The injunction is also against owner Robert Lawson and manager George R Lawson, for selling cows and bull calves for human food that contain illegal drug residues in violation of federal law.
The decree, filed by the US Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection Branch and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, prevents Lawson Farm, Robert Lawson and George Lawson from purchasing or selling any animals for use as food unless and until they take certain actions to assure that animals with illegal drug residues do not enter the food supply.
It also requires the defendants to keep written records to identify which animals have been medicated and to maintain a drug inventory. Previous US Food and Drug Administration inspections of defendants’ operations found recurring violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that defendants failed to correct.
“The FDA continues to take strong enforcement actions against companies that put consumers’ health at risk,” said Melinda K Plaisier, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “The actions we took are necessary to ensure that foods do not contain illegal residues of drugs and are safe for consumers.”
If the defendants violate the decree, the FDA may order them to cease selling animals for use as food and to take other corrective actions, including payment of fines for each day defendants fail to comply and for each animal sold in violation of the decree.
The FDA previously issued a Warning Letter to Lawson Farm for similar violations.
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