Sanderson Farms sued over '100 percent natural' label claim

Three consumer groups on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Sanderson Farms Inc. accusing the company of falsely advertising that its chicken is “100 percent natural.” The groups suing Sanderson Farms are the Organic Consumers Association, Friends of the Earth and Center for Food Safety. In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in California, the groups said testing in 2015 and 2016 by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found 49 instances in which samples of Sanderson products tested positive for residues of synthetic drugs. Government sampling found 11 instances of antibiotics for human use, including chloramphenical, which is prohibited in food animals. The complaint also said tests found the anesthetic ketamine, which is not approved for use in poultry; ketoprofren, an anti-inflammatory drug; prednisone, a steroid; and growth hormone melengesterol acetate and beta agonist ractopamine, which are banned in chicken production. In addition, the lawsuit cited six instances of residues of amoxicillin, a medically important antibiotic for human use that is not approved for use in poultry; three instances of penicillin residue; and positive results for the pesticides abamectin and emamectin. “We can unequivocally state that Sanderson Farms does not administer the antibiotics, other chemicals and pesticides, or “other pharmaceuticals” listed in the complaint with one exception. To suggest otherwise is irresponsible,” Cockrell said. “Our veterinarians do from time to time prescribe penicillin in FDA-approved doses to treat sick flocks, and our withdrawal times far exceed FDA guidelines out of an abundance of caution. Most all of the drugs and chemicals cited in the complaint are not approved for use in broilers, and some would be lethal to chickens,” he said. Cockrell said the company will continue its advertising campaign to educate consumers on its position on the judicious use of FDA-approved medicines to treat sick chickens and prevent disease in its flocks.