The FDA is seeking public comment on a risk assessment of drug residues in milk and milk products. The risk assessment was conducted as part of the overall effort to continuously work with industry and state partners to improve an already strong and effective regulatory system for milk and milk products.
The agency approves drugs for use in food-producing animals only when the data show there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health from the proposed use. As part of the drug approval process, the FDA establishes tolerance levels (levels considered safe) for veterinary drug residues in food. After a cow is treated with a drug, milk from that cow is to be discarded for the time established by the FDA to assure that the milk is safe for human consumption. If illegal drug residues are present, milk from a cow being treated with a drug cannot be sold for human consumption.
As part of the FDA’s science-based approach to food safety, the assessment considered a wide range of data and information, including government conducted surveys, the published literature, and input through external peer review.
To electronically submit comments to the docket, visit www.regulations.gov and type FDA-2015-N-1305 in the search box.
