Exposure assessment of selected antibiotic residues in pork consumed in the Philippines

Exposure assessment is an important key component of the risk analysis process. This study was conducted to determine and compare exposure to four selected antibiotic residues in pork consumed in the Philippines, namely, streptomycin (STY), sulfadimidins (SXT), tetracycline (TCY) and penicillin (PEN) by age, gender and island grouping. Mathematical equations were used to calculate for Estimated Maximum Daily Intake (EMDI), Dietary Exposure (DE), and chronic risk from average food exposure divided by Average Daily Intake (ADI) and multiplied by 100 (% ADI). Secondary data from local and international institutions, such as the National Residue Program Data of the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS), the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and numerical standards set by the Bureau of Aquaculture and Fisheries Product Standard (BAFPS), the Codex Alimentarius Philippine Subcommittee for Veterinary Drug Residues and the Joint FAO/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) were utilized for calculating parameters, such as food consumption, amount of drug residue, average daily intake (ADI), maximum residue limits (MRLs), body weight factor and age-gender groups. In the present study, EMDI for the residues was highest for infants from birth to less than 12 months old in the Philippines, while males were significantly higher than from females (p0.05). The same pattern was observed by regional island grouping on EMDI of the four antibiotic residues in Luzon to be greater than Visayas and followed by Mindanao. For DE [dietary exposure], children from 1 to less than 3 years old had the highest exposure followed by adolescents, adults and infants, with males significantly higher than females (p0.05). In the Philippines, the percentage chance of chronic risk was highest for children from 1 to 3 years old to streptomycin (%of ADI sub scy