Risk to Public Health Regarding Doxycycline Residues in Chicken Claws

Doxycycline residues in claws may pose a potential risk to humans. A study with broiler chickens was performed to find the concentrations of doxycycline in claws after treatment. For the quantification of the antibiotic of interest in claws, an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed. Doxycycline was detectable at 3043 μg/kg at sub-therapeutic treatment, 223 μg/kg after therapeutic doses, and 14 μg/kg after spray application on the last day of the experiment (day 22). Almost 70 days is required for the concentration of doxycycline to reach zero. The obtained results show that monitoring of doxycycline in claws should be implemented.