Determination of Florfenicol Residues in Rainbow Trout Reared in Sepidan County, Fars Province, Iran

Ensuring health quality of an agricultural or food product is of significance for consumers and could be a decisive factor in terms of attracting and maintaining the market for manufacturers.

The present study aimed to determine the residues of florfenicol antimicrobial agent in the edible tissue (muscle) of rainbow trout reared in Sepidan County (Fars Province, Iran).

50 fresh fish were purchased from 7 farms in Sepidan County. The samples from lateral muscle were taken and kept at -18 °C until the residues drug tests were performed. The florfenicol concentration was measured through the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

The mean of florfenicol residues in fish muscle reared in Sepidan County was significantly less than the drug products evaluation standard value (P<0.05). However, the concentration of this antibiotic sampled from one of the studied farms went beyond from standard value (1.12 µg.g-1). Of course, this difference was not significant (P>0.05).

It seemed as though the residue levels of florfenicol in the purchased fish reached alarming levels. Meanwhile, it is possible that their average in an area would be within the range of food standards. Thus, it could be suggested that periodic monitoring be carried out continuously by the relevant institutions to ensure that consumer rights are more adequately met.