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Pet-food recall: The morning news wrap-up
By Gina Spadafori
April 6, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes links to recalled foods).
- If you’d like suggestions on what to feed, click here.
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
- If you want to know what you can do, please read our call to action
- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
Thank to the blog readers for the links. Also, remember to check howl911 and itchmo for news. And remember if you get asked for a password, go to Bugmenot.
From the Washington Post (full story here):
The [Menu Food's] plant in Emporia, Kan., where many of the tainted products were made, had never been inspected by the FDA because the agency relies on states to do inspections, Durbin said. He also said the FDA needs to improve its data collection from veterinarians and communication with consumers.
More than 200 pet owners have joined a lawsuit filed in federal court in northern Illinois against Menu Foods, charging that the firm was negligent and fraudulent when it did not act more quickly upon learning that cats and dogs who ate its products became ill or died.
Lawyers for Blim & Edelson said they are seeking to expand the case into a national class action lawsuit.
From USA Today (full story here):
Weeks have passed since pets started dying after eating tainted pet food, and animal lovers want to know why it’s taking so long to figure out why.
The answer they’re getting — that it takes time — is not what they want to hear. But experts say that identifying an obscure contaminant in food is the scientific equivalent of looking for a needle in a haystack.
Although one culprit is now the focus, scientists don’t know how the fairly non-toxic chemical led to kidney failure in reportedly hundreds or thousands of pets in what is one of, if not the, largest pet-food recalls in history. In the world of toxicology, there’s no CSI: Pet Food team to sweep in and solve the puzzle.
“It’s not that easy,” says Rich Catalani, executive story editor of the original CSI television series. “One of the things we short-cut is the long, boring, technical analysis. We have a guy in front of a microscope for a minute. The reality is that he may sit there for eight hours or more.”
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitutiion (full story here):
[...D]istrust has many pet owners looking for alternative foods. Some are turning to smaller pet shops, which often carry lesser-known, premium food lines.
“My food sales are up and my Web site hits are up 30 percent with people searching for natural foods,” said Joann Schwartz, owner of Kirkwood Feed & Seed Pet Supply in Atlanta. “I’m getting bought out like crazy. People are coming in and instead of buying a few cans, they’re buying a case.”
Although FDA officials say any food not on the recall lists is safe, many store owners say people are looking for brands not on the lists and foods without any wheat.
From the New York Times (full story here):
Menu Foods said it acted after a supplier, ChemNutra of Las Vegas, recalled all wheat gluten it had imported from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company of Wangdien, China. ChemNutra said Wednesday that the F.D.A. had found melamine in the gluten. The agency said it was now testing all wheat gluten from China.
The Chinese government said yesterday that no wheat gluten had been exported to the United States or Canada. Xuzhou Anying denied it had ever shipped wheat gluten to either country.
“We are a trading company and don’t manufacture the product,” added Mao Lijun, the company’s general manager. Michael Rogers, director of the Division of Field Investigations for the F.D.A., said records showed that the tainted gluten came from China.
“We fully expect the Chinese government’s cooperation and assistance in our further investigation,” Mr. Rogers said.
From the Boston Globe (full story here):
After the FDA traced ChemNutra’s tainted wheat gluten to Sunshine Mills, the company agreed to withdraw dog biscuits that it markets at grocery stores, pet food specialty stores, and such retail stores as Wal-Mart.
For now, the FDA has confirmed 16 pet deaths connected to melamine, but Sundlof acknowledged “this is a number we recognize is nowhere near the reality.”
Scientific literature only covers the industrial chemical’s minimal toxicity in rodents . Because wheat gluten is used sparingly in finished pet food products, cats and dogs were exposed to lower amounts than rodents. That could mean that melamine is more toxic for dogs and cats, or is simply a more obvious chemical marker that hints at more elusive poisons in the tainted shipment. Regardless, the FDA believes all of the bad wheat gluten will soon be off store shelves. “Barring any unforeseen new information, we should have it all wrapped up,” Sundlof said.
I’m going to put the “Anderson Cooper 360″ transcript link in that blog post in a minute.
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Gina,all the hard work ,you and the staff at pet connection is starting to pay off.your voice is being heard, by all the major newspapers,cnn and the other news outlets. GOD Bless You And Your Staff
Comment by Mary Ann — April 6, 2007 @ 11:41 am
I wholeheartedly second Mary Ann’s statements. Not only are you keeping the general public informed of truths that would otherwise be successfully suppressed, your continuous encouragement TO DO SOMETHING is a major catalyst in the pressure we are bringing to bear on Menu Foods, the FDA and everyone else involved in this scandal. AWESOME JOB!!!
Comment by A.C. — April 6, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
This post has made my day. :) Thanks so much to Gina, the PC folks, Itchmo, Howl911, and the countless pet lovers whose calls and letters undoubtedly kept this thing from falling off the front page. Nice work!
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
I have been trying to keep up with all the great information here (thanks Gina and everyone!).
Re: article From the New York Times (above)
If chinese government is cooperating, what have they done to ensure product is safe…xuzhou has products up for trade all over the place…this is another site similar to alibaba…
http://tinyurl.com/3ajber
scroll down to near the bottom…two items posted by xuzhou anying (they have only been a member on this site since 2007)…notice the post dates and also how they named their vital wheat gluten now…tainted stuff could still be out there if Chinese government isn’t on board, and especially if xuzhou denies problem…could also get back to north america since it seems the stuff passes through many export co. and becomes difficult to track.
Recently i have been inquiring about other treats with wheat gluten such as whiskas temptations and some by other companies that make just treats no food, and now I noticed my fish food has wheat gluten too…
Have been to my local government office also (Canada) with my concerns.
Also have not seen anything new from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association as of yet but will be giving them a call after the holiday.
“The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association on Wednesday invited its 2,300 members — out of about 3,300 vets in the province — to report any cases that they had seen.” (article on Mar. 28)
Not wanting to sound stupid but it briefly crossed my mind - i wonder if testing is being done for more than just common toxins and the suspected things found so far. could there be a remote possibility that this is some sort of toxin or virus thing related to something like ingesting rat droppings that were in the wheat, maybe not hantavirus or arenavirus, but something like that that mimics poisoning and arf…nothing has really been confirmed yet and we know that truths are not being told…
http://tinyurl.com/3c8ysx
if countries have to import why not buy “green standard” at the very least…are they exporting the garbage they cant sell internally anymore because noone trusts it…
Comment by las — April 6, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
more good news on CNN And HEADLINE News on the yellow ticker ,they have the recall food on it.NON-Stop.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 6, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
“We fully expect the Chinese government’s cooperation and assistance in our further investigation,” Mr. Rogers said.
Emphasis added. Not once, not twice, not three times but whatever it takes.
I understand they like to joke over there, “Americans Will Buy Anything”.
REALITY CHECK. PARTY OVER.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
I’m happy that the mainstream media has written about this, but my quick read I’m seeing a lots of CYA language and some inaccurate info.
The media calls the “experts” with out considering who is supporting whom. They also are taking the word of people who have shown time and time again that have held back info and not because of caution and science.
And we must keep in mind “who’s ox is getting gored” and who is getting money from whom.
I’m specifically thinking about this quote from the USA today story.
Who donates millions to ASPCA? Guess.
Comment by spocko — April 6, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Thanks for all of your hard work. I still want someone to focus beyond this terrible incident. The suppliers supplier may or may not have altered the wheat gluten. Or maybe it was closer to the actual grower in the supply chain. Is everyone involved here, the FDA and most importantly the food manufacturers going to test all shipments from now on to make sure the same thing or something different but just as terrible doesn’t happen? Is someone checking other items received from ChemNutra to make sure that they are just and only what they are represented to be? I can’t imagine that whatever someone in China did to this wheat is isolated to a) this shipment(s) or b)just this product. Whoever did this is an opportunist; they knew we wouldn’t catch it in advance. They will be looking for other opportunities I fear. Raw materials should be tested for chemicals and biologic substances before they enter the food chain, whether it be human or pet. And i think standards for use of raw ingredients should be no different for pets than they are for humans; their should be high standards for living beings. That is my opinion FDA, and i will point my dollars in the direction of whoever honors my view. So I think that Wheat is wheat, rice is rice etc. No human grade vs. animal. If it could injure me don’t put it in my pets food.
Comment by Shawn — April 6, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Note to Steve if you have set up secure mail please drop me a line. I’d like to talk to you.
spockosemail @ gmail.com
Comment by spocko — April 6, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
NutraChem is trying to cover up their direct connection to Chinese trade. They edited the webpage that describes the background of CEO Steve Miller and PResident Sally Qing Miller.
They deleted Sally’s chinese name and have her listed only as Sally Miller. They deleted the university where she got her MBA : City University, Seattle, and modified the info on her engineering degree deleting the word Chemical from “Food Chemical Engineering” degree and deleting that she received that degree from the Hanzhou Institute of Commerce in Hanzhou, China.
This is from the cache by zoom information inc.:
Stephen S. Miller, CEO
Steve has over 20 years experience in business management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and law. His experience includes President and COO of a $200 million receivables finance company. He has also served as Vice President at both Smith Barney and EF Hutton, as well as Investment Officer at Citibank. While an investment banker and banker, Steve arranged and closed over $600 million of investments and financings.
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 Qing Miller, President
Sally has over 12 years of experience in China as QA Manager and Purchasing Manager, working for various multinational companies who imported and exported chemicals worldwide. As purchasing manager, she was responsible for purchasing and exporting over $100 million of feed, food and pharma ingredients worldwide.
Sally earned an MBA from City University in Seattle, as well as Engineering degree in Food Chemical Engineering at Hanzhou Institute of Commerce in Hanzhou, China. She is a member of the Institute for Supply Management in the US, and the China Food Ingredients Association in China. She is certified as an ISO 9000 Chief Auditor.
http://cache.zoominfo.com/Cach.....ame=Miller
you can compare that to the current page at http://www.chemnutra.com/pricipals.htm
Alibaba.com used to have listings for the Chinese corporation Anying and for ChemNutra but both pages have been removed. You can still see the google cache of those pages.
http://tinyurl.com/3yf69z
http://tinyurl.com/2mqdab
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Idaho men file lawsuit against Ontario-based Menu Foods Inc. News1130
April 6, 2007 - 11:38 am
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Three Idaho residents have filed a lawsuit against Ontario-based Menu Foods Inc. accused of selling food that sickened dogs and cats across the United States.
Larry Klimes, Paul Lavoie and Richard Mueller filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Thursday. The suit seeks to be certified as a class action on behalf of all pet owners whose animals have allegedly been made sick by food made by the company.
The lawsuit alleges Menu Foods engaged in unlawful and deceptive business practices, violated its warranties and breached its contracts with consumers by selling its “cuts and gravy” style wet pet foods.
The company recalled 60 million containers of the food in early March after cats fell sick and died during routine company taste tests. The food was sold under nearly 100 store labels and major brands.
Klimes, a Wendell resident, claims his dog “Joey” got sick and died after eating food from Menu Foods. Lavoie, of Boise, said his cat “Yoda” was also sickened, and though Yoda survived, the cat suffered permanent kidney damage. “Sammy,” Island Park resident Mueller’s dog, also became ill and died despite veterinary care after eating the pet food, the lawsuit says.
Menu Foods spokesman Sam Bornstein could not immediately be reached for comment.
Numerous pet owners around the country have sued or are considering legal action against Menu Foods. Some are seeking class action status.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
They are now saying that this was NOT an accident. That this was a delibrate act! Cnn reporting it now.
Comment by Lynn — April 6, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Comment by spocko — April 6, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Haven’t forgotten you. I’m a little behind schedule today with an overflowing plate. I’ll touch base with you.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:12 pm
Okay..one of my silly questions — I know how to make wheat gluten — water, flour, make dough, put dough in refrigerator under water over night, then under running water knead and knead and knead and squeeze until the water runs clear…. easy process.
Which makes me wonder…are there factories out there in China doing this enmasse….or are there people sitting in their own homes making batches, or river side rinsing…. maybe sun drying and someone in a truck comes by every so often and picks it up…..
would make a difference in the how and what got added where….
Comment by GingerTom — April 6, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Oooops. Another Text Wrap Glitch!
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Wow. Good Work. When the heck is the law going to act here.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
Thank you to CNN for running a “crawler” at the bottom of its screen that lists all of the recalled pet food items, brand by brand with individual products and food formats listed, all done alphabetically. The list is staggering!
And I’ve heard so many reports that this list is less than 1% of the pet food? I see grocery stores shelves stocked full with dry food where only cans/pouches were before.
I hope CNN runs this scrolling text 24/7. Way to go, CNN! Thanks for alerting pet owners!
Comment by petlover — April 6, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
Nice work Forest. I think what you’ve found is an important link in the chain.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
This comment from FDA in the Boston Globe article posted above concerns me
“Regardless, the FDA believes all of the bad wheat gluten will soon be off store shelves. “Barring any unforeseen new information, we should have it all wrapped up,” Sundlof said.”
This is the second time, the other being in a CNN report where he keeps implying this is all wrapped up……am I missing something, I thought there were still no answers yet on what the true toxin is and how it got into the pet food? Not to mention if they dont know the toxin & how it got into the pet food, how do they know there isnt more tainted wheat gluten in food they dont know about….? I hope he’s right that they “got it all” but forgive me if Im skeptical.
Comment by Sandi K — April 6, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
Great work, Forest. A few of us were discussing Sally a couple nights ago, but by then, the site had changed. Can you tell when exactly it changed?
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
Nice work Forest. I think what you’ve found is an important link in the chain.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
Looks like there is some serious fraud and covering up going on there doesn’t it? It’s about time the FBI knocked on some doors and starting asking people questions IMO.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Comment by Sandi K — April 6, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
I’m sure he hopes that’s true…pet food makers and the FDA would like nothing better than to “wrap this up,” offer condolences, and get right back to making money without having to talk about how to fix our broken system.
Please don’t let them. CALL OR WRITE your Congressional representatives!
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
my puppy has been really sick and i am a lowincome person and i can’t afford to take her to her vet and my dog is my baby and if something should happen to her i’d be pissed off and the food company beacuse i love and need her she’s a big part of my life so due to the screw up of the company they sould have to pay every single family for the loss of an animal or the get to the vet on time or to have the money to take her for a check up and if she’s hurt for life they sould be liable for it… rebecca traxler and clint bulls
Comment by rebecca traxler — April 6, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
Check me here, Steve. . .but, wasn’t Sally still a “Qing” just a couple nights ago?
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Hi guys. i don’t know when they modified their webpage. the zoominfo webpage said its cache was from October 2006. Then I saw on Itchmo, the NuChem principals description pasted there with Sally’s Chinese name but the rest of the C.V. info for both of them had already been edited/sanitized. I wonder why they chose to delete some of the details on Mr. Miller.?
Note also:
ChemNutra also has a China office — there are two listings at goodsres.com, one is below, the other has slightly diff. info, and the market is South America.
http://www.goodsres.com/gold/i.....hfe0102782
Chemnutra Llc USA (China office)
Company Profile
Chemnutra imports high-quality nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from china to the us. We purchase our inventory from over 200 quality-assured manufacturers in china, with whom we have strong relationships over the past twelve years.Contact InformationCompany Name:Chemnutra Llc USA (China office)Contact Person:Mr Zhu Hao
Not Installed Address:Jing Sui Bldg. 601, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaTelephone:0086 571 88951008Fax:0086 571 88944168Mobile Phone:86 13757177839Website:http://www.chemnutra.com
Principal Products/Services: Food additives Main Market:North America
Year Started
0
Number of Employees
Less than 5 People
Annual Sales
Above US$100 Million
I wonder if there are incorporation papers anywhere that can show a link to Sally Q. and Whatsisname Miller.
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Well I did some digging myself and found an obscure web page with her name including Qing.
Forrest wrapped up the whole case here in one nice neatly wrapped package.
Needless to say these are some very strange people operating in the shadows and under the radar who obviously have something to hide.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
Hi everyone! The blog keeps telling me I already posted the msg below but i’m not seeing it so here’s it again:
Note also:
ChemNutra also has a China office — there are two listings at goodsres.com, one is below, the other has slightly diff. info, and the market is South America.
http://www.goodsres.com/gold/i.....hfe0102782
Chemnutra Llc USA (China office)
Company Profile
Chemnutra imports high-quality nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from china to the us. We purchase our inventory from over 200 quality-assured manufacturers in china, with whom we have strong relationships over the past twelve years.Contact InformationCompany Name:Chemnutra Llc USA (China office)Contact Person:Mr Zhu Hao
Not Installed Address:Jing Sui Bldg. 601, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaTelephone:0086 571 88951008Fax:0086 571 88944168Mobile Phone:86 13757177839Website:http://www.chemnutra.com
Principal Products/Services: Food additives
Main Market:North America
Year Started: 0
Number of Employees: Less than 5 People
Annual Sales
Above US$100 Million
I wonder if there are incorporation papers anywhere that can show a link to Sally Q. and Whatsisname Miller.
The zoominfo webpage said its cache was from October 2006. Then I saw on Itchmo todya, the NuChem principals description pasted there with Sally’s Chinese name but the rest of the C.V. info for both of them had already been edited/sanitized. ( I wonder why they chose to delete some of the details on Mr. Miller.?)
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Thanks forest
I noticed that, too. I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I was searching for my original files when I saw your post. I posted several times saying The LAWYER CEO. I’m not anti-lawyer, have a few in family. Lawyers are detail people that’s why I don’t believe he could not have known what he was buying. One of the first things I learned in high school business law class was “Buyer Beware” I’m not a lawyer.
Comment by Kathi — April 6, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Hmm. . .maybe you are right. I checked the Google cache, which was at 9:05 GMT, on 4/4/07 and it has already been changed. I really thought I saw the “Qing” on their principles page, but of course I have no proof.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Steve… it sure does stink… but I’ll bet Sally is halfway to Shanghai by now. I wonder if NutraChem/the Millers are members/friends of Pet Food Institute… or had dealings/worked with USDA/FDA etc. I wonder how much money was in it for the Millers.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
I also remember being surprised when Carol posted where Sally had gotten her credentials, after you brought it up. I dug and dug, and found nothing. I now wonder if Carol had saved the info from their site before it was changed? Like in hours before it was changed?
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Do you guys think the Wheat Gluten could have been altered in the U.S.?
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
Jackie,
if you click on the url i posted above for the zoominfo cache it shows the nu-t-chem website from 10-2006.
I went ahead and saved it as a pdf file on my desktop so I could keep the proof! (so to speak.)
I found the listings deleted from Alibaba.com several days ago, and today I was still able to see the listings in the google cache. (Search google with anying alibaba,
or nutrachem alibaba
and I think you’ll find them.
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
I never saw Sally’s maiden name on their website. But I did notice the little photo of the people at the top left of the page and figured they are just a lower tier of some other offshore company. As far as Xuzhou Anying, I see that one of their specialties is agricultural by-products. Wonder which of our manufacturers has gotten a rock bottom deal from them on say chicken by-products? Yummy. Scary.
Comment by Shawn — April 6, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Thanks Forest. . .I just saved what was in the Google cache.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Linda, a very good question. How much did the company import compared against the amount resold. Any cutting going on?
Comment by DeeAnn — April 6, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
Nice work again Forest!
I think the Millers might be afraid of law suits or lynchings.
I am assuming that someone among us has saved screen shots and not just the links of the cached Google pages before they go away… the attorneys for class action suits would probably like copies.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
What I thought too - pure Wheat Gluten might avoid customs problems and FDA scrutiny. Just a thought. Hey DeeAnn didn’t think of that - good point.
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
Just contacted Gina to fix this pages text wrap.
Make sure to tiny extra long links to avoid the Firefox glitch.
http://tinyurl.com/create.php
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
How do you save screen shots?
I only know how to “print” then have it actually saved to my desktop as a pdf. I can’t always do that with pages that have multiple frames or something.
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
More like afraid of a prison term would be more accurate.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 2:17 pm
and uh… I’d really like to know what other pharmaceuticals and ‘nutritional’ chemicals NutraChem has and is importing/selling. Could they have contributed MORE ingredients to the poisoned pet food??? Because still no one seems to think that the melamine is the end of it, right?
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
Hit you print screen key, open Word and paste, save to file.
Comment by DeeAnn — April 6, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
I already said the Lawyer stinks, but I’m not letting Menu Henderson off the hook either because of the “date’s” problem between him and the lawyer. Nor the FDA for the mystery Supplier incident. And especially the BRANDs for letting us assume they had their own plants. There are a lot of players and a lot of butt-coverings. We need to rake them all over the coals.
Comment by Kathi — April 6, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
I wonder what bank has the mortgage on their offices or who the Landlord is - ususally there is a management company. Probably hiding assets as we type.
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
I think surely someone posted the info about ChemNutra’s principles as soon as the story broke. I need to go back thru the older blogs and see what it says. I’m really curious when Sally started changing.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
Also to clarify the Company name is ChemNutra.
http://www.chemnutra.com/
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
How about the vitamins?
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
I’m curious as to why ChemNutro chose to be a Nevada corporation. All one needs to be incorporated in NV is a physical address. It could all be bogus.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
Pedigree
I haven’t been able to pull up their website since last night. Anyone have any luck? Hmmmmmmmm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
has anyone passed this info on to CNN?
i did see the her maiden when the company name first came out. i thought it was *interesting*.
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
Jackie - I posted details. Looking for them in my cache. I’ve got so much stored on this little old tank that it’s slowing down substantially.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
I think closing your website is an admission of wrong doing? Could it be overloaded?
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
Re Pedigree web site, I just emailed CNN.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
Pedigree site has been inaccessible for at least 12 hours or more. Others on blog late night couldn’t get in either.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
i don’t have a problem on the pedigree site. came right up for me and i see they have wheat gluten in their pouch food . . .
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
here’s their recall info:
Dog lovers,
We would like you to know that PEDIGREE® Food For Dogs is not a part of the recent nationwide pet food recall initiated by Menu Foods and other companies. The safety of products not involved in the recall was validated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 23, 2007. According to the FDA, pet owners should feel confident feeding unrecalled products to their pets. All of our PEDIGREE® products remain a safe, nutritious and delicious way to feed your best friends.
Menu Foods does not make PEDIGREE® dry or wet Food For Dogs and there is no melamine in our wet or dry products.
As dog lovers ourselves, the safety and nutritional quality of our food is our top priority, and you should continue to feel confident feeding our food to your dog.
For details on the recall, contact Menu Foods at 1-866-895-2708, 1-866-463-6738 or visit the company’s web site at: http://www.menufoods.com/recall.
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
I’m telling ya. . .something is up with those biscuits. My male would sniff one, then pin his ears and turn his head away. Almost like he was in trouble, or something. He has never done that before.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:39 pm
I doubt the gluten was contaminated outside of China. China has had other foodproduct contamination situations in the past. (Honey contaminated with an antibiotic to which a small percentage of the population is deathy alergic — forcing a recall in the US — documented in the book “Letters from the Hive”)
As mentioned there are two Chemnutra companies listed in china: ChemNutra Llc USA with less than 5 employees and market is US, and ChemNutra Llc with 5-11 employees and market is SOuth America. They provide the same address and the same contact person, Mr. Zhu Hao, and they have the same phone numbers.
I got this info from google cache on the alibaba.com site and the goodsres.com site. Links i already provided in earlier posts.
The Las Vegas Nevada company may be the US shell for the Chinese branch. I bet Mrs. Miller spends a lot of time there in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Also an interesting artlce at the las vegas review journal:
Apr. 04, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
CONTAMINATED INGREDIENT: LV importer under scrutiny
Company officials say they’re unaware of any links to deaths of pets
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Officials with a Las Vegas import company said Tuesday that they could not say whether products it supplied to pet food companies were linked to any of the recent pet deaths or illnesses because of contaminated wheat gluten.
The Chinese wheat gluten imported by ChemNutra all went to companies that make pet foods, Stephen Miller, chief executive officer of the Las Vegas company, told The Associated Press. The company’s offices are at 810 S. Durango Drive in Las Vegas. Miller declined to identify what companies ChemNutra supplied.
Devon Blaine, a California public relations spokeswoman for ChemNutra, said Tuesday evening that she did not know whether the materials the company had sent to pet food makers led to any deaths or illnesses of animals.
Nearly 100 brands of cat and dog foods made with the ingredient, since found to be chemically contaminated, have been recalled.
FDA testing of the wheat gluten has revealed it was contaminated with melamine, a chemical with several industrial uses, including the manufacture of plastic kitchenware.
A call to ChemNutra’s Las Vegas office was not returned, and a recording referred reporters to the company’s Web site.
On Tuesday evening, a locked mirrored door guarded the business, in a small office park on Durango Drive, just north of Charleston Boulevard. The door bears no sign announcing the company’s name or the nature of its business, only an address.
On its Web site, ChemNutra describes itself as an importer of nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from China to the United States. The company lists manufacturers of food, pet food and nutritional ingredients as its client base, and it focuses on importing amino acids, preservatives, antioxidants, nutritional minerals, proteins, flavor enhancers and sweeteners.
“We purchase our inventory from quality-assured manufacturers in China, with whom we have strong relationships over the past 12 years,” a statement on ChemNutra’s Web site read.
ChemNutra has an active business license in Las Vegas, but the company has not filed as a Nevada corporation.
A search of public records found that ChemNutra filed for incorporation in California on Aug. 1, 2005, with a Pasadena address and Miller as its agent for service of processes. The company also incorporated in Delaware on Oct. 27, 2003.
No one answered the door at Stephen Miller’s Summerlin home, at 10396 Noontide Ave., near Charleston and Hualapai Way. The two-story stucco home is assessed at more than $470,000 by the Clark County assessor’s office.
California listed ChemNutra’s incorporation status as “surrender,” which means the company “has voluntarily surrendered its right to transact business in the state of California.” Records called up online did not reveal ChemNutra’s incorporation status in Delaware.
The California secretary of state’s office was closed for the day before reporters could call the agency to inquire why a company would cede access to business opportunities in the state.
Last week, the FDA blocked wheat gluten imports from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in Wangdien, China, and said it was the source of the contaminated product.
The agency refused to identify who had imported the ingredient, used as a protein source.
“Obviously, if this ingredient was responsible, it’s just very upsetting,” Miller told AP.
ChemNutra said it has recalled 873 tons of wheat gluten that it shipped to three pet food makers and a single distributor who supplies the pet food industry. The company said the recall applied only to wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying, one of its three Chinese suppliers of the ingredient.
The importer shipped the product in 25-kilogram paper bags between Nov. 9 and March 8, when it learned the ingredient was suspected as the cause of the pet food problems. ChemNutra said it then quarantined its wheat gluten inventory.
Each bag of wheat gluten included content analysis and test results provided by Xuzhou Anying, ChemNutra said.
“The company is particularly troubled that the certificates of analysis provided by the above-named supplier did not report the presence of melamine,” ChemNutra said in a statement.
Blaine said she did not know how many people the company employs in Las Vegas.
[text deleted]
A Tuesday release on the company’s Web site said that ChemNutra’s principals learned on March 8 that the wheat gluten it had sold a pet food manufacturer was suspected in a nationwide rash of animal illnesses.
The release said ChemNutra immediately quarantined its entire inventory of wheat gluten and cooperated fully with an investigation by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The company added that it will be conducting tests on wheat gluten from all of its suppliers, and on Monday, it sent recall notices to all four of its direct customers, the release said.
The Associated Press and Review-Journal writers John Edwards and Francis McCabe contributed to this report
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
This is Sally’s info page on the Zoominfo site already mentioned. It only has 15 hits, seems Sally needs a bit more exposure. I would also save this site.
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search.....=548935233
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Since ChemNutra seems to only deal with China, it’s bugged me for a few days about the products list which includes Veterinary Medicine as well as the vitamins and minerals, etc. I’m not happy about having Chinese supplements or meds. I’m not satisfied with the melamine results either. I still think there is something else in the food that hasn’t been checked yet. While large doses would kill, I’m more inclined to believe it interacted with another component, possibly even with a higher amount of the red wheat. I’m not a chemist by a long shot. But I think we’re missing something here. The other possibility is multiple chemicals used as fertilizer or pesticide. And that unfortunately could be a lot of different chemicals. I did notice Aying used the term Biological. I assume they were refering to ESB protein powder. Hopefully nothing genetically modified.
Comment by Kathi — April 6, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
Thanks for checking. That’s a relief. (At least for now.)
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
Here’s an article about ChemNutra… has everyone seen this?
I did find the Pasadena address too…
Apr. 04, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
CONTAMINATED INGREDIENT: LV importer under scrutiny
Company officials say they’re unaware of any links to deaths of pets
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Officials with a Las Vegas import company said Tuesday that they could not say whether products it supplied to pet food companies were linked to any of the recent pet deaths or illnesses because of contaminated wheat gluten.
The Chinese wheat gluten imported by ChemNutra all went to companies that make pet foods, Stephen Miller, chief executive officer of the Las Vegas company, told The Associated Press. The company’s offices are at 810 S. Durango Drive in Las Vegas. Miller declined to identify what companies ChemNutra supplied.
Devon Blaine, a California public relations spokeswoman for ChemNutra, said Tuesday evening that she did not know whether the materials the company had sent to pet food makers led to any deaths or illnesses of animals.
Nearly 100 brands of cat and dog foods made with the ingredient, since found to be chemically contaminated, have been recalled.
FDA testing of the wheat gluten has revealed it was contaminated with melamine, a chemical with several industrial uses, including the manufacture of plastic kitchenware.
A call to ChemNutra’s Las Vegas office was not returned, and a recording referred reporters to the company’s Web site.
On Tuesday evening, a locked mirrored door guarded the business, in a small office park on Durango Drive, just north of Charleston Boulevard. The door bears no sign announcing the company’s name or the nature of its business, only an address.
On its Web site, ChemNutra describes itself as an importer of nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from China to the United States. The company lists manufacturers of food, pet food and nutritional ingredients as its client base, and it focuses on importing amino acids, preservatives, antioxidants, nutritional minerals, proteins, flavor enhancers and sweeteners.
“We purchase our inventory from quality-assured manufacturers in China, with whom we have strong relationships over the past 12 years,” a statement on ChemNutra’s Web site read.
ChemNutra has an active business license in Las Vegas, but the company has not filed as a Nevada corporation.
A search of public records found that ChemNutra filed for incorporation in California on Aug. 1, 2005, with a Pasadena address and Miller as its agent for service of processes. The company also incorporated in Delaware on Oct. 27, 2003.
No one answered the door at Stephen Miller’s Summerlin home, at 10396 Noontide Ave., near Charleston and Hualapai Way. The two-story stucco home is assessed at more than $470,000 by the Clark County assessor’s office.
California listed ChemNutra’s incorporation status as “surrender,” which means the company “has voluntarily surrendered its right to transact business in the state of California.” Records called up online did not reveal ChemNutra’s incorporation status in Delaware.
The California secretary of state’s office was closed for the day before reporters could call the agency to inquire why a company would cede access to business opportunities in the state.
Last week, the FDA blocked wheat gluten imports from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in Wangdien, China, and said it was the source of the contaminated product.
The agency refused to identify who had imported the ingredient, used as a protein source.
“Obviously, if this ingredient was responsible, it’s just very upsetting,” Miller told AP.
ChemNutra said it has recalled 873 tons of wheat gluten that it shipped to three pet food makers and a single distributor who supplies the pet food industry. The company said the recall applied only to wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying, one of its three Chinese suppliers of the ingredient.
The importer shipped the product in 25-kilogram paper bags between Nov. 9 and March 8, when it learned the ingredient was suspected as the cause of the pet food problems. ChemNutra said it then quarantined its wheat gluten inventory.
Each bag of wheat gluten included content analysis and test results provided by Xuzhou Anying, ChemNutra said.
“The company is particularly troubled that the certificates of analysis provided by the above-named supplier did not report the presence of melamine,” ChemNutra said in a statement.
Blaine said she did not know how many people the company employs in Las Vegas.
ChemNutra’s Web site lists Stephen and Sally Miller as its principals.
Stephen Miller’s online biography said that he has more than 20 years’ experience in business management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and law.
He listed tenures as a vice president with Smith Barney and E.F. Hutton in his biography, and he added that he worked as an investment officer at Citibank. His biography cited degrees in law and business administration from Columbia University and said he is licensed to practice law in New York.
Sally Miller’s biography said that she has more than 12 years of experience as a quality-assurance manager and purchasing manager in China, where she worked for multinational companies.
She said she was responsible for purchasing “large quantities of nutritional and good ingredients in China for export worldwide.”
The biography said that Sally Miller has degrees in business administration and food engineering.
A Tuesday release on the company’s Web site said that ChemNutra’s principals learned on March 8 that the wheat gluten it had sold a pet food manufacturer was suspected in a nationwide rash of animal illnesses.
The release said ChemNutra immediately quarantined its entire inventory of wheat gluten and cooperated fully with an investigation by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The company added that it will be conducting tests on wheat gluten from all of its suppliers, and on Monday, it sent recall notices to all four of its direct customers, the release said.
The Associated Press and Review-Journal writers John Edwards and Francis McCabe contributed to this report.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Talk to ChemNutra’s neighbors to get information. Do you have a physical address? Is so, look up their tax parcel number, find the owner of the building or property, get his telephone number, sometimes is listed on the tax roles and you can get this on line or by calling a local title company - they will do the search for free, if the landlord doesn’t know how to locate ChemNutra ask for the name of the management company and call them.
Also look for companies with the near same address so you can call the neighbors in their office building or around their homes. Someone will know something.
Just a guess here.
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Also where is this product warehoused that is brought into the country. Shame someone can’t rummage through some trash bins.
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
There are still folks with pets out there who do not have a clue about the extent of this recall situation. As a result their poor animals continue to be in jeopardy. I just returned from the hairdressers and all of us sitting around the salon were discussing what we would be serving for Easter dinner. I mentioned that in addition to preparing all of that I have also been so busy cooking up pet food. To a person they all looked at me like I had antennae on. I gave a brief explanation that because of all the uncertainty and the new recalls that seem to keep happening every day or so I do not currently trust much of anything on the shelves for my pets. I informed them of some websites and when I mentioned the possible numbers of deaths they were dumbstruck. They kept asking questions and were more shocked and scared at each answer. One said they had thought it was just Wal Mart products and just a few animals.
My stylist said, “Oh I knew they were having a little problem but I had no idea it was this big. I just bought some dog treats yesterday for my puppy but I imagine they are alright or the store would not be selling them.” She couldn’t remember the name.
I told her that there was a large recall of treats yesterday and depending on when she shopped the store might not even have known yet. She was getting so upset I started to worry she would hack up my hair. She was nearly in tears and I wished I could reassure her but I could not. She promised to get on the internet as soon as she got home.
This experience taught me that we need to proactively strike up a conversation with everyone we know or run into about this…..the barber, the postman, the kids’ teachers, strangers in grocery lines, etc. Maybe if we all do that we can save a few more innocent lives. I was also thinking I might print up a few strips of paper wih CNN’s and a few other websites to pass out if people express in interest.
Comment by elizabeth — April 6, 2007 @ 3:02 pm
Since the report Cynthia posted is from the AP, they might be interested to know that the Miller’s site is changing.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Just wanted to hilight for everyone: the Las Vegas Journal article notes that the company is *not* incorporated in Nevada, just has a business licence there. Also it was incorporated in Delaware, and recently withdrew its application to incorporate in California…
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
A friendly reminder to all cat people. Easter Lilies, in fact, all parts of all lilies are highly toxic to cats.
Easter Lily
Common Name: Easter Lily
Scientific Name: Lilium longiflorum
Family: Liliaceae
Toxic Principle: unknown
Clinical signs: vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, and death is possible. Cats are only species known to be affected.
Go to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for more info.
http://www.aspca.org/site/Page.....oxicplants
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 6, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
The older versions of the chemnutra web site can be found on archive.org, look for the Way Back Machine.
I’m wondering if Sally used to work for Xuzhou Anying?
Comment by Elaine — April 6, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
Why not post a request on Craigs list for information on this company or anyone who has worked for them?
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
Were on the run, not time for love . . seems to be
their modus operandi at the moment
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
Elizabeth, I met a man walking with 3 champion dog-show dogs last night who was also mostly unaware. I brought him up to speed a bit… A combination of being unaware along with vets recommending that no one but a manufacturer can possibly make pet food is what Iams et al are counting on.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
This is really bugging me… how can we find out what other ingredients were supplied to the manufacturers by ChemNutra and have they all been tested?
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
Attorney Detail as of 04/06/2007
Registration Number: 1693688
STEPHEN S. MILLER
CHEM NUTRA, INC.
810 SOUTH DURANGO DRIVE, SUITE 102
LAS VEGAS, NV 89145
United States
(710) 799-9801
Year Admitted in NY: 1980
Appellate Division Department of Admission: 1
Law School: COLUMBIA
Registration Status: Currently registered
Next Registration: Aug 2008
Comment by Carole — April 6, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
watch this video at http://www.peta.com scroll down the page yout see beagles + launch video. this is what menu foods does and how it test on pets. this will make you very very mad.if they can do this to these beagles and other dogs do u think they care what was in the food we feed our pets. menu foods needs to shut down Now !
Comment by Mary Ann — April 6, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
Claiming revenues of 50 to 100 Million it makes me cringe to think about it. Talk about raking it in. The principles are obviously two very wealthy characters.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
URL for Stephen Miller’s zoominfo page:
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search.....ID=1033745
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 3:36 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 3:36 pm
Guys got his hands into some pretty big time stuff. The “Elites”
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Just beware that ChemNutra’s Steve is about half way down the page on the link Forest just sent. I already looked at the page and at first thought the Dr. was this same Steve.
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Don’t companies have to register their names and who owns them. Is there some way to check records to see how the Millers registered their names as owners.
Comment by Valarie — April 6, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
priceless. love the way the *new* profile shows up right next to the cached one . .
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Your right. I think is the main reference and the others are unrelated.
3. ChemNutra - Quality Ingredients for Food, Feed & Pharma http://www.chemnutra.com/pricipals.htm - [Cached]
Published on: 10/6/2005 Last Visited: 10/3/2006
Stephen S. Miller, CEO
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Stephen Miller: you have to compare the vitals, a couple of the guys have the same corporate experience. But the Steven Miller and the gay guy are probably someone else…
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
Hey Black Dogs. Come on guys clean up this Firefox text wrap. Most of us are so busy were eating and brushing our teeth at the same time.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:51 pm
Thank you Gina, this has been a ton of work for you and I appreciate that.
I have a further favor to ask.
A poster by the name of Kelly, lost a cat named Cuddles and if I am reading the post correctly, still has the body of Cuddles. Waiting for spring thaw it seems.
If Kelly is willing that body may hold answers we all need.
Would you act as relay, where Kelly can email you, or I can, and you could give my email to Kelly?
Anyway you want to work it.
I am willing to pay to ship the body of Cuddles to a testing facility.
Kelly said her plight made the front page of her local paper.
That info can also be used.
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 6, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
True. What it really comes down to is who is this guy and when is he going to step up to the plate?
Obviously, he’s in some kind of serious jam otherwise he would take command and step up.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Found this link to Chemnutra on a natural products wholesale ingredient website:
http://www.naturalproductsinsi.....p/li/49724
They specialize in amino acids, creatine, inosital and so on…
Comment by Lorraine Takahashi NY — April 6, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Altho, I am puzzled on the links in their Zoominfo pages saying cached, and last visited 10/3/2006, but they are links to the site as it is today. Not really cached, or someone updating?
Comment by Jackie — April 6, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
China Daily.(North American ed.) New York, Apr 2, 2007. ” A greater sensitivity to a poisonous chemical found in plastics and pesticides could explain why cats have died in larger numbers than dogs after eating contaminated pet food.
The small number of confirmed reports of pet deaths bolstered by a far larger number of unconfirmed reports suggests cats were more susceptible to poisoning by the chemical melamine that tainted the now recalled pet food, officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
. . . .
Melamine is used to make plastic kitchenware, glues, countertops, fabrics, fertilizers and flame retardants. It also is both a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides, including cyromazine”
Comment by Stefania — April 6, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
Steve (and others): The Black Dogs are fixing the database breakdown. You’ll have to live with the text wrap until then.
I’m catching it when I can.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 6, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
does anyone have access to a law school or university library? someone should be able to get on to LexisNexis Company Dossier or Hoover’s there and pull up ChemNutra’s profile for people who are interested in the details of their company.
I just want to know what other garbage they’ve sold to food manufacturers and I can’t figure out where to get that info. I guess I’ll have to assume the people at the analytical labs are asking the same question… I hope I hope I hope.
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
i’m also concerned about what else they have floating around out there.
i’ve made a list of the manufactures of my supplements and plan on contacting them all.
Comment by straybaby — April 6, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Thanks Gina. I know you all are incredibly busy today no problem.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
Comment by Cynthia — April 6, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
Somebody HAS to be doing a serious investigation. I mean we are amatuers and we have more probable cause already then you could ask for from even a Pro.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
Steve,
I don’t know. The MSM doesn’t seem to really get into investigative reporting any more. I wouldn’t assume that somebody is doing anything. Although someone has been walking around checking addresses in Las Vegas…
A lot of scandals are uncovered by people like us posting on websites.
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Is Stephen S. Miller a U.S. Citizen? Ditto for Sally.
Real name or alias?
Passport records for both Stephen and Sally.
NV DL and CA DL.
Where were their degrees from? Check university records. Check alumni.
Anyone know them through professional organizations mentioned in bios?
Internet.
Check the desert.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 6, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
On 4/6/07, JOHNIESEE wrote:
The people that distributed the poison wheat gluten go by this company name in Nevada. I find it strange Nevada has not heard of them. I guess what goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas.
————— Forwarded message —————
From: “Kelli A. Morelli”
To:JOHNIESEE
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 09:19:07 -0700
Subject: RE: Unable to find information on ChenNutra Inc.
Dear Customer,
Thank you for contacting The Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller’s Office.
According to our records I am not finding any company under the name ChemNutra Inc. We are a non-regulatory agency, and can not advise you legally on if they are incorporated legally or not. You can try the Better Business Bureau(southern NV) (702)320-4500, or Consumer Affairs (775) 688-1800.
If you have any further questions please contact us at (775)684-5708
Kelli Morelli
Customer Service Representative
http://secretaryofstate.biz
(775) 684-5708
————— In Reply Of ——————
From: JOHNIESEE
Sent: Thu 4/5/2007 4:07 PM
To: SOS Customer Service
Subject: Unable to find information on ChenNutra Inc.
State of Nevada Department of State
Request for information.
Re:
ChemNutra Inc.
810 S. Durango Drive, Suite 102
Las Vegas, NV 89145
ChemNutra Inc. states in their web site that they are doing business out of Nevada, yet I can not find that they are a registered business in Nevada. Also I can not find that they incorporated properly in Nevada. Could you investigate if they have complied with Nevada State regulations and get back to me. They are the company that was responsible for distributing contaminated wheat gluten that may have killed over 10,000 pets across the nation, according to U.S. Veterinarians web site. My dog, Peanut, was one of these pets.
John A. Clark
Oldsmar , FL
Comment by John Clark — April 6, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Forget the MSM. They aren’t in the business of cracking potential criminal cases.
All the great investigative reporters are gone or retired.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
The plot thickens
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
Just stumbled on MORE DIRT.
ChemNutra also edited their “contact us” webpage. Google cache shows a US addy and a China addy:
pasted here:
US Office
810 S. Durango Drive, Suite 102
Las Vegas, NV 89145
General: (702) 799-9800
Sales: (702) 799-9801
Purchasing: (702) 799-9808
Fax: (702) 799-9820
China Office
Jing Sui Bldg. 601
Hanzhou, China 310030
Tel.: 86-571-8895-1008
Fax: 86-571-8895-1009
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
Thanks all. A sad easter. But One thing I know from past experience: There’s life after “death” for pets too. I couldn’t be surer of this. If that’s any comfort to anyone. keep up the good work, everyone. We will get to the bottom of this come h or high water.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — April 6, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
This confirms that the Chinese listings *are* the same company as the Nevada company. IT also explains why the chinese listings had: http://chemnutra.com as their website!
I couldn’t figure out why Chinese companies would publish a US company website URL…now I know.
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
ChemNutra has a business license with the city of Las Vegas. According to the governor’s office, they are not registered with the state of Nevada as an out-of-state business, at least not under the name ChemNutra. It is very possible they are registered under a different name. If they have violated this law, they should have already been reported to the governor’s office. Hard to say what is going on.
Comment by Carole — April 6, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
Del Monte just dropped another recall……..
Comment by marcy — April 6, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Comment by Forest — April 6, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
The gift that keeps on giving.
Anytime Feds. Lets do your duty for the We the People and make some moves here before more innocent people have to suffer more grief and loss.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Comment by marcy — April 6, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
They were also hit with a class action suit early this morning. Quite a motivator to get your act together I guess. At least they didn’t wait till dark.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
This is pretty amazing. We here are so far ahead of the curve with these guys we can predict their every move with practically complete accuracy and predictability at this point.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
*****REBECCA*****
Get your puppy to the vet. Maybe they can work something out for you.
Here is a list of organizations that maybe able to help you. I also have bred specific, but don’t know what you have.
In Memory of Magic (IMOM) is dedicated to insuring that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.
http://www.imom.org
IMOM, Inc
PO Box 282
Cheltenham, MD 20623
Phone (866)-230-2164 Fax (301)-599-1852
United Animal Nations established the LifeLine fund in 1997 to aid companion animals in times of life-threatening emergencies when their caregivers, with low or no incomes, are unable to afford the entire cost of treatment.
http://uan.org/lifeline/index.html
United Animal Nations
P.O. Box 188890
Sacramento, California 95818
Telephone: (916) 429 2457 fax: (916) 429 2456
LifeLine Fund - http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28
Help-A-Pet is a nonprofit organization, which provides financial assistance for the medical care of pets whose guardians are unable to afford the expense
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home..html
Help-A-Pet
P. O. Box 244
Hinsdale, Illinois 60521
Telephone: (630) 986-9504 fax: (630) 986-9141
The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
“The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that
provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need
urgent veterinary care. Often animals are put down or suffer
needlessly because their owners cannot afford expensive surgery or
emergency vet visits. Companion animal owners must often make the
difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect urgent medical
needs because of the costs involved. The purpose of the Pet Fund is
to work towards a future where decisions about companion animal
medical care need never be made on the basis of cost.”
The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
“The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that
provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need
urgent veterinary care. Often animals are put down or suffer
needlessly because their owners cannot afford expensive surgery or
emergency vet visits. Companion animal owners must often make the
difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect urgent medical
needs because of the costs involved. The purpose of the Pet Fund is
to work towards a future where decisions about companion animal
medical care need never be made on the basis of cost.”
Comment by Meghan — April 6, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
For now, the FDA has confirmed 16 pet deaths connected to melamine, but Sundlof acknowledged “this is a number we recognize is nowhere near the reality.”
Nowhere near the reality , of course , we keep repeating it but why get bogged down in facts.
Could this get any more insulting?
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 6, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
City of Las Vegas business license search for ChemNutra shows: Business Name: CHEMNUTRA INC Type of Business: BUSINESS SUPPORT Address: 810 S DURANGO DR 102 89145 Phone: 883-8928 LICENSE #: B20-01071 ISSUED: 8/10/2006 Status: Active Owners: MILLER STEPHEN CEO 49% MILLER QING PRES 51%
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 6, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 6, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
It’s beyond insulting. In fact I don’t think a word exists that can truly describe it.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 6, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
http://tinyurl.com/yo4kr8
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
La Madre Faith Community
810 S. Durango Drive, Suite 109
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 255-1394
1 2 3 Realty
(702) 838-4400
810 S Durango Dr
Las Vegas, NV 89145
Nevada State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
810 S. Durango Drive, #109
Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
Pacific West Search [80144] Guide
Type: Employment mortgage banking recruiter
Address: 810 S Durango Drive S 103, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145 United States
Comment by GingerTom — April 6, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Are they possibly operating out of a house?
I’m assuming the even numbers are to the west side of the street.
Use the satellite view.
http://tinyurl.com/yo4kr8
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Heck for all we know they’ve already fled the country.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
http://tinyurl.com/2rvvrz
Comment by Carole — April 6, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
Ignore the above post, it didn’t transfer correctly.
Comment by Carole — April 6, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
More info… According to her ZoomInfo page, Sally is a member of the Institute for Supply Management - and you could be, too!! Here’s the requirements listed on the ISM homepage…
Membership in ISM is open to any person interested in the supply management field provided that such person (i) is not primarily engaged in sales activity; or (ii) does not solicit business on behalf of such person or his or her employer during meetings of any ISM activity, including without limitation, meetings of Affiliated Associations (including chapters), ISM Committees, and ISM Groups and Forums. For the purposes of this section, “primarily” shall mean a majority of a person’s time. However, no person shall be ineligible by reason of incidentally disposing of scrap, surplus stock, or equipment of the concern by which he or she is employed. The eligibility of an editor, secretary or business manager employed by an Affiliated Association shall not be affected by reason of sales activity directly related to any magazine, bulletin or other publication, or exhibit, product, show or similar activity sponsored by such association. “
Hmmmm… and then there’s City University, where she got her MBA - it’s an online for profit job. Niiiiice. http://www.cityu.edu/
So basically, she has no real credentials. At all.
If I could find this out in 3 minutes on Google, don’t you think the purchasing agents for pet food companies could do the same? They’re even getting paid for it.
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
I bought the Lucinda Willams CD “West” the weekend my Scout died. I have not really been able to talk about this very much. I read all the blogs. I cry. The first three songs on this CD are Scout’s and my songs. She was an 8.5 year old blue heeler mix. She was so smart and loving and protective. She was the first dog that I had since I was a kid-I’m 50. She ate Iams Active Maturity Beef in gravy beginning January 19. She was in complete renal failure by February 20. She died on February 25. I was trying to get over her death and then the recall happened. Wham!!! I killed my sweet baby. There is no justification for the actions of all these CEO’s.
Keep up the good work. I start my campaign of letter writing this weekend. I just have had a hard time talking about this until now.
Comment by Allison — April 6, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
Allison, I’m so sorry about Scout. I know how hard it is. And good for you for talking about it. It’s very hard, but you’re definitely among friends here.
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
Oh, and about that ISO9000 certification? It means NOTHING, and everyone in the business knows that. Bottom line, it means nothing more than you passed an online class.
Get one in 60-90 days, guaranteed in writing!
http://tinyurl.com/2dqzru
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Hmmmm… and then there’s City University, where she got her MBA - it’s an online for profit job. Niiiiice. http://www.cityu.edu/
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Oh man. This is getting to strange.
Comment by Steve — April 6, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
I am so sorry about your baby.
You did not kill Scout.
Hang in there, take care.
Comment by Meghan — April 6, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Sorry, that message was for Allison.
Comment by Meghan — April 6, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
I already posted this on another blog on this site, but it seems more relevant here. I have access to a good research tool, so did a little bit of looking into the Millers and ChemNutra that I’ll repeat here. I do so in case it helps anyone do further sleuthing…
A poster on that blog indicated that she thought that ChemNutra must be a substantial corporation run by well educated people. I wondered so I looked into the principals.
Here’s what the poster said: “Are you talking about upgrading my street smarts as far as ChemNutra goes or as far as Menu goes…you are talking about highly educated people here, you are not talking about back alley poppy smokers or something.”
There are an amazing number of people who run businesses that look like a big deal on paper, but are run out of their home offices, and in this case, perhaps with low paid warehouse staff in China. Computers have eliminated an office full of accounting staff, etc. Also, when you think that the Millers might be big entrepreneurs, note that the Miller’s live in a home they purchased in Las Vegas for under $500K in 2006, not a mansion in today’s home values in the west.
A search shows that Stephen S. Miller filed for Chapter 7 in bankruptcy court in NY federal court in 2001, when he resided at 8 Gramercy Park So, New York. It was discharged (roughly meaning approved…). A reputable research tool shows enough markers (info) that a reasonable person would assume that Stephen S. Miller associated with ChemNutra is probably the same as this person in the NY bankruptcy.
We assume that Sally Miller is his wife; her name appears on Lexis as Qing Miller. They have shared the same addresses for a few years. If you read her bio at she is called Sally Qing Miller:
http://www.zoominfo.com/people.....233.aspxor
“Sally has over 12 years of experience in China as QA Manager and Purchasing Manager, working for various multinational companies who imported and exported chemicals worldwide. As purchasing manager, she was responsible for purchasing and exporting over $100 million of feed, food and pharma ingredients worldwide.”
“Sally earned an MBA from City University in Seattle, as well as Engineering degree in Food Chemical Engineering at Hanzhou Institute of Commerce in Hanzhou, China. She is a member of the Institute for Supply Management in the US, and the China Food Ingredients Association in China. She is certified as an ISO 9000 Chief Auditor.”
The research tool also shows that Stephen Miller and “Qing Miller” also filed for a corp. in CA (subsequently dissolved) in 2000 called XLALL, Inc., which they listed at an address that they both claimed at 545 S. Los Robles Ave. Apt. 7, Pasadena CA 91101, in 2000. This address also shows up for ChemNutra.
I post this info if any sleuths out there want to follow up on this and have the wherewithal to do so.
I read that the ChemNutra shipment(s) were sent to the Long Beach port, which makes sense geographically. It also makes sense that the Miller’s would have residences/business addresses in the west.
Comment by Maureen — April 6, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
I would like to say something away from the investigative side of this for a second. Don’t misunderstand me, I am whirling with ideas in my head and when I come up with something that I cannot somehow disprove to myself I will throw it out there. My job makes it difficult as I am on call and away from the website sometimes for 24 hours at a time and then I have to read for hours to catch up. I am researching scientific studies and looking for answers when I can and working at treating my two “girls” at home with fluids and hoping for a small miracle. But for a minute, let me say that I have never blogged (or whatever it is we are doing) on a website before and I wanted to say how much I appreciate everyone here. When I talk about the pet food recall situation to people out there in the world, they sometimes just don’t seem to really know much about it and then it is even more shocking when some of them just don’t seem to care all that much. I appreciate all of you for your ability to recognize what a gift these “little guys” are to us and how much that bond enriches our lives. To be able to communicate through a species barrier is an incredible experience and the only explanation I come up with for it is that both species share the language of love. I believe animals are meant to be here with us to help us and to teach us. I think we haven’t even begun to realize how many ways they can help us and how many things they can do that could help us in so many areas. For certain, they know how to love unconditionally and are wonderful teachers of this. In return, we are responsible for their well being. They live here with us and they should be respected for their similarities to us and also for their differences. I would like to say how much I have appreciated being here on this website where I feel like so many of you get that,it is nice. So, thanks.
Comment by jm — April 6, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
Comment by jm — April 6, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
jm, you’re so right. This is such a supportive community. And I know what you mean about other folks - even among my friends who are pet owners and even vets, folks just don’t get it. Call it denial, or willful ignorance, or whatever you like - I can’t tell you why. But that’s why it’s so nice to talk with a community of people who consider this issue to be as important as we do, and to work very hard in their limited spare time to try to figure out what the folks getting paid to protect us apparently don’t want us to know.
Good luck with your girls. I’m so sorry you’re left waiting for a miracle. Sure hope you get it.
Comment by Laura — April 6, 2007 @ 9:03 pm