U.S. Attorney Files Suit to Stop Sale of Maryland Cattle with Excessive Antibiotic Residues

A U.S. attorney in Maryland has filed a complaint for injunction against a dairy operation and its owner seeking to stop their alleged long-term misuse of antibiotics in animals that were sold for consumption. United States v. Old Carolina Farm, No. __ (D. Md., filed November 3, 2009). According to the complaint, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Maryland Department of Agriculture investigations since the mid-1990s showed that drug residues in the tissues of animals the defendants sold exceeded established limits for a number of antibiotics.

Contending that consumers of such meats “may experience severe allergic reactions” or develop “antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria,” the complaint alleges that the dairy’s owner ran afoul of the law essentially because he failed and refused to maintain treatment or drug inventory records. The U.S. government seeks permanent injunctive relief to stop the dairy from introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce and from failing to comply with the conditions of new animal drug use. The complaint also seeks an award of costs, including the costs of investigation to date.