Neil McIsaac & Son, Inc. 9/9/10

Department of Health and Human Services	Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration
	San Francisco District Pacific Region 1431 Harbor Bay Parkway Alameda, CA 94502-7070 Telephone: 510-337-6700 FAX: 510-337-6701

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE
DELIVERY SIGNATURE REQUESTED

Our Reference: 3008347934

 

            WARNING LETTER

September 9, 2010

 

Neil K. McIsaac III, President/Owner

Neil McIsaac & Son, Inc.

1315 Tomales Road

Petaluma, California 94952

 

Dear Mr. Mc Isaac III:

 

On July 7 and 19, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an investigation of your dairy operation located at 1315 Tomales Road, Petaluma, California. This letter notifies you of the violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) that we found during our investigation of your operation. You can find the Act and its associated regulations on the Internet through links on FDA’s web page at www.fda.gov.

 

We found that you offered for sale an animal for slaughter as food that was adulterated. Under section 402(a)(2)(C)(ii) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(2)(C)(ii), a food is deemed to be adulterated if it bears or contains a new animal drug that is unsafe under section 512 of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360b. Further, under section 402(a)(4) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4), a food is deemed to be adulterated if it has been held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.

 

Specifically, our investigation revealed that on or about April 20, 2010, you sold a dairy cow, identified with ear tag #(b)(4) for slaughter as food. On or about April 21, 2010, (b)(4) slaughtered this animal. United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) analysis of tissue samples collected from this animal identified the presence of penicillin in the kidney at 0.55 parts per million (ppm). FDA has established a tolerance of 0.05 ppm for residues of penicillin in the uncooked edible tissues of cattle as codified in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), 556.510 (21 C.F.R. 556.510). The presence of this drug in edible tissue from this animal in this amount causes the food to be adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(2)(C)(ii) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(2)(C)(ii).

 

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. For example, you failed to maintain complete treatment records. Food from animals held under such conditions is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(4) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4).

 

We also found that you adulterated the new animal drugs Penicillin G Procaine and (b)(4). Specifically, our investigation revealed that you did not use (b)(4)(Penicillin G Procaine Injectable Suspension U.S.P.) and (b)(4)(Ceftiofur (b)(4)) as directed by their approved labeling.  Use of these drugs in this manner is an extralabel use 21 C.F.R. 530.3(a).

 

The extralabel use of approved animal or human drugs in animals is allowed under the Act only if the extralabel use complies with sections 512(a)(4) and (5) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360b(a)(4) and (5), and 21 C.F.R. Part 530, including that the use must be by or on the lawful order of a licensed veterinarian within the context of a valid veterinarian/client/patient relationship.

 

Our investigation found that you administered (b)(4)(Penicillin G Procaine Injectable Suspension U.S.P.) (b)(4), to two of your dairy cows (ear tag (b)(4) and (b)(4)) without following the withdrawal period as stated in your veterinarian’s prescription labeling. Your extralabel use of penicillin was not under the supervision of a licenses veterinary, in violation of 21 C.F.R. 530.11(a) and your extralabel use of penicillin resulted in illegal drug residues, in violation of 21 C.F.R. 530.11(d). Our investigation also found that you administered (b)(4)(Ceftiofur (b)(4), to a dairy cow (ear tag (b)(4)) without following the frequency of treatment as stated in the approved labeling. Your extralabel use of (b)(4)was not under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, in violation of 21 C.F.R. 530.11(a).  Because your use of these drugs was not in conformance with their approved labeling and did not comply with 21 C.F.R. Part 530, you caused the drugs to be unsafe under section 512(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360b(a), and adulterated within the meaning of section 501(a)(5) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 351(a)(5).

 

The above is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of violations. As a producer of animals offered for use as food, you are responsible for ensuring that your overall operation and the food you distribute is in compliance with the law.

 

You should take prompt action to correct the violations described in this letter and to establish procedures to ensure that these violations do not recur. Failure to do so may result in regulatory action without further notice such as seizure and/or injunction.

 

You should notify this office in writing of the steps you have taken to bring your firm into compliance with the law within fifteen (15) working days of receiving this letter. Your response should include each step that has been taken or will be taken to correct the violations and prevent their recurrence. If corrective action cannot be completed within fifteen (15) working days of receiving this letter, state the reason for the delay and the time frame within which the corrections will be completed. Please include copies of any available documentation demonstrating that corrections have been made.

 

Your written response should be sent to Karen L. Robles, Compliance Officer, Food and Drug Administration, at 650 Capitol Mall Room 8-400, Sacramento, California 95814. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Compliance Officer Karen L. Robles at (916) 930-3674 extension 114 or via e-mail at Karen.Robles@fda.hhs.gov.

 

Sincerely, 

/S/ 

Barbara J. Cassens,
District Director
San Francisco District
U. S. Food and Drug Administration

 

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