12-17 FB Meat Residue

 Regulators want to know what veterinarians are doing to avoid drug residues in the meat of slaughtered dairy cows.

 The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine wants to survey dairy cattle veterinarians about their use of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, participation in the Dairy Beef Quality Assurance program, knowledge of risk factors associated with drug residues in dairy cattle tissues, and ability to identify the best way to disseminate drug residue avoidance information to dairy industry clients. According to a Federal Register notice filed July 9, the agency is accepting comments on the proposal through Sept. 7.

Shannon Cameron, a spokeswoman for the FDA, said the survey is intended to direct the agency's efforts to promote awareness and provide education about drug residues. The Idaho Department of Agriculture’s Marv Patton says safety measures are very much in place for dairy products whether it be milk or animals for slaughter: “Every load of milk that’s shipped to a processor, must be tested and be negative prior to unloading, if it tests positive it has to be properly disposed of and the same protocols are used in the FDA’s federally meat inspected plants where they’re testing those animals.”