Pet-food recall: Sen. Durbin to hold media conference, set hearing
By Gina Spadafori
April 4, 2007
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Just got a call from Sen. Durbin’s office. He’ll be holding a media conference in Chicago at 2:30 p.m. Thursday April 5 (a/k/a tomorrow), in Wicker Park (north of field house),1425 N. Damen (see the PDF for information).
He also pledges to hold Congressional hearings when the Senate resumes after Easter break.
If you’re in the Chicago area, the Sen. Durbin’s staff is looking for people who’ve lost pets to be part of the media conference. Contact information is on the flyer. Other Chicago-area pet-lovers are invited to come to the event (which is at a dog park) to show support.
Update: And speaking of media, just heard that Ben Huh, the Alpha Dog of itchmo.com will be on “The David Goldstein Show” tonight in Seattle, sometime after 9 p.m. PT on Newsradio 710-KIRO. Pet Connection night-shift blogger, Contributing Editor Christie Keith, will also be on the show. You can listen in online on their website – log-in info here. And call in, too!.
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Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
I’m thrilled to hear Senator Durbin is getting so involved with this tragedy. Maybe he’ll have an influence on some of the other politicians.
Thank you to everyone at Petconnection! This site is priceless. So glad I found you.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
USA > Society & Culture
from the April 5, 2007 edition
So just what’s in Fido’s food, anyway?
A massive pet food recall has spurred US consumer groups and pet owners to call for more oversight.
By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Page 1 of 2
LOS ANGELES - Wheat gluten? The contaminated ingredient that was traced to the massive pet food recall is prompting a new wave of scrutiny of the industry. The big question pet owners, consumer groups, animal rights activists, legislators, and others want to know is: “What’s in this stuff, anyway?”
Other questions on their minds run the gamut from who polices the pet-food chain, to who writes the standards for pet-food labeling, to which companies are making which brands with what ingredients.
To the relief of pet food companies, at least, that last question has been answered in the case of the recalled 60 million pet food containers. The US Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that a Chinese company was the source of contaminated wheat gluten that made its way into the dog and cat food sold under nearly 100 labels across North America.
Spurred by reports of pet sicknesses and deaths, thousands of pet owners are now joining calls for increased industry self-regulation and government oversight.
“The pet food industry has been unquestioned for a long time. But now in light of what’s happened people are finding out what is actually in the pet food they buy and becoming really concerned,” says Kate Morris, publisher of bowzer.biz, an online magazine for dog owners. “Consumers are beginning to raise … questions about whether companies and the government do enough testing to ensure the safety of products.”
Others are taking matters into their own hands, seeking alternative methods of pet feeding such as home cooking, or buying more elite, more expensive, and better-trusted brands.
“One of the positive fallouts from this is that pet owners are becoming more educated about where their pet foods are made, what’s in them and what to look for,” says Alan Kerzner, CEO of Halo, a holistic natural pet-care line. “More and more pet owners are demanding quality, finding out they are willing to pay extra prices for premium foods. In a kind of perverse way, the opportunities for these companies have grown over the past month.”
Veterinarians and animal hospitals across the nation report high anxiety among pet owners, with calls and walk-ins on the rise, often over inconsequential or nonexistent health problems. Many have initiated or joined lawsuits to seek damages or reparations from several companies whose tainted food has led to at least 15 animal deaths – but which, many observers say, could be thousands more.
The FDA announced April 3 that more pet foods could be recalled in coming days as investigators track worldwide distribution of the contaminated wheat gluten used in pet food. Wheat gluten is a source of protein. Officials said they had discovered melamine – a chemical used in plastics, glue, and fertilizers – in test samples of the recalled wet food and some dry treats. Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) say more information is needed about other possible contaminants.
“There are lots of unanswered questions that need to be answered more frankly,” says Andrew Rowan, HSUS executive vice president for operations. “We would certainly like to know what has actually happened.” PETA has asked FDA head Andrew von Eschenbach to resign for allegedly refusing to name the maker of a dry pet food believed to include a contaminant.
US lawmakers are also questioning the FDA about its handling of the current case, as well as its oversight in general.
“Reports that kept food manufacturing facilities are not being inspected by the FDA are very disconcerting,” states a letter from Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D) of Connecticut and Sen. Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois to Mr. Eschenbach. The letter asks how many FDA inspections take place at pet-food processing facilities and asks what changes in current laws and funding would spur better performance. “Many cats dogs and other pets are considered members of the household, and it is unfortunate that not even the family pet is immune from the food safety problems that are plaguing our nation.”
For its part, the FDA says the recall event “is in its final stages” but that it is still too early to say what lessons have been learned and what exactly needs to be addressed to keep such events from happening again.
“We are just tying up investigations now … we don’t see where the system didn’t work … it doesn’t appear from what we’ve seen that anyone can be blamed in this country,” says Julie Zawisza, spokeswoman for the FDA. She says the agency does not see where more regulation would help. “The difference in this situation compared to the contaminants recently found on spinach is that something [tainted] came in from abroad,” she says. “I’m not sure there is a system that will pick up every single thing.”
The overall concern goes beyond calls for formal reform, lawsuits, and fear, several observers say. Government is already overstretched and underfunded in policing the human food chain let alone food for pets, many say.
“I’m not sure that realistically there will be much change after this. Government agencies are generally understaffed already with much to oversee in the human food chain,” says Sonia Waisman, adjunct professor in animal law at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles.
Comment by Carole — April 4, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
If you want to listen in on the KIRO broadcast, here’s the URL, login, etc.
http://www.itchmo.com/read/itc.....c_20070404
Comment by itchmo — April 4, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
thank you, itchmo.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Excellent. Great to see the Senator taking a lead on this.
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
We are just tying up investigations now … we don’t see where the system didn’t work … it doesn’t appear from what we’ve seen that anyone can be blamed in this country,” says Julie Zawisza,
That sums it all up for me. Thanks FDA, yet another Federal Agency that has failed us.
Perhaps you (FDA) should look at yourself in the mirror sometime.
I guess you will be on the Defendants (Menu Foods et. al.) side on this one.
Looks like its time to clean house in another agency, not just the Dept. of Homeland Security.
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 4, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
We are just tying up investigations now … we don’t see where the system didn’t work … it doesn’t appear from what we’ve seen that anyone can be blamed in this country,” says Julie Zawisza,
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 4, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
She actually said this? Thats frightening.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
What about Foodland Security?
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
I haven’t had spinach since last year. Used to be one of my favorites.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
I am really concerned that the FDA says that more pet foods could be recalled in the next coming days. It’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop… and I’ve seen no clues as to what they might be referring to. Is anyone learning more about this?
Comment by Cynthia — April 4, 2007 @ 2:17 pm
I agree - if the FDA knows about it and suspects more problems - tell us now.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
Cynthia - I ditto your concerns. They know who brought in the wheat gluten, they know who bought it, what’s taking so long???? Are they having to pretty-please the manufacturers?
Senator Durbin - you rock!!! He’s my Senator, and I couldn’t be prouder. At least someone cares about the little people (and our little pets).
Comment by Andrea — April 4, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
See our letter from Iams & Eukanuba employees that was published in 59 newspapers throughout North America
http://us.iams.com/iams/global......30.07.pdf
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
About this article in the Christian Science Monitor, April 5th, 2007: “We are just tying up investigations now … we don’t see where the system didn’t work … it doesn’t appear from what we’ve seen that anyone can be blamed in this country,” says Julie Zawisza, spokeswoman for the FDA. She says the agency does not see where more regulation would help. “The difference in this situation compared to the contaminants recently found on spinach is that something [tainted] came in from abroad,” she says. “I’m not sure there is a system that will pick up every single thing.”
At the risk of being attacked, I agree with the last sentence and I believe that is where the problem is - and also why we need to list the country of origin of all ingredients - So at least we as consumers can self-police and avoid eating foods from countries with questionable oversight and food quality control.
Buyer Beware - works for me!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
Chicago, Ill. An Interview with Jay Edelson of Blim & Edelson, LLC in Chicago: Edelson filed the first potential class action lawsuit against Menu Foods.
Pet owners across North America are suing Menu Foods, a Canadian pet-food manufacturing company which allegedly caused acute kidney failure in pets. So far at least 16 animals have died and the numbers are growing.
This could turn out to be one of the largest consumer-product recalls ever: so far more than six class-action lawsuits have been filed against Menu Foods from dog and cat lovers in Canada and the U.S. The first complaint was filed March 20, 2007 by Chicago law firm Blim and Edelson. Menu Foods has stated that it intends to reimburse pet owner vet bills but lawyer Jay Edelson is skeptical. “We haven’t heard that [Menu Foods] will cut a check to anyone and that is not all that my clients are looking for,” says Edelson. Many owners want to be compensated for emotional distress and veterinary bills and one woman wants to be reimbursed $850 she paid for her puppy: Rocky, her Chihuahua, was three months old when he died from kidney failure after eating the tainted food.
“First of all, we need a public accounting of what Menu Foods knew and when they knew it,” Edelson adds. “Our clients want to know why this happened and they want to make sure that it won’t happen again.”
To date, Blim and Edelson has received thousands of phone calls and Emails from furious pet owners, most of them complaining that their pets died after eating the tainted food. “I have personally spoken to more than 50 people,” says Edelson. “It is heartbreaking; I’ve heard from disabled people who relied on their pets and blame themselves for poisoning their companions. I’ve heard from parents that have had to explain the death of the family pet to their children.”
Also worrisome is that so many different brands of pet food came from one maker. Although Menu Foods claims there are different recipes, it appears that they use the same ingredients - variations of the same formula. And the labels on Iams, Eukanuba or President’s Choice - just to name a few brands that were recalled - do not say on their label that Menu foods actually made the food. “The information is confusing and we don’t thik the original recall was complete,” says Edelson. “It seems that every day, another new food is added to the recall and based on the information we are getting, there is still contaminated food out there that hasn’t been recalled.”
Alarming news indeed. And we still don’t know what caused the tainted food. So far labs have found traces of melamine and rat poison. “My personal belief is that there is more than one cause,” says Edelson. “The problem is that Menu Foods is ‘keeping its card close to its vest’ and in so doing, the manufacturer is doing a disservice to the North American public.” Sadly, Edelson believes there will likely be many more dog and cat deaths in the coming weeks.
Lawsuit
Where do you see this class action lawsuit heading?
Jay Edleson (JE): That depends on Menu Foods reaction. The manufacturer has to make a full accounting and open themselves up to scrutiny. I don’t think our lawsuits will go away until that happens.
What do you expect in terms of damages?
It is too early to tell until we understand the full scope of the problem
How can someone get involved in your class action lawsuit?
We have been overwhelmed with calls so we set up a hotline number: 877-773-5461. You can also visit our website: http://www.menufoodscase.com.
It isn’t just our firm that is involved - we are part of a coalition of a dozen firms around the country, working with public interest groups and a large number of experts, obtaining information. It is a team effort.
Is the FDA doing their job?
We are focused on prosecuting this case and it is beyond the scope of what we are doing to worry if government agencies are acting properly.
Do you think this case will eventually change pet food regulations?
I think that is inevitable at this point. There is so much public pressure being put on lawmakers across the country and in some ways the law really is out of touch with reality regarding the issues of how pets are viewed and how they are valued.
http://classactionconnect.com/menufoods/
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 2:45 pm
It’s not just one man - the regulatory system has been weakened and dismantled over the entire government. Many critical agencies have become shells and their leadership roles have been used as political perks. Not accidentally, but intentionally, after repeating over and over “government is the problem”. The problem is, government does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Once in a while we see what the real cost of this policy is.
Let’s get rid of the head of the FDA (great job, here’s your medal) and let’s go deeper and restore a government that cares about serving the nation instead of special interests.
Right now, we’re a special interest. It seems like we are all suddenly making a big noise. Can we use it, not just for our pets, beloved and innocent creatures, but for the sake of all of us?
We’ve made the sacrifices, now let’s make things change.
Comment by Nancy Nielsen — April 4, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
We need to stop making pet food out of junk scrape garbage and start treating our pets with some dignity that appears to be lacking. Oh, we have slick ads and the dogs look so happy jumping about eating our toxic waste.
I’m disgusted. And angry with myself too for not doing better.
Even though the FDA can’t test for everything, at least we can make laws that stop pet food companies from using rancid oil and other questionable ingredients. Our pets were not created to be feed garbage, and that is what it is, our garbage, day after day. And stop with the slick TV commercials - tell the truth and you’d never sell another can or bag of your toxic waste again.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
Linda, you go girl! We need public speakers like you! I love your choice of words. Down to earth. Sadly, every one of us and our pets are now eating and drinking toxic waste.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
Here’s a new article — some think it may be Vitamin D causing the problem:
http://www.torontodailynews.co.....-poisoning
Comment by Elizabeth — April 4, 2007 @ 3:02 pm
Ive been reading comments about a vitamin D question. How would that work in processing? Dont they have guidelines on how much to put in & even if more got put in the food during processing than it should have, would it have affected so many different kinds of food? It seems it would have had to have happened to every batch of food they made which doesnt seem possible but then again, none of this seems possible right now but its happening….
Comment by Sandi K — April 4, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
I agree about the commercials — I keep seeing the one with the song “The Good Life” and it really pisses me off.
Comment by Elizabeth — April 4, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
Great article about Vit. D. I’ve thought for awhile that we have two problems going on - maybe even more - maybe we have lots of problems and more to come too!
Oh yeah, the commercials are making me sick - sheer lunacy thinking we’re going to buy their pitch and their junk!
Uggggh - and there’s no nice way to say it either.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:07 pm
Check out this form Howl.
CNN VIDEO: SUBSTANDARD FACILITIES OF CHINA SUPPLIER 04/04/07
Posted on CNN April 4, 2007. From one of our readers: “Go to the green banner that says “watch” and click on “Toxic Pet Food Traced to China” for a view of the dilapidated warehouse at Xuzhou Anying. (Note: video would not open for us in Firefox; Internet Explorer required.) VIDEO ►
http://www.cnn.com/video/playe.....&wm=10
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
I saw that Steve. Disgusting and that was human grade - I don’t care what the FDA official position is - Human Grade.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
By the way Brands. We aren’t interested in feeding out pets “Biological Technology” either.
We want our pets to have wholesome and healthy foods and nutrients.
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
I’m not interested in eating “Biological Technology” either. Especially if it comes from over there.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
I really don’t want to hijack this topic - but…
In other blogs I’ve been focusing on aminopterin. I just came across this link which discusses aminopterin/methotrexate and melamine together [don’t be put off by the website domain]:
http://www.democraticundergrou.....221#550804
Withinr the first message will be a chemical bond display. Below that will be a paragraph that starts with “EDIT TO ADD….” Please read it.
Check out the responses there, too.
Gina - if you’re reading this, check out my email I sent you early Tuesday morning.
Thanks.
Comment by Lynn — April 4, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Not to change the subject - but we need truth in the processing of our food so we know what we are buying.
I heard that the President may sign a bill whereby irradiated foods may be label pasturized:
Death Warmed Over: The Onslaught of Irradiated Products
The year 2000 saw a dramatic escalation of an aggressive corporate push to place irradiated food at the end of your fork, and politics has everything to do with it. Both the Gore and Bush campaigns were enthusiastic supporters of food irradiation, as they were of genetically altered foods and other profitable but potentially hazardous objectives of multinational corporations.
In October 2000, a 70-page special report emerged analyzing the 45-year history of irradiation use and research. A Broken Record: How the FDA Legalized—and Continues to Legalize—Food Irradiation Without Testing It for Safety was prepared by Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy and Environmental Program, The Cancer Prevention Coalition and Global Resource Action Center for the Environment. It is downloadable in its entirety, free of charge, at the PublicCitizen.org Web site.
This document reviews in detail the history of that irradiated substance sitting on your plate and provides a convincing rationale for how it got there. The story it tells is just one spoke in a wheel of evidence that identifies the corporate root of the problem and exposes the systemic pattern of world-wide corporate corruption of governments, infiltration of regulatory agencies and buy-offs of scientific research.
HOW IS FOOD IRRADIATED?
According to the federal Food and Drug Association, “Food irradiation is a process in which food products are exposed to a controlled amount of radiant energy to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. The process also controls insects and parasites, reduces spoilage, and inhibits ripening and sprouting.” However, the Organic Consumers Association contends that this statement, like many found in FDA literature, is crafted to mislead the public. “Radiant energy” sounds like sunlight, but according to the OCA, “irradiated food is treated with high-speed energy beams that, unlike sunlight, ionize molecules. The free radicals caused by this ‘ionizing radiation’ ricochet through the food and damage the DNA in bacteria, insects and the food itself.” Free radicals are believed to promote cancer. In addition, irradiation depletes nutrients in foods, probably damages natural digestive enzymes found in raw foods, and it creates radiolytic molecules that many researchers believe are carcinogenic.
Essentially, irradiation facilities expose food, medical supplies and other items to a radioactive source—usually gamma rays from Cobalt 60 or Cesium 137—for a specific period of time. Aside from the potential dangers of ingesting irradiated food, there is the problem of how to safely transport and dispose of radioactive materials used in the process. Cesium-137, for example, is a highly toxic byproduct of nuclear energy generation. The US Department of Energy has promoted food irradiation for 20 years as a way to rid itself of dangerous Cesium-137.
Newer e-beam radiation techniques use electron accellerators to irradiate food. The radiation produced by these accellerators is the equivalent of that produced by 30 million chest x-rays, or 1.4 billion television sets. Food so treated becomes briefly radioactive as a result of the process. Titan Corporation, a military contractor tapped by the Reagan Administration for “Star Wars” development, is the leader in e-beam irradiation. Titan receives 80 percent of the funding for its irradiation operation from the government.
(ILL) HEALTH EFFECTS
In a report written October 11, 2000 for the Pacific Sun, Jill Kramer observes that the very nature of food is altered by irradiation, creating free radicals and making the body more susceptable to disease. She also points out that while the FDA’s original assumption was that irradiated foods would comprise a small portion of the American diet, it now appears that the vast majority of our food could be irradiated in the near future.
According to organic foods experts Patrica Dines and Danila Oder, “it’s important to eat a certain amount of raw foods, which provide us with digestive enzymes destroyed by cooking….People don’t eat enough raw foods to begin with. And irradiated food makes the problem even worse.” The FDA’s studies “show that foods lose vitamins when they’re radiated. Vitamins A, C, E, and the B complex are particularly depleted… It creates by-products like benzene and formaldehyde. And some bacteria escape and become super-bacteria. They become resistant… There have been some studies that have shown that fruit flies that ate irradiated sugar passed on genetic defects.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg - we need to know the truth of our food and our pet food and stop trying to lie to us and change the meaning of words - so we think one thing and the truth of our food is something else.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
Lynn - the link didn’t work!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Thanks, Steve, for that DISGUSTING link of CNN’s coverage in China. I’ve emailed it all over the place. I was looking for it earlier.
Thanks CNN for the SPECTACULAR coverage!!
kat
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
I feel like we’ve been sold down the river - as long as the politicians and their friends are making money and yucking about on large ranches and reaping profits - the truth just doesn’t matter. So we get cancer and our pets get cancer and we die and our pets die and the truth is swept under a very thick and dirty carpet and America shrivels until all that is left is Chemical waste in one form or the other.
I hope there is such a thing as ghosts and the afterlife and the spirit of all our dead animals rise up and bite the fannys of those in charge, CEO’s, FDA, Congress, and the likes for allowing companies to continue to make their garbage.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
And, OUR FDA ALLOWED IMPORT FROM A FILTHY, RUN DOWN BUILDING IN A NEAR 3 WORLD COUNTRY???? !!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
This link NEEDS to be posted everywhere possible! Every single person NEEDS to see this video.
http://www.cnn.com/video/playe.....&wm=10
!!!PASS IT ON!!!PLEASE!!!
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
It’s no wonder U.S. Corporations have been fleeing to China. Those people are desperate over there and obviously they are taking advantage of it. Cheap, cheap, and cheaper.
Then we get the blow black.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
What are you saying Steve, it cost money to clean a place up? Cheaper to produce in filth?
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
Then we get the blow black.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
and much worse - the death of our beloved pets.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
I don’t what format but a thought. Is there a way to put an alert article or ad in the local printed papers? or flyers?
The common non-computer using type person knows nothing of the recall except the lies that they are fed.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Word of mouth helps. I tell everyone. You know what, some just don’t believe the food they are feeding their pets is harmful or potentially deadly.
They look at me like I’m nuts.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
Word of mouth of helps but not wide enough or fast enough coverage. We need it in the face of everyone, down to the person on street and today.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
We have to get the masses to know about this criminally produced filth called pet food. AND the ones who protect the producers like certain government agencies disguised as for the people’s welfare.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
What Christie said on CNN last night was so true. The loving pet owners treated their pets at the vets for kidney problems, spent lots of money, and of course suffered great agnst, and then went home and fed the poison junk again and their pets died.
I hope Menu fails and all the other moneywhoremongers along with them. (I can say that word right?) I hope in the next life they are reincarnated into snails - maybe even that is too good for them.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
http://www.itchmo.com/read/iow.....s_20070322
Iowa State University will test pets for Toxins:
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:11 pm
What about MERCURY POISONING?
It even comes in organic powder form. This article below shows the tolerance of dogs to mercury poisoning. It points out that mercury may not found in urine. It’s a nasty heavy metal which exists in all different forms and is undetectable.
http://www.kusterco.com/manuals/transap.pdf
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
Does the FDA test for heavy metal poisoning?
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
Chronic Renal Failure has been going on for a long time now. Too often to be the norm. I think is safe to assume, it’s the filth and chemicals that these criminals have been producing for years now.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
Gary,
I agree.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
I may start getting even MORE SPAM — but, starting today — everyone who sends me SPAM will get a reply from me with this video attached…so WATCH OUT SPAMMERS!
And, ChemNutra sez they are “China-Source Experts”???? Here’s a link on what they supply:
http://www.chemnutra.com/products.htm
and, I’ve been giving my pets vitamins…. ahhhhhhh!
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
Is there any analysis of the polluted China rivers available? you will probably find ALL the heavy metals and a hundred other toxic, carcinogic chemicals in great quantity.
The same chemicals that the grains absorb and get sold worldwide.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
Someone posted something about that yesterday I believe, about the run-off and the sick polluted river water……
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
Well, if this isn’t incriminating — Sally Miller is THE China specialist at ChemNutra….
She has 12 yrs experience … good goin’ SALLY MILLER! I want to watch YOUR HEAD ROLL!!!
http://www.chemnutra.com/pricipals.htm
Stephen S. Miller, CEO
Steve has over 20 years experience in business management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and law. He has also served as Vice President at both Smith Barney and EF Hutton, as well as Investment Officer at Citibank.
Steve earned a Law degree as well as an MBA degree at Columbia University, and bachelors degree from Brigham Young University. Steve is a lawyer and licensed member of the New York Bar. He also served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance at New York University.
Sally Miller, President
Sally has over 12 years of experience in China as QA Manager and Purchasing Manager, working for various multinational companies. She was responsible for purchasing large quantities of nutritional and food ingredients in China for export worldwide.
Sally earned an MBA as well as an Engineering degree in Food Engineering. She has been a member of the Institute for Supply Management in the US. She has also been certified in China as an ISO 9000 Chief Auditor.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
Kat that’s funny - spammers get a video. Love it!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
Gary - I posted a couple of links that the China papers have. I’ll find the links & post again.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
MERCURY TOXICITY
Here’s a quick education.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-96416600.html
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
I forwarded that CNN video to the White House. They probably have already seen.
Wonder what BARNEY eats??
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
Nadine,
The cats probably died too fast to experience what is considered long term effects of exposure - unless, of course, it has been happening for years. I wonder?
Maybe the problem is not so simple - and many factors are involved. One would think that the Pet Food companies could not have Mercury in their foods. The FDA ordered IAMS to remove non-approved elements, I would think that Mercury would be tested for also -
just a guess.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Barney probably has his own chef. I’d like to know the answer though. Maybe its MENU made pet food!
We need to check the garbage trucks leaving the White House.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
Here are the China pollution links:
http://www.chinadialogue.net/a.....pollution-
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2....._qi_xu.php (these 2 were written just days apart)
http://service.china.org.cn/li.....=pollution
Somewhere I read that they irrigate crops with the polluted water.
Somewhere today I read that the UK imports bags from China, then returns them for recycling. That is causing pollution too.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
oooh, boy! I just got to reply to a spammer — it’ll probably bounce.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
I’m sorry about the link not working in my message of today at 3:21PM.
I posted this link:
http://www.democraticundergrou.....389x549221
…..which doesn’t work.
So if you would, google “methotrexate melamine”; then click on the third entry from the top. Apparently you can only access it from Google.
Comment by Lynn — April 4, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
ChemNutra also sells many ‘Food’ grade products, including sweeteners such as Aspartame. Aspartame is used in diet sodas for example and likely would be distributed to grocery stores. If this is the case, then all their records should be opened immediately and there should be full disclosure of their sources and distribution to protect people who might unwittingly purchase contaminated goods to consume.
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 4, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
I believe the alarming, increasing cancer rate in people and animals for decades now are caused mainly by foods played with and polluted by government experiments.
Isn’t it maddening, there they all are, making the public their employment agency, raking in millions and presenting pretty lies in hopes they’ll get elected.
Whoever gets elected will continue this government of disease, especially in globalization. They give billions to failed departments and the UN under the guise of helping the people.
We a simple blog are doing the jobs of these failures and sluff offs created by the government and spending billions into nowhere but big houses and cars.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
I think the biggest lesson to be learned in all this is we can’t trust our government to do what we pay them for.
It’s fine that Durbin is holding hearings now, but the top people at FDA are confirmed by the Senate. So both groups have failed us.
I’ve seen a few people say that most of us need to be more diligent and I fully agree. And I support the class action lawsuits, although the burden of proof will be extremely high. Save everything!
But the most important of all is we need to use our anger where it hits these people the most: economic boycott. It is the only way to make clear that this is unacceptable.
Durbin can hold hearings til he turns blue. Hearings don’t save lives.
Comment by Kelly — April 4, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
Thanks for the links, bookmarked them all. Isn’t it funny, on the first page of one site, it says “soil pollution”
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
MERCURY (II)CHLORIDE
Another one to ponder over. Highly toxic in minute quantities.
They’d have to search hard for this in the 500 MT delivery of gluten.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
This is why I say, the pipedream of cities in space and a age of peace coming is absolute nonsense. How can such a time arrive when every month another mountain of corruption is uncovered? good does not come from evil.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Nadine, this reminds me of the Minamata disaster of Japan where a company dumped mercury into the local river for years, killing and deforming the people.
What is the difference? the China toxic rivers and Minamata? and the world being the ones killed.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
Will someone please enter this and then click on the first entry?
http://www.google.com/search?h.....tnG=Search
Some of the folks seem to believe that aminopterin can be mistaken for melamine. Pay particular attention to the section “EDIT TO ADD:” in the first posting on top.
Comment by Lynn — April 4, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Lynn: I didn’t see the “Edit To Add”. Maybe it’s something available to members of that board.
The chemical needs to have a catalyst to break.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Ah! I had read that section, but missed the edit to add part. This is interesting… but to me they are pretty dissimilar.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
For Firefox users - this extension simulates Internet Explorer. It works in most cases, just open the link/site/url in a new IE tab from the pull down menu (or copy url to another open IE tab). You can add an IE-icon on the menubar.
IE Tab - an extension: Embedding Internet Explorer in tabs of Mozilla/Firefox…
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
Comment by Stefania — April 4, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Please explain to me why we need to have products manufactured in another country, using foreign grown wheat. Have our American corporations become so greedy-so corrupt? Our farmers are losing their family farms at an alarming rate. Can’t these companies utilize what we have here? Even Hershey’s is opening a plant in Mexico. Excuse me—Hershey chocolate, not Mexico. I won’t buy it anymore. Support our nation’s resources! We should all start demanding the assurance of pollutant-free products! How dare any company take the deaths of beloved pets so cold-heartedly! I want to know where my pet food is manufactured and exactly where the ingredients come from—it better be from the USA, or I WILL NOT purchase it!!! This corporate greed has to stop NOW!! To anyone who has lost a cherished pet, my heart goes out to you. I am so sorry! Please keep the information coming. Let the pet food companies know how you feel. There is strength in numbers!
Comment by Macy — April 4, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
ChemNutra—-We must have the wrong importers. Look what they say on their site: “ChemNutra imports high-quality nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from China to the US. We purchase our inventory from quality-assured manufacturers in China, with whom we have strong relationships over the past twelve years. Our US customers are manufacturers of food, pet food, and nutritional ingredients, who want high quality, the best service, and the mosts competitive prices.”
If we got the quality assured stuff from them then god save us from the stuff that isn’t quality assured! And who are these people really? The Millers, appear to be Americans from their names, but look at the text from the website above littered with grammatical errors. I would be shocked if these two aren’t a front for a company, maybe even the manufacturers (or guys who last had their hands on the bags before it was put on the boat). Has anyone found out who ChemNutra really is?
Comment by Shawn — April 4, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
After looking at the list of products that ChemNutra sells to the US, I ask this: What else ChemNutra have you sold to the Pet Food Manufacturers? to Human Grade Food Manufacturers? If I were one of their customers I would be taking a very close look at my raw materials, wouldn’t you? This is scary, particularly after seeing the CNN Video.
Comment by Shawn — April 4, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
Foodhold co in landover md,should be looked at. They handled all the petfoods that were recalled.
They also deal in delmonte, purina, and tons of other corporations.They do a lot of business with china and get products like drugs and chemicals shipped from there.
Comment by ann gates — April 5, 2007 @ 10:23 am
What about the huge Nestle Purina plant just built in China?? they eat dogs and cats in China. What the hell are they thinking?? Then they ship the crap over here. They have no real meat source (beef, Chicken) so I guess it will be dogs and cats in our PURINA FOODS. Boycott Nestle Purina.. I can’t imagine the horrible working conditions, no pay, filth and then we get to feed it. We need to unite on this one!!
Comment by Deb — April 5, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
I sent off an email to Senator Omaba on Monday. Asked for a reply. Thought it may make for some interesting conversation between the parties…
This has affected alot of voters……
Comment by Sharon Gilbert — April 5, 2007 @ 1:16 pm