Milking cows sometimes become ill and require medical attention for which an antibiotic, such as penicillin, is prescribed. Cows that are treated with an antibiotic are removed from the healthy milking herd and are milked separately, ensuring their milk does not enter the farm’s bulk tank until they are well and the medicine has run its course.
The dairy industry conducts more than 3.5 million tests annually to ensure that milk from cows treated with antibiotics never reaches consumers. Each year, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all milk tests positive for animal drug residue and that milk is immediately discarded, never to reach the food supply.
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