Trends on Strategies for Mitigation of Antibiotic Residues in Milk and Dairy Products Based on Scientometric Analysis and Systematic Review

The presence of antibiotic residues (ARs) in milk poses a significant challenge to public health and the dairy industry. This study presents the research trends on strategies to mitigate ARs in milk and dairy products, combining scientometric and systematic review approaches. Following the PRISMA guidelines, data from Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Embase, AGRICOLA, and CAS Abstract yielded 49 original articles. Geographical analysis revealed a heterogeneous distribution, with Spain as the leading contributor. The analysis showed that heat treatment is the most studied mitigation strategy, reflecting its widespread industrial implementation. Crucially, a clear trend indicates the growth of emerging nonthermal technologies, such as pulsed electric field (PEF) and ozonation, driven by the need to preserve the nutritional and sensory attributes of milk. The most studied antibiotics belong to the tetracycline and penicillin classes, with oxytetracycline being most frequently investigated, followed by penicillin, tetracycline, ampicillin, chlortetracycline, cloxacillin, and amoxicillin. The findings confirm that no single strategy is universally effective. The results indicate that the future of ARs mitigation lies in the development of synergistic and combined approaches to achieve industrially viable, cost-effective protocols that preserve product quality. This study highlights the need for future research focused on selective technologies and the assessment of by-product toxicity, alongside the regulatory aspects for the application of these technologies.