USDA Unveils Plan to Prevent Drug Residue in Meat

This week, the US Department of Agriculture announced a plan to prevent drug residue in animals from entering the food supply. The government agency has issued a new compliance guide outlining its expectations in regards to drug residue and has announced that it will begin conducting more tests to ensure that levels of antibiotics in commercial meat don’t exceed federal limits. Though the USDA requires that a certain amount of time pass before medicated animals are slaughtered, many farms continue to test positive for illegal levels of potentially harmful drugs. “This new residue guidance will help industry to prevent certain animals from entering the marketplace and will contribute significantly toward our goal of protecting consumers,” says USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen.