http://www.slate.com/id/2133061/

Rent-a-Researcher, by Jennifer Washburn is a great article detailing how Procter & Gamble (parent company of Iams pet food) tried to manipulate researchers investigating their osteoporosis drug. One noble researcher, Aubrey Blumsohn, stood up against this scientific misconduct.

I don’t know anything about Mr. Blumsohn other than what I’ve read in Jennifer’s article, but he is my new personal hero. If you are disheartened by the all the shysters in this pet food scandal, Mr. Blumsohn’s story will remind you that there are good people out there doing the right thing.

The article explains how P&G perverts and manipulates the methods used in a “blind” study. The same sort of intentional perversion of the scientific process occurs in veterinary research.

For example, a pet food company will fund a study comparing two diets. The pet food company provides the researcher with all the food to be used in the study. Since the researcher doesn’t know which food is which,supposedly his bias won’t influence the outcome.

The problem: the researcher never actually finds out what was in the food. He takes the word of the pet food company that supplied it.

(sorry, no time to finish or proofread. I’m about to lose electricity.)

ALSO…..THERE IS A NATIONWIDE MARCH PLANNED! THIS WEBSITE TELLS ALL ABOUT IT…GREAT SITE _ NEW APPROACH TO THIS HEARTBREAKING SUBJECT!!!!!

Yesterday’s message was very clear. No taxpayer-funded regulatory agency, congressional hearing, corporate or private industry, trade association, oversight commission, etc., will ever provide a 100% guarantee against a contaminated food supply – for pets or humans!

Food supplies are tested for previously known toxins ONLY- ones that have already been associated with unintentional or intentional contaminations. It would be impossible and impractical to expect that all food products could be tested for all of the earth’s known toxins regardless of what continent they come from.

I have no doubt that the pet food recall will highlight the glaring lapses in what has been an inherently weak system comprised of incestuous subsidies between the food manufacturer’s and their vendors. But that isn’t the problem. The problem is that the consumer is expecting the impossible and those in charge, industry and government, do not have the fortitude to tell them the truth. There CAN BE NO 100% GUARANTEE!

Re: “It is an unfortunate fact that most Univ. research is funded by companies. There is not much govt money for doing basic research on anything and certainly there’s no basic research on dog nutrition - it’s all done by pet food companies.”

Unfortunately, this is true to a startling degree regarding cancer and related research in humans.

I think we need to re-examine what we expect of government.

….It is an unfortunate fact that most Univ. research is funded by companies. There is not much govt money for doing basic research on anything and certainly there’s no basic research on dog nutrition - it’s all done by pet food companies.

They received so much world-wide criticism over their culling of dogs to stop rabies that they are reconsidering their policies. There’s nothing wrong with us not liking such state sanctioned actions in China or speaking the truth of what is happening in China, maybe you just don’t want it on this blog - maybe some of it sounds too harsh.

I do not hate Chinese people. But I do not agree with their official policies on many important issues. And that is why I do not buy China - to the best of my ability.

Linda MS.

Linda ms