Comments on: Pet-food recall: CNN reports from China http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kat http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25274 Kat Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:03:24 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25274 Here's a link -- off the topic -- but, just another PROOF how inept our government is: http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/credit/2007-04-05-irs-usat_N.htm Here’s a link — off the topic — but, just another PROOF how inept our government is:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/.....usat_N.htm

]]> By: Sue Dunn http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25141 Sue Dunn Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:55:04 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25141 I think maybe the aminopterin that the New York lab found is from the heavily applied loose material on top of the wheat gluten bags at the Xuzhou Anying storage facility (in the video) that may be used to keep vermin away. That's why the worker is wearing a gas mask? The aminopterin was absorbed by the paper bags containing wheat gluten and the penetration of it was not consistent to deeper layers of the bag or a bag was on top of another so the aminopterin didn't penetrate. The FDA labs samples tested probably were from material deeper within the bag with no aminopterin. (With regard to the melamine tested on dogs many years ago, it was probably a shorter exposure and this current exposure time period might really extend to the time when Xuzhou Anying shipped the very first order of wheat gluten to Menu Foods's facility and the pet food was distributed to when it was halted and manufacturing ceased and it was recalled, but it seems to be low toxicity. So it might not be a 100% valid comparison of toxicity in that melamine material, but it is believed to be low.) The actual dates of aminopterin exposure probably are the same, too, to way before the recall dates given by Menu Foods (from the time the first pet food was manufactured from the wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying and distributed to the time production with it ceased and it was recalled and beyond if any is still out there in circulation. So many dogs and cats could have received a long, chronic exposure of differing levels of exposure to aminopterin among the cans and pouches and dry food. There are frequent reports here of dogs and cats dying before the stated recall dates. The material situation at Xuzhou Anying exists there today. Suddenly many dogs and cats started dying and only then was the problem was first identified, when the vets noted it. The reality is it probably extends way back and but was not identified due to lack of data. Also, by focusing only on the melamine, and of course the FDA did because they found no aminopterin in their samples, it was very confusing and the sampling between labs did not correlate. So exposure time is probably much longer than Menu Foods believes it is, extending from when the pet food was first manufactured with the Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten and distributed to even today if any it is still out there and pets are eating it, regardless of dates. All dates of this pet food containing their wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying are potentially contaminated but some have been recalled of course. Also, some of the dry that is untested to date due to being outside of the stated Menu Foods recall dates may also be contaminated if from that wheat gluten source because the probable exposure time is extended to the same time period for the cans and pouches, to the entire potential exposure period also. I would not use any of it, regardless of the date. And as long as China denies it and switches companies frequently to avoid detection, the problem will exist. Menu Foods only did recent animal testing, so they don't know how chronic the problem really is and different cans or pouches or dry may have had different levels of aminopterin which would cause confusing test results, some dogs and cats died and some might have been fine. Possibly the cats higher death rate was due to longer exposure or higher levels of contamination in their food than the dogs or it might have been due to random variability. Lab test results may be highly variable and not correlate well due to variability of aminopterin contamination. Another thought is maybe the melamine degraded and the material effects are different with longer-term chronic exposure to it than with the possibly shorter test period years ago. Also chronic low (or a mix of high and low) levels of aminopterin might possibly be cumulative without showing high levels present at the time of testing. I think maybe the aminopterin that the New York lab found is from the heavily applied loose material on top of the wheat gluten bags at the Xuzhou Anying storage facility (in the video) that may be used to keep vermin away. That’s why the worker is wearing a gas mask? The aminopterin was absorbed by the paper bags containing wheat gluten and the penetration of it was not consistent to deeper layers of the bag or a bag was on top of another so the aminopterin didn’t penetrate. The FDA labs samples tested probably were from material deeper within the bag with no aminopterin. (With regard to the melamine tested on dogs many years ago, it was probably a shorter exposure and this current exposure time period might really extend to the time when Xuzhou Anying shipped the very first order of wheat gluten to Menu Foods’s facility and the pet food was distributed to when it was halted and manufacturing ceased and it was recalled, but it seems to be low toxicity. So it might not be a 100% valid comparison of toxicity in that melamine material, but it is believed to be low.) The actual dates of aminopterin exposure probably are the same, too, to way before the recall dates given by Menu Foods (from the time the first pet food was manufactured from the wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying and distributed to the time production with it ceased and it was recalled and beyond if any is still out there in circulation. So many dogs and cats could have received a long, chronic exposure of differing levels of exposure to aminopterin among the cans and pouches and dry food. There are frequent reports here of dogs and cats dying before the stated recall dates. The material situation at Xuzhou Anying exists there today. Suddenly many dogs and cats started dying and only then was the problem was first identified, when the vets noted it. The reality is it probably extends way back and but was not identified due to lack of data. Also, by focusing only on the melamine, and of course the FDA did because they found no aminopterin in their samples, it was very confusing and the sampling between labs did not correlate. So exposure time is probably much longer than Menu Foods believes it is, extending from when the pet food was first manufactured with the Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten and distributed to even today if any it is still out there and pets are eating it, regardless of dates. All dates of this pet food containing their wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying are potentially contaminated but some have been recalled of course. Also, some of the dry that is untested to date due to being outside of the stated Menu Foods recall dates may also be contaminated if from that wheat gluten source because the probable exposure time is extended to the same time period for the cans and pouches, to the entire potential exposure period also. I would not use any of it, regardless of the date. And as long as China denies it and switches companies frequently to avoid detection, the problem will exist. Menu Foods only did recent animal testing, so they don’t know how chronic the problem really is and different cans or pouches or dry may have had different levels of aminopterin which would cause confusing test results, some dogs and cats died and some might have been fine. Possibly the cats higher death rate was due to longer exposure or higher levels of contamination in their food than the dogs or it might have been due to random variability. Lab test results may be highly variable and not correlate well due to variability of aminopterin contamination. Another thought is maybe the melamine degraded and the material effects are different with longer-term chronic exposure to it than with the possibly shorter test period years ago. Also chronic low (or a mix of high and low) levels of aminopterin might possibly be cumulative without showing high levels present at the time of testing.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25132 Laurie Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:55:34 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25132 It is a sad fact that most of the pets poisoned probably didn't or won't see a vet. I don't even like to think of how many. The pets reported to the FDA and even the Pet Connections site had owners who got good vet care and diligently followed up. Most of those were diagnosed around the time of or after the recall. There are also those pets, like mine, who died despite treatment before the recall of March 17 2007. She was buried and the deadly food long gone before the first recall was announced and connection to it was made. And then there are the untold hundreds? thousands?, that for whatever reason that fate was unkind, will *never* be counted. We will never really know. Thats sad. I think I fight this battle for them, the ones that have no names or vets or maybe even no owners (as in several cats at our local no-kill shelter who died from this),as much as for my own beloved cat. If our system for food safety is this broken, we have better get busy and fix it. It is a sad fact that most of the pets poisoned probably didn’t or won’t see a vet. I don’t even like to think of how many.

The pets reported to the FDA and even the Pet Connections site had owners who got good vet care and diligently followed up. Most of those were diagnosed around the time of or after the recall. There are also those pets, like mine, who died despite treatment before the recall of March 17 2007. She was buried and the deadly food long gone before the first recall was announced and connection to it was made.

And then there are the untold hundreds? thousands?, that for whatever reason that fate was unkind, will *never* be counted. We will never really know. Thats sad. I think I fight this battle for them, the ones that have no names or vets or maybe even no owners (as in several cats at our local no-kill shelter who died from this),as much as for my own beloved cat.

If our system for food safety is this broken, we have better get busy and fix it.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25127 Laurie Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:27:52 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25127 Comment by Kim I know what you mean... most people gladly parrot the hype and never stop to question or go on to actually research. Its taken a lot of work by some of these awesome bloggers to get information and research out there. The bad news is that it won't make well or bring back the victims. The good news is that the major media are beginning to jump and run with info and connections made from just a handful of blogging sites. If we can get the public educated and aware via media we can force some very important changes that need to be made to get our pets' food, as well as our own, much more safe. CNN showing up in China at the warehouse where the poisoned wheat gluten originated was a *wow* after a very slow and frustrating start at getting the public to see and hear the truth. Just a couple days ago major media was still pretty much ignoring the scope of the situation. So keep talking and telling people. This issue should be one that even those that don't have pets will get interested in...we all have to eat! Comment by Kim

I know what you mean… most people gladly parrot the hype and never stop to question or go on to actually research. Its taken a lot of work by some of these awesome bloggers to get information and research out there.

The bad news is that it won’t make well or bring back the victims. The good news is that the major media are beginning to jump and run with info and connections made from just a handful of blogging sites. If we can get the public educated and aware via media we can force some very important changes that need to be made to get our pets’ food, as well as our own, much more safe.

CNN showing up in China at the warehouse where the poisoned wheat gluten originated was a *wow* after a very slow and frustrating start at getting the public to see and hear the truth. Just a couple days ago major media was still pretty much ignoring the scope of the situation.

So keep talking and telling people. This issue should be one that even those that don’t have pets will get interested in…we all have to eat!

]]> By: Sue Dunn http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25102 Sue Dunn Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:14:48 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25102 No more Chinese catfish - they're bottom feeders and like to eat at night! No more Chinese aspartame - it turns into formaldehyde above 85 deg. Great reporting by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on Xuzhou Anying and the contaminated wheat! One fellow was wearing a gas mask (probably had TB) while he was covering the wheat gluten! The piles of dust covering the bags - were they insecticide or aflaxtoxin? The FDA should get a ground sample of that place. This is 'food' grade? No more Chinese catfish - they’re bottom feeders and like to eat at night! No more Chinese aspartame - it turns into formaldehyde above 85 deg. Great reporting by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on Xuzhou Anying and the contaminated wheat! One fellow was wearing a gas mask (probably had TB) while he was covering the wheat gluten! The piles of dust covering the bags - were they insecticide or aflaxtoxin? The FDA should get a ground sample of that place. This is ‘food’ grade?

]]> By: Kim http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25084 Kim Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:13:34 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25084 Carly I bet it's closer to 10% that got vet care. If you heard of a 'few', just multiple that times ... thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. My belief from the first day was that there would be tens of thousands pets dead from this once all was known, and I've seen nothing to change that. It will never be official - but we'll know. It goes back long before December - maybe not these 'incidents' - but crap in our pet food killing our pets did not just start happening 3 months ago. In my town of 75,000 people, I've met ONE that was following this story at all before I told them to. ONE. And that includes specialty pet store workers! People really have an insane amount of trust in the media, the government, their vets, manufacturers and retailers. For the most part , I'm shocked to find out, people seem happy to believe what they're told, and give their power over to everyone else. I have to say, for the first time in my life I comprehend how atrocities have happened in the past... people just let them happen right in front of them, pretending not to see. Carly I bet it’s closer to 10% that got vet care. If you heard of a ‘few’, just multiple that times … thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. My belief from the first day was that there would be tens of thousands pets dead from this once all was known, and I’ve seen nothing to change that. It will never be official - but we’ll know. It goes back long before December - maybe not these ‘incidents’ - but crap in our pet food killing our pets did not just start happening 3 months ago.

In my town of 75,000 people, I’ve met ONE that was following this story at all before I told them to. ONE. And that includes specialty pet store workers!

People really have an insane amount of trust in the media, the government, their vets, manufacturers and retailers. For the most part , I’m shocked to find out, people seem happy to believe what they’re told, and give their power over to everyone else.

I have to say, for the first time in my life I comprehend how atrocities have happened in the past… people just let them happen right in front of them, pretending not to see.

]]> By: Gwen http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25053 Gwen Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:33:47 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25053 While the bags of grain sitting outdoors on a glorified porch were pretty nasty, I couldn't believe the bit about the lard made of sewage! I'm wondering where THAT got shipped.. *skeeve*. Seriously, though.. if we banned Canadian beef over a single mad cow incident, why aren't we doing anything to address the litany of gross violations found in Chinese imports? While the bags of grain sitting outdoors on a glorified porch were pretty nasty, I couldn’t believe the bit about the lard made of sewage! I’m wondering where THAT got shipped.. *skeeve*.

Seriously, though.. if we banned Canadian beef over a single mad cow incident, why aren’t we doing anything to address the litany of gross violations found in Chinese imports?

]]> By: Dar http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25031 Dar Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:06:24 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25031 I just want people to know that today i found out some information that the FDA new about the tainted pet food since June 2006.Due to milions of dollars and political mumbo-jumbo they covered it up,until now.People want to know the actual numbers of deceased cats and dogs,well i can honestly say that it's in the tens of thousands.I found these numbers to be true by doing research asking vet hospitals how many deceased they have had in the past three months.I also asked, since last June how many cats and dogs died from the same symptoms.The numbers were staggering!!!! I just want people to know that today i found out some information that the FDA new about the tainted pet food since June 2006.Due to milions of dollars and political mumbo-jumbo they covered it up,until now.People want to know the actual numbers of deceased cats and dogs,well i can honestly say that it’s in the tens of thousands.I found these numbers to be true by doing research asking vet hospitals how many deceased they have had in the past three months.I also asked, since last June how many cats and dogs died from the same symptoms.The numbers were staggering!!!!

]]> By: carly http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25028 carly Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:00:55 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25028 I was at the vet's today, and asked about pets treated for kidney failure due to bad food. I was disheartened to hear that although they've seen them, and diagnosed the symptoms, so far no owner has been able to afford the blood work, let alone the treatment. So ... without a blood work confirmation, the vet would not report them, and the owners most likely wouldn't. So the numbers we have are not pets ill and dead, but pets ill and dead whose owners were able to afford the vet care, and get the correct diagnosis, and who's vet's report, and/or have internet and self-report. I wonder what kind of percentage anyone would want to conjecture--1/3 of animals have received vet care? 1/2? Several people at my job have mentioned that their pet died "probably from the food" and when I questioned them, they did not take the pet to the vet, and didn't remember exactly which food, whatever was cheapest right then--which was most likely recalled store brand food. I think an idea of the true numbers may become more apparent when all this is over and the same companies are back to business as usual, and finally realize that people aren't coming back to buy their food, because they have no one to buy it for. I was at the vet’s today, and asked about pets treated for kidney failure due to bad food. I was disheartened to hear that although they’ve seen them, and diagnosed the symptoms, so far no owner has been able to afford the blood work, let alone the treatment.

So … without a blood work confirmation, the vet would not report them, and the owners most likely wouldn’t. So the numbers we have are not pets ill and dead, but pets ill and dead whose owners were able to afford the vet care, and get the correct diagnosis, and who’s vet’s report, and/or have internet and self-report.

I wonder what kind of percentage anyone would want to conjecture—1/3 of animals have received vet care? 1/2? Several people at my job have mentioned that their pet died “probably from the food” and when I questioned them, they did not take the pet to the vet, and didn’t remember exactly which food, whatever was cheapest right then—which was most likely recalled store brand food.

I think an idea of the true numbers may become more apparent when all this is over and the same companies are back to business as usual, and finally realize that people aren’t coming back to buy their food, because they have no one to buy it for.

]]> By: Laurie http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/comment-page-2/#comment-25024 Laurie Thu, 05 Apr 2007 02:56:12 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/04/pet-food-recall-cnn-report-sfrom-china/#comment-25024 Unbelievable how nasty that warehouse in the CNN video was. If that is human "food grade" wheat gluten than how nasty must the animal "feed grade" be? There is no way that company could have any quality control with it sitting out on the ground like that. Disgusting. And you gotta figure that the company had made it look better than what looked a few days ago when the FDA document that named them was found. They knew they would get media attention and cleaned up best they could. We can figure that the conditions were way worse before. Big thumbs up to CNN on the piece. I think it will help open people's eyes to the fact that unless we change the system, its only a matter of time till its us next. We have to demand better of our government as well as the pet food industry and suppliers! Hey, remember just a couple days ago when this was getting so *little* media coverage? Progress being made! Unbelievable how nasty that warehouse in the CNN video was. If that is human “food grade” wheat gluten than how nasty must the animal “feed grade” be? There is no way that company could have any quality control with it sitting out on the ground like that. Disgusting. And you gotta figure that the company had made it look better than what looked a few days ago when the FDA document that named them was found. They knew they would get media attention and cleaned up best they could. We can figure that the conditions were way worse before.

Big thumbs up to CNN on the piece. I think it will help open people’s eyes to the fact that unless we change the system, its only a matter of time till its us next. We have to demand better of our government as well as the pet food industry and suppliers!

Hey, remember just a couple days ago when this was getting so *little* media coverage? Progress being made!

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