A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study has criticized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) for their failure to ensure that imported seafood does not contain unsafe levels of antibiotic or other drug residues. According to the GAO, about 90 percent of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported, and about half of imported seafood is raised on fish farms where producers treat fish to prevent infections and foodborne illnesses. GAO makes five main recommendations: (i) FDA should pursue agreements with exporting countries to test for “drugs of concern” and residue levels; (ii) FSIS should conduct onsite audits of fish farms instead of limiting visits to government offices, commercial food processing facilities and food testing labs; (iii) FSIS should require exporting countries to include residue-monitoring plans in equivalence determinations; (iv) FDA and FSIS should collaborate to develop…
Tag Archives veterinary drugs
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved an ordinance that will require certain grocery stores to report the use of antibiotics in raw meat and poultry. Scheduled to take effect in April 2018, the ordinance requires grocers that own or operate 25 or more stores to submit annual reports that include the purposes for which the antibiotics were used, the number of animals raised, the total volume of antibiotics administered and whether the use was “medically important.” Grocers who violate the ordinance may be subject to fines or imprisonment.
The National Advertising Division (NAD) has recommended that Sanderson Farms change a campaign claiming that its competitors are tricking consumers with "raised without antibiotics" labels on poultry products. NAD found that the information in Sanderson's ads was accurate, including its claim that "none of the chicken you buy in the grocery store has antibiotics in it. By federal law, all chicken must be clear of antibiotics before they leave the farm." However, NAD recommended that the language Sanderson used to describe its competitors' "antibiotic-free" labels, including "marketing gimmick," "full of hot air," "just a trick to get you to pay more money" and "a phrase invented to make chicken sound safer," should be changed, noting that the scientific community lacks a consensus on the safety of consuming meat from animals raised using antibiotics. Sanderson reportedly "respectfully disagrees" with the decision but will adjust the campaign to reflect NAD's concerns. "The…
Sanderson Farms, Inc.’s "all natural" chicken contains pesticides, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, according to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth and Organic Consumers Association. Organic Consumers Ass’n v. Sanderson Farms, No. 17-3592 (N.D. Cal., filed June 22, 2017). The plaintiffs allege that Sanderson’s chicken products are advertised as “100% natural,” but testing purportedly shows the products contain human and veterinary antibiotics, tranquilizers, growth hormones, steroids and pesticides. The complaint further alleges the presence of such drugs indicate that Sanderson’s raises its chickens in “unnatural, intensive-confinement, warehouse conditions” rather than “sipping lemonade and playing volleyball” as represented in the company’s online advertising. For alleged violations of California consumer protection laws, the plaintiffs seek accounting of profits, injunctive relief, corrective advertising and attorney’s fees. “Consumers should be alarmed that any food they eat contains steroids, recreational or anti-inflammatory drugs, or antibiotics prohibited for use in livestock—much…
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a March 2017 report noting several oversight gaps in federal agencies’ efforts to track and curtail antibiotic use in food animals. According to GAO, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) have implemented several measures designed to reduce antibiotic resistance by increasing veterinary supervision of animal drug use; altering drug labeling guidance; and collecting data from food producers on their antibiotic regimens. But GAO notes that these initiatives fall short of the more stringent government regulations promulgated by Canada, Denmark and the European Union, which have reportedly achieved reductions in antibiotic use in food animals and improved data collection. “For example, changes to drug labels do not address longterm and openended use of antibiotics for disease prevention because some antibiotics do not define duration of use on their labels,” states GAO. “FDA officials told GAO they are seeking public…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has proposed amendments to organic livestock and poultry production requirements to clarify “how producers and handlers must treat their livestock and poultry to ensure their health and well-being throughout life.” Based on recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board, the draft rules also specify “which physical alterations are allowed and prohibited” and establish “minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for poultry.” In particular, the proposed amendments provide for “a feed ration sufficient to meet nutritional requirements, including vitamins, minerals, protein and/or amino acids, fatty acids, energy sources, and fiber (ruminants), resulting in appropriate body condition.” They also limit physical alterations to those performed only at “a reasonably young age, with minimal stress and pain and by a competent person,” and only in cases determined to “benefit the welfare or hygiene of the animals, or for identification purposes or safety.” In…
Food & Water Watch (FWW) has released an April 2015 report alleging that the scientific research used by federal agencies to evaluate animal drug safety “is very heavily influenced by corporate drug companies.” In particular, the report alleges that there were “virtually no independent, peer-reviewed” safety studies on one drug used as a growth promoter that was eventually withdrawn from the marketplace. “Most of the available research examined commercial dimensions of Zilmax, such as the drug’s impact on beef qualify, and more than three-quarters of the studies were authored and/or funded by industry groups, almost all of which were published in scientific journals sponsored and edited by industry groups,” opines FWW in an April 8 press release. “Many academic journals have failed to establish or enforce rules requiring scientists to publicly disclose financial conflicts of interest, which has allowed deeply conflicted research to distort the scientific discourse.” Citing these issues,…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services have announced a February 23, 2015, public meeting in College Park, Maryland, to discuss draft positions for consideration at the 9th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food in New Delhi, India on March 16-20. The lengthy agenda for the February meeting includes (i) maximum levels for lead in ready-to-drink fruit juices and nectars as well as in canned fruits and vegetables; (ii) proposed draft maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in husked rice; (iii) a proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Arsenic Contamination in Rice; (iv) proposed draft maximum levels for cadmium in chocolate and cocoa-derived products; (v) a discussion paper about the feasibility of developing a Code of Practice for mycotoxins in spices; and (vi) a priority list…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has submitted a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Freedom of Information Act for “the data collected by the Center for Veterinary Medicine under its Raw Milk Drug Residue Survey.” According to CSPI, FDA conducted the survey in 2012 “because excess and sometimes illegal drugs are more frequently found in animals from dairy farms at slaughter plants than animals coming from other sources.” CSPI’s review of drug testing reports in 2011 purportedly revealed that “animals coming from dairy farms accounted for 67 percent of reported drug residue violations at slaughter” and that, in some cases, “the reported residues were for drugs that are not approved for use in cattle.” While FDA informed consumer groups that it would make the raw data available when its report is released, it has yet to release the survey results. CSPI attorney…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a technical report from a joint Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO Expert Committee tasked with evaluating the safety of certain veterinary drugs and recommending maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food. Among other things, the report addresses toxicological and residue data on various anthelminthic, antiparasitic, antifungal, and antibacterial agents and attendant MRLs in minor species, honey and fish. Issue 543
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