US Feed company violated BSE controls
Buhl, Idaho based Rangen Inc. has received a “warning letter” from the US Food and Drug Administration for violating federal regulations that prohibit animal proteins in ruminant feed to control the spread of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) of mad cow disease.
Rangen Inc. is feed manufacturer who provides animal feed for dairy and beef cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, pets, and horses. . The privately held, family-owned business distributes feed products to nine states in the US.
"Our investigation determined that adulteration resulted from the failure of your firm to provide for measures to avoid commingling or cross-contamination," FDA’s Seattle District Director Charles M. Breen said in a Feb. 11 "Warning Letter" to the Idaho feed manufacturer that was made public last week.
“The adulterated feed was subsequently misbranded because it was not properly labelled,” Breen continued.
The FDA letter said Rangen failed to use cleanout procedures to prevent carry-over of products "that contain or may contain proteins derived from mammalian tissues into animal feed that may be used as ruminants.”
Mink feed was not labelled ‘Do Not feed to cattle or other ruminants.’ Auger trucks are not being cleaned effectively. Bulk mink feed is misbranded. Equipment containing mammalian tissues was used.
FDA says Rangen promised in a July 31 letter to "no longer purchase meat and bone meal for use in any of its animal feeds and existing inventories of mammalian protein ingredients would be exhausted by Dec. 31, 2009."
Antibiotic misuse
FDA also sent a "Warning Letter" to Crestview Calves Inc. in Hazelton, Idaho, over a calf sold on Aug. 14, 2009 that was found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to have unacceptable levels of gentamicin sulfate.
FDA has a zero tolerance level for gentamicin sulfate. Its investigation found Crestview is not using the new animal drug as directed by the veterinarian’s prescription.
Across the country, in South Solon, Ohio, the Stardust Dairy received a similar letter. The only difference was the cow it sold on April 20, 2009 was found by FSIS to have a higher than tolerated level of the animal drug flunixin.
Flunixin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug more properly used to treat horses.
Companies have 15 working days to respond to a "Warning Letter."
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