The Farmers Creamery milk products are being recalled for improper antibiotic testing, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). The incoming raw milk was not properly tested for drug residues before production, as outlined in The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these products. Anyone who has Beta-lactam allergies or who is immunocompromised is at risk. The recalling firm is The Farmers Creamery located at 50 West Kittle Road in Mio, Michigan. The recalled Farmers Creamery milk products are packaged in glass and plastic bottles and bags. The recalled items include Fluid Whole Milk, Fluid 2% Milk, Fluid Skim Milk, Fluid Chocolate Milk, Fluid Moo-Cacino Milk, Fluid Salted … [Read more...]
Punjab King Pure Honey Recalled For Presence of Metronidazole
Punjab King Pure Honey is being recalled in Canada because testing found metronidazole, an antibiotic. This antibiotic can cause neurological abnormalities, such as seizures, in some people and should not be taken without a prescription. It is used to treat infections of the vagina, stomach, liver, skin, joints, brain and spinal cord, lungs, heart, or bloodstream. Metronidazole can also cause health problems in anyone who consumed alcohol within the previous two weeks. The recalling firm is Everest Traders Inc. This honey was sold at the retail level in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is Punjab King Pure Honey that is packaged in 500 gram containers. The UPC number that is stamped don the label is 628998000217. The batch number on this product is 144. And the best before … [Read more...]
Dying Bacteria Absorb Antibiotics, According to New Study
A new study from researchers at Princeton University and California State University-Northridge has found that dying bacteria can absorb antibiotics, giving other pathogens the chance to survive. The dying bacteria can absorb large amounts of the antibiotic. The paper was published in eLife on December 18, 2018. The work is supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the University of Waterloo in Canada. That's not the only way pathogens can survive antibiotic doses. They can also delay their growth, grow more quickly, or create biofilms as they grow that shield them from the drug. Researchers created a mathematical model to try to explain this phenomenon. The model "describes the dynamics of bacterial populations facing different … [Read more...]
NY Livestock Market Recalls Chickens for Antibiotic Contamination
NY Livestock Market of New York is recalling about 1,495 pounds of poultry that may be contaminated with the antibiotic nitrofurazone. No adverse reactions have been reported to date. The whole young chickens were produced on April 10, 2017. The recalled products is brown shipping bags containing various quantities of 4.9 pound young whole chickens, with head and feet intact, with "NY LIVESTOCK MARKET, INC. BUDDHIST RELIGIOUS EXEMPT (Eviscerated Poultry)" printed on the label. The products have the establishment number "P-45068" inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to restaurants and retail locations in New York state. Nitrofurazone is "a residue of public health concern," according to the recall notice. If you purchased these products, do not consume them. Throw … [Read more...]
Consumer Reports Calls for FDA to Increase Tests on Imported Shrimp
After conducting a study that found antibiotics, which are illegal in shrimp farming, and bacteria that cause food poisoning on imported shrimp, Consumer Reports is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to step up testing. The consumer watchdog wants Congress to increase funding to the FDA so it can inspect and test more imported shrimp and keep tainted products out of the foods supply. Americans eat more shrimp than tuna, consuming more than 18 million servings each day. Most of it, 94 percent, is imported from farms in Indonesia, Thailand and India. And most of it, 96 percent, is not inspected. Consumer Reports purchased 342 packages of frozen raw and cooked shrimp from grocery stores, natural food stores and discount food clubs in 27 cities. Those stores include … [Read more...]
Advocates Disappointed in Senate ADUFA Update
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee just released an update of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA). This Act is supposed to require drug companies to report details about antibiotic sales, but the provision that would have increased the FDA's reporting of antibiotic sales used in food animals is missing. The Pew Charitable Trusts expressed disappointment with the update. Laura Rogers, a project director at that agency, said in a statement, "we are extremely disappointed that the Senate committee charged with protecting our health has neglected its mission. The nation's public health leaders urged the committee to allow the FDA to collect more detailed information about the sale of antibiotics for food animal production. Without greater transparency, the … [Read more...]
Hartz Mountain Recalling Chicken Chews and Oinkies for Unapproved Antibiotics
The Hartz Mountain Corporation is recalling Hartz ® Chicken Chews™ and Hartz ® Oinkies® Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken for dogs because they contain trace amounts of unapproved antibiotics. This follows the recall of Nestle and Delmonte dog treats earlier this month, and issues with jerky pet treats made with ingredients imported from China. Testing found the illegal residue in some samples of the recalled products. Hartz states that "two-thirds of the products we tested did not contain antibiotic residues", but they are voluntarily recalling the products to be cautious. The antibiotics in question are legal for use in poultry in China and the European Union. The Hartz statement claims the FDA's review of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets testing … [Read more...]
Antibiotics Fatten Farm Animals: People Too?
Food Poisoning Bulletin has been reporting about the sub clinical use of antibiotics in farm animals for the past year. Many farmers routinely feed chickens, pigs, and cows antibiotics in their feed to prevent disease and to promote growth. The link between antibiotic dose and disease prevention may be obvious. But how do antibiotics promote growth? Mother Jones has a report connecting antibiotic use and weight gain. Regular low doses of antibiotics make animals gain weight because they change bacteria that live in the gut. The colonies of bacteria are called "microbiomes" and they can affect everything from allergies to the immune system to weight gain. A study published in Nature last year found that low doses of antibiotics changed the bacteria in the intestines of mice. Those … [Read more...]
Lebanon Cheese Fined For Selling Cheese Made With Condemned Milk
The owner of Lebanon Cheese Company, who knowingly purchased condemned milk and used it to make cheese which was sold to a food market in Wyomissing Pa., has been ordered to serve four years probation and pay a $10,000 fine. The company has also been ordered to pay a fine of $200,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Joseph G. Lotito, of Annandale,NJ, and Lebanon Cheese pleaded guilty to the interstate shipment of adulterated ricotta cheese, a violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, on May 31, 2012 and were sentenced July 31, 2012. From 2008 through July 2009, Lebanon Cheese purchased for a reduced price at least 20 loads of condemned milk from D.A. Landis Trucking, Inc. and used it to make cheese which it later … [Read more...]
