February 6, 2004

Banned Substances Found in Brazilian Poultry

A study of Brazilian poultry and poultry products has found that the presence of nitrofurans and semicarbazide has increased. Further investigation showed that most of the chicken products containing semicarbazide had been coated with flour, salt and spices.

Semicarbazide is used as an indicator of the use of the banned nitrofan antibiotic substance nitrofurazone in poultry products. It is a weak carcinogen however, and is banned in the EU.

Data from the Brazilian agricultural ministry showed that before the implementation of the Brazilian nitrofuran control programme in February 2003, the cases of contamination of Brazilian chicken by nitrofurans were due to the metabolite furaltadone. However, once the control programme was functioning the reports of the contamination with this nitrofuran declined.

But in April 2003, an increase in samples containing semicarbazide was reported. Further investigation showed that most of the chicken products containing semicarbazide had been coated with flour, salt and spices.

The authors subsequently discovered that azodicarbonamide, a substance used as a flour-improving agent in Brazil and the US, was the source of the semicarbazide. This is of significance because it may give rise to false positives in the testing of Brazilian poultry products for nitrofurans.

The study was carried out by scientists from the Galeno Research Unit in Brazil, and the findings have just been published in the January 2004 issue of the journal Food Additives and Contaminants.