DRUG RESIDUE, MEAT - USA: (NEW YORK)

DRUG RESIDUE, MEAT - USA: (NEW YORK)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Fri 26 Mar 2010
Source: 13 WHAM TV.com [edited]



Federal regulators have cited a dairy farmer in Wyoming [County, NY]
for selling cows with higher-than-permitted residues of antibiotics.

A US District judge in Buffalo issued an order Thursday [25 Mar 2010]
barring Jerald Schumacher from selling his cattle to be slaughtered
for human consumption until he complies with federal limits on
antibiotic residues.

Schumacher owns a farm in Wyoming [County, NY], which sells its dairy
cattle to an auction yard in Pavilion [NY]. A Food and Drug
Administration complaint says he's sold cows for at least a decade
with residues of penicillin and sulfadimethoxine in the animals'
edible tissue, posing a public health risk.

The agency also says Schumacher illegally gave the cows
higher-than-allowed dosages.

The US Department of Agriculture says it has [cited] Schumacher 6
times in the past 10 years and that he violated the law by failing to
keep adequate records of which cows were medicated.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Most dairy cattle at the end of their dairy career enter the food
chain as hamburger. It is not usual for a drug residue to be found and
if above the limit, to be acted upon. While USDA is under-manned for
more diligent food inspections, the program for finding antibiotic
residues is reasonably well done. FDA has some very stringent levels
regarding antibiotic residues and they do pursue violators. (Drugs
must be stopped at stipulated withdrawal times before slaughter. -
Mod.JW).

Under the following conditions: 80C for 15 min, sterilized at 134C (3
bar, 20 min.) and dried at 100C (4 hours) penicillin is completely
degraded but sulfamethazine remains 80 percent active. People that
have sulfa allergies/ sensitivities would likely have difficulty with
a rare steak. Most of us do not cook our meat under these kinds of
conditions. Withdrawal times are designed to prevent such reactions
from happening.

What is unusual is that the case has made the media. More often than
not, the media either is not alerted by the proper state/federal
authority or the media does not see these issues as important enough
to cover.

Antibiotic use in animals is appropriate when done properly. It lowers
the cost of our food and keeps the animals healthy. It is not
appropriate to disregard the withdrawal times (before slaughter). It
is those cases the FDA is pursuing. - Mod.TG]

There is an FDA news release at

- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[The state of New York in the Northeastern US can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
.
Wyoming County can be located on the map at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
2007
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Drug residue, meat - USA (IL): legal action 20070817.2691]
........................................tg/mj/jw
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