances would be condemned at slaughter.…”

Penicillin biosensor based on rhombus‐shaped porous carbon/hematoxylin/penicillinase

“…At present, many practical and effective methods have been adopted to detect β‐lactam antibiotics within the food industry and animal husbandry, such as liquid chromatography (HPLC) (Samanidou et al., 2007), liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) (Kipper et al., 2017), enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Font et al., 2008; Zhao et al., 2007), and microbial detection methods (Myllyniemi et al., 2002). However, these methods are time‐consuming, expensive, environmentally demanding, and require complex sample preparation (Dey et al., 2005; Gramse & Jacobson, 2005; Picó & Barceló, 2008). Therefore, it is important to develop a fast and reliable method for quantifying Pen G in foods.…”