December 1, 2016 – Updated at 3:00 p.m. EST
Contact: Amber Sheridan, 804-370-8061, asheridan@mdvmilk.com
(Reston, Va.) – Delivering safe and nutritious milk powder for use in food manufacturing is the top priority for Valley Milk Products LLC.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and regulators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are investigating powdered ingredients produced during the spring and summer of 2016 at our Strasburg, Virginia plant. We take this situation seriously and are fully cooperating with federal and state officials to address their concerns.
Out of an a undance of caution, we have not produced any dry milk powder at Valley Milk since the FDA initiated its investigation in late July.
On August 31, 2016, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) placed approximately 4 million pounds of Valley Milk powder under quarantine, pending the ongoing investigation.
It is important to note that Valley Milk tests all finished product prior to sale. All product sold has tested negative for Salmonella. In light of the FDA’s concerns, we have retested the powder in the warehouse and all tests are negative for Salmonella.
Last week, FDA took custody of the Valley Milk powder from VDACS, and we cooperated fully in that transaction.
The product, which has been on hold from the start of the investigation and tested extensively, will remain on hold until there is an agreement reached by Valley Milk and FDA on what can be done with this powder.
Throughout this investigation process, Valley Milk has been working closely and in concert with Virginia regulatory officials, as well as the FDA to resolve their concerns. As part of its effort to cooperate fully with FDA, Valley Milk has not refused to conduct a product recall.
There are no reported illnesses related to this issue, and consumers and customers are not being asked to take any additional action. We remain confident in the work of farmers, our dairy industry and government regulators that allows us to produce a safe and nutritious product for our customers.
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