Antibiotic Residues in DDGS Pose Little Risk
(Pork Network) With recent increased attention by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of antibiotics in livestock production, industry experts are turning their attention to potential non-farm sources of antibiotic residues. Could distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product of ethanol production widely used in livestock feed, contain antibiotic residues even before reaching the farm?
…To examine the potential for antibiotic residues resulting from including DDGS in swine diets, Shurson and his coworkers tested 159 DDGS samples collected by independent nutritional consultants. While small amounts of antibiotic are used in ethanol production to maximize output, Shurson says the production process renders the antibiotic biologically inactive. “Based on research information published in the scientific literature, the antibiotics being used in ethanol production appear to be inactivated due to the high temperatures and/or low pH that they are exposed to during ethanol and DDGS production,” Shurson says. READ MORE and MORE (Medill Reports)
