Milk producers in Bangladesh have reported plummeting sales after tests showed 11 leading brands of milk contained antibiotics.

Earlier this month researchers at Dhaka University found antibiotics, as well as detergent, bacteria and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, in popular milk brands

A full investigation was then launched by the university which discovered four different types of antibiotics – levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin and oxytetracycline – in well-known Bangladeshi brands such as Pran, Milk Vita, Igloo, Aarong and Farm Fresh.

These antibiotics are used to treat infections that are endemic in the country including typhoid, pneumonia and gastroenteritis.

Experts fear that consumption of antibiotics in milk fuels the spread of superbugs while heavy metals can cause serious health problems including kidney and lung disease.