Mystery Surrounds Death of 50,000 Turkeys

By Beth Dalbey (Patch Staff)

A western Michigan turkey grower wants to know how the industrial processing waste oil Lascadoil ended up in feed he gave to turkeys and hogs. (Photo via Creative Commons)

________________________

After a months-long investigation, federal agencies said they still don’t know how industrial-use oil ended up in feed that killed 50,000 turkeys on a farm in western Michigan last summer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture told The Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive.com that it has taken “extraordinary steps” to ensure that no meat from the Michigan production animals that ate the feed reached supermarkets, but said more questions than answers have turned up during their probe.

The feed investigators from the USDA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration think killed the turkeys was also fed to at least 20,000 hogs on the same Michigan farm, and was delivered to more than 100 farms in eight states. It’s unclear what other states were affected.

The two agencies are looking into different aspects of the contamination. In general, the FDA regulates animal drugs, animal feeds, and foods produced by animals. USDA plays a lead role in regulating aspects of some meat, poultry, and egg products.

Tell Us:

• In general, do you have food safety concerns? Do you favor any specific regulations or policies to enhance food safety?

FDA spokeswoman Juli Putnam said in a statement Monday that the turkeys were exposed to feed contaminated with the industrial processing waste oil Lascadoil, but died before they were taken to market. The hogs went through a 28-day “withdrawal” period before going to slaughter.

Rick Sietsema, one of the owners of Sietsema Farms of Allendale, a network of family-owned farms, said entire flocks of turkeys at five of the farm’s locations died on the same weekend last August. He said there is no insurance available to cover losses in such circumstances, meaning his family is out $1 million. He’s not sure if he has a cause of action against the company that supplied the contaminated oil.

Regardless, he wants answers about how the tainted grease ended up on his farm.

“We expect a product that comes to us to meet the specs that the FDA has set up,” he said. “It is frustrating.”

» Are you getting the free daily Patch newsletter and news alerts? Find your Patch and click on the link to sign up!

BLOOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD HILLS | WEST BLOOMFIELD | BIRMINGHAM | FARMINGTON-FARMINGTON HILLS | ROCHESTER-ROCHESTER HILLS | NOVI | NORTHVILLE | ROYAL OAK | FERNDALE | CLAWSON | HUNTINGTON WOODS-BERKLEY | TROY | WHITE LAKE-HIGHLAND | OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-LAKE ORION | PLYMOUTH-CANTON | DEARBORN | WYANDOTTE | GROSSE POINTE | TRENTON-GROSSE ILE | MACOMB TOWNSHIP | CLINTON TOWNSHIP | ST. CLAIR SHORES | SHELBY-UTICA | NEW BALTIMORE-CHESTERFIELD | FENTON | BRIGHTON | HARTLAND | CHELSEA | DEXTER | SALINE