Dairy Operation Agrees to Permanent Injunction to Prevent Illegal Drug Residues
The residues were found in animals that are sold for food, according to FDA.
On behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has filed a consent decree of permanent injunction against Michael P. Ferry Inc., a dairy operator located in Westport, Mass., and owner Michael P. Ferry after FDA documented multiple violations of federal food laws.
FDA announced that an inspection found illegal levels of drug residues in animals Ferry sold for slaughter, and that the residues may pose a significant public health risk. The inspection found the dairy operation administered drugs to its animals contrary to labeled directions and without a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Further, the defendants failed to administer drugs to animals with adequate control measures, such as keeping complete records to ensure that animals were not over-medicated or sent to slaughter too soon after treatment with animal drugs, according to the agency.
"When a company refuses to comply with food safety laws and regulations, the FDA must take legal action to protect public health," said Daniel McChesney, Ph.D., director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine's Office of Surveillance and Compliance at FDA. "We recognize that Michael P. Ferry Inc.'s agreement to this consent decree is the right first step, and we will continue to monitor the dairy to confirm that the terms of the agreement are met."
The consent decree will prohibit the company and owner from selling animals for slaughter for human consumption until they have implemented recordkeeping systems that will identify and track animals that have been treated with drugs.