Food Recall Update

FDA testing reveals chemical in recalled pet food


<!--Start Left column--->FDA testing finds no rat poison



(3/30/07 - WASHINGTON) - Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.

<HR>Also on ABC13.com:
<CENTER>Send news tips | RSS | ABC13 E-lert | Info mentioned on air | Search abc13.com</CENTER><HR>The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient. Cornell University scientists also have found the chemical, also used as a fertilizer, in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food.

Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food earlier this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products. It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints.

The new finding comes a week after scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified a rat poison and cancer drug called aminopterin as the likely culprit. The FDA said it could not confirm that finding.

New York officials have detected melamine as well, though it's not clear how that chemical would have poisoned pets. It's typically used to produce plastic kitchen wares, though it's apparently used as a fertilizer in Asia, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

The recall involved nearly 100 brands of "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food made by Menu Foods. The recall covered products carrying names of major brand-name and private-label products sold throughout North America.

The apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten also was shipped to an unnamed company that manufactures dry pet food. The FDA is attempting to determine if that product, imported from China, was used to make any pet food, Sundlof said.

Menu Foods used wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, to thicken the gravy of its pet foods, FDA officials have said.

 

WTF is going on?????????

 

They dont even know,sounds like their just pulling suff out their asses.

 

March 31, 2007 — The pet food recall linked to the deaths of cats and dogs across the country is growing and now includes both wet and dry pet food.

And after initially suspecting rat poison was the cause of the contamination, officials now believe the food was tainted by a chemical used in plastics and fertilizer. For the first time, the FDA has admitted to ABC News that there will be a lot more deaths than the current official count of 15 cats and dogs.

Government scientists found melamine, a compound used to make plastics for kitchen utensils, in the recalled food. Melamine's also used as a fertilizer in Asia, and was in wheat gluten imported from China and used in pet food.

But FDA officials caution that melamine might not be the culprit they're after.

"We are not fully yet certain that melamine is the causative agent of illness and death in pets," said Dr. Stephen Sundolf of the FDA Veterinary Center.

Another recall was issued this morning. Hills Pet Nutrition is voluntarily recalling some of its dry cat food that was made with the same tainted ingredient. Since March 17, 60 million cans and pouches of wet pet food have been recalled.

Also, the Nestle Purina PetCare Company late Friday announced a voluntary recall of all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog foods.

There's no absolute number of how many dogs and cats have been affected, which is making some reevaluate how pet illnesses are reported.

"Pets are part of our family structure. I believe the answer is going to be a much broader look at the safety of pet foods and the way we report illness," said Dr. Don Smith, dean of Cornell University's veterinary school.



What Pet Owners Can Do



On "Good Morning America Weekend Edition," veterinarian Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, offered tips to pet owners concerned about the recall.

Murray said pet owners shouldn't panic because one brand of dry food has been added to the recall list.

"There are lots of kinds of dry dog food and some that don't even include wheat gluten," she said. "Unless the food has been specifically recalled there's no need to panic and if you have questions consult your vet."


Looking out for small changes in pet behavior can help save them if they have eaten contaminated food.





"Our main advice for pet owners is to be on the lookout for early warning signs like increased thirst, decrease in appetite," Murray said. "Don't wait till your pet is gravely ill."





Murray said that if pet owners suspect their pet is suffering from contaminated food, they should take their pet to a veterinarian immediately. She has successfully treated some of the animals that have been affected by the tainted pet food.



"The cases that we've seen have been responding to therapy," Murray said. "There is evidence they do respond to treatment."