Veeser Farms – FDA Warning Letter, Feb 16, 2011

On January 27 and February 16, 2011, the FDA inspected Veeser Farms, a dairy operation in Casco, Wisconsin. The inspection revealed violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Specifically, on October 6, 2010, Veeser Farms sold a bob veal calf for slaughter. USDA/FSIS analysis found 24.35 ppm of neomycin residue in the calf's kidney, exceeding the 7.2 ppm tolerance for cattle and the zero tolerance for veal calves. This rendered the food adulterated under section 402(a)(2)(C)(ii) of the Act.

The investigation also found that animals were held under insanitary conditions, likely leading to medicated animals with harmful drug residues entering the food supply, thus adulterating food under section 402(a)(4) of the Act. A key deficiency was the failure to maintain complete treatment records.

Furthermore, Veeser Farms illegally used the new animal drug neomycin sulfate (Neomycin Oral Solution Antibacterial, ANADA #(b)(4)) extralabelly. The drug was administered to a veal calf, a class of animal not specified on the approved labeling, and without a licensed veterinarian's order within a valid veterinarian/client/patient relationship, violating 21 CFR 530.11(a). This extralabel use resulted in an illegal residue,