Penicillin in Cattle

 Cattleman busted for using drugs…not on himself but on his livestock. Quoting Magic Valley .com “Compliance officers with the Food and Drug Administration have cited a Jerome cattleman for animal drug abuse. The FDA is accusing the owner of Millenkamp Cattle of using a new animal drug without following “the indications, dosing instructions, and duration of treatment as stated in the drug’s approved labeling.” The drug in question was penicillin and it was discovered by inspectors when Millenkamp cattle were sent to slaughter. They found 0.28 parts per million of penicillin residue when .05 parts per million is the maximum allowable by the USDA.

Here’s  Dr. Matthew E. Doumit from the Department of Animal and Veterinary Science at University of Idaho: “It’s neither legal nor approved nor recommended. Any drug that’s used for livestock regardless of species has to be approved by the FDA.” Dr. Doumit says the beef industry does an excellent job of policing itself. “I suspect this is not a common thing in the beef industry.The beef industry has taken a leadership role in terms of the beef quality assurance program that provides training for producers on where to administer drugs and how to administer drugs.”

Millenkamp has a huge operation in which he raises about 75,000 head of cattle and could not be reached for comment.