Avoid antibiotic residue with preventative measures

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last year its plan to initiate a targeted testing program for drug residues in milk. This testing program developed by FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is targeted at those dairy producers who have had an antibiotic-positive tissue sample resulting from the marketing of dairy cull cows.

Affected stakeholders, including Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., shared their feedback about the impact of this plan. In an effort to help avoid disruption to the milk supply, revisions were made, and the FDA intends to use a revised screening program targeted at residue violators. Although the final details are not yet known, the FDA has said this will not be an enforcement initiative and samples taken will be blinded to eliminate farm identification. The ultimate goal is to determine whether dairy farms with histories of drug residue violations in meat from dairy cattle may also have violative drug residue in milk.

National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), of which DFA is a member, reached out to its members earlier this year, saying if producers have had any residue violation of a dairy cull cow in the last three years, they are likely to be scrutinized by the FDA.

“Given the potential for severe financial and reputational impact to the producer, we remind producers of the importance of following all veterinarian and drug label recommendations on the use of antibiotics and associated withholding times,” states Chris Galen, senior vice president of communications for NMPF. “Maintaining the safety of our milk supply is and has been our highest priority.”

The United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world, but tissue drug residue violations remind us there is still more work to be done to ensure that pharmaceutical products are being used in a responsible manner.

According to data from the Food Safety Inspection Service, dairy cows are 400 times more likely than feedlot cattle to be flagged for carcass residue.

“This is unacceptable,” says Mike Lormore, DVM, director of Dairy Veterinary Operations for Pfizer Animal Health.

Lormore recommends the following key steps producers should take in building an effective residue avoidance plan.

1. Set up a valid relationship with a veterinarian who routinely visits your dairy farm. Establish an approved drug list; all drugs should have proper labeling.

2. Use only FDA-approved drugs to treat animals, and make sure copies of drug inserts and/or product labeling is on hand.

3. Talk with a veterinarian to establish appropriate disease identification and treatment protocols. Ensure all employees properly administer pharmaceuticals and identify treated animals.

4. Maintain accurate and timely record-keeping systems for all treated animals.

5. Review records before any animal leaves the dairy to ensure it has cleared all withdrawal periods. Farm staff should receive regular training on residue prevention.

“There should never be any guessing when it comes to pharmaceutical use relative to milk and meat withdrawal times,” Lormore says.

Visit www.AvoidResidues.com to view action-oriented videos that can help you develop a residue avoidance plan as well as access a residue risk assessment you can complete with your veterinarian.

NMPF released the 2011 Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual that offers a concise review of appropriate antibiotic use in dairy animals. It’s available online at http://nationaldairyfarm.com/residue-prevention.html.

Additional resources are also available on myDFA at www.dfamilk.com.