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FDA Takes Action Against Iowa Dairy

Illegal residues of drugs found in the dairy's cows

August 12, 2007

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it found residue of illegal drugs in cows at an Iowa dairy operation.

The agency said it has filed an complaint and sought a permanent injunction against Ysselstein Dairy Inc., of Rock Valley, Iowa, and its owner and president, Sjerp W. Ysselstein.

The FDA said it is concerned about the sale of animals for human food that may contain illegal levels of animal drugs because of the potential for adverse effects on human health.

The FDA approves new animal drugs with requirements, including a specified time period to withdraw an animal from treatment prior to slaughter, to assure that a drug has been depleted from edible tissue to a level safe for humans.

Ysselstein Dairy produces milk for human consumption and sells dairy cows for slaughter for human consumption.

The injunction is based on nine illegal residues in the edible tissue of seven dairy cows sampled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service between July 21, 1992, and March 10, 2006. The drug residues found by FSIS included antibiotics such as tetracycline, sulfadimethoxine, flunixin, oxytetracycline, and penicillin at levels not permitted by the FDA.

Under the terms of the Consent Decree, the dairy and Ysselstein must implement systems for identifying animals, keeping records, drug control, drug accountability, and drug residue withdrawal control.

The decree also provides for the dairy and Ysselstein to pay a fine for each day they fail to comply with the decree and for each animal that they sell or deliver for sale in violation of the decree.

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