Complain about a product or service

FDA Takes Action Against Iowa Dairy

Illegal residues of drugs found in the dairy's cows

August 12, 2007

Food Safety • Salmonella Recall Spreads Quickly to Other Products • Salmonella Contamination Leads to Recalls of Foods Containing HVP • Salmonella Found in a Widely-Used Processed Food Ingredient • More Infections From Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak • Packaged Salad Can Contain High Levels Of Bacteria • Trader Joe's Recalls Some Granola Bars • Salmonella Outbreak Spreads to 42 States • Feds Seize Rodent-Infested Food at Wisconsin Warehouse • Missouri Company Recalls 14,000 Pounds of Beef Due to E.Coli • California Firm Recalls Beef Products • Feds Seize Millions in 'Unsanitary' Produce From Tennessee Company • Consumer Group Proposes Food Label Makeovers • Beef Recall Produces Call For Plant Closing • Consumer Reports: Most Store-Bought Chicken Contains Harmful Bacteria • FDA Seeks Permanent Injunction Against Sharkco Seafood • Two Companies Pull Meat, Poultry Products Over Health Concerns • Food Safety Group Presses Senate For Action • New Report Recommends Enhanced Food Tracing Guidelines --- • More ...

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.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.