U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
FDA Prime Connection

HHS:PHS:FDA:CFSAN:OC:DCP:MSB
 
                                  200 C Street, S.W.
                              Washington, D.C. 20204
 
                                              M-a-75
 
                                       April 2, 1990
 
TO:       All Regional Food and Drug Directors
          Attn: Regional Milk Specialists
 
FROM:     Milk Safety Branch (HFF-346)
 
SUBJECT:  Sampling for Animal Drug Residues and Other Contaminants
          in Milk, Interpretation of Section 6 of the PMO
 
This memorandum is being issued at the request and in cooperation with the
Executive Board of NCIMS.
 
In accordance with the recently established guidelines for issuance of
interpretations this interpretation is being issued and distributed to all state
milk regulatory and rating officials.  Any comment that the states have should
be sent to the Executive Secretary of NCIMS within 30 days of the date of
this letter.  If no comments are received this memorandum shall be effective
60 days from the date of this letter.  (June 2, 1990)
 
Section 6 of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance states in Part:
 
"Examinations and tests to detect adulterants, including pesticides, shall be
conducted as the regulatory agency requires".
 
The interpretation of this portion of Section 6, requires that regulatory
agencies adopt the following policy in regard to determining when additional
sampling is necessary:
 
     When the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
     determines that a potential problem exists with animal drug residues or
     other contaminants in the milk supply, samples shall be analyzed for
     the contaminant by a method(s) determined by FDA to be effective in
     determining compliance with actionable levels or established
     tolerances.  This testing will continue until such time that the
     Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration is reasonably
     assured that the problem has been corrected.
 
The determination of a problem is to be based upon:
 
     Sample survey results,
     USDA tissue residue data from cull and veal dairy animals,
     Animal drug disappearances and sales data,
     State feed back and
     Other relevant information
 
Copies of this memorandum are enclosed for your distribution to District Milk
Specialists, state milk regulatory agencies and state milk rating officers in your
region.
 
 
 
                         Johnnie G.  Nichols
                         Chief, Milk Safety Branch