The FDA is making plans to test dairies nationwide after high levels of antibiotics and other drugs were found in cattle linked to dairies.
ated limit for flunixin and sulfadimethoxine. In December 2010, FSIS and the FDA sent word to Double A, Oak Valley, Van Es and ÀiÊÌ > ÊÎäÊ Ì iÀÊ `> Ê`> À iÃÊÌ >ÌÊvi`iÀ> Ê UÊ ÀiÊÌ > Ê£Ó°ÇÊL Ê« Õ `ÃÊ vÊ Ê regulators needed to determine if farms was pumped from half a million Idaho previously identified with drug residues have dairy cows in 2010. inadequate farm management practices. But the testing plan met with fierce pushback UÊ `> Ê ÃÊÌ iÊÃiV ` >À}iÃÌÊ Ê«À `ÕVing state in the western United States and from the dairy industry, which said consequences could force farmers to needlessly ranks third in the nation. dump millions of gallons of milk. “What has been served up, up to this UÊ `> ½ÃÊ`> ÀÞÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ}ÀiÜÊvÀ ÊfÇÎÊ point, by Food and Drug has been po Ê Ê£ ÇäÊÌ Êf£°nnÊL Ê ÊÓä£ä° tentially very damaging to innocent dairy UÊ `> ½ÃÊ`> ÀÞÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊi « ÞÃÊ ÀiÊÌ > Ê farmers,” said John Wilson, senior vice ÓÓ]ÇÎäÊ ` Û `Õ> Ã°Ê i`Ê `ÕÃÌÀ iÃÊi - president for Dairy Farmers of America, the nation’s largest dairy cooperative told « ÞÊ> Ê>`` Ì > Ê£Î]{ÇäÊÜ À iÀð The New York Times in January. Wilson said that the nation’s milk was safe, and The Magic Valley is the heart of Idaho’s that there was little reason to think that the `> ÀÞÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊÜ Ì ÊΣnÊ«À `ÕViÀÃÊ> `Ê slaughterhouse findings would be replicated nearly 400,000 cows producing more than 9 billion pounds of milk. Consequently, the in tests of the milk supply. BW obtained a copy of a letter sent to majority of the state’s drug residue violathe FDA tors come from the from the two selfsame proclaimed region. friends Oak of Idaho Valley dairymen: Dairy in the InternaBurley retional Dairy « ÀÌi`ÊfxÊ Foods million Association in gross and the Narevenues tional Milk last year. —PAMEL A JUKER, ISDA Producers AccordFederation, ing to representing the FSIS 85 percent of milk and cultured products, survey, the dairy was also the home of two cheese and frozen desserts produced and cows that had traces of gentamicin and marketed in the United States. The megatilmicosin, two drugs with zero tolerance milk lobbyists pushed back against plans levels. The Double A Dairy in Jerome is to test dairy samples at Idaho processing iÊÌ Ê>««À Ý >Ìi ÞÊ£Î]äääÊV ÜðÊ/ iÊ facilities. Instead, the IDFA and NMPF FSIS reported samples from four Double A lobbied to have milk sampled from farmers’ animals were over the acceptable limits for bulk tanks, which many considered to be a ampicillin (600 percent), flunixin (500 percent) and sulfadimethoxine (2,000 percent). fair and equitable method of testing. The alleged violators—with direct influIn the Treasure Valley, one Marsing dairy was targeted by the FSIS as a repeat violator. ence from the ISDA’s dairy bureau chief— crafted the next steps, including unofficial The Van Es Dairy reportedly had tissues from three of its cows register over the toler- testing, to head off federal intervention. According to the Idaho Department of Agriculture:
16 | APRIL 6–12, 2011 | BOISEweekly
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