USDA Finds Excessive Drug Residues in Slaughtered Farm Animals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an investigation of Paul Rothemel’s cattle operation located at 184 State Route 44, Hartville, OH 44632, and found Rothemel offered for sale an animal for slaughter as food that was adulterated.

United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) analysis of tissue samples collected from a bob veal calf identified the presence of flunixin at 0.425 parts per million (ppm) in liver tissue and 0.035 ppm in muscle tissue. There is no FDA established tolerance for residues of flunixin in the edible tissues of calves. Flunixin is a FDA regulated veterinarian drug used to alleviate fevers and pain.

The investigation also found that Rothemel held animals under conditions that are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues were likely to enter the food supply. Rothemel also lacked a system to ensure that animals he buys and then sells for slaughter as food have not been medicated or, if they have been medicated, he lacked a system to allow him to withhold the animals from slaughter for an appropriate period of time to deplete potentially hazardous residues of drugs from edible tissues.

Rothemel also fails to keep accurate records of animals he buys and sells to ensure that the animal can be traced back to the producer or other dealer.
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In a separate investigation, the FDA conducted at Andrew Miller’s dairy operation located at 7111 State Route 514, Big Prairie, OH 44611., the FDA found Miller offered for sale a bob veal calf for slaughter as food that was adulterated.

United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) analysis of tissue samples collected from this animal identified the presence of 26.27 ppm of Penicillin in the muscle tissue, 0.86 ppm of Penicillin in the liver tissue and 0.42 ppm in the kidney tissue. FDA has established a tolerance of 0.05 ppm for residues of Penicillin in the edible tissues of cattle. Tests revealed residues up to 500 times permitted tolerances.

The investigation also found that Miller held animals under conditions so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues were likely to enter the food supply. Miller failed to maintain treatment records; failed to establish a system to control the administration of drug treatments to his animals; and failed to establish an adequate inventory system for determining the quantities of drugs used to medicate his cows and calves. Miller also fed milk from treated cows to calves intended for slaughter.