Control of Residues of Antimicrobial Substances by Screening Methods in Raw Milk Based on Participation in Proficiency Tests in Poland, 2017-2021.

Proficiency testing (PT) is an important tool for evaluation of the competences of laboratories which test milk for residues of antimicrobial substances. It also warrants the reliability of the obtained test results, which is important to the clients of a laboratory. In 2017-2021, the Polish National Reference Laboratory organized 10 rounds of proficiency testing on raw milk samples according to the ISO/IEC 17043 standard. The milk samples were fortified with selected antimicrobial substances. All participating laboratories used commercial receptor and/or microbiological diagnostic kits in the proficiency tests. The results obtained by the laboratories were compared to assigned results and were defined as compliant or non-compliant. In total, 7533 results were obtained, and 104 (1.4%) were assessed as non-compliant. The percentage of laboratories which obtained a positive result in proficiency tests ranged by testing round from 81.8% to 100%. Based on proficiency testing results, it can be concluded that laboratories carry out tests correctly. The proven proficiency by a laboratory increases the confidence of its clients in its service of antimicrobial residue monitoring in milk.