Idaho cattleman Gregory T. Troost and Mark A. Mourton, manager of Troost’s T&T Cattle and T&T Cattle Pearl, have agreed to a consent decree for their illegal administration of animal drugs for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The consent decree was approved by the U.S. District Court for Idaho. During a decade of inspections, FDA repeatedly found the Parma, ID, cattle businesses owned by Troost in violation of federal laws regarding administration of animal medications for uses not approved on the label and failing to keep adequate records. Most recently, T&T operations offered for slaughter seven dairy cows with illegal levels of drug residues. These included cows with tissues that tested positive for elevated levels of penicillin and sulfadimethoxine. Ingesting food containing excessive amounts of antibiotics and other drugs can cause severe adverse reactions among the general population even at very low levels and can harm consumers who are sensitive to antibiotics. To date, no illnesses have been reported. “The illegal use of drugs in food-producing animals may adversely impact public health, and the FDA will take enforcement action against companies such as this one that violate the Act and our animal drugs regulations,” said Melinda K. Plaisier, the FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. The decree prohibits the defendants from selling animals for slaughter for human consumption until they have implemented record-keeping systems to identify and track animals that have been treated with drugs. These records must also note the drug used, dosage, time of administration and how long before slaughter the drug needs to be discontinued. If the defendants offer any animals for sale or slaughter, they also must provide to the recipient of the animals written information about the animals’ drug treatment status. FDA may order the defendants to cease operations if they fail to comply with any provisions of the consent decree, the Act or FDA regulations. Failure to obey the terms of the consent decree could result in civil or criminal penalties.