FDA WARNING_LETTER - Viacres L.L.L. and Natural Milk L.L.C. - May 27, 2008

Between May 7 and May 27, 2008, the FDA inspected Viacres L.L.C. and Natural Milk L.L.C., two dairy operations. The inspection found violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, specifically that animals offered for slaughter were adulterated.

On February 1, 2008, a dairy cow from Viacres L.L.C. was found to have sulfadimethoxine at 6.47 ppm in muscle and 5.40 ppm in liver, exceeding the 0.1 ppm tolerance. It also had flunixin at 0.20 ppm in liver, exceeding the 0.125 ppm tolerance. On February 25, 2008, a cow from Natural Milk L.L.C. had sulfadimethoxine at 7.73 ppm in muscle and 4.12 ppm in liver. On March 28, 2008, another cow from Viacres L.L.C. had sulfadimethoxine at 0.41 ppm in muscle and 0.42 ppm in liver. These levels caused the food to be adulterated under 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(2)(C)(ii).

Additionally, the operations failed to maintain complete treatment records, indicating insanitary conditions where medicated animals with