Two dairy manufacturers and one candy manufacturer received warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to various violations. According to the FDA, Constable, NY-based Oomsview Holsteins violated federal regulations by selling a cow for slaughter with high levels of desfuroylceftiofur (marker residue for ceftiofur). The FDA has set a tolerance of 0.4 parts per million (ppm) for this substance, but the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety ad Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) conducted a tissue analysis revealing 8.25 ppm of desfuroylceftiofur in the uncooked edible kidney tissue.
Additionally the FDA said “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. For example, you failed to maintain complete treatment records and you held expired drugs in your drug inventory.” The company must take corrective action, or face further regulatory action such as seizure and/or injunction, the FDA said.
On a similar note, Swiss Hill Farm of West Winfield, NY received an FDA warning letter for selling a bob veal calf with high levels of neomycin in its kidney. An analysis by the USDA/FSIS found 13.06 ppm in uncooked edible tissue, surpassing the 7.2 ppm tolerance set by the FDA for cattle. “However, this tolerance does not apply to the use of(b)(4) in calves to be processed for veal (pre-ruminant calves), and there is no acceptable level of residue associated with the use of this drug in veal calves.” the FDA said.
The presence of drug residues in both cases caused the edible tissues to be adulterated, according to the FDA.
The FDA also recently cited Chris A. Papas and Sons Co. of Covington, KY for “significant violations” of its Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations, causing foods to be adulterated. The company was cited for failing to maintain good practices for packing, manufacturing and handling candies produced at its facility. Among other things, the letter said the company failed to ensure that employees thoroughly washed their hands.
