Gentocin On February 27th, 2002, I printed the first letter from a whistleblower: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/message/834 The second letter from my whistleblowing friend, a courageous man caught in a no-win situation, was received on October 6, 2002: Whistleblower's letter ____________________________________________________ Dear Notmilkman, Several months ago I sent you a long Whistleblower message telling about the illegal use of LS-50 in dairy cows in Wisconsin and Colorado, not to mention the dairy, in South Carolina, which used pure Chlorine to mask high SCC counts in a milk tank for milk used in human consumption. Following that you kindly published the piece -- carefully omitting all the names I had mentioned of the quilty -- and also said that you had provided these names to the relevant authorities. I thought that now you may like to know that since then absolutely nothing has happened to change the status quo of the use of those drugs or practices by the parties I had mentioned to you. Not one of them has been investigated, fined or even warned. No-one has contacted me to check on my facts and story -- so, it would seem that their actions are actually being condoned by the USDA, FDA and other health and environmental bodies. Odd indeed. So much for blowing the Whistle. Here's the latest info that may interest your readers and which you may once again want to explore further: In Colorado, on the dairy farm of (NAME WITHHELD BY THE NOTMILKMAN, AUTHORITIES NOTIFIED) there are several practices which the public need to hear about. Perhaps this time something will actually be done about it. Despite repeated warnings from their local Vet, (NAME WITHHELD) continues to use the drug Gentocin in the treatment of mastitis on their milking cows. The vet has warned them that this drug is not labelled for use in dairy animals, especially lactating animals, but (THE UNNAMED FARMER), -- a ranking member of the Republican Party (he was MC at the Republican Congress in Colorado Springs earlier this year), and a leading figure on the Weld County governing body -- simply laughs it off and says that inspectors no longer visit his farm. When asked what he would do if he was aware that someone was using an illegal drug on dairy cows (THE UNNAMED FARMER'S) comment was: "Well it would all depend on how many people it was hurting." How has he managed to not have inspectors visiting his dairy? Could it have something to do with his poltical ties? I do know that whenever he has problems with the INS and his continued use of a labor force composed entirely -- except for one milker -- of illegal and undocumented Mexican workers he does have a direct link into Senator (THE SENATOR'S NAME WITHHELD) office. These then are just a few of the illegal and unethical actions being carried out by the (NAME WITHHELD) Dairy and Farming operation in Colorado -- a dairy farm run by people who put themselves up as paragons of Christian virtue in the community. Are these the sort of people that ordinary Americans have chosen to lead them and produce their food? _______________________________________________________ Time For Us To Clean Up Their Act America has a problem. Our food is tainted by antibiotics. Laws are in place to protect us, but enforcement of safety issues plays second fiddle to political and financial considerations. Who is at risk? You, your children, your friends and relatives. Anybody who takes a sip of milk or piece of pizza or bite of milk chocolate. Gentocin (sounds like gentle sin) is an antibiotic residue that remains within animal flesh and body fluids for 18 months. That is why its use is strictly prohibited in farm animals intended for America's food supply. I wrote a column about a book (Killers Within) that detailed emerging bacterial strains which cannot be killed by antibiotics because of a long history of use, misuse, and abuse. http://notmilk.com/thekillers.html Recognizing similar problems, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed and is coordinating the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), along with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In essence, what we have is a formula that does not work: NARMS = FDA + USDA + CDC. Gentocin is commonly given to cows to treat mastitis. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), a 5,000 member organization of veterinarians who treat cow diseases, has requested that all use of gentocin in food animals cease. Their request is comical. It is against the law to use this antibiotic, yet licensed veterinarians continue to prescribe it. I recently learned that CDC tested one Pennsylvania slaughterhouse and determined that of all antibiotics found in tested samples, Gentocin had been found in nearly 38% of residues. CDC has a national testing program, and when antibiotics are found, 30% of the time it's Gentocin. Violation of antibiotic residue laws is so widespread, that enforcement of current laws would immediatly close America's milk and meat industries. In his letter, the whistleblower wrote: "In Colorado...despite repeated warnings from their local vet, (a dairy farm) continues to use the drug Gentocin in the treatment of mastitis on their milking cows. The vet has warned them that this drug is not labelled for use in dairy animals, especially lactating animals, but (the farmer)...simply laughs it off and says that inspectors no longer visit his farm." I sent an EMAIL to FDA asking: "Does anybody read or respond to this email address?" Within five minutes, I received this response: "Are you the same Robert Cohen from notmilk.com?" cvmhomep@cvm.fda.gov Let me tell you about Catch 22. If a bomber pilot suffered a nervous breakdown during World War II after flying numerous death defying missions, and claimed that he could no longer fly, he was told that the only way a pilot could be relieved from duty was to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist as crazy, but since a request not to fly was clearly a sign of sanity, that in itself was evidence that the pilot must continue flying. In fact, pilots who continued to fearlessly drop bombs while flak filled the sky were truly insane, but since they never requested to be relieved from duty they would continue to fly their missions. Saul Heller wrote: "There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. "Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. 'That's some catch, that Catch-22,' he observed. 'It's the best there is,' Doc Daneeka agreed." Gentocin residues, remain within the flesh of treated animals for up to 18 months. FDA does not permit the use of Gentocin for animals that may enter our food chain. Unfortunately, veterinarians are permitted to prescribe Gentocin, despite the fact that it's not permitted. Unfortunately, unscrupulous dairy farmers can treat their milking cows with Gentocin, and nobody is on the farm to test the milk because cows being milked that day are not being sent to slaughterhouses...that day. Tomorrow is a different matter, but that is not the dairy farmer's concern. FDA knows about this, but does not test cows in slaughterhouses, USDA does. USDA does not regulate drugs for milking cows. Anybody see a serious flaw in the system? It's a Catch-22, all right, and like Yossarian (Saul Heller's heroic pilot), you've got to be crazy to drink the milk or eat the meat. If you eat chicken, are you safe? Last year, 13 billion pounds of rendered cow parts were ground up and fed to chickens. Got antibiotics? This is just one farmer. One farm. Eighty-thousand more to go. What gets injected into 9.3 million dairy cows at 4:00 AM? When are the cows loaded onto a truck and shipped to slaughter? Six months or a year after the last injection? Which of the ten billion farm animals will be tested by USDA? What part of the animal will be tested? Gentocin is stored in the kidneys and breaks down into other dangerous substances. Residues can be found in the lungs. Do inspectors test the top round or rib steaks? Different percentages are to be found in different tissues. A prohibited drug, prescribed by veterinarians. A dangerous drug, eaten by humans. Is there nothing that can be done to make the system work? Of course there is. Can anybody guess the simple solution? Bypass FDA. Bypass USDA and CDC and NIH and all of the government agencies with conflicts of interest that allow one Catch-22 after another to compromise our safety. Eat a plant-based diet, and your body will thank you. SUCCESS! Dear Friends, RE: http://www.notmilk.com/gentocin.html The Food and Drug Administration is taking this case very seriously. I cannot say more, but here is the latest information. The farmer has not been truthful to the state investigator. The vet has not prescribed this dangerous antibiotic. This investigation is major! Here is the latest whistleblower letter, and FDA is very close to the situation: Dear Notmilkman, That's just it though Robert -- the Gentocin has NOT been prescribed by the vet, (NAME WITHHELD) , for use in treating their Mastitis cows. In fact the vet has repeatedly warned (THE FARMER, NAME WITHHELD) that he could lose his License as a vet if it was found that (THE FARMER) was misusing the vet's prescription. The Mastitis cows ARE being treated with an infusion of Gentocin every morning by one of the herdsman -- usually (THE FARMER'S HELPER'S NAME IS WITHHELD), an undocumented Mexican. The Gentocin mixture is kept in the cupboard at the back of the milking parlor, and in the medicine cabinet in the pump room and in the bottom right- hand draw of the desk in the office. Once again the vet has NOT prescribed the Gentocin for use in the treatment of Mastitis on the (WITHHELD Dairy Farm). __________________________________________________________ I have given the veterinarian's name and phone number to FDA's lead investigator. ___________________________________________________________ Quarantine Anitbiotic-treated Cows It is against the law for milking cows to be treated with Gentocin, but a Colorado Veterinarian is doing so, and he is being protected by one man who could make a difference, but chooses not to. Bureaucrats are often do-nothings, by definition. My award for do-nothing of the year goes to Dan Trimberger whose actions betray the meat-eating children of the state of Colorodo. Mr. Trimberger should be banished to a dairy farm and given a large shovel and broom to clean up the mess he's helped to create. His phone: 303-692-2035. His EMAIL: dan.trimberger@state.co.us I've also spoken to his boss, Barbara Hruska. She informs me that Colorado is complying with the law. I submit that they are not. She claims that her jurisdiction ends because the cows are not used for meat. I claim that they will be sent to slaughterhouses tomorrow, or next week, or next month. She claims that this is an issue for USDA. USDA claims that the cows are not yet under their jurisdiction because they are being milked, and not being used for meat. Is this ridiculous? Veterinarians who prescribe such medication as Lauren Sandburg is doing on this farm have absolutely no conscience. Dr. Sandburg is well aware that residues from this dangerous antibiotic remain in the animal's flesh for 18 months. Dr. Sandburg's phone number is 970-587-2697. Dr. Sandburg has not returned my phone calls, but I am certain that he's getting the message. The animals MUST be quarantined. The latest letter from my whistleblowing friend: __________________________________________________ Dear Notmilkman, I'm stunned! So, despite Gentocin being banned for use in lactating animals it is okay if a vet prescribes it for use in mastitis in lactating animals? Robert, is there any point at all in people like me even risking the effort of bringing things like this to the attention of the American public? How sad, how very tragic that someone risks so much in doing what is right only to have it ignored. I'm disappointed to say the least, Robert - - not with you, but with the powers-that-be that could have stopped poisoning Americans but have decided to rather let them be poisoned. They are milking somewhere around 400+ cows at this dairy. They also run a beef feedlot of Holstein steers. Except for one milker all their other staff are undocumented Mexican laborers which they exploit terribly in terms of wages and time. But that is another issue -- one for the INS most likely; especially as they have repeatedly committed fraud and perjury on US Dept of Justice INS papers and questionnaires. Gentocin is mixed with sterile water in an infusion which is injected into the mastitis quarter of the lactating cow; immediately after milking her. In addition to this they also infuse lactating cows who have a uterus infection with Oxycure 100 (an Oxytetracycline drug) directly into the uterus. When these animals with these infections are found in the milking herd -- usually in their Pen 2 -- the cows are infused with this antibiotic into the uterus --and then simply left in the milking string. This means that the milk goes directly into the bulk tank and onto the consumers. Now, although this is not allowed, (Farmer's names deleted) thinking is that because the dosage of the oxycure 100 is so low (between 30-60cc Oxycure 100 per infusion) the antibiotic will be diluted with the volume of milk and go un-noticed by the authorities. This Ends The Whistleblower's Latest Letter ___________________________________________________ It is illegal to inject food animals with the powerful antibiotic, Gentocin. Each year, 35% of the 9.2 million cows being milked in America are sent to slaughterhouses. Gentocin remains in the animal's flesh for 18 months after treatment. Thirty percent of the antibiotic residues detected in America's slaughterhouses is Gentocin. Veterinarians prescribing Gentocin should have their licences suspended. Farmers injecting Gentocin into their dairy cows should have their animals quarantined for 18 months after the final injection. We are at a crossroad, folks. Keep sending letters to FDA: cvmhomep@cvm.fda.gov I have also shared this information with: INS Colorado District Office 303-371-3841 Ext. 300 Robert Cohen author of: MILK A-Z Executive Director (notmilkman@notmilk.com) Dairy Education Board http://www.notmilk.com This file: http://www.notmilk.com/gentocin.txt Do you know of a friend or family member with one or more of these milk-related problems? Do them a huge favor and forward the URL or this entire file to them. Do you know of someone who should read these newsletters? If so, have them send an empty Email to notmilk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and they will receive it (automatically)!