The effects of different steps in honey production on chloramphenicol (CAP) levels and CAP removal from honey using macroporous adsorption resins (MARs) were investigated in this study. CAP residues in honey were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after each processing step including preheating, filtration, vacuum concentration and pasteurization. Vacuum concentration contributes the most reduction of CAP level (9.9%). Meanwhile, 5 types of MARs (including LSI-1, LSI-2, LSI-3, LS-803, and LS-903) were used in CAP adsorption. The results showed that LS-803 resin had higher adsorption rate of 86% than other resins in removing CAP from honey, and its optimal adsorption time and temperature were 40 min and 55 °C, respectively. The treated honey could be used as feed additive or biomass energy. Therefore, it would be a novel approach to reutilization of antibiotics contaminated honey.
© 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®