Transfer of antibiotics from goat’s milk to rennet curd and whey fractions during cheese-making

• Published in: Food chemistry 2022-10, Vol.392, p.133218-133218, Article 133218
• Main Authors: Giraldo, Jennifer, Igualada, Carmen, Cabizza, Roberto, Althaus, Rafael Lisandro, Beltrán, María Carmen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Partitioning; Rennet curd; UHPLC-HRMS; Whey
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133218

•Antibiotics are mainly transferred from milk to whey during cheese-making.•Variable amounts of antibiotics were retained in the curd reaching, in some cases, concentrations higher than those initially present in milk.•Drug distribution was drug-dose independent for most antibiotics.•Drug lipophilicity correlated significantly with the partitioning of β-lactams, macrolides and sulphonamides.•Drug residues in whey pose a risk for humans, animals and the environment. The transfer of 35 antibiotics from milk to curd and whey was evaluated. Cheeses were produced at laboratory scale, from antibiotic-free goat’s milk spiked with different antibiotic concentrations between 0.25 and 4 times the Maximum Residue Limits established in milk. Drug concentrations in milk, curd and whey were analysed by UHPLC-HRMS. Results indicated that most antibiotics were mainly transferred from milk to whey (up to 85.9%), with retention percentages in the curd lower than 50%, except for ceftiofur (59.7%) and dicloxacillin (52.8%). In most cases, drug distribution was unaffected by the antibiotic concentration in milk and correlated significantly to the drug lipophilicity (Log P) for β-lactams (R2 = 0.54) and sulfonamides (R2 = 0.62). When drug ionization was considered (Log D), improved correlation coefficients were obtained for macrolides (R2 = 0.98). However, other factors besides the drug solubility should be considered to explain and predict the partitioning of antibiotics during cheese-making.