| Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration |
Cincinnati District Office |
Department of Health and Human ServicesWARNING LETTER
CIN-11-202054-24
July 20, 2011
United Parcel Service
Danny L. Johnson, Dealer/Producer
6235 North Jackson Highway
Glasgow, Kentucky 42141
Dear Mr. Johnson:
On May 24 and 26, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an investigation of your farming operation located at 6325 North Jackson Highway, Glasgow, Kentucky. This letter notifies you of the violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) that we found during our investigation of your operation. You can find the FD&C 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 FD&C 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 FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360b Further, under section 402(a)(4) of the FD&C 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 November 29, 2010, you sold a cow, identified with back tag (b)(4) for slaughter as food. On or about December 6, 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 1.99 parts per million (ppm) of sulfamethazine in the liver tissue and 1.11 ppm of sulfamethazine in the muscle. FDA has established a tolerance of 0.1 ppm for sulfamethazine in the uncooked edible tissues of cattle as codified in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Section 556.670 (21 CFR 556.670). The presence of this drug in edible tissues from this animal in these amounts causes the food to be adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(2)(C)(ii) of the FD&C 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 treatment records and maintain an adequate drug inventory system. We also observed numerous expired prescription drugs in your storage areas. Food from animals held under such conditions is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(4) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4).
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 Allison C. Hunter, Compliance Officer, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6751 Steger Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Compliance Officer Hunter at 513-679-2700 Ext. 2134.
Sincerely yours,
/s/
Virginia R. Connelly
Acting District Director
Cincinnati District
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