FDA Mulls Motive In Pet Food Case
Theory Probed On Imports As Melamine Turns Up At Calif. Hog Farm
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China: Melamine In Pet Food?
The FDA is investigating whether the Chinese intentionally spiked their pet food ingredients with melamine. They might be mistaken on their theory for doing so. Nancy Cordes reports.
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A cat brought into the vet by its worried owner, with symptoms similar to those of animals affected by contaminated food, is examined in Chicago, March 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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That's one theory being pursued by the Food and Drug Administration as it investigates how the chemical, melamine, contaminated at least two ingredients used to make more than 100 brands of dog and cat foods.
In California, state agriculture officials placed a hog farm under quarantine after melamine was found in pig urine there. Additional testing is under way to determine whether the chemical was present in the meat produced by American Hog Farm in Ceres since April 3, the state Department of Food and Agriculture said.
So far, melamine's been found in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. Media reports from South Africa suggest a third pet food ingredient, corn gluten, used in that country also was contaminated with melamine. That tainted ingredient has not been found in the United States, according to the FDA, which is maintaining a pet food recall website with advice for worried pet owners.
FDA officials say they need to inspect the plants in China. But the Chinese government has not yet let them in, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.
"Melamine was found in all three of those - it would certainly lend credibility to the theory that it may be intentional. That will be one of the theories we will pursue when we get into the plants in China," Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian, told reporters.
Chinese authorities have told the FDA that the wheat gluten was an industrial product not meant for pet food, Sundlof said. Still, melamine can skew test results to make a product appear more protein-rich than it really is, he added. That raises the possibility the contamination was deliberate.
"What we expect to do with our inspections in China will answer some of those questions," said Michael Rogers, director of the division of field investigations within the FDA's office of regulatory affairs.
Still, scientists examining the tainted products say even high levels of melamine should not have killed cats and dogs — and for that matter shouldn't be harmful to humans, Cordes reports. They're now examining what happens when the chemical breaks down.
Wilbur-Ellis Co., the U.S. importer of the tainted rice protein, said Thursday it was recalling all the ingredient it had distributed to five U.S. pet food manufacturers. The San Francisco company in turn urged its customers to recall any products that may be on store shelves.
So far, just two of those companies have done so: Natural Balance Pet Foods and Blue Buffalo Co.
Natural Balance, of Pacoima, Calif., announced a limited recall Monday of its Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



We need more of that money spent here at home for our own safety, including bringing our troops home to protect US not to protect someone else. We need more money for inspectors at plants, sea ports, airports, etc.
I do know the argument about cleaning up the mess Bush has made. I sort of agree with it, but not to the point of leaving us without protection like we are now.
"We understand it did make it into some hog feed and we are following up on that as well," Sundlof said. "
Oh great, use the HOGS as a garbage dump, real smart since people EAT the meat!
Allow us? Pretty please, let us come in and visit. Were we there before the mass poisoning to check out the plant? I don't know but would find that interesting to see if they ever even bothered to check out the facilities ahead of time. Does the FDA only rule in the US? And by the time they get there, the evidence will be gone. How "open" do you think a foreign govt like China is going to be anyway. So great to have a global economy isn't it? Are we really saving a buck? This will wind up costing taxpayers, again, a bundle.
The simultaneously kill cats and dogs there for no reason. What makes us think they would care what was in the pet food. We're stupid.
Posted by afmca at 08:56 AM : Apr 20, 2007
Absoposislutely!!! I agree 100%
Posted by FatherTeresa at 10:10 AM : Apr 20, 2007
Hmmm hadn't thought of that!!!! WOW!
What the FDA should also be doing is testing some pet foods and letting everyone know exactly what foods are SAFE! People need to know what foods are SAFE to feed their animals!!!
Surely they don't really expect to find anything meaninful in plants that have had more than a month to clean up. Heck, who knows, the Chinese might even be holding off on the visas until the plant owners give the "okay." After all, it's all about saving face in the Chinese culture. I guarantee you, the way the Chinese see this scandal is VERY VERY different from the way the average American sees it!
But the taxpayer-paid vacations to China are outright scandalous! I wonder how many FDA bigwigs will manage to jump on this bandwagon? I wonder how often they take these "fact-finding" vacations at our expense?
Do you not think that someone should be going over there? Yes they may have cleaned up, but if you are stupid enough to put c-r-a-p in food, maybe they aren't smart enough to clean up properly.
Regardless they need to be held accountable and know that we mean business. Someone needs to meet them face to face. Sometimes it just doesn't come down to MONEY.
"Chinese authorities have told the FDA that the wheat gluten was an industrial product not meant for pet food..." Recall earlier the FDA stated the wheat gluten was human grade.
With the sense of distrust of current Chinese evasion of the truth, and its obvious disregard for international public safety, the US should ban all Chinese vegetable products until that government gets its act together on this matter.
Those with a great degree of paranoia could suggest this is a Chinese plot to destabilize the western economy through its food industry.
I think that the SOURCE of these additives should be on the label. From now on, if I can't pronounce the names of what is in a food, I'm not buying it!
Remember the movie "Soilent Green"? Well that time may be here!
The contaminated wheat gluten that went into the food came from your country. It was your country that got it from China. And that bit of information came from this website which is in your country.
In 1967, When the CIA dumped a flu virus.
Into the New York subway system.
How many people, did they kill that year ??
At the same time, it was rumored :
The CIA dumped a flu virus in the :
San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sea-Tac Airports.
Those of us, who were at age at the time.
Remember, the newscasts and the newspaper headlines.
Go up on the net now !!
Try and find the information.
What you will find is :
The US Army, has been credited.
With dumping that flu virus.
_______________________________________
"Contaminated Pet Food"
May be in retaliation :
For a dumped : "Bird Ful Virus"
( a history lesson - worth thinking about)
lastdance
If what your saying is true that would mean you have one f**cked up country. If what your saying isn't true, that means you are one f**cked up person.:)
U think we danger USA,we also think USA threaten China(u have forces in JP/s-korea)!
How do u think of invading Iraq?
How do u think of the USA force other country to do what u want?
USA is the world's plice?
Really Think about your police and remember every country has their own culture and interests not only you.
Don't make other country and people into corner!!
U think we danger USA,we also think USA threaten China(u have forces in JP/s-korea)!
How do u think of invading Iraq?
How do u think of the USA force other country to do what u want?
USA is the world's plice?
Really Think about your police and remember every country has their own culture and interests not only you.
Don't make other country and people into corner!!
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by erasmus6
April 22, 2007 3:18 PM PDT
- johnshen
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Reply to this comment
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See all 32 CommentsIt is truly amazing how many ignorant people are in this world.