Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Health Law Blogs -> Food Safety News

Health Law

: Food Safety News

Indiana Dairy Farms Cited for High Drug Residues

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Two Indiana dairy farms recently sold animals for slaughter that were later found to be carrying drug residues at levels higher than allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Bos Dairy at Oaks and Irish Acres at Berne both received warning letters from FDA about their alleged animal drug abuse.
In an Oct. 13 warning letter to Bos Dairy, FDA said the farm sold an animal for slaughter was adulterated because it contained an animal drug that is unsafe.  
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service's "analysis of tissue samples collected from this animal identified the presence of 0.755 parts-per-million (ppm) and 0.767 ppm of sulfadimethoxine in the liver and muscle tissues, respectively. 
FDA has established a tolerance of 0.1 ppm for residues of sulfadimethoxine in the uncooked edible tissue of cattle
The presence of this drug in the edible tissues from this animal in these amounts causes the food to be adulterated within the meaning of food safety laws and regulations.
"Our investigation also found that you hold animals under conditions that are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues are likely to enter the food supply." The warning letter said.
FDA sent a warning letter to Irish Acres on Oct. 14, raising similar issues to that facing Bos.
Irish Acres sold a cow for slaughter as food on or about last April 29. 
FSIS analysis of tissue samples collected from the animal identified the presence of 0.578 parts-per-million (ppm) and 0.272 ppm of sulfadimethoxine in the liver and muscle tissues, respectively. 
FDA has established a tolerance of 0.1 ppm for residues of sulfadimethoxine in the uncooked edible tissue of cattle.
FDA also told Irish Acres that its animals are held under conditions that "are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues are likely to enter the food supply."

FDA also found record keeping at Irish Acres lacking.  The diaries were given 15 working days to respond to FDA concerns.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on October 29, 2010 (boomark / email).