Transfer of Sulfamethazine from Contaminated Beeswax to Honey

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 58; no. 12; pp. 7258 - 7265
• Main Authors: Reybroeck, Wim, Jacobs, Frans J, De Brabander, Hubert F, Daeseleire, Els
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 23.06.2010
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; antimicrobial agents; beeswax; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical Aspects of Food Safety; chemical concentration; Confectionery products and chocolate industries, honey; cross contamination; drug residues; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; honey; Honey - analysis; sulfamethazine; Sulfamethazine - analysis; sulfonamides; Waxes - analysis; migration; Honey; honeybees; sulfonamides; beeswax; residues; Sulfadimidine; Sulfonamide; Residue; Migration; Beeswax; Transfer
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf1005275

A liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of sulfa drugs in beeswax was developed. When performing residue control on beeswax intended for the fabrication of wax foundations, residues of sulfonamides were found. A migration test was set up to study whether sulfonamide-containing beeswax could lead to the contamination of honey. The higher the concentration of sulfamethazine doped in the wax, the higher was the concentration of sulfamethazine found in the honey. The maximum transfer was 15.6, 56.9, and 29.5% of the initial amount spiked in the wax foundation. In a second experiment, the percentage of sulfamethazine migrating from medicated winter feed to beeswax in relation to the concentration in the syrup and the contact time was studied. The maximum transfer of sulfamethazine from medicated sucrose syrup to beeswax was 3.1%.