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  • Melamine in Contaminated Pet Food from China 2007 - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

    Hogs ate pet food tainted with chemical Date: 24 Apr 2007

    Salvaged pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical was sent
    to hog farms in as many as 6 states, federal health officials said
    Tuesday. It was not immediately clear if any hogs that ate the
    tainted feed then entered the food supply for humans.

    Hogs at a farm in California ate the contaminated products, and
    officials were trying to determine whether hogs in New York, North
    Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Ohio may have eaten the tainted
    food. Hogs at some of the farms -- it wasn't immediately clear which
    --have been quarantined.

    A spokesman for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Steven Cohen,
    said in a statement that the FSIS was trying to determine whether the
    hog farms in the states other than California actually fed the
    material to their animals.

    Hogs that were confirmed to have eaten the tainted food were
    processed at a federally inspected facility in California, Cohen said.

    "All of that meat is under control at the facility," he said. "It is
    important to keep in mind this is a small number of farms that may
    have received this feed."

    The urine of some hogs tested positive for the chemical, melamine,
    the Food and Drug Administration said.

    "At this point, I don't have a definitive answer other than to say
    that the issue is being addressed,"
    Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief
    veterinarian, told reporters when asked if any of the hogs had
    entered the human food supply. A poultry farm also may be involved,
    he added.

    The FDA also said it planned to begin testing a wide variety of
    vegetable proteins at firms that imported the ingredients to make
    everything from pizza dough to infant formula, and protein shakes to
    energy bars.
    The ingredient list includes wheat gluten, corn gluten,
    corn meal, soy protein and rice bran.


    Pet food companies have recalled more than 100 brands of cat and dog
    food since the first reports of animal deaths a little over a month
    ago.

    Investigators have found melamine in at least 2 imported Chinese
    vegetable proteins used to make pet foods. The chemical possibly was
    used to skew analyses that measured the protein content of the
    ingredients, wheat gluten and rice protein
    concentrate.

    There were no direct shipments of either of the 2 ingredients to
    firms that make food for humans or for animals used as food, said
    Michael Rogers who directs field investigations for the FDA.


    A second, related chemical called cyanuric acid also has been found
    to contaminate rice protein concentrate samples, Sundlof said.

    The analyses the FDA plans to begin later this week will look at
    producers of both food for humans and animal feed,
    said Dr. David
    Acheson, the chief medical officer within the agency's Center for
    Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Acheson stressed that there was no
    evidence any of the other vegetable proteins had been contaminated,
    but that the FDA wanted to "get ahead of the curve" and raise
    awareness among manufacturers.

    FDA officials said the hogs were fed salvaged pet food made with
    tainted rice protein concentrate. The food was given to the animals
    prior to the products' recalls, Rogers said. Adulterated food cannot
    be legally fed to either humans or animals, Sundlof said.

    Meanwhile, the FDA is sampling for melamine and related compounds in
    all wheat gluten, rice protein and corn gluten coming into the United
    States from China.

    Also Tuesday, the FDA said another pet food company, SmartPak, had
    recalled products made with tainted rice protein concentrate. The
    company said the recall covered a single production run of its
    LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food.


    [By Andrew Bridges]
    --Communicated by:
    Jim Cook <jimcook@panix.com> and ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

    [Swine in the North Carolina case have been confirmed to be under quarantine.

    It is critical to note that, according to this article, the FDA has
    expanded its testing to other glutens in other food sources.

    The situation with the pet food and the swine foods highlights issues
    for human food as well. Cyanuric acid is most often used in swimming
    pools to slow the breakdown of chlorination by sunlight. Certainly
    this is not a product for use in food. The exact reason for this
    being in the gluten products is not entirely clear.
    It is speculated
    that it was intended to falsely lower the measurement of melamine in
    the gluten. There is no evidence to support this speculation at this
    time.
    - Mod.TG] Not a pretty picture.

    http://tinyurl.com/yvmwuo
    CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

    treyfish2004@yahoo.com

  • #2
    Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

    I'm having pork chops tonight. If you don't hear from me, you'll know what happened. Baby formula! What is this world coming to?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

      Thanks Treyfish. Gross.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

        I don't think they would tell us the full extent of the contamination or which products.This is a huge problem and would in my opinion cause quite a trade scandal.Now how much food do you have that is made in China? It took pet deaths to bring it out into the open,but human food is ok?Our inspecters were to go to china and see where the contamination was to have occured.Don't see any reports anywhere yet..
        CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

        treyfish2004@yahoo.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

          <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place>Smithfield</st1:place></st1:City> Finds No Melamine In Feed<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
          <o:p> 4/26/2007 1:29:00 PM</o:p>
          Smithfield Packing Co. said Thursday it hasn't purchased or processed any hogs from any farms quarantined by the FDA or USDA after the discovery of feed contaminated by a chemical blamed for pet deaths and a major pet-food recall.

          Following an internal investigation, the company also said it didn't find any feed ingredients in its hog-feeding operations containing melamine. (See Smithfield investigating whether it fed hogs tainted feed" on Meatingplace.com,
          <st1:date Month="4" Day="25" Year="2007">April 25, 2007</st1:date>.)

          "Our vertical integration model provides us with a mechanism to ensure feed quality, the ability to trace our sources of supplies and offers a means of protection against things such as tainted feed ingredients," C. Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods, indicated in a press release. "The model also enables us to respond rapidly to our customers on such issues. We want to assure our customers that our products are safe to eat." Damage control?http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=125033<o:p></o:p>

          <o:p> </o:p>
          Source: Tom Johnston, Meatingplace.com
          CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

          treyfish2004@yahoo.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

            <TABLE><FORM id=detail_content name=detail_content action=content.asp method=get><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>FDA & USDA Determine Swine Fed Adulterated Product<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">WASHINGTON</st1:place></st1:State>, April 26, 2007 ? The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today notified State authorities that swine fed adulterated product will not be approved to enter the food supply. Based on information currently available, FDA and USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating such pork is very low; however, the agencies believe it is prudent to take this measure.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            FDA determined that a shipment of rice protein imported from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> was contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds. The product was imported during the week of April 2, 2007 by Wilbur-Ellis, an importer and distributor of agricultural products. The rice protein was used in the production of pet food and a byproduct was used to produce animal feed.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            The contaminants in question include melamine and melamine-related compounds, including cyanuric acid, the combination of which is a potential source of concern in relation to human and animal health. Scientific research indicates that melamine alone, at detected levels, is not a human health concern. However, no scientific data exist to ascertain the effects of combining melamine and melamine-related compounds. Therefore, a determination has not yet been made regarding the safety of the product.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            Because the animal feed in question was adulterated, USDA cannot rule out the possibility that food produced from animals fed this product could also be adulterated. Therefore, USDA cannot place the mark of inspection on food produced from these animals.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            USDA is offering to compensate producers who euthanize swine that were fed the adulterated product. USDA is authorized to use Section 32 funds to restore farmers? purchasing power. USDA is also offering the expertise and assistance of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel in carrying out depopulation activities, to ensure animals are euthanized and disposed of in accordance with Federal and State laws.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            FDA and FSIS are coordinating with State authorities in eight states where the adulterated feed is known to have been purchased. Eight pork producers in the states of <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">Kansas</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:State>, <st1:City w:st="on">New York</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">South Carolina</st1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State> are known to have purchased the feed. These combined operations involve approximately 6,000 hogs. All of the animals are currently being held under state quarantines in CA, NC, NY and SC. In KS, OK and UT producers agreed to hold the animals until further notice. Authorities are also in contact with a feed mill in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Missouri</st1:place></st1:State> that might have received adulterated feed. <o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            Pork and pork products derived from animals that were fed the adulterated product will also be destroyed. In CA and UT, pork from federally inspected plants is being held under FSIS direction. In SC, a state inspected plant is voluntarily holding swine that were fed the adulterated product. FSIS, FDA and state authorities are in the process of determining whether any meat from animals that were fed the adulterated product has entered commerce. If that has occurred, FSIS will work with states and industry to take the appropriate action.<o:p></o:p>
            <o:p> </o:p>
            FDA and FSIS are continuing the effort to trace the adulterated feed. If additional producers are identified who fed the adulterated product to animals, they will also be offered compensation by USDA for depopulation and disposal. <o:p></o:p>
            </TD><TD>

            </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content...ntentid=125204
            </TD></TR></TBODY></FORM></TABLE>
            CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

            treyfish2004@yahoo.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

              Ag officials say fewer than 350 hogs tied to pet food entered human food supply
              <!--subtitle--><!--byline-->The Associated Press
              <!--date--> 04/26/2007 03:14:25 PM MDT http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_5757635



              <SCRIPT language=JavaScript> var requestedWidth = 0; </SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth < 200){ requestedWidth = 200; } </SCRIPT>
              <SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </SCRIPT>Posted: 2:52 PM- WASHINGTON - Several hundred of the 6,000 hogs that may have eaten contaminated pet food are believed to have entered the food supply for humans, the government said today.
              No more than 345 hogs, from farms in three states, that possibly ate tainted feed are involved, according to the Agriculture Department. It appears the large majority of the hogs that may have been exposed are still on the farms where they are being raised, spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said.
              Salvaged pet food from companies known or suspected of using tainted ingredients was shipped to hog farms in seven states for use as feed. A poultry feed mill in an eighth state, Missouri, also received possibly contaminated pet food scraps left over from production.
              The fate of the feed made from that waste was not immediately known.
              The pet food sent to the farms later was discovered to have included either of two ingredients imported from China that were tainted by an industrial chemical, melamine.
              Since mid-March, pet food companies have recalled more than 100 brands of dog and cat food and treats; more recalls were announced Thursday. An unknown number of cats and dogs have fallen ill or died after eating products made with contaminated wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate.
              Some pet food, while unsuitable for sale for that purpose, was still considered safe for animals to eat. Its use at hog farms raised the possibility that melamine entered the human food supply.
              The risk to human health posed by the chemical is considered very low. The University of California, Davis, is developing a test to measure melamine levels in tissue, Andrews said.
              The department today released the following state-by-state breakdown of its investigation into farms thought to have received the contaminated pet food for use as hog feed. The farms were not identified.

              _CALIFORNIA: State officials are working to contact the purchasers of 50 whole hogs raised on a single farm.
              _NEW YORK: A breeder farm's 125 to 140 swine are under quarantine pending the results of urine and manure tests. None of the hogs went to slaughter.
              _SOUTH CAROLINA: Urine tests done on some of the 800 hogs now quarantined at a farm have tested positive for low levels of melamine. None went to slaughter. According to the state veterinarian, none of the suspect feed was fed to the hogs. Federal tests on the feed have come up negative. The positive urine tests could not be immediately explained.
              _NORTH CAROLINA: A farm with 1,400 hogs is under quarantine. It shipped 54 animals to a slaughterhouse, where they are on voluntary hold.
              _UTAH: Eight hogs sent to slaughter by one farm remain on hold. Also on hold are 3,300 hogs at a second farm, as well as 40 to 50 carcasses at a slaughterhouse supplied by that producer. Meat from no more than 100 other hogs from the producer, all processed earlier by that same plant, may have entered the food supply, Andrews said.
              _KANSAS: Meat from 195 hogs from a single producer may have entered the food supply via a Nebraska slaughterhouse. The farm is holding another 150 hogs.
              _OKLAHOMA: A show hog operation purchased contaminated feed but no hogs have gone to slaughter.
              In addition, an Ohio hog farm has been cleared.
              Each year, about 105 million hogs are slaughtered and processed in the United States.

              CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

              treyfish2004@yahoo.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                Date: 26 Apr 2007
                From: Hugh Baker <bakerh@inspection.gc.ca>

                With regard to your comment: "Cyanuric acid is most often used in
                swimming pools to slow the breakdown of chlorination by sunlight.
                Certainly this is not a product for use in food. The exact reason for
                this being in the gluten products is not entirely clear;" cyanuric
                acid is one of the principal products of the breakdown of melamine by
                _Klebsiella_ spp. and _Pseudomonas_ spp. Cyanuric acid is also a
                product of bacterial digestion of the herbicide Atrazine. It might be
                wise for FDA to also be testing the protein concentrates for
                bacterial contamination, as it is unlikely that the melamine would
                degenerate spontaneously in the absence of bacterial enzymes.

                According to Cheng, et al, cyanuric acid is further broken down to
                urea (via allophanate), which is why melamine is used as a fertilizer.

                See:
                Allophanate Hydrolase, Not Urease, Functions in Bacterial Cyanuric
                Acid Metabolism. Gang Cheng, Nir Shapir, Michael J. Sadowsky and
                Lawrence P. Wackett. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 August;71(8):
                4437-4445.

                http://tinyurl.com/392n52
                Last edited by Sally Furniss; April 26, 2007, 11:19 PM. Reason: typo
                CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

                treyfish2004@yahoo.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                  Date: Mon 30 Apr 2007
                  Source: The New York Times [edited]
                  <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/business/worldbusiness/30food.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin>


                  Filler in animal feed is open secret in China
                  ---------------------------------------------
                  As American food safety regulators head to China to investigate how a
                  chemical made from coal found its way into pet food that killed dogs
                  and cats in the United States, workers in this heavily polluted
                  northern city [Zhangqiu] openly admit that the substance is routinely
                  added to animal feed as a fake protein.

                  For years, producers of animal feed all over China have secretly
                  supplemented their feed with the substance, called melamine, a cheap
                  additive that looks like protein in tests, even though it does not
                  provide any nutritional benefits, according to melamine scrap traders
                  and agricultural workers [in Zhangqiu].

                  "Many companies buy melamine scrap to make animal feed, such as fish
                  feed," said Ji Denghui, general manager of the Fujian Sanming Dinghui
                  Chemical Company, which sells melamine. "I don't know if there's a
                  regulation on it. Probably not. No law or regulation says 'don't do
                  it'' so everyone's doing it. The laws in China are like that, aren't
                  they? If there's no accident, there won't be any regulation."

                  Melamine is at the center of a recall of 60 million packages of pet
                  food, after the chemical was found in wheat gluten linked this month
                  [April 2007] to the deaths of at least 16 pets and the illness of
                  possibly thousands of pets in the United States.

                  No one knows exactly how melamine (which is not believed to be
                  particularly toxic) became so fatal in pet food, but its presence in
                  any form of American food is illegal.

                  The pet food case is also putting China's agricultural exports under
                  greater scrutiny because the country has had a terrible food safety record.

                  In recent years, for instance, China's food safety scandals have
                  involved everything from fake baby milk formulas and soy sauce made
                  from human hair to instances where cuttlefish were soaked in
                  calligraphy ink to improve their color and eels were fed
                  contraceptive pills to make them grow long and slim.

                  For their part, Chinese officials dispute any suggestion that
                  melamine from the country could have killed pets. But regulators here
                  on Friday [27 Apr 2007] banned the use of melamine in vegetable
                  proteins made for export or for use in domestic food supplies.

                  Yet, what is clear from visiting this region of northeast China is
                  that for years melamine has been quietly mixed into Chinese animal
                  feed and then sold to unsuspecting farmers as protein-rich pig,
                  poultry and fish feed.


                  Many animal feed operators [in Zhangqiu] advertise on the Internet,
                  seeking to purchase melamine scrap. The Xuzhou Anying Biologic
                  Technology Development Company, one of the companies that American
                  regulators named as having shipped melamine-tainted wheat gluten to
                  the United States, had posted such a notice on the Internet last March [2007].

                  At the Shandong Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory, huge boiler
                  vats are turning coal into melamine, which is then used to create
                  plastics and fertilizer
                  .

                  But the leftover melamine scrap, golf ball-size chunks of white rock,
                  is sometimes being sold to local agricultural entrepreneurs, who say
                  they mix a powdered form of the scrap into animal feed to deceive
                  those who raise animals into thinking they are buying feed that is
                  high in protein.


                  "It just saves money if you add melamine scrap," said the manager of
                  an animal feed factory [in Zhangqiu].

                  Last Friday [27 Apr 2007] in Zhangqiu, a fast-growing industrial city
                  southeast of Beijing, 2 animal feed producers explained in great
                  detail how they purchase low-grade wheat, corn, soybean, or other
                  proteins and then mix in small portions of nitrogen-rich melamine
                  scrap, whose chemical properties help the feed register an inflated
                  protein level.

                  Melamine is the new scam of choice, they say, because urea -- another
                  nitrogen-rich chemical -- is illegal for use in pig and poultry feed
                  and can be easily detected in China as well as in the United States.

                  "People use melamine scrap to boost nitrogen levels for the tests,"
                  said the manager of the animal feed factory. "If you add it in small
                  quantities, it won't hurt the animals."

                  The manager, who works at a small animal feed operation [in the area]
                  that consists of a handful of storage and mixing areas, said he has
                  mixed melamine scrap into animal feed for years.


                  He said he was not currently using melamine. But he then pulled out a
                  plastic bag containing what he said was melamine powder and said he
                  could dye it any color to match the right feedstock.

                  He said that melamine used in pet food would probably not be harmful.
                  "Pets are not like pigs or chickens," he said casually, explaining
                  that they can afford to eat less protein. "They don't need to grow fast."


                  The resulting melamine-tainted feed would be weak in protein, he
                  acknowledged, which means the feed is less nutritious.

                  But, by using the melamine additive, the feed seller makes a heftier
                  profit because melamine scrap is much cheaper than soy, wheat, or corn protein.

                  "It's true you can make a lot more profit by putting melamine in,"
                  said another animal feed seller in Zhangqiu. "Melamine will cost you
                  about USD 1.20 for each protein count per ton whereas real protein
                  costs you about USD 6.00, so you can see the difference."

                  Feed producers who use melamine [in the area] say the tainted feed is
                  often shipped to feed mills in the Yangtze River Delta, near
                  Shanghai, or down to Guangdong Province, near Hong Kong. They also
                  said they knew that some melamine-laced feed had been exported to
                  other parts of Asia, including South Korea, North Korea, Indonesia,
                  and Thailand.

                  Evidence is mounting that Chinese protein exports have been tainted
                  with melamine and that its use in agricultural regions like this one
                  is widespread. But the government has issued no recall of any food or
                  feed product here in China.


                  Indeed, few people outside the agriculture business know about the
                  use of melamine scrap. The Chinese news media -- which is strictly
                  censored -- has not reported much about the country's ties to the pet
                  food recall in the United States. And few in agriculture [in
                  Zhangqiu] do not see any harm in using melamine in small doses; they
                  simply see it as cheating a little on protein, not harming animals or pets.

                  As for the sale of melamine scrap, it is increasingly popular as a
                  fake ingredient in feed, [local] traders and workers say
                  .

                  At the Hebei Haixing Insect Net Factory in nearby Hebei Province,
                  which makes animal feed, a manager named Guo Qingyin said: "In the
                  past melamine scrap was free, but the price has been going up in the
                  past few years. Consumption of melamine scrap is probably bigger than
                  that of urea in the animal feed industry now."

                  And so melamine producers like the ones in Zhangqiu are busy.

                  A man named Jing, who works in the sales department at the Shandong
                  Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory also in Zhangqiu, said on
                  Friday [27 Apr 2007] that prices have been rising, but he said that
                  he had no idea how the company's melamine scrap is used.

                  "We have an auction for melamine scrap every 3 months," he said. "I
                  haven't heard of it being added to animal feed. It's not for animal feed."


                  [Byline: David Barboza, Alexei Barrionuevo]

                  --
                  Communicated by:
                  Mertyn Malkinson
                  <malkins@agri.huji.ac.il>

                  [Melamine is known to be toxic to many animals and potentially to
                  human beings and it is known to cause kidney failure.

                  Consistently throughout this article there is talk of small doses.
                  Yet dose does make the poison and some species are more sensitive, to
                  even small doses. Further, 'small doses' here is not defined. What
                  may be a small amount to a market size swine is above the lethal dose
                  for a beagle dog.


                  According to the United States Food and Drug Administrations (FDA)
                  regulations melamine is considered an adulteration. Adulterated foods
                  are not acceptable for marketing or consumption. The fact that the
                  Chinese company did not disclose the melamine in the gluten product
                  makes it an adulterated product and is subject to regulatory restrictions.

                  Our companion animals live much longer than many market animals.
                  However, melamine -- and possibly its metabolites -- are known to
                  pass into the urine, raising possibilities that it may pass into
                  edible tissues in market bound animals, such as swine, chicken, and
                  cattle. Consequently, low levels of melamine in tissues may show up
                  later in people as being a trigger for a number of diseases,
                  including cancer.
                  - Mod.TG

                  This report highlights the need for enhanced internationally
                  coordinated control upon traded animal feed.

                  The following international agencies are engaged in said control:

                  1. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), responsible for the
                  development and maintenance of the Codex Alimentarius (Latin for
                  "food code" or "food book"), a collection of internationally
                  recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other
                  recommendations related to foods, food production, and food safety
                  under the aegis of consumer protection. The CAC was established (in
                  1963) by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and WHO (World
                  Health Organisation)
                  <http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp>

                  2. The FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization), which
                  includes a Food and Nutrition Division. Since January 2006, it has
                  become part of the Agriculture, Biosecurity, Nutrition, and Consumer
                  Protection Department, facilitating pursuance of a food chain approach
                  <http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/>

                  3. The WHO (World Health Organization), which includes a Department
                  of Food Safety, Zoonoses, and Foodborne Diseases
                  <http://www.who.int/foodsafety/en/>

                  4. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has, since 2001,
                  broadened its scope of activities to include also food safety issues
                  to reduce foodborne risks to human health due to hazards arising from
                  animals. In this context, a hazard is defined as a biological,
                  chemical, or physical agent in food with the potential to cause an
                  adverse health effect in humans, whether or not it causes disease in
                  animals. A permanent Working Group on Animal Production Food Safety
                  (WGAPFS), to coordinate the food safety activities of the OIE, was
                  established in 2002. The Working Group includes in its membership
                  experts from the FAO, WHO, CAC, and Codex Committees engaged with
                  food of animal origin. Its objective is to improve the "production to
                  consumption" food safety continuum worldwide
                  <http://www.oie.int/eng/secu_sanitaire/en_introduction.htm>

                  The report of the last (6th) meeting of WGAPFS, held in November
                  2006, is available at
                  <http://oie.int/eng/secu_sanitaire/EN_report_APFSWG_november%202006.pdf>.

                  The WGAPFS established an ad hoc Group on animal feeding, which
                  drafted the Guidelines for the Control of Hazards of Animal Health
                  and Public Health Importance in Animal Feed.

                  During its 6th meeting, WGAPFS discussed these guidelines and
                  recommended that the ad hoc group include chemical hazards within its scope.

                  The current event in China, and its international ramifications,
                  illuminates the justification of such an inclusion. - Mod.AS

                  Zhangqiu, in the eastern Shandong Province, can be located on the map
                  of China at
                  <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/china_pol01.jpg>.
                  - CopyEd.MJ]

                  http://tinyurl.com/3d8sz6
                  CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

                  treyfish2004@yahoo.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE
                    1. HAT -TIP Lucky1 and Saboteur IA #99-29, 4/27/07, IMPORT ALERT #99-29, "DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICALEXAMINATION OF ALL VEGETABLE PROTEIN PRODUCTS FROM CHINA FOR ANIMAL OR HUMAN FOOD USE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MELAMINE AND/OR MELAMINE ANALOGS"TYPE OF ALERT: Detention Without Physical Examination (Countrywide)(Note: This import alert represents the Agency's current guidance to FDA fieldpersonnel regarding the manufacturer(s) and/or products(s) at issue. It doesnot create or confer any rights for or on any person, and does not operate tobind FDA or the public).PRODUCTS: Wheat Gluten Rice Gluten Rice Protein Rice Protein Concentrate Corn Gluten Corn Gluten Meal Corn By-Products Soy Protein Soy Gluten Proteins (includes amino acids and protein hydrosylates) Mung Bean ProteinPRODUCT 02G[][]08 - Soy Bean Meal/Powder/Gluten/Protein IsolateCODES: 18E[][]03 Soy Protein Powder 02F[][]08 Wheat Gluten 02E[][]06 - Wheat Flour Gluten 71M[][]01 Wheat Gluten 02D[][]12 Rice Protein 02D[][]13 Rice Gluten 71I[][]03 Rice Protein 71G[][]02 - Corn Gluten 02B[][][][] Milled Rice Products 54[][][][][]- Amino acids and protein hydrosylatesPROBLEM: Poisonous or Deleterious Substance Unfit For Food Unsafe Food AdditivePAF: PESCOUNTRY: China (CN)MANUFACTURER/SHIPPER: AllCHARGES: "The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, which may render it injurious to health [Adulteration, section 402(a)(1)]" and/or "The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to bear or contain a food additive that is unsafe within the meaning of section 409 [Adulteration, section 402(a)(2)(C)(i)]" and/or "The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to be unfit for food [Adulteration, 402(a)(3)]"RECOMMENDINGOFFICE: Division of Import Operations and Policy, HFC-170REASON FORALERT: In recent weeks, there has been an outbreak of cat and dog deaths and illness associated with pet food manufactured with vegetable proteins contaminated with melamine and melamine related compounds. In response to this outbreak, FDA has been conducting an aggressive and intensive investigation. Pet food manufacturers and others have recalled dog and cat food and other suspect products and ingredients. This has been one of the largest pet food recalls in history, a recall that continues to expand. Thus far, 18 firms have recalled product, 17 Class I and 1 class II, covering over 5,300 product lines. As of April 26, 2007, FDA had received over 17,000 consumer complaints relating to this outbreak, and those complaints included reports of approximately 1950 deaths of cats and 2200 deaths of dogs. The Agency is working with federal, state, and local governments, academia, and industry to assess the extent of the outbreak, better understand how melamine and melamine related compounds contributed to the pet deaths and illnesses, and to determine the underlying cause of the contamination. As of April 26, 2007, FDA had collected approximately 750 samples of wheat gluten and products made with wheat gluten and, of those tested thus far, 330 were positive for melamine and/or melamine related compounds. FDA had also collected approximately 85 samples of rice protein concentrate and products made with rice protein concentrate and, of those tested thus far, 27 were positive for melamine and/or melamine related compounds. FDA's investigation has traced all of the positive samples as having been imported from China. Although FDA's investigation is ongoing, the Agency has learned the following about the outbreak and its association with contaminated vegetable proteins from China: 1. For the vegetable proteins and finished products that have been found to be contaminated, it is unknown who the actual manufacturers are, how many manufacturers there are, or where in China they may be located. The samples of vegetable proteins that have tested positive for the presence of melamine and melamine analogs have, thus far, been traced to two Chinese firms, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. Records relating to the importation of these products indicate that these two firms had manufactured the ingredients in question. There is strong evidence, however, that these firms are not the actual manufacturers. Moreover, despite many weeks of investigation, it is still unknown who the actual manufacturer or manufacturers of the contaminated products imported from China are. All of the contaminated wheat gluten has thus far been traced to Xuzhou Anying. According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the Chinese government, Xuzhou Anying purchased its wheat gluten from 25 different manufacturers and Xuzhou Anying may just be a supplier. Press statements by Xuzhou Anying state that it did not manufacturer the wheat gluten it had shipped to United States that has been associated with the outbreak, but that it received that wheat gluten from other sources not named in the press statements. Despite its investigation into the matter, FDA has been unable to determine who, in fact, the actual manufacturer(s) are. 2. The source of the contamination problem is currently unknown and FDA has been unable to isolate the scope of the problem. Melamine is a molecule that has a number of commercial and industrial uses. Other than a few limited authorizations for use in food contact materials for human food, melamine has no approved use as an ingredient in human or animal food in the United States. FDA is continuing its investigation into how the melamine and melamine related compounds may have gotten into the vegetable protein, and has asked the Chinese government to help with this investigation. In addition, FDA does not know how widespread the problem in China might be. For example, FDA does not know which regions of the country may or may not be impacted by the problem, which firms are the major manufacturers and exporters of vegetable proteins to the United States, where these vegetable proteins are grown in China, and what controls are currently in place to prevent against contamination. According to the Chinese government, Xuzhou Anying did not declare the contaminated wheat gluten it shipped to the United States as a raw material for feed or food. Rather, according to the Chinese government, it was declared to them as non-food product, meaning that it was not subject to mandatory inspection by the Chinese government. In addition, in a communication to the U.S. government, the Chinese government has requested that FDA either request or require that U.S. importers of plant protein products insist on AQSIQ certification, based on AQSIQ testing, as part of the import contract. According to a media report, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement that the contaminated vegetable protein managed to get past Chinese customs without inspection because it had not been declared for use in pet food. The news report said the contamination problem has prompted China to step up inspections of plant-based proteins and to list melamine as a banned substance for food exports and domestic sales. This information indicates that there are manufacturing control issues that cannot be linked to specific sources in China, but instead require country-wide monitoring. 3. On April 17, 2007, pet food manufacturers in South Africa recalled dry cat and dog food due to formulation with a contaminated corn gluten, a vegetable protein. FDA has learned that the corn gluten was contaminated with melamine and that the corn gluten had been imported from a third-party supplier in China. According to news reports, the contaminated pet food has been linked to the deaths of approximately 30 dogs in South Africa.GUIDANCE: Districts may detain without physical examination, all Vegetable protein products from China. Appropriate screening criteria have been set. For questions or issues concerning science, science policy, sample collection, analysis, preparation, or analytical methodology, contact Mr. Thomas Savage, Division of Field Science, at 301-827- 1026. If a firm, shipper or importer believes that their product should not be subject to detention under this import alert they should forward information supporting their position to FDA at the following address: Food and Drug Administration Division of Import Operations and Policy (HFC-170) 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 12-36 Rockville, MD 20587 In order to adequately assess whether a manufacturer has the appropriate controls and processes in place to ensure the quality of the product being produced, the firm or shipper must provide the following information: 1. Documentation showing that a minimum of five (5) consecutive entries have been released by FDA based on third party laboratory analyses using FDA recommended methods and that all shipments did not contain the presence of melamine and/or melamine analogs. AND 2. Certificate, such as from AQSIQ, indicating that an inspection of the manufacturer was conducted and adequate controls are in place. Information should also include: a. Copy of the inspectional reports and compliance status of the manufacturer. b. If products were sampled during the course of the inspection, test results indicating that the products are free of melamine and/or melamine analog. All requests for removal (exemption) from DWPE will be forwarded by DIOP to CVM (HFV-230) or CFSAN (HFS-606) for evaluation depending on the intended final use in animal or human food.PRIORITIZATIONGUIDANCE: IFOI: No purging requiredKEYWORDS: Feed, pet food, human food, melamine, gluten, protein, concentrate, rice, wheat, corn, soy, mung beanPREPARED BY: Cathie Marshall, CVM, HFV-232, 240-276-9217 Salvatore Evola, CFSAN, HFS-606- 302-436-2164 Linda Wisniowski, DIOP, HFC-172, 301-443-6553DATE LOADEDINTO FIARS: April 27, 2007 ATTACHMENTFirms and products exempt from detention without physical examination (Currently there are no firms listed in the attachment) http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia9929.html


                    </PRE>http://www.usatoday.com/money/indus...orts-usat_N.htm
                    CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

                    treyfish2004@yahoo.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                      Complete article at: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/01/recall.poultry

                      From CNN:
                      FDA: Contaminated feed could affect farms nationwide

                      ? Contaminated feed found in 38 Indiana chicken farms; more farms likely affected
                      ? Feed contains recalled pet food with tainted wheat gluten
                      ? No human illnesses have been reported related to tainted poultry feed
                      ? Reports of 4,150 dog and cat deaths related to pet food recall

                      By Katy Byron
                      CNN
                      NEW YORK (CNN) -- More farms across the United States will likely be affected by animal feed tainted with recalled pet food, federal health officials said Tuesday, after an investigation of Indiana chicken farms found the contaminated feed in more than three dozen facilities that raise poultry for human consumption.

                      The Food and Drug Administration said it expects farms in other states will report they received the tainted pet food and predicted that the number of plants that received contaminated feed could reach into the hundreds.

                      Recalled pet food containing tainted Chinese wheat gluten was found in chicken feed in 38 Indiana farms, the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday, but no chicken recall has been issued because the likelihood of getting sick from eating chicken fed the contaminated product is very low, FDA officials said.

                      No human illnesses related to the minimally tainted poultry feed have been reported, according to the agencies...

                      In an effort to further contain the tainted products, the FDA last week detained all vegetable protein imports from China that are used in both human and animal food as part of its investigation into the nationwide pet food recall.

                      The protein products from China that are affected include: wheat gluten, rice gluten, rice protein, rice protein concentrate, corn gluten, corn gluten meal, corn byproducts, soy protein, soy gluten proteins, and mung bean protein, the FDA import alert dated April 27 said.

                      NCC: It's like cooking cupcakes
                      Occasionally, pet food manufacturers sell material left over from the molding process to animal feed manufacturers and that's how the contaminated pet food got into poultry feed, according to Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken Council, the trade group that represents U.S. poultry producers, marketers and processors.

                      "It's like cooking cupcakes -- you get some of the dough on the pan, you scrape it off and throw it away. What they're saying is that somebody bought that material and it got mixed in corn and soybean that gets manufactured in poultry feed," he said...

                      In response to the FDA/USDA announcement, the National Chicken Council released a statement saying "We are confident that any poultry producers involved will work expeditiously with the government to resolve this matter to the satisfaction of the government agencies."

                      Lobb said it is industry practice for companies to own birds and contract growers to raise them, and that companies supply the feed to the growers as well.

                      "Nobody buys feed from China," Lobb told CNN.

                      "Feed is made from corn, soybean meal, minerals... about 70 percent of ration is corn and that's all locally grown in the United States. Soybeans are all grown in the United States," Lobb said.

                      "Melamine is not supposed to be in any animal feed, pet food... it's an industrial chemical and that problem goes back to China where they were deliberately spiking the product with melamine and before that with urea in order to boost its protein content," Lobb said.

                      Perdue and Tyson Foods -- two of the largest U.S. chicken producers -- do not import any protein ingredients from China used in their chicken feeds, company representatives told their supermarket chain clients Tuesday.

                      FDA: No evidence tainted gluten in U.S. stores
                      FDA officials said they have found no evidence that tainted wheat gluten was added directly to any human food products that Americans may find on store shelves.

                      The FDA has investigators in China working with the Chinese government's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to investigate the sources of the contaminated products.

                      It is unclear how long the United States has been importing tainted food additives from China.

                      "Clearly that is a concern if that has been going on for a long period of time," said Dr. David Acheson, who was appointed to the new position of FDA Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection earlier in the day.

                      Melamine, cyanuric acid might be the deadly combination
                      Monday's report is the latest development in the FDA's investigation into the recall of more than 60 million cans of pet food after at least 17 cats and dogs died of kidney failure. The urine of cats that ate the tainted pet food tested positive for melamine, an industrial chemical used in the manufacturing of plastic utensils and fertilizer.

                      In addition, the FDA announced last week that rice protein additive imported from China was found to contain cyanuric acid, but the federal agency has yet to positively identify the causative agent in the pet deaths. Cyanuric acid is used as a stabilizer in outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs.

                      Investigators outside the FDA are uncovering evidence that suggests the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid is responsible for the pet deaths related to the recall.

                      The agency also reported last week that it has received more than 17,000 consumer complaints related to the recall, including reports of 4,150 dog and cat deaths...


                      CNN's Joe Johns, Miriam Falco and Tom Watkins contributed to this report


                      Complete article at:

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                        AT Hagan at another site April 30, 2007

                        Joint Update: FDA/USDA Trace Adulterated Animal Feed to Poultry

                        WASHINGTON, April 30, 2007 ? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have learned that byproducts from pet food manufactured with contaminated wheat gluten imported from China have been used in chicken feed on some farms in the state of Indiana. This information came to light as part of the continuing investigation into imported rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten that have been found to contain melamine and melamine-related compounds.

                        At this time, the investigation indicates that approximately 30 broiler poultry farms and eight breeder poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it.
                        All of the broilers believed to have been fed contaminated product have since been processed. The breeders that were fed the contaminated product are under voluntary hold by the flock owners.

                        As with exposure from hogs fed contaminated pet food and for similar reasons related to the dilution of the contamination, FDA and USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating chicken fed the contaminated product is very low. Because there is no evidence of harm to humans associated with consumption of chicken fed the contaminated product, no recall of poultry products processed from these animals is being issued. Testing and the joint investigation continue. If any evidence surfaces to indicate there is harm to humans, the appropriate action will be taken.

                        Because the poultry being held have been fed adulterated products, USDA cannot knowingly approve products derived from these poultry for human consumption. USDA is offering to compensate producers who euthanize this poultry. USDA is also offering the expertise and assistance of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel in carrying out depopulation activities, to ensure adherence to Federal and State laws.

                        FDA and USDA anticipate that as the investigation continues additional farms will likely be identified that received contaminated feed. As indicated in previous updates, FDA and USDA have also traced contaminated feed to swine farms in several states. The same procedures are being followed in relation to both swine and poultry; animals are being quarantined by state order or voluntarily held by the owners and USDA is offering compensation for depopulation and disposal of both swine and poultry that have been fed contaminated products.

                        USDA and FDA continue to conduct a full, comprehensive examination to protect the nation?s food supply and will provide updates as new information is confirmed. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
                        __________________ http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01621.html
                        CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

                        treyfish2004@yahoo.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                          Hi peggy.
                          I had so much to say. But...I'd better just not say anything....

                          Treyfish, I want to thank you for your selection of happy faces. Your long post a few posts up, was so depressing, it was the happy faces that got me through.
                          Good grief.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                            I've posted it elsewhere, but here it is again, information about the 100 Mile Diet: http://100milediet.org/

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: CONTAMINATED PET FOOD - USA, CANADA, MEXICO: SWINE

                              Date: 2 May 2007
                              Source: Washington Post [edited]
                              <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050102071.html?referrer=emailarticle>


                              At least 2.5 million broiler chickens from an Indiana producer were
                              fed pet food scraps contaminated with the chemical melamine and
                              subsequently sold for human consumption, federal health officials
                              reported yesterday [1 May 2007].


                              Hundreds of other producers may have similarly sold an unknown amount
                              of contaminated poultry in recent months, they added, painting a
                              picture of much broader consumption of contaminated feed and food
                              than had previously been acknowledged in the widening pet food scandal
                              .

                              Officials emphasized that they do not believe the tainted chickens --
                              or the smaller number of contaminated pigs that were reported to have
                              entered the human food supply -- pose risks to people who ate them.

                              "We do not believe there is any significant threat of human illness
                              from this," said David Acheson,
                              the Food and Drug Administration's
                              chief medical officer. FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach named
                              Acheson yesterday [1 May 2007] the agency's new "food czar,"
                              officially, assistant commissioner for food protection.

                              None of the farm animals is known to have become sick from the food,
                              and very little of the contaminant is suspected of having accumulated
                              in their tissue. Thus, no recall of any products that may still be on
                              store shelves or in people's freezers is planned
                              , officials said.

                              Nonetheless, 100 000 Indiana chickens that ate the melamine-laced
                              food and are still alive have been quarantined and will be destroyed
                              as a precautionary measure,
                              as will any other animals that turn up as
                              the investigation continues to expand.

                              The revelations are the latest in a rapidly widening scandal that
                              started out with reports of a few deaths of pets. It has mushroomed
                              into a major debacle that, even if no human injuries emerge, has
                              exposed significant gaps in the nation's food-safety system.

                              In the 1st volley of what Hill watchers expect to be a series of
                              proposed fixes,
                              Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro
                              (D-Conn.) yesterday [1 May 2007] introduced legislation that would
                              give the FDA the power to order mandatory recalls of adulterated
                              foods, establish an early warning and notification system for tainted
                              human or pet food, and allow fines for companies that do not promptly
                              report contaminated products.

                              Meanwhile, the FDA expanded the number of plant-based protein
                              products from China on its "do not import" list, pending the
                              completion of further tests on various kinds of glutens, protein
                              concentrates and other products.


                              At the center of the problem are pet foods spiked with melamine, a
                              mildly toxic chemical that can make food appear to have more protein
                              than it does. Most of the food went to pets, but scraps were sold in
                              February 2007 to the Indiana poultry producer, officials said. The
                              contaminated material may have made up about 5 percent of the
                              chickens' total food supply.

                              That small fraction, and the fact that people, unlike pets, do not
                              eat the same thing day after day, suggests that consumers who ate
                              contaminated pork or chicken would probably have ingested extremely
                              small doses of melamine, well below the threshold for causing health
                              effects, officials said. Experts conceded, however, that they know
                              little about how the toxin interacts with other compounds in food.

                              Investigators are tracking streams of the contaminated food through
                              several states.

                              "Our sense is that the investigation will lead to additional farms
                              where contaminated feed may have been fed to either animals or
                              poultry,"
                              said Kenneth Petersen of the Agriculture Department Food
                              Safety and Inspection Service.

                              Officials said the FDA has received 17 000 reports of pets that
                              owners believe were sickened or killed by contaminated food. About
                              8000 reports, roughly half of them involving animals that died, have
                              been formally entered into the FDA's tracking system for further analysis.

                              U.S. investigators have arrived in China, officials said, but
                              inspections of production facilities there have been hampered by the
                              start yesterday [1 May 2007] of a week-long national vacation.


                              "Essentially, all the officials are on holiday," said Walter Batts,
                              part of the FDA's China team, adding that one Chinese official had
                              stayed behind to help.


                              [Byline: Rick Weiss]

                              --
                              Communicated by:
                              ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

                              [The agency states that "We do not believe there is any significant
                              threat of human illness from this." A presentation of any evidence to
                              support this statement would be helpful. A search of several data
                              bases yielded no information regarding the effects of melamine in
                              people.
                              - Mod.TG]
                              http://tinyurl.com/3yzpcy
                              CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

                              treyfish2004@yahoo.com

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