Detection of Antibiotics in Migratory Goat Milk Using QuEChERS-HPLC Approach and Human Health Risk Assessment in Himalayan Region, India

Antibiotic residue in milk poses significant risks to consumers’ health and economies. The current investigation aimed to analyze the occurrence of tetracycline residues in raw milk obtained from goats reared under a migratory system by nomadic pastoralists of Western Himalayan region, India, using the QuEChERS approach. The method was found to be accurate (recoveries, 87.07 to 97.70%), precise (RSD < 10%), and sensitive (CCα, 1.61–9.40 ng/mL) as per European Commission guidelines. Quantitative analyses of 223 milk samples by validated high-performance liquid chromatography revealed that 18 samples (8.07%) had oxytetracycline and tetracycline residues in the concentration range of ND–307.5 ng/mL and 08 samples (3.6%) exceeded the maximum residual limits (MRLs) of 100 ng/mL for tetracycline in milk as set by the European Union and Codex Alimentarius Commission. The health risk assessments based on estimated daily consumer intake revealed that the hazard index for detected antibiotics is < 1, indicating negligible acute risks at current contamination levels. However, the detection of antibiotics even in trace levels in migratory goat milk is a matter of solicitude and therefore requiring attention. This study highlights the importance of antimicrobial surveillance through green chemistry–based approaches like “QuEChERS” and awareness programs for shepherds to protect and promote human, animal, and environmental health.