Culinary mitigation and safety assessment of oxytetracycline residues in chicken meat from Assiut, Egypt

Abstract

This study assessed oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in chicken meat and evaluated the effectiveness of household cooking and marination methods in reducing these residues, offering a sustainable approach to food safety in Assiut, Egypt. A total of 103 chicken breast samples were analyzed using UV–Visible spectrophotometry. Results showed that 69 % of samples contained detectable OTC, with a mean concentration of 53.47 μg/kg (range: 32.5–294.99 μg/kg). While 65.1 % of samples were below the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 200 μg/kg, 3.9 % exceeded it. The hazard quotient (HQ) for OTC exposure was 0.002, indicating negligible health risks. A cost-effective UV–Visible spectrophotometric method was validated for OTC detection, demonstrating high accuracy, precision, and reliability. Household cooking methods (boiling, frying, grilling) and marination with lemon, vinegar, garlic, onion, and a four-ingredient mix were evaluated. Marination with garlic achieved a 62 % reduction, while the four-ingredient mix yielded the highest reduction of 67 %, suggesting a synergistic effect. Other methods also showed significant reductions: frying (62 %), lemon (55 %), vinegar (54 %), onion (51 %), boiling (57 %), and grilling (49 %). These findings highlight the potential of simple, accessible methods to mitigate antibiotic residues in food. The study provides valuable insights for consumers on effective household culinary practices to enhance food safety and offers regulators a validated, cost-effective analytical method for monitoring OTC residues in poultry products. By promoting safer food practices and supporting regulatory efforts, this research contributes to improving public health and ensuring compliance with food safety standards.