FDA Warning Issued…One Year Late

The recent batch of warning letters issued by the FDA once again causes me to worry about eating anything. One in particular – FDA warning letter dated 7/2/08 to Chief Operating Officer at Full Circle Dairy in Lee, FL proves the FDA is so ´after the fact´ it is a wonder we all aren´t sick.

The FDA warning letter to Full Circle Dairy was dated 7/2/08 – the inspection of this dairy farm took place on 2/6/08 and 2/11/08 – five months earlier. Worse yet, the warning letter reprimanded Full Circle Dairy for selling medicated animals processed in human food in June 2007 and August 2007. A warning letter was mailed five months AFTER the incident was discovered and one year after the incident had occurred! Your tax dollars at work.

Per the warning letter "On or about August 7, 2007 you sold a dairy cow for slaughter as food on or about August 9, 2007…analysis of tissue samples collected from that animal identified the presence of flunixin in the liver tissue." Flunixin is a FDA regulated veterinarian drug used to alleviate fevers and pain. Side effects include GI ulceration, kidney damage and bleeding problems. Also the warning letter cites "On or about June 2, 2007 you sold a dairy cow slaughter as food on or about June 4, 2007…analysis of tissue samples collected from that animal identified the presence of penicillin in the kidney tissue." Both drugs and levels found in the animal tissue caused the meat to be determined adulterated. And one more "Our investigation also found that you hold animals under conditions that are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues are likely to enter the food supply."

It is unbelievable that the FDA can wait five months after they discover a farm is selling illegal adulterated animals as food to warn them. The warning letter was mailed one year after two incidents took place – that adulterated meat is long gone.

You should know that meat producing animals that don´t slip through the gaping holes of FDA/USDA inspections are still considered suitable for use in pet food. Drugged or sick animals that are rejected for use in human food are NOT shipped back to the farm to recover; they are processed into pet food. Regardless of the drugs in the animals, regardless of the illness; all is welcome meat ingredients in pet food. If you do not want your pet eating these types of adulterated meat you must call the pet food manufacturer and ask if they use ´human grade´ meats. There is no indication on the pet food label to alert you. Some will try to bypass a direct answer and tell you all meat ingredients come from a ´USDA facility´. Well, those sick, drugged animals come from a ´USDA facility´. Make sure you press them to tell you if the meat used in the pet food is specifically a ´human grade/quality´. Of course, thanks to our diligent friends at the FDA our pets are still not safe from drugged and diseased animals being processed into human foods – but it is a great deal safer than what is legally allowed to be processed into pet foods.

Please call or write your Congressional Representative – urge them to watch the FDA like a hawk. The health of every human and every pet in the U.S. depends on it.

Wishing you and your pet the best,

Susan Thixton