Don’t Let Drug Residues in Meat Damage Your Dairy’s Reputation
Dairy farmers supply only 10 percent of the beef produced in the United States. But, surprisingly, 90 percent of U.S. drug residues in beef come from dairy operations. It’s a number that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted—and one that dairy producers must take seriously if they are to avoid increased scrutiny and potential damage to their reputations.
There’s always room for improvement, but overall, dairy producers do a pretty good job of preventing drug residues in milk. They are familiar with the drugs in question and the amount of time they are required to withhold a cow’s milk after treatment. In fact, according to Fred Gingrich, DVM, owner of Country Roads Veterinary Services in Ashland, OH, only 861 milk tanker loads out of 3.3 million tested came up positive for antibiotics in 2008. That’s just .026 percent.
But, when it comes to animals sold for meat, it’s a different story.
The dairy industry supplies only 10 percent of the beef in the United States—and the number of meat residue violations is relatively small (1,600 drug violations out of 2.4 million dairy cows marketed for meat). However, beef from dairy sources accounts for 90 percent of all violations for meat drug residues, Gingrich stated.
Consequently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is zeroing in on dairy operations in an effort to reduce the incidence of these drug residues.
Drug residues are monitored for several reasons, not the least of which is safety. The FDA is charged with the responsibility of assuring that meat and dairy products are safe and free from antibiotics and other drugs. The presence of drugs can cause reactions—some potentially fatal—in consumers who are allergic or sensitive to those drugs. It can also interfere with starter cultures in yogurt and cheese. And, there is increasing concern that ongoing consumption of low levels of antibiotics could encourage the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms in humans.
Milk or meat—two different animals when it comes to residues.
Most dairy cows marketed for meat are adult cows, culled because of low productivity from a variety of causes, including illness. But dairies also sell calves that are harvested for meat. On average, Gingrich estimates these culled meat animals represent about 30 percent of any given dairy herd each year.
Because drug-withholding times are different for meat than they are for milk, dairy producers sometimes get tripped up, culling and selling animals whose meat still contains residues.
“Most of the residues come from adult dairy cows that were treated for an illness and didn’t recover fully enough for production,” Gingrich explained. “For instance, a cow treated for mastitis continues to have a high cell count, so she is sold.”
He said three residues comprise 95 percent of the problem when it comes to drug residues in meat: penicillins (beta lactams), flunixin (meglumine) and drugs in the ceftiofur class of antibiotics. Further, he attributes their presence in meat to mistakes by producers.
“The primary reason for these residue problems in culled dairy cows is that producers aren’t following the appropriate withholding times for meat, or they are not using the drug according to the label and under the guidance of a veterinarian,” Gingrich offered.
“For example, the label strength for penicillin is 10 cc, but most dairymen give 35-50 cc per cow,” he explained. “The label on the bottle recommends withholding meat for seven days, but that’s based on a 10 cc dose. If you change anything on the label, the withholding time changes, too. If a veterinarian had instructed the off-label use, s/he would have told the producer how long to withhold meat.”
Gingrich said if producers use penicillin at the 35-50 cc level, he recommends withholding meat for at least 30 days and checking urine to make sure the drug is out of the cow’s system.
Flunixin can also cause problems. This drug requires a four-day withdrawal for meat, Gingrich said, but that’s if it is injected intravenously. If it is injected into the muscle, it causes severe damage to the muscle tissue. Regulators require a 30-60 day withholding for intramuscular (IM) injected drugs. However, Gingrich says he believes meat should never be sold after IM drug injections.
“It damages the meat, but it is also an animal welfare issue,” he said. “For example, flunixin administered intramuscularly causes lesions, which damage the meat; but it also causes pain. We tell producers if they are not going to inject in a vein—preferably the jugular vein—don’t inject at all.”
Surprisingly, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs constitute another source of drug residue problems. In fact, of the 1,600 meat residue violations dairy producers were cited for in 2008, 1,064 were from OTC drugs. Medicated milk replacers, given to calves that are sold for meat, are one source of such OTC drug residues. Other OTC drugs include injectable products such as penicillin, tetracycline and some sulfa-based antibiotics.
Residue testing on the rise
“The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests meat for residues randomly, but also at the request of its inspectors. If the USDA inspector sees evidence of prior disease in a carcass coming through the plant, s/he will pull samples from that cow,” Gingrich explained. “Such evidence might include an injection site lesion that has been cut out, enlarged lymph nodes or pneumonia scars in the lungs.”
“They now have a four-hour kidney inhibitory swab (KIS) test that quickly detects drug residues in the system,” he explained. “If the USDA finds a positive KIS test, the carcass is pulled, and it is reported to the FDA. At that point, the FDA takes over to find out what drug was detected and at what level.
These better tests, along with extra-label drug use and failure to observe proper withholding times, are leading to more regulation and more scrutiny of the dairy industry, he elaborated.
“This is something every dairy farmer needs to take very, very seriously,” Gingrich emphasized. “It is against the law to use drugs extra-label without a veterinarian’s guidance. The way the FDA looks at it, you have maliciously contaminated the food supply, no differently than if you went to the grocery store and contaminated food on the shelf.”
“If you have a violation, the FDA puts you on a list of violators,” he warned. “Plus, they have announced they will begin screening the bulk tanks of violators for any drugs they find in their meat—that includes a long list of newer drugs that are currently not routinely tested in milk tankers. And, they will demand detailed records and inventory logs.”
The good news is that the problem is relatively easy to fix, according to Gingrich.
Developing a residue prevention plan
• Consult your veterinarian. Regardless of the size of your operation, Gingrich says you must have a residue prevention plan on your farm. The first and most important step in such a plan is utilizing the services of a veterinarian. S/he will know the proper use of each drug and its corresponding withholding times.
• Keep thorough treatment records. Gingrich says records are crucial. When a worker administers a treatment and doesn’t write it down, that animal can unwittingly be sold while drug residues are still present. “This is where dairy producers could improve a lot,” he declared. “You have to make sure the animal being put on the truck hasn’t been treated for anything within the withholding period.”
• Limit drug access and administration. Only designated staff should be allowed to treat animals and have access to the drug cabinet. This reduces the opportunity for mistakes and makes workers accountable.
Don’t ignore the problem
Gingrich says the big thing for dairy producers is: (1) realizing that drug residues in meat are a big problem in their industry and (2) taking steps to prevent such problems.
“You don’t want to be on that violators’ list. It’s on the internet for anyone to see. It includes names, locations, residue and amount of residue. They even provide the letter that the FDA wrote to that producer. Dairy farmers who have been through this agree: you don’t want the FDA visiting your farm.”
Develop a Residue Prevention Plan
• Use all drugs under the guidance of a veterinarian. A veterinarian can advise about appropriate drug use and withholding times. It is illegal to administer extra-label drugs without the guidance of a veterinarian.
• Be diligent and thorough with treatment records. Whenever a medication is given, it must be recorded.
• Allow only designated staff to access and administer drugs. This will reduce the possibility of mistakes and increase accountability.
G. M. Jones, Preventing Drug Residues in Milk and Cull Dairy Cows. Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 404-403, 2009.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Chemistry/index.asp