Veterinarians play a crucial role in the judicious use of animal health products, including antimicrobials. Veterinarians keep detailed records on the animals and herds they treat in order to choose effective, safe therapies. The agriculture industry is also exploring new processing methods which can help eliminate harmful bacteria. Antimicrobial residues are trace amounts of an antimicrobial remaining in meat or milk after processing. Health Canada has established levels of antimicrobials resides that are deemed safe and may legally be in the edible tissues of the animal or in the milk at the time of processing.
Provincial regulators monitor the milk supply.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency randomly tests meat processing facilities to ensure all meat is free of harmful residues. Antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance are often confused but they are not related. When talking about the transfer of antimicrobial resistance from animals to humans, scientists and others are referring to the transfer of resistant bacteria, not the trace level of antimicrobials. Since bacteria are naturally present in food, it is important to carefully prepare, handle and store food. Thorough cooking can eliminate the presence of bacteria in food, prompt refrigeration can prevent bacteria from contaminating leftovers and washing hands before and after handling raw meat products can halt the spread of bacteria to other foods.