Antibiotic Drug Residues in Meat Lead to Consent Decree with DOJ

A federal court in Wisconsin has reportedly approved a consent decree
between the U.S. government a Wisconsin livestock operation that allegedly
violated federal drug laws by failing to maintain adequate animal treatment
records, using new animal drugs illegally and failing to adequately distinguish
between medicated and non-medicated animals for sale for use as human
food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially warned the owner
of Nolan Livestock in 2004 that a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection
revealed the presence of an illegal antibiotic in the edible tissues of its dairy
cows. Under the consent decree, the owner must cease operations and
then resume only when it has documented to FDA’s satisfaction that it has
corrected the problems observed and has instituted appropriate procedures
to prevent a recurrence. See U.S. Department of Justice News Release, June 26,
2012; FDA News Release, July 10, 2012.