FDA Warning Issued to
Meat Producer One Year Too Late
Wednesday, August 06, 2008 by: Susan Thixton
Natural News
(NaturalNews) 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 July, 2 2008 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 July
2, 2008 –- the inspection of this dairy farm took place on Feb. 2, 2008 and
Feb. 11, 2008 –- 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 slaughtered 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 came
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 Congress and Senate
Representative, urge them to watch the FDA like a hawk. The health of every
human and every pet in the
Wishing you and your pet the best,
Susan Thixton
About the author
Susan Thixton has an international
pet people following providing dog and cat lovers a trusted source for pet food
and pet food ingredient information. She's been called courageous, perseverant,
even "the Caped Crusader for Pets" for her 16 year study of pet food.
Susan Thixton is the author of hundreds of pet
industry articles and the 2006 released book Truth About
Pet Food (currently being updated for a second edition). She developed and
publishes the pet product consumer magazine Petsumer
Report and is a frequent speaker and radio guest all over the
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