California / IN BRIEF : COSTA MESA : High Drug Level Found in 1 Pig at Fair

Only one pig auctioned at the Orange County Fair had an unacceptable level of drug residue in its body, while three others thought to be potentially hazardous have been cleared by federal drug-testers and sent to their owners, fair officials said. Tests conducted on four hog carcasses show that only one swine contains dangerous levels of sulfa methazine, an antibiotic routinely given to piglets to help them fend off disease, livestock supervisor Jim Bailey said. Last week, 12 of the more than 200 pigs auctioned at the fair were slaughtered at Farmer John in Vernon, and routine federal tests detected traces of sulfa methazine in the urine of four. Pork containing large amounts of sulfa methazine could cause an allergic reaction--or even death--in some people who eat it.