These changes are not because of any associated human health problems, according to Clell Bagley, Extension Veterinarian with Utah State University. There are few, if any, documented cases of illness, injury or death resulting from drug residues in food animal products, Bagley says. Potential problems associated with antibiotic residues can be classed in two broad categories. First, we don't like the idea of foreign substances being present in our food. The second problem is that of potential health risks.
Some Consumers feel that the risks are present and are just unrecognized.
These risks include possible allergic reactions, direct toxic effects and a change in the resistance patterns of bacteria exposed to antibiotics. The scientific community still debates about whether these hazards are real or theoretical, so it is not surprising that Consumers also are confused about this issue. A number of safeguards can reduce the risk of problems, both in the animals and in the food processing system. One such safeguard is increased surveillance, even though the rate of residue detection is small and the actual rate at which resides exceed permissible levels is very low. For meat to be approved as safe, a drug must be metabolized in the animal's body and broken down or excreted, within a certain time.