The approval was at the recommendation of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on its industry data evaluation.
The Charm ROSA SULF test is used throughout the milk supply chain by farmers, veterinarians, truck drivers, milk receivers and milk testing laboratories to control the use of antibiotics in maintaining animal health while protecting consumers from unintended residues in finished dairy products.
Sulfonamides are common antibiotics used on dairy farms to treat bacterial infections in animals. Due to their toxicity and ability to cause allergic reactions in humans, sulfonamides are primarily used for non-lactating animals but may be prescribed to maintain an animal’s health.
The Charm ROSA SULF test uses Charm’s ROSA (Rapid One Step Assay), a patented technology to detect all drugs within the sulfonamide family that may be found in milk.
Global testing
Bob Salter, vice president of regulatory affairs at Charm Sciences, said the Charm ROSA SULF test is the only sulfonamide drug detection kit approved for raw milk testing since the Charm II sulfonamides test was first approved in 1995.
Until now, only testing laboratories used the Charm II test. Charm said the approval of the test will save the milk industry time, money and milk by offering faster and earlier sulfonamide detection in the food production chain.
More than 75% of the world’s raw milk is tested using Charm’s products. The company makes more than 30 ROSA tests for antibiotic families of drugs, including individual and multiplex tests for beta-lactams, amphenicols, quinolones, macrolides, aminoglycosides, sulfonamides and tetracyclines.