The grocery chain Wegmans has issued a recall for its ultra-pasteurized half-and-half product due to possible improper testing.
The recall, issued on Tuesday, is for Wegmans’ one-quart cartons of its half-and-half with the UPC code 7789048671. The supermarket said in a news release that the raw milk used in the half-and-half many not have been properly tested for antibiotic residue.
The recalled items have a best-by date of October 10 and plant code of 36-1287. Customers who have purchased the recalled items can return their cartons for a full refund.
Wegmans has over 110 store locations across eight states: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There are also stores in the District of Columbia.
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For additional information about the recall, consumers can contact Wegmans at 1-855-934-3663 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST Monday to Friday or from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Saturday and Sunday.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. government regulates the allowable concentrations of drug residue in foods derived from food-producing animals, such as milk and meat products from cattle.
“As farmers work with veterinarians to support the health care of their dairy animals, it is sometimes necessary to treat cows with drugs when they are ill,” the FDA said in a 2015 report about a milk drug residue sample survey conducted by the agency.
“After a cow is treated with a drug, drug residues may be present in milk or meat if the cow is milked or sent to slaughter before the drug has been metabolized and adequately cleared from its system,” read the report.
The federal government also approves animal drugs under the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, which defines an allowable “tolerance, or a concentration [of an animal drug] that is legally allowed in edible tissues.”
“Tolerances are established to protect human health and are based on a scientific assessment process that each drug must undergo before it is approved for use in food animals,” read the report.
Drug residue testing is regulated by federal and state food safety programs, which, according to the FDA, work together “to maintain high standards to ensure the safety of the United States milk supply.”
According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, antibiotic residue in dairy products can lead to allergic reactions in consumers. The antibiotics can also kill off the “good bacteria” needed to make products like cheese and yogurt. Antibiotic residues can also create antibiotic-resistance bacteria in food products.
Newsweek reached out to Wegmans’ press team via email for additional information.
