A2B-Lanc«ster Farming, Saturday, January 27,1990
BY SIDNEY BARNARD
PSU Professor, Food Science
Articles in the Wall Street Jour
nal on December 29 and January 2
did not provide all of the facts
about alleged antibiotics in milk.
Apparently none of the results ex
ceeded maximum levels set by the
Food and Drug Administration of
10 parts per billion (ppb.) in either
of the studies. There has been no
indication that test results were
confirmed by High Pressure Liq
uid Chromatography, as required
by the FDA.
It is assumed that testing was
done using the Charm II Test. This
very sensitive laboratory equip
ment will detect levels up to 1,000
times greater than those set by re
gulations. Yet, it indicates that
minimal amounts of some antibio
tics may be present in milk. How
ever, it is not practical nor is it sig
nificant to reach zero tolerance of
all adulterants from food. Perfec
tion will never be reached, even
though electronic equipment may
be developed to test for levels of
less than 1 ppb.
Pennsylvania regulatory and
dairy industry testing programs
use the latest technology to be sure
that consumers do not get milk
and dairy products containing
antibiotic levels which approach
FDA tolerances or might be harm
ful. The official B. STEROTHER
MOPHILUS Disc Assay is requir
ed to be used by FDA as the offi
cial test.
The Charm II equipment is used
by about 25 dairy plants in Penn-
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Harmful Levels Of Antibiotics Not Present In Milk
sylvania to screen loads of milk
prior to acceptance. This and other
screening tests are confirmed by
one of the two official methods.
Nearly every load of raw milk is
tested, so that any antibiotic posi
tive in milk is diverted for other
than human use.
It is virtually impossible for
consumers to purchase milk con
taining levels of any antibiotics
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
During the 74th Annual Farm
Show, the Pennsylvania State
Grange hosted its annual Farm
Show Meeting. The meeting,
which was held at the Farm Show
Complex on January 8, hosted an
array of guest speakers.
Wally Evans, director of the
Pennsylvania Agriculture Statis
tics Service, discussed the func
tions of the state service. He said,
“For the most part, information is
based on a cross section of Penn
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above the FDA level of 10 ppb.
No one would be sensitive to lev
els of antibiotics below this, as far
as I am aware.
Fluid milk in Pennsylvania is
safe and wholesome. Antibiotics,
chemicals and other adulterants
are not present above tolerances in
milk. The PA Department of Agri
culture tests samples from all pro
cessing plants four times a year
sylvania farmers who volunteer
their time and information.”
Pennsylvania’s State Secretary
of Agriculture, Boyd E. Wolff,
made a brief update on agriculture
programs. He spoke on the Farm
land Preservation Program, stating
that the first easement has been is
sued in Lancaster County. In addi
tion, he talked about the tubercu
losis testing and stated that the
first cycle was completed last
month. “The cows need to pass
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and tests for all possible adulter
ants. There are both incentives and
penalties for dairy farms, so that
antibiotics and adulterants will not
be present in the milk they ship to
a processing plant Many farmers
have test kits to test milk from a
cow or their bulk tank to be sure
milk is free of antibiotics.
After FDA completes their na
tionwide survey of store purchas-
three negative tests in eight
months,” Wolff said.
Bruce Marra and David Dor
sett investment counselors. Capi
tal & Security Management Inc.,
gave an economical and market
forecast and review for the com
ing decade. Capital & Security
Management Inc. is a financial
service offered to Grange mem
bers through the State Grange Ser
vice Coiporation.
George Wolff, legislative con
sultant gave a legislative update.
FOR
ed samples they will provide re
sults to the media. It is possible
that tolerance levels may be low
ered. Costs to test and discard
adulterated milk in Pennsylvania
presently are estimated to exceed
$3,500,000 annually. Pennsyl
vania is ready for any new pro
gram or change in tolerances.
Penn State is an affirmative ac
tion, equal opportunity university.
Meeting
One of his focal points was the
controversial issue of wetlands.
He said, “At one point, there were
10 different definitions for wet
land.”
Laura Long-Lesher, Pennsyl
vania Dairy Promotion Program,
discussed the Dairy Promotion
Programs on a national and state
level. She said, "Milk is still per
ceived as a natural and wholesome
product by 99 percent of consum
ers.
SYCAMORE IND. PARK
255 PLANE TREE
DRIVE
LANCASTER. PA 17603
(717)393-5807
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Route 30 West
at the
Centerville Exit