The objective of this study was to develop a simultaneous method of 8 penicillin antibiotics including amoxicillin, ampicillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, penicillin G and penicillin V in meat using LC-MS/MS. The procedure involves solid phase extraction with HLB cartridge and subsequent analysis by LC-MS/ MS. To optimize MS analytical condition of 8 compounds, each parameter was established by multiple reaction monitoring in positive ion mode. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column with a mobile phase of 0.05% formic acid and 0.05% formic acid in acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min for 20 min with a gradient elution. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision in beef, pork and chicken. The recoveries were 71.0~106%, and relative standard deviations (RSD) were 4.0~11.2%. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.003~0.008 mg/kg and 0.01~0.03 mg/kg, respectively, that are below maximum residue limit (MRL) of the penicillins. This study also performed survey of residual penicillin antibiotics for 193 samples of beef, pork and chicken collected from 9 cities in Korea. Penicillins were not found in all the samples except a sample of pork which contained cloxacillin (concentration of 0.08 mg/kg) below the MRL (0.3 mg/kg).

A simultaneous determination was developed for 9 aminoglycoside antibiotics (amikacin, apramycin, dihydrostreptomycin, gentamicin, hygromycin B, kanamycin, neomycin, spectinomycin, and streptomycin) in meat by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Each parameter was established by multiple reaction monitoring in positive ion mode. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy, and precision based on CODEX validation guideline. Linearity was over 0.98 with calibration curves of the mixed standards. Recovery of 9 aminoglycosides ranged on 60.5~114% for beef, 60.1~112% for pork and 63.8~131% for chicken. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.001~0.009 mg/kg and 0.006~ 0.03 mg/kg, respectively in livestock products including beef, pork and chicken. This study also performed survey of residual aminoglycoside antibiotics for 193 samples of beef, pork and chicken collected from 9 cities in Korea. Aminoglycosides were not found in any of the samples.

A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) multi-residue method for simultaneous quantification and identification of 37 anthelmintic veterinary drug residues (including benzimidazoles, macrocyclic lactones, and flukicides, levamisole, pyrantel and niclosamide) in milk has been developed and validated. For sample preparation, we used a simple modification of the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method, which was initially developed for analysis of pesticide residues. Anthelmintic residues were extracted into acetonitrile:methanol (9:1, v/v) using sodium chloride to induce liquid-liquid partitioning followed by dispersive solid phase extraction for cleanup. The extract was concentrated into dimethyl sulphoxide, which was used as a keeper to ensure that analytes remain in solution. Using rapid polarity switching in electrospray ionization, a single injection was capable of detecting both positively and negatively charged ions within a 15 min run time. The Limit of detection (LOD) and the Limit of quantification (LOQ) method ranged from 0.1 ng/g to 4.4 ng/g and from 0.3 ng/g to 14.6 ng/g, respectively. Validation of the developed method was based on international guidelines. Average recoveries ranged from 70% to 120%, except for 54.7% at 0.5× MRL (rafoxanide) and 69.0% at 0.5× MRL (closantel). The coefficient of variation for the described method was less than 15% over the range of concentrations studied. The result of the method was verified successfully by participation in a proficiency study for analysis of anthelmintic drugs.

The Korean National Residue Program consists of three sampling plans for domestic and imported foods of animal origin : monitoring, surveillance/enforcement and exploratory testing. Monitoring and surveillance/enforcement testing programs are routinely implemented by 17 Provincial Veterinary Services for domestic products and two regional offices of Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency (QIA) for imported products, respectively. The exploratory testing is designed to test substances which are not included in the list of monitoring and enforcement testing programs controlled by headquarter of QIA. In 2010, the exploratory testing was carried out in domestic and imported foods of animal origin for 24 veterinary drugs including florfenicol, clavulanic acid, four quinolones (nalidixic acid, difloxacin, marbofloxacin, orbifloxacin), two anthelmintics (closantel, levamisole), two sedatives (azaperone, carazolol), six glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, betamethasone, flumethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone), eight non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (phenylbutazone, paracetamol, carprofen, flunixin, ketoprofen, meloxicam, tolfenamic acid, acetylsalicylic acid). In the total of 1,153 domestic samples, only florfenicol was detected from 17 pig muscles at levels of 0.2～614 ng/g. Of 17 positive pig muscles, 16 samples were non-violative and one sample was violative. In the total of 1,065 imported samples, florfenicol was detected at 0.4 ng/g in one pork. Also, flunixin was detected at 22 ng/g in one beef.