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# FDA Warning Letters: Cattle and Dairy Farms, Seafood Processor and Sauce Maker
- URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/02/higher-than-permitted-drug-residues-found-in-animals/
- Published: 2015-02-02T06:02:01.000Z
- Updated: 2018-07-31T06:01:10.000Z
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: Government Agencies, Balmer Brothers, Bluefin Seafoods Corporation, FDA warning letters, Food and Drug Administration, Porky's Gourmet Foods Inc., Rusty Cattle Company, Samuel Smucker, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-25 08:58

[Rusty Cattle Company](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm430879.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Paul’s Valley, OK, [Samuel Smucker](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm430835.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Narvon, PA, and [Balmer Brothers](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm431072.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Manheim, PA, all had cows slaughtered for human food. However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tissues from the animals were adulterated by drug residues discovered through testing by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

[![](http://foodsafetynewsfullservice.marlersites.com/files/2015/02/fda-warnining406x250.jpg "FDA Warning")](http://foodsafetynewsfullservice.marlersites.com/files/2015/02/fda-warnining406x250-1.jpg?ref=foodsafetynews.com)

The cow from the Rusty Cattle Company was found to have unsafe levels of penicillin and flunixin in liver tissue. Unsafe levels of neomycin were found in two cows from the Smucker dairy farm, and neomycin was found in two Balmer dairy cows, the agency stated. FDA recently sent warning letters to all three operations, advising them of the precise results of those FSIS tests. For example, the FDA tolerance level for neomycin is 7.2 ppm for residues in edible tissues. Tests of the Smucker animals found levels of 12.3 ppm in the kidney tissues and 12.68 ppm in kidney tissues from the Balmer Brothers cows, the warning letters stated. Neomycin is an antibiotic used on farms in many topical medications such as creams, ointments, and eyedrops. Such high drug residues would put anyone who sells the animals for human food in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA investigations into the three operations found conditions that “are so inadequate that medicated animals bearing potentially harmful drug residues are likely to enter the food supply.” All three were advised to make immediate corrections to each specific violation and respond to the warning letter within 15 days. A Kentucky seafood processor and a Tennessee sauce and dry spice blend manufacturer also recently received warning letters from FDA. [Bluefin Seafoods Corporation](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm430892.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Louisville, KY, and [Porky’s Gourmet Foods Inc.](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm430957.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Gallatin, TN, were warned after inspections about alleged violations involving Current Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans. Bluefin Seafoods, which processes both finfish and shellfish, was advised by FDA that it must have an HACCP plan for each species it produces. Porky’s was warned about FDA findings that suggested numerous unsanitary conditions, including rodent pellets inside the facility. In each letter, FDA requested that the companies provide written responses detailing steps taken to bring the facilities into compliance with food safety laws and regulations, to correct violations cited in the letters, and to prevent their recurrence.