Pet Food Recall: Researchers identify three other contaminants in urine, kidneys of pets who ate recalled foods
By Christie Keith
April 20, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you want your say on food-safety reform, Sen. Durbin’s office wants to hear from you.
- 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.
Toxicologists have been saying for some time now that they didn’t think melamine alone could be causing the symptoms being seen in cats and dogs eating recalled foods, and suggested it might be a marker or co-contaminant. Tonight, Karen Roebuck of the Pittsburgh Times-Review reported that researchers have:
…identified three other contaminants in the urine and kidneys of animals sickened or killed after eating the recalled foods, including cyanuric acid, a chemical commonly used in pool chlorination, three researchers told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Cyanuric acid is what most likely sickened pets, one researcher said.
[...]
Researchers isolated a spoke-like crystal in pet food, wheat gluten and in the urine, kidneys and tissues of infected animals. That crystal serves as a marker for determining what animals were sickened in the outbreak. About 30 percent of those crystals are made up of melamine, one investigator said, and researchers spent several weeks trying to identify what is in the remainder.
Researchers in at least three labs found cyanuric acid, amilorine and amiloride — all by-products of melamine — in the crystals of animals’ urine, tissues and kidneys, according to Dr. Brent Hoff, a veterinarian and clinical toxicologist and pathologist, at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada; Richard Goldstein, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a kidney specialist, and Dr. Thomas Mullaney, acting director of Michigan State University’s Center for Population and Animal Health.
Michigan State’s lab so far has found only the amilorine and amiloride, but Mullaney said he was aware of at least three other labs finding the cyanuric acid in the animals. The FDA asked labs involved in the pet food recall to test for the three chemicals.
Finding cyanuric acid is the more significant finding, Hoff, Goldstein and Mullaney said, although they are not yet certain how toxic it is to animals.
She also has quite a bit on the possible contamination of hog feed, and its implications for human health. Full story here.
Update: Also, Carrie Peyton Dahlberg reports tonight in the Sacramento Bee that the FDA, in light of the possible contamination of hog feed as well as additional pet food recalls due to contaminated rice protein concentrate, “wants to learn how widely melamine has spread and which other products it might have contaminated.” She writes:
That question became more urgent Thursday with reports from South Africa that corn gluten in Royal Canin pet foods there was contaminated with melamine, killing about 30 pets. The Web site for Royal Canin U.S. announced an eight-product recall late Thursday.
The South Africa report brings to three the number of Chinese products with melamine contamination — wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and corn gluten.
Veterinarians and nutritionists said that other potential targets for tampering could include whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, soy grits and soy lecithin.
All are pet food ingredients valued for the protein punch that they pack.
The melamine at the quarantined hog farm apparently came from salvage pet food sold as pig feed by Diamond Pet Food’s Lathrop plant, the state said. Diamond had gotten rice protein imported from China by a San Francisco distributor who recalled it on Wednesday because of melamine content.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
|Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
‘Federal officials confirmed Thursday they are investigating whether pork products intended for humans are contaminated with the same industrial chemical that prompted a massive pet food recall and sickened cats and dogs nationwide. ‘
Greeeaaaattt…..I just gave my cat raw pork.
Comment by Tammy — April 20, 2007 @ 1:29 am
BERNIE - IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD IT RIGHT!!!
Comment by Lynn — April 20, 2007 @ 1:45 am
I think I just changed my mind about going to bed. I’m glad they were finally able to find out whatelse was in the kidneys, etc.
I just bought ground pork about 7 hrs ago…. ugh! WAS going to use it in my pet food. That was before the pig feed/quarantine was released/confirmed.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 1:59 am
Does this mean we’ve caught Diamond Foods “red-handed” selling a rejected product??? Could they have known about the melamine at the time of the sale??
And, WHERE IS THE RENDERING PLANT AMERICAN HOG FARM USES — TO PUT BACK INTO OUR PET FOOD????
These questions need to be answered immediately.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:06 am
ok, so will they check livestock feed (already here) and see if this crap has been being used prior in feed, and maybe since the cows didn’t keel over they decided to up it to pet food grade?
damn, and i used to be such an optimist . . .
Comment by straybaby — April 20, 2007 @ 2:08 am
Kat, i think that farm sold to individuals not plants. but they may send the *leftovers* to them . . .
think folks, the media and the rest of the government will get a clue NOW?!
gah! my kidneys hurt just thinking about it.
Comment by straybaby — April 20, 2007 @ 2:10 am
Here’s a new post from the Washington Post about Royal Canin, China, Durbin & FDA inspectors not being able to get into China.
http://tinyurl.com/285ym6
It’s a good summary of all the “hot topics”.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:17 am
That’s right. Specialty butchering. They have to get rid of it some way & that is standard practice. That question needs to be addressed immediately.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:19 am
HEY! looks like the FDA isn’t falling for the dirty bag theory!!!
” The Chinese said that apparently it was used when the proper bag broke, Thacher said. Melamine residue contaminated the rice protein, and not just in the pink bag, FDA officials said yesterday.”
yes, that’s sarcasm . . . maybe one day they’ll be on the same page as us ;)
ok, dog walk and off to bed!!
Comment by straybaby — April 20, 2007 @ 2:24 am
Thanks Karen Roebuck!
I just sent her an email. That’s the 2nd great article. Her indepth reporting/investigating rivals no one, or very few.
Most are still out there reporting Natural Balance. The media was very lax in reporting & now the majority are still trying to figure it all out.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:24 am
South Africa: No More Chinese Take-Aways for SA Pets
Business Day (Johannesburg)
April 20, 2007
Posted to the web April 20, 2007
Nicola Mawson
Johannesburg
THE South African pet food industry has closed the door on the importation of gluten products from China after tests of Royal Canin SA’s products found that the ingredient was contaminated with melamine.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200704200140.html
NO MORE CHINESE TAKE-OUT FOR ME!
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:31 am
NO MORE CHINESE ANYTHING…
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 2:32 am
EXCELLENT!
let’s hope we follow . . . and I’d like to see stricter standards on other products we are brining in.
ok . . must . . .walk . . dog . . .
Comment by straybaby — April 20, 2007 @ 2:35 am
Definitely no Chinese imports of any kind.
Time for all pet food manufacturers to figure out what they’re going to do without Chinese supplies. And plan on spending a bundle, manufacturers, on testing every friggin’ nano-grain for a long time to come. Just because the contaiminants have been name doesn’t mean we will be quick to trust that this is finally the end of this matter. Or that we will readily trust any manufacturer regarding any statements of his food’s contents and source of raw materials. We are going to be watching you VERY closely. Believe it. It will be a long, long, long while before I’ll dare to buy commercial food again.
Comment by Lynn — April 20, 2007 @ 2:52 am
Here is the link to Univ of MN on cyanuric acid breakdown —
http://umbbd.msi.umn.edu/cya/cya_map.html
Map: http://umbbd.msi.umn.edu/cya/cya_image_map.html
N-Cyclopropylmelamine: http://umbbd.msi.umn.edu/cpm/cpm_map.html
Maybe all this is caused by cross-contamination in China. They are very lax on numerous counts.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 3:00 am
wonder what happened to my post about the cyanuric acid metabolism??
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 3:05 am
Kat… any posts with multiple links are moderated, to prevent spam. I just released it… but it IS 2 am. Even I will eventually go to sleep. ;)
Comment by Christie Keith — April 20, 2007 @ 3:12 am
Alibaba sells cyanuric acid.
Comment by Kathi — April 20, 2007 @ 3:25 am
Guess I’ll say it again. Why can’t the companies go back to using the producers they used before all this began to happen.
Comment by VJ — April 20, 2007 @ 5:01 am
Wonder what our scientist overseas’ REAL agenda was. Surely he had to have known he would kill the very species that consumed the product, that would help keep his business alive. You don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Comment by Lynn — April 20, 2007 @ 5:02 am
To VJ:
Why? It’s called greed. All about money.
Comment by Lynn — April 20, 2007 @ 5:03 am
Real agenda…
pretty simple if you’re paranoid enough (I’m not sure I am, and really want to believe the profit motive because the other is just too scary)
Doesn’t kill “clean animals” - those needed for meat and milk. Does kill “unclean animals”- those not allowed in the house and requiring exacting cleansing after handling….do some checking of cultures and religions to see where those beliefs are held. Hint, it’s not buddhism or hindu-ism.
Comment by gingertom — April 20, 2007 @ 5:12 am
Amiloride -
after reading ms roebuck’s article — it’s not so much the unknown as she implies in this sentence:
“Because cyanuric acid was used in pool chlorination, more scientific studies have been done on that chemical than on melamine, amilorine and amiloride, Goldstein said. However, tests in dogs and rats found it is safe, he said.”
Amiloride is a diuretic…it’s used in renal function studies where the effects of sodium are being studied. It raises the amount of sodium being excreted by the kidneys.
Comment by gingertom — April 20, 2007 @ 5:51 am
Labs should, at least for now, automatically test for these when running routine urinalyses in pets AND humans.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 20, 2007 @ 6:11 am
“Looking out for #1”
Comments by the Pet Food Institute to
Food and Drug Adminstration
Pet Food Institute
Docket No. 01 N-0423
November 20,2001
Expanding the recordkeeping requirement beyond
one year will not increase the responsiveness of the industry to a potential probie
and will only increase an already detailed recordkeeping requirement, especially
since the original recordkeeping requirements were designed to “facilitate
compliance with the rufe,‘”
e agency should also consider t at removing the exemption for pet food sold at
retail could force retailers to maintain the same records currently ap
distressed and salvage materials. These requirements, while critical for distressed
and salvage material, would be onerous when applied to retailers, would cause
unnecessary consumer concern, would provide no use information, and would result in a dramatic increase in record keeping noncompliance.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:12 am
I found a couple of scientific studies on melamine breakdown. Here are the titles, the urls and tiny urls for both of them.
Enzymatic Degradation of Chlorodiamino-s-Triazine
http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/68/9/4672.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/298ns6
The degrative pathway of the s-triazine melamine
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.g.....obtype=pdf
http://tinyurl.com/2fbg9n
Comment by Margaret Bridge — April 20, 2007 @ 6:20 am
Protecting the Pets. Speaking for the Consumer.
“Members of the Pet Food Institute support the FDA’s ongoing efforts to prevent the
introduction and amplification of BSE into the United States. Under the current rules, according to the Harvard Study, even if BSE were to be found in the US, it would not spread as it has in other nations with the disease because of the effectiveness of the rule and its enforcement. As PFl’s consumer survey shows, changes to the rule that would require cautionary statements on retail pet food products would have the unintended effect of alarming consumers who purchase
pet food, as well as beef and other meat products. The economic damage caused by the imposition of a cautionary labeling scheme would be enormous and unnecessary since, as all government agencies recognize, BSE is not present in the United States. Therefore, PFI would urge the agency to abandon its proposal to place such a damaging cautionary statement on retail pet food and use its resources to attain its goal of 100 percent compliance with the current rule.”
Docket No. 02N-0273
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:20 am
I received another reply from Wilbur-Ellis after FDA did not release the names of all the pet food companies who received the toxic rice protein product. The second reply again states the FDA will release the names and Wilbur-Ellis truly hopes it will be resolved today. : (
Comment by slt — April 20, 2007 @ 6:34 am
How bout we put together a surprise group to visit a Menu Food plant by surprise. I can just see a video on 60 minutes as some Menu thugs start pushing people around who asked to see management so they could ask them some questions about safety. Then the scene where a Menu management guy comes out and covers his face and gets into his car and screeches off. Then the obligatory arrival of the police, and the “you people are going to have to leave the premises”.
“But we just wanted to ask the management some questions”.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:39 am
I can’t get to the sacramento bee links without logging in as a subscriber. Is there a way to read the article w/o subscribing? Anyone know?
Comment by Bonni — April 20, 2007 @ 6:41 am
Maybe someone (FDA) will act quicker now that the human food sources are in the loop with the possible contamination of pork.
I truely don’t want to feed my cats today. I think I’ll be off to the store for Gerber’s meat baby food for today and maybe some of the dogs homemade food.
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy's mom) — April 20, 2007 @ 6:44 am
We can do a Documentary.
The Pet Food Industry Expose Tour 07
Armed with cameras and lists of questions.
How bout that for a contribution to the safety and health of pets and their owners.
Any networks interested?
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:47 am
Gerber Purchase Extends Nestlé’s U.S. Presence
Nestlé SA said it doesn’t plan to increase advertising and promotion spending for Gerber after it buys the baby food brand from Novartis for $5.5 billion later this year.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:50 am
Hey, maybe the FDA inspectors can get Visas in time for the 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING !!!
Comment by Rhonda — April 20, 2007 @ 6:50 am
STEVE: You are marvelous! Keep this info coming. The PET FOOD INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION (PFI) CLEARLY SHOWS THAT $$$$ MONEY $$$ IS ALL THAT COUNTS, NOT PETS! At the Senate hearing, Duane Ekedahl (PFI) looked and sounded like such a pathetic character, trying to avoid or scrambling to answer Senator Durbin’s questions.
Steve, thanks to you and others that keep finding these very telling articles — You keep me motivated to write more letters. I hope others write also.
Are you saving and compiling this information to send to Senator Durbin / others? I think all of the good material you find needs to go beyond this blog. What do you think?
I hope that everyone here asks for an IMMEDIATE BAN ON ALL CHINESE GRAINS AND OTHER FOOD PRODUCTS UNTIL CHINA CAN CLEARLY PROVE IT CAN ADHERE TO SAFETY STANDARDS. And then, we, as consumers can decide if and when we want to purchase any products.
***********From Steve’s Post Above************
Protecting the Pets. Speaking for the Consumer.
“Members of the Pet Food Institute support the FDA’s ongoing efforts to prevent the
introduction and amplification of BSE into the United States. ….
The economic damage caused by the imposition of a cautionary labeling scheme would be enormous and unnecessary since, as all government agencies recognize, BSE is not present in the United States. Therefore, PFI would urge the agency to abandon its proposal to place such a damaging cautionary statement on retail pet food and use its resources to attain its goal of 100 percent compliance with the current rule.”
Comment by petlover — April 20, 2007 @ 6:50 am
Nice thought eh? Nestle getting into Baby Food?
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:52 am
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy’s mom) — April 20, 2007 @ 6:44 am
I hope they do, but I wonder if that will simply divert resources from the pet food investigation as human food contamination takes precedence. IOW the FDA’s pet food investigation aspect may actually *slow down*.
Comment by slt — April 20, 2007 @ 6:54 am
Comment by petlover — April 20, 2007 @ 6:50 am
PFI is just a bunch of lobbyists who’s job is to basically destroy any and all regulations that might cost their clients a few extra cents.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:58 am
I’d like to see ALL food manufacturers routinely testing their ingredients for safety, regardless of the source.
Comment by slt — April 20, 2007 @ 6:58 am
I knew when I woke up this morning - all would be worse - well this is no accident - this is no quick buck scheme - this is terrorism and they are terrorizing us by killing our pets.
Do you think that someone or some group might be trying to get back at the U.S. for being upset over the pet fur being put on coats????
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:04 am
The newsmedia is so focused on the crazed killer of the Va. Tech students that they are simply missing the importance of all this.
My heart aches for the loss of good lives, as does the entire nation, but giving this maniac what he wanted, is sick.
I’m tired of seeing this face, his sick demented face. I feel sorry for his family and the shame he has brought on his home country.
On another note, there are many good wonderful Chinese people who live in China that are horrified over this poisoning here.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:13 am
It is very difficult to trust any pet food company that changes ingredients and adds toxic junk without listing it on the package - and I wonder how many other companies are doing this too?
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:18 am
It looks like they just dumped at bunch of stuff in, and probably knew it would kill or injure, and then just sent if off and sat back and counted their dollars and laughed.
That is pathetic and sick and vile. Find them -let them stand trial and spend years in prison.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:22 am
I just posted this at Itchmo….I think it’s important we all know about the rest of the suspect ingredients:
I just read somewhere the following ingredients, found in pet food, are now suspect:
whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, soy grits & soy lecithin
Here we are, five weeks after the initial recall, with products still being recalled & several other ingredients are now suspected of tainting other food. When is this going to end? Is anyone investigating what other garbage we imported that could possibly have gotten into our pet’s food? Now we don’t even know what to look for that could be contaminated. It looks like it could be just about any ingredient. We need to know which pet food companies used ANY ingredients imported from China & we need to know NOW.
Don’t know about you but I’m really angry & stressed to the max. I’m feeding Blue (not recalled one), tried another premium product that didn’t agree with her & now I don’t have a clue where to turn. Only giving her a small amount of dry & the rest is stuff I cooked for her.
Can’t somebody get to the bottom of this without giving us information in dribbles, weeks apart? In the meantime, we are feeding poison to our beloved pets & more are getting sick & dying. WHO THE HELL IS OUT THERE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS??????
Comment by Jan — April 20, 2007 @ 7:22 am
MORE RECALLS US DISTRIBUTED ROYAL CANIN PRODUCTS:
Stop feeding Royal Canin and check their web sites. I can’t copy and post from this computer so everyone please go look!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:25 am
jan, can you please find that link???
Comment by Sharon H — April 20, 2007 @ 7:27 am
My..oh my, everytime i posted a statement warning people that the communist goverment was not
to be trusted ? that was deleted by the “webmaster” .. i expect this’l be also removed. i don’t bother anymore. i am seeing
here people are waking up? you can’t deal
with communists ,their killers?
if you expect to survive , as a free country
you’d better forget buying “chinese”..
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 7:28 am
Linda MS:
Here they are:
ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)
Dry Dog Food
- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET (available only in veterinary clinics)
Dry Dog Food
- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™
- Canine Skin Support SS21™
Dry Cat Food
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™
Comment by Jan — April 20, 2007 @ 7:28 am
South Africa seems to getting a better handle on this issue than the US. Obviously, banning all gluten products from China was a very good start. Additionally, the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) has “…asked the Pet Food Institute (PFI) to require its members, who may have used the contaminated corn gluten, or other suspect contaminated material, regardless of the presumed level of melamine, to immediately recall the products.
These should only be made available for sale once the presence of melamine had been eliminated by independent testing, said Steenkamp.
“Failing this, Sava will make the manufacturer or brand known to its members, so they can advise the public on food that may not be safe.”
He said Sava had now declared melamine an officially recognised toxin, capable of inducing serious clinical disease, and would insist that all pet food be tested.
“In this regard, Sava will advise its members that they should only offer products that have been certified free from Melamine for sale in their practices.
“This advice will, equally, apply to ethylene glycol, as an extra safety measure, even though this toxin was not involved in the RC crisis.” — Sapa
Comment by Eva — April 20, 2007 @ 7:29 am
We all expected to see a smackdown of the dry foods, but God, this is awful :(
Comment by Sharon H — April 20, 2007 @ 7:29 am
Three down, two to go of the “big five”…..I wonder how many more weeks we have to wait to get the rest of these morons to come clean!!!!!
Comment by Jan — April 20, 2007 @ 7:30 am
Steve, didnt I tell you that more would be dropped in the middle of the night, while we were all snug in our beds with visions of poison pet food dancing thru our heads? Ouch, that was bad! OK I know they didnt release all the 4 names yet but I think we need 2 now?
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 7:31 am
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:04 am
Nope. The reality is China is not the “Disney Land Orlando Bejing!” Corporate America has been painting it to be and in fact is a fifth rate toxic dump. (The worst of industrial age capitalism)
Slap a Bio Technology!!! label on stuff sitting around or in sewer sludge and deadly chemicals. Varmits feeding on it. And some American Capitalist would buy it if it keeps his costs way down and not even think twice about it.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 7:31 am
I think we will see Thursday AND Friday night drops on info and recall products as there are too many now to just do it in one night…have to spread it out over 2 days now instead of one.
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 7:32 am
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 7:31 am
I bet my money on tonight after dark. When everyone is preoccupied with everything but scrutinizing the news wires to see which poison we are expected to accept next.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 7:35 am
Steve,
I know China is a toxic waste dump and they are taking their toxic waste and dumping it across the seas into our pet food.
This is terrible and our country needs to put a stop to this so we can feed our pets and our families without fearing for their lives.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:36 am
I was wondering why Royal Canin called it a “melamine derivative” in their press release last night. I thought that wording was very odd.
Comment by Christi Alcox — April 20, 2007 @ 7:38 am
Sharon H:
Here it is again:
Veterinarians and nutritionists said that other potential targets for tampering could include whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, soy grits and soy lecithin.
I copied it from the latest news on this website entitled “Pet Food Recall: Researchers identify three other contaminants in urine, kidneys of pets who ate recalled foods”.
It’s almost to the bottom of the article.
Comment by Jan — April 20, 2007 @ 7:40 am
I have thought that they just dumped a bunch of toxic waste in the glutens - protein mix, anything “white” and sent it over - make it heavier, make the protein count high - didn’t make - take our money, kill our pets, and what can we do about it?
Their government will protect them and not let the U.S. investigators in their country. Terrible, horrific, worse than living in hades.
God help us all and god save our pets from a painful and horrible death. PET FOOD COMAPANIES STOP USING PRODUCTS FROM CHINA - RIGHT NOW JUST STOP IT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE STOP IT.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:41 am
Here’s news about the organization Pets Need A Voice Too planning a nationwide memorial march:
http://www.pnv2.com/page2.html
Comment by Brooklyn Stargazer — April 20, 2007 @ 7:42 am
I truly believe that BERNIE should be the head of the FDA!!!!
All those in favor…….
Comment by Peg — April 20, 2007 @ 7:43 am
Jan,
Thank you so much!!! I’ve been online all morning trying to get info on Boca and Morning Star Farms. Hubby’s vegan and we have TONS of this stuff in our freezer.
Comment by Eva — April 20, 2007 @ 7:43 am
I’ve Been checking differnt pet foods web site, IAMS does not have on their site,that they don’t use rice in latest recall, nutro site says they don’t get the rice from w.e. natura pet-innova,cal.natural said they don’t use w.e.. red flags if u don’t see a posting on a pet food site. but then again who the hell do u trust now. this was no accident no way
Comment by MARRY ANN — April 20, 2007 @ 7:46 am
Johnnypaycut:
I like your common sense approach and it isn’t couched in computer talk formal speak - and I just wish you would tone it down just a tad so we can have the benefit of your insight.
There is nothing wrong with believing we should buy products made in the U.S.A. and right now that makes alot of common sense to me.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Breaking News: USA Today said that not all the rice protein concentrate is accounted for. this was on itchmo.
again, I can’t copy anything as I am borrowing someone’s elses computer and I don’t like it at all. my lap top is not connected to the internet -ugh.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:53 am
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:41 am
Your pleading to guys who’s God is money. The “Temple of Commerce”. Nothing Spiritual about it.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Comment by Eva
Concern is shared about vegetarian soy burgers, Morningstar Farms, Boca, etc. Please post any info that you get from the companies. So far, it has not been well researched recently.
http://www.soyinfo.com/soydefs.shtml#spc
“Soy Protein Concentrate — A processed concentrate made from defatted soybean flakes. It contains largely soy protein, but retains some soy fiber as well. It is usually made from genetically-manipulated (non-organic) soy. Soy protein concentrate is commonly found in frozen “soy” burgers. Despite heavily-hyped claims about soy protein concentrate in relation to heart disease, osteoporosis, etc., health-conscious comsumers will probably want to limit this processed, genetically-manipulated form of soy and rely largely on healthier soy choices such as soy milk, tempeh, tofu, tamari, natto, etc.
Soy Protein Isolate — A highly-processed protein isolate where the soy protein is removed from defatted soybean flakes. Soy protein isolate contains over 90% soy protein. It commonly contains genetically-manipulated soy. While the soy protein in the isolate is easily-digestible, the use of genetically-manipulated soy and the heavy processesing which removes much of other elements of the soybeans make soy protein isolate a product to avoid where possible. Tofu and tempeh can be used instead as they contain easily-digestible forms of soy protein as well as all of the other beneficial aspects of the soybean.”
http://www.soyinfo.com/haz/gehaz.shtml
Comment by Laurie — April 20, 2007 @ 8:00 am
Heartless creeps out to kill us all. They make me sick and there’s nothing nice about it - it’s worse than a cheap B movie horror flick but the problem is we can always leave the movie studio but we seem to be stuck in this real life nightmare and it keeps getting worse.
I wish the worst fate possible for them - they can all go broke!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 8:01 am
If anyone can find anything that would indicate the affects are of these 3 new chemicals on pets, I would love to see it although its sounding like once again, no one knows? I want to know what my kitty went thru in the weeks and months before she died.
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 8:05 am
And I have another question. So the Chinese are saying they didnt intend the gluten for food purposes….so I know I am gullible but if that is correct, wouldnt it be that the buyer such as ChemNutra maybe screwed up and sent the wrong thing to pet food companies or are the Chinese just doing damage control? If they didnt intend it for food purposes, what else is it used for? Thanks to anyone who can help my foggy tired mind take all of this in…
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 8:08 am
I still can’t believe how little of the media is reporting on this. On cnn.com, they have headline stories about such pressing issues as Alec Baldwin calling his daughter a pig, but nothing about the newest recalls.
Glad to see they have their priorities straight.
Comment by Lisa C — April 20, 2007 @ 8:09 am
RE: Jan - posted today at 7:22 a.m.
Be aware that there are also kinds of “meat protein isolates,” if they’re also suspect.
I found “PORK PROTEIN ISOLATE” in Hill’s Prescription Diet a/d canned dog food ingredients list.
There is probably a “_______ protein isolate” for every type of meat and fish.
Let’s not wait until each kind of protein concentrate, gluten, pomace, and isolate is tested IN SUCCESSION, and then listen as the news trickles out weekly.
At this point, just about any ingredient is suspect, and instead of naming them all in a group so consumers can be aware (Oh, no! That would hurt pet food sales. Oh, well. More pets might die,), I’m afraid we may be hearing about more tainted groups of ingredients as time goes on.
Pardon me, while I feed my canine fur babies a half chicken breast and stretch it out with a little bread.
***********Below, from Jan *************
I just posted this at Itchmo….I think it’s important we all know about the rest of the suspect ingredients:
I just read somewhere the following ingredients, found in pet food, are now suspect:
whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, soy grits & soy lecithin
Comment by petlover — April 20, 2007 @ 8:10 am
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 8:01 am
May as well dig in for the long haul Linda. These guys aren’t going to go down easy.
Right guys? Hows your show going today up in Chicago? Whats todays big subject-topic. New Treats? A bright future, rapidly approaching in celestial proportions?
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 8:11 am
Lisa C:
Thank you…..I needed a laugh & your post about Baldwin cracked me up.
Petlover:
Scary to think that this is only the tip of the iceberg. It was bad enough when we wondered whether or not there was wheat gluten, then rice protein in the food & whether or not it was listed. Now we don’t know whether or not any of the ingredients listed are from China & tainted along with the rest of the stuff.
Oh me oh my, what to do….
Comment by Jan — April 20, 2007 @ 8:16 am
Here you go. Check the Web Site of Globalist and Investment Guru Dr Marc Faber. He is also associated with a variety of funds and is a member of the Board of Directors of numerous companies.
This is the mentality we are dealing with.
http://www.gloomboomdoom.com/portalgbd/homegbd.cfm
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 8:19 am
Sandi,
As a partial answer for your question, look at
http://www.kswheat.com/general.asp?id=137
It says that wheat gluten, anyway, can be used “for the preparations of adhesives, coatings, polymers and resins”. So it does have some non-food uses.
I still don’t believe them, though. Three separate grain products, all contaminated?
Comment by Lisa C — April 20, 2007 @ 8:22 am
RE: Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 6:39 am
—
Hey STEVE! I have a different scenario: A “medical team” — you, me & all the other 1000’s of bloggers on this board, all dressed in “whites”, show up at EACH pet food company & manufacturing plant. We arrive precisely at the same time, with our FEEDING TUBES in tow & announce “It’s time for your feeding!” Then, we proceed to shove that tube down there throats & GIVE ‘EM A TASTE OF THEIR OWN CONCOCTION! I LOVE IT!
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 8:24 am
Does anyone find it odd that Purina had something like 80% of its canned foods contracted to Menu, is probably the largest supplier in the pet food industry, yet most of their foods continue to be okay? As to my previous post inquiring about vet-sulin for diabetic cats, I believe that is made from pork ingredients. Could explain a lot.
Comment by keith — April 20, 2007 @ 8:26 am
From itchmo . com PIGS THAT ATE RICE PROTEIN WERE SLAUGHTERED & SOLD!
**************from itchmo’s most recent blog**
Also, pigs that ate contaminated rice protein were slaughtered and sold before the government could quarantine them. It is not clear whether the meat made it into consumers’ hands. The pigs ate salvaged pet food from Diamond Pet Foods.
Comment by petlover — April 20, 2007 @ 8:34 am
Over the past couple of days we have been working on a room addition. While sawing sheet rock & foam insulation, I thought — hmmmm, we could bag this up & sell it to CHINA! Just a sarcastic thought…. errrr!
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 8:36 am
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 8:24 am
I’m from the school of give them enough rope and they will hang themselves.
A hard hitting deep digging brazen in your face expose done by professionals would be a good start. Because you know they are doing the same stuff right at this very second they have been doing all along. Which is not knowing what they are doing and not caring.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 8:36 am
As poster Don said yesterday, WHY is this government hesitating to put a complete ban on ALL food products from CHINA until we find exactly where and when all the poison is?
One threat of madcow and they have a ban in place that day.
Somehow, all this stuff ends up with a finger pointing to the WhiteHouse everytime.
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 8:44 am
This server is bogging down.
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 8:47 am
I’ve had it! #(*%%(*&^@ @#%^$&*@# @*(^$%@
What are these idiots doing? It is not up to them to play Russian roulette with my pets lives!!!!!!!
Check the lists, they say, before going shopping..$%^##%*( When the lists aren’t even up to date!! *(%$#*&%^.
*(%^(&%# I have to check the list and this blog and Itchmo and the PetConnection and every other blog I can think of BEFORE EACH FEEDING!!!
And then what, Pray that the food I fed last doesn’t show up on the list tomorrow?!?!?!!? Now I have to save every empty container and write the date fed on them, JUST IN CASE I FED THEM POISON!!! (%#%*)(&
I just want to know where all these businesses think they will be once they have POISONED and KILLED all our PETS.
Are they too STUPID to figure out that if they KILL all the PETS there will be NO customers and their BUSINESS will be RUINED.
Their oh, so, important REPUTATIONS will be totally meaningless and that they will all be BANKRUPT and/or in JAIL.
%&$*()^&$@#%^#%&*&(^(*^)(^@&^*$#^!#(&$(&@($&) &*$^(@&%$&^#*&^$)(@!)*&^(*^$*&$^
AS of Yesterday:
THE FDA is just as CRIMINAL as the Rest of Them.
WHAT are we going to do??? Have the National Guard BRING around FOODS for my PETS, Set up FEEDING STATIONS and do TRIAGE in the STREETS???
Don’t thy KNOW that Most people are not as computer and Internet-Literate as they need to be.
We already know that some stores are lax about pulling product…
What Are All the GRANDMAS and GRANDPAS to do.
They have to be totally stressed out as it is!!!
How are the OLDSTERS to have any PEACE of MIND about FEEDING their (possibly) ONLY COMPANION.
This NONSENSE has to END, NOW!!!!!
Comment by Peggy — April 20, 2007 @ 8:53 am
Even more maddening than China is this stupid government we have. They’re talking about 8 who got fired while the food supply is being poisoned and that shill Chertoff disappears off the planet, hiding somewhere.
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 9:01 am
I have never heard the symptoms associated with the illness found in dogs from the contaminated food. I am concerned because my dog just died quite unexpectedly. Thanks
Comment by Kiki — April 20, 2007 @ 9:05 am
WHY is this government hesitating to put a complete ban on ALL food products from CHINA until we find exactly where and when all the poison is?
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 8:44 am
Chen Zhao, managing editor of Bank Credit Analyst Group’s China Analyst.
Another point, what [goods do] Americans buy from China? Those goods are not manufactured in North America anyway. So if the Americans do not buy from China, they will have to buy the same goods from somewhere else at higher prices.
At the end of the day, you will not reduce your current account and trade deficit. That is the bottom line. The final point I want to make is the Bush administration, they have to be careful what they ask for. If they get it, once they get it, they may not like it, right?
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Keith -
Where did you get the info that Purina had 80% of their canned food contracted to Menu? Can’t recall ever seeing that and thought they manufactured their own primarily.
Comment by Linda P. — April 20, 2007 @ 9:11 am
RE: again, I can’t copy anything as I am borrowing someone’s elses computer and I don’t like it at all. my lap top is not connected to the internet -ugh.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 7:53 am
————
One thing I do is email links to myself. I do that all the time, besides saving to FAVORITES, which I realize you can’t do. You can also “save to disk”.
A suggestion — open your email program, Yahoo, etc do one compose email to yourself, then copy/paste a whole day’s worth of links in there.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 9:14 am
It’s 11:13am in Mi and the FDA Royal Canin recall
just hit my email site
Comment by VJ — April 20, 2007 @ 9:14 am
Can’t recall ever seeing that and thought they manufactured their own primarily.
Comment by Linda P. — April 20, 2007 @ 9:11 am
Everyone else thought the same thing. Until March 16.
The recall has exposed the fact that, although sold under many different brand names, most pet foods are created only a few manufacturers, such as Menu Foods, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The companies that own the brand hire these “contract manufacturers” to make their particular pet food. The contract company owns the processing plant where the food is made and rent out time on their production equipment to make each particular kind of food. Officials explain it is a much cheaper way of making the food because each individual brand doesn’t have to buy the expensive manufacturing equipment themselves.
The manufacturing company purchases the ingredients while the brand often provides the recipe or formula for their particular brand of pet food.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:16 am
Linda P.- I remember that too. Purina stating very few products/varieties were made by Menu. That was nearly a month ago. I keep 12 weeks of history on my computer. I could probably find it somewhere — except they’ve probably changed the page.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 9:17 am
It’s a pathetic situation this country’s gotten into. And the future vision was clear back then but they went and did it anyway.
This country used to manufacture, well made great products and now we import totally inferior, tin coated junk. These dumbbels in the whitehouse don’t know the game of brinkmanship wisely, instead they say “OK” to everything and in the process get kicked in the rear while the opponent laughs.
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Their all in it together.
http://tinyurl.com/2j9pd8
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:21 am
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Yeah. What it means is the pair of rubber gardening clogs you bought from your favorite designer catalog for $29.95 is the same product made in the same factory in China you could have picked up for $4.95 at Wal Mart.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:23 am
Ok.. toned down, how in gods name can ya tone
down killing?
(sorry that 1 screams doesn’t it?). anyway ,
we really have to end trade with ‘em. they’l not agree to our idea of responsibilty , so
it’s back to square 1. (i maintain at this time
a miltary option would not be chosen by china). that would have been used if theirs no response
to the present issue ,at a future time?
very dangerous that goverment.
sorry about making people upset, it’s the nature of the problem that is making people upset? not my choice , im simply stateing
how dangerous this is. if left unanswered
i’d expect a futher “test” from comapnys
protected by goverment.
and eventually followed by agressive action ?
fortunately i think they’d “back off” when
everyone stops using their “products”
(but WILL seek another option, at a latter time).
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 9:27 am
My comment at 9:14am that the FDA warning on Canin just came thru. Now the Blue Buffalo warning came
in at 11:35am
Comment by VJ — April 20, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 9:27 am
My oh my what would we do if we had to actually start producing our own stuff again? Imagine that. What a cutting edge concept.
I bet you the globalist set would start getting extremely nervous. Because that means they would actually have to start paying people what they are worth. And worse, create jobs and hire people.
Americans want cheap stuff right?
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:32 am
Thanks Kat - I’ll try the e-mail thing.
LindaMS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Johnnypaycut:
I sure hope you can keep your comments within the acceptable range because I believe that all points of view are important, and one of my favorites is buy American goods, hard to find though, but I agree with it.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 9:37 am
I have access to some science journals, and I just ran a couple searches. I ran across a reference to a study in which researchers induced cancer in rats by melamine ingestion. If this got mentioned earlier, I missed it, because I don’t remember reading about melamine as a known carcinogen. I wasn’t able to access the original atudy article, but a journal article that referenced it said: “Melamine (2,4,6-triamino-s-triazine) is a resin widely used in thermosetting domestic plastics. Twenty-four hours after its ingestion, 90% of the administered dose is excreted in urine. A high percentage of rodents, chronically treated with melamine, developed uroliths and transitional cell carcinomas.
So theveterinary community is going to be seeing fallout from this for a long time, if this is true.
Comment by CatLady — April 20, 2007 @ 9:41 am
Chen Zhao,
Imangine china with NO U.S. technology?
NO trade ,(add most nations that have been victimised too? we’l be sure to tell ‘em OUR
plans? buddy!
sigh…
it’s what your goverment is asking for!
the rest of the free world will be fine without you..
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 9:42 am
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 9:37 am
“They Will Buy More”
http://tinyurl.com/ywxhyp
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:42 am
I dream of the old days Steve when we had names like Millers Falls, Rockwell, Bodine, Stanley, Millwaukee, Goodell-Pratt. Those were unbeatable machines all American made of virgin pure steel. Stuff you can pass down to your children for generations. No more.
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Catlady, read that about the carcinogenic findings - but the further info said it was from irritation from the crystals, not from the substance, I believe, - so I was somewhat relieved although no less horrified.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — April 20, 2007 @ 9:51 am
Comment by CatLady — April 20, 2007 @ 9:41 am
Catlady, would you be able to find those articles about melamine and cancer and let us know where it is, Im very interested in that…
Comment by Sandi K — April 20, 2007 @ 9:53 am
Comment by Gary — April 20, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Best products in the World.
The marketing gurus have convinced people quantity is superior to quality. Now we are experiencing the end result of that smoke and mirrors trick.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 9:58 am
All that is America was built on an ideal
that gave oportunity to each person to contribute to this country. it was grassroots.
and it still is? the difference today is the
roots extend futher ?
maybe some morrons don’t get it. but 99% of the
planet does? why is america seen as oportunity.why do people come here to study?
why do other countrys adopt democratic ideals
to anyone who thinks america is owned by ceo’s
and corrupt companys you’d better check that
pork you’v been eatting ? it’s made you crazy!
we still have the best standard of living,
we still have the best research, and scientific
resources? when other’s are trying to launch
exploration to space, we went to the moon 38 years ago? I THINK WE CAN FEED OUR OWN PEOPLE,
I THINK WE CAN DO FAR BETTER THAN WE’R DOING ?
we’r being tested ‘cause other’s think we’r soft
lazy? end imports from china.. tell ‘em to take
a hike!!!!
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Keith -
If you look on Purina website and read their press releases, you will find that Mighty Dog pouches were the only food made for them by Menu and was recalled. Alpo Cuts and Gravy were also recalled, but were made by Purina in their Nebraska plant. This was the only one of their 17 plants that received the tainted wheat gluten. Purina was not included in the original Menufood recall, but did their own recall on these two items. I am not defending Purina, but we have to keep things in perspective and at least try to get the facts straight. Your statement that Purina had 80% of their canned foods manufactured by Menu was just not true, and was misleading to people on this site trying to make decisions regarding what to feed their pets.
Comment by Linda P. — April 20, 2007 @ 10:11 am
I know a guy who put himself through a top engineering school on a full academic scholarship. Entered a collapsing job market and was robbed by Merril Lynch in the 90s. Been through a few “work hard / get laid off” cycles. Now self-employed. Working hard (working poor) - but at least he’s not generating any more surplus wealth for the parasite class.
Comment by Steve — April 20, 2007 @ 10:12 am
I am not against wealth or the rich - I am against evil and it is the heart that creates the evil and evil hearts are in every class, rich or poor. Some come on now you guys -
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Sorry - so come now you guys!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 10:17 am
I would like to know how pool chlorine got into the cat and dog food? And a drug that people use for hypertention. Purina makes their dry food in the USA.
Comment by Jill — April 20, 2007 @ 10:19 am
Linda ,
I say they’l bury more!!! (poisoned water,
toxic foods? etc.
we can manage just fine , lets work to nuture
our country, care for it’s ecology, start with
the knowledge of generations of people that lived with the land (early america, and even before that, the native americans).
let the BIG money invesetors follow their pipe
dreams? look what happen to us , steel mills
pollution, and everything that comes from it.
we have better knowledge now? use it..
we still can offer outstanding knowledge in
many fields.. if some rising 3rd.world country
wants to recreate our previous mistakes, polluted air,
toxic water..
so what..
Comment by johnypaycut — April 20, 2007 @ 10:19 am
MELAMINE INFORMATION AND TOXICITY:
Synonyms
Ammelide
Cyanuramide
Cyanuric triamide
Cyanurotriamide
Cyanurotriamine
Cyanurtriamide
Cymel
Hicophor PR
Isomelamine
NCI-C50715
Teoharn
Theoharn
Triaminotriazine
2,4,6-Triaminotriazine
2,4,6-Triamino-s-triazine
2,4,6-Triamino-1,3,5-triazine
s-Triazinetriamine
1,3,5-Triazine 2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-triimine
Virset 656-4
http://www.inchem.org/document.....amine.html
International Chemical Safety Cards
MELAMINE
EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSURE:
When ingested in large amounts the substance may have effects on the kidneys and bladder, resulting in stone formation
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng1154.html
Safety data for melamine
Toxicology
Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Chronic exposure may cause cancer or reproductive damage. Eye, skin and respiratory irritant.
http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ME/melamine.html
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER
Volume 73
Some Chemicals that Cause Tumours of the Kidney or
Urinary Bladder in Rodents and Some Other Substances
http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/.....lume73.pdf
Comment by mal — April 20, 2007 @ 10:19 am
I agree Johnny. I love America so very much. I was raised in the desert from a gold mining (blasint) and gypsum mining family living in the most beautiful god’s country there is - if you like rattle snakes, coyotes, and plenty of red rock. And our old home is now a State Park North of Mojave, CA.
So being tough and loving America was bred into me. I couldn’t wait to get back home after visiting Europe. I just love America - even tacky America is fine with me.
Let’s clean it up and keep it beautiful.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 20, 2007 @ 10:34 am
I heard awhile back on the News and on yahoo News that China was poisoning their own dogs for over population.
Comment by Jill — April 20, 2007 @ 11:17 am
After reading about the newest contaminants, I have been reading more pet food labels and finding there are a lot of other additives in our pet foods that are toxic to our pets. Pedigree, who has said their foods are safe, uses onion powder and garlic powder along with yellow dyes in their canned Chunky Chicken. Onions and Garlic are toxic to dogs. Even in small amounts. Also use of some dyes can cause liver ailments and cancers. I also looked at the label on Friskies Salmon Dinner for cats. It contains Red 3, which can be toxic to cats. It also contains Sodium Nitrates which are even toxic to humans. Here are a couple of websites I found that have more information on foods that are toxic to our pets. Now, this is really getting scary. I don’t know now for sure what killed my cat and I have another cat and a dog to worry about. What next?
http://www.purelypets.com and http://www.peteducation.com
Comment by Linda Tsatskowski — April 20, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Something must be brewing
“Will China’s poisoned pet food lead next to human food chain?
. . . .
Sherlock Holmes’ hint for FDA: ChemNutra Chinese headquarters, Zuhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. are all within the same 300 to 400-mile region of each other, right there on the East coast of China.
. . . .
Detective tip two: ChemNutra President Sally Qing Miller is now plain Sally Miller . . . .” http://www.canadafreepress.com.....042007.htm
Comment by Stefania — April 20, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Good news is that when a test becomes common the cost usually goes way way down when the necessary agents get into bulk manufacture and a supply chain is established.
Good news is also that these Chinese grain exporters are relatively new companies, so their ethics problems may not have affected anyone else for long.
We may well have seen the canary in the coal mine effect here… Taking information from the patent - Melamine, though harmless itself, increases the toxicity and longevity of a wide variety of toxins - along with a small contamination of a real toxin.
I could begin to think the Melamine was deliberately used to boost the (apparent) protein content, and won’t be detected by the testing we do, and is generally harmless, but when a real toxin is also contaminating the products, THEN they get caught. Things like this are often detected by accident, particularly if the contamination is by intent and designed around the testing in place.
I don’t like to be paranoid, but it’s getting easier and easier. I really hate being paranoid when I’m right, too…
Comment by steve a — April 20, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
Some Royal Canin products have been recalled?!
Gee…and they told me when my JuJu got sick, that their food was as safe as could be!
Her food is not amongst the recalled…but contained corn gluten…maybe it was just enough to get her sick in her weakened condition…but not others?
I don’t trust anything with any of these substances in them.
Comment by Marcy — April 20, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
To see the journal article I mentioned farther up the comments, I placed the file at http://tinyurl.com/2og54p
Comment by CatLady — April 20, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
Thanks CatLady. proliferative ur lesions, transitional invasive carcinoma ….
won’t we be having fun.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — April 20, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
The corn gluten was only in Africa and not in the us
Comment by Jill — April 20, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Gluten, melamine, and cyanuric acid are all used in adhesives. I wonder if the ‘gluten’ was really wallpaper paste powder or something similar.
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Makes you wonder just how long this melamine has been put in our pet foods to “boost” (apparent) protein. This is so disgusting. I have been feeding my dog “premium” (HA!) Eukanuba for the 8 years of her life. I even only give her filtered water, to protect her from the carcinogens in our water supply, and now I think about the last 8 years of feeding her this crap, and perhaps promoting uroliths(which her breed is predisposed to and which she has been diagnosed with). Hell, the food contaminants probably caused them! I have her on Canidae now. I just pray that their suppliers don’t ultimately get anything from China! They (and other organic foods) say that they only get products from America, but where to their SUPPLIERS get their products from?! I cautiously “trust” them for now but am holding my breath! Damn China!!!
Comment by John — April 20, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
Go to Nestle.com.2006 management report.Nestle-Purina has 20 factories in China.400,000 farmers in the Global World,of which 50% are in poor countries,Nestle is a Swiss owned company.The CEO McGinnis was a Dupont CEO.The Board of Directors were Former Minister’s,England Banh President,etc.The Nestle Stock/Shares is sold by Citibank(Saudi Arabia’s Prince owns Majority of shares),Nestle owns Gerber,Beetchnut,Purina,Poland Springs,Pure life water,Powerbar energy bars,Neurentis Med.,Hospital foods,…From Cradle to Grave,Human’s and our Pet’s!!!!!!Linda P. who wrote is the Purina Food processing Rep. in St.Louis,,…Be aware of your Bloggers,…..
Comment by joe Romano — April 20, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
OOh, boy - this is a relief! I guess they figure they’d better be sayin’ this — lest they have a Million-man/woman march to the White House!
http://tinyurl.com/yrt72a
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The health risk appeared to be “minimal” for people who ate pork from a hog farm where an industrial chemical was found in its animals, state officials said Friday…….
Comment by Kat — April 20, 2007 @ 11:41 pm
http://tinyurl.com/2fq7m4
The above link goes to the FDA’s final ruling on Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness, which does include animals. This is a very long document so I have copied an important piece, one which addressed the issue of FDA’s role in a recall.
(Comment 4) One comment asserts that when food presents a risk of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals, a
class I recall is used and can quickly eliminate problems, whereas
recordkeeping, at best, will get a message to the retail locations where products were placed on sale to consumers. The comment questions the benefit of the copious amounts of information and possible implementation of an intricate new product tracking system required by the regulations. The comment asserts that class I recalls will continue
to be the appropriate means by which a potential hazard is handled and that requiring the expenditure of significant resources to develop a new system in the absence of a Congressional mandate or a genuine need is questionable. The comment recommends that FDA continue to rely upon the proven capabilities of class I recalls and cooperation with the food industry. The comment suggests that FDA should develop a system to contact the appropriate companies to engage their assistance in addressing threats to the food supply, rather than requiring the
onerous recordkeeping specified in the regulations.
(Response) This comment assumes that the contaminated food and its whereabouts are known completely, which may not always be the case. As such, the need exists for records to be able to trace forward fully to all locations where the food was shipped, as well as trace backwards to locate any similarly contaminated food shipped to all other locations. Moreover, class I recalls are voluntary measures only. In the Bioterrorism Act, Congress has given FDA the means both to establish requirements for establishment and maintenance of records, and to administratively detain, on its own initiative, food for which FDA has credible evidence or information that the food presents a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals
(section 303 of the Bioterrorism Act). In addition, the records are needed not only to help remove contaminated food from the market place, but also to help identify the source of the contamination.
Comment by Carole — April 20, 2007 @ 11:52 pm
http://tinyurl.com/3ymu7d
What criteria does FDA use to order a detention?
An officer or qualified employee of FDA may order the detention of any article of food that is found during an inspection, examination, or investigation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act if the officer or qualified employee has credible evidence or information indicating such article presents a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.
Comment by Carole — April 20, 2007 @ 11:56 pm
HAS ANYONE CHECKED WITH CDC TO SEE IN RENAL FAILURE IN HUMANS HAS INCREASED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND, THAT IT WAS UP 17% THE LAST TEN YEARS AT THE HOSPITAL SHE WORKED AT. IF THIS IS TRUE, COULD THE OURSOURCING OF OUR FOOD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS PURTS EVERYONES HEALTH AT RISK? IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO KEEP THIS AS QUIET AS POSSIBLE(IT’S NOT WORKING) WHICH MAKES ME VERY SUSPICIOUS. I THINK THAT PROBABLY CHINA HAS BEEN FEEDING THEIR HUGE OVERPOPULATION OF PEOPLE WITH THIS STUFF TOO. ARE WE BEING FED THIS STUFF, IS IT IN OUR FOOD TOO?
Comment by lori anderson — April 21, 2007 @ 12:17 am
For Bernie - Found some comments similar to your theory, responding to article found here: http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2824
Comment by Barb — April 21, 2007 @ 1:09 am
Not sure whether this is covered yet.
http://www.medi-cal.ca/
Interesting that they SPECIFICALLY identify “cyanuric acid, which is chemically related to, but distinct from, melamine”:
“Medi-Cal/Royal Canin Canada Voluntary Product Recall
April 20, 2007 - Medi-Cal/Royal Canin Canada Voluntary Product Recall (all date codes of):
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET CANINE EARLY CARDIAC EC
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET CANINE SENSITIVITY RC (Rice and Catfish)
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET CANINE SKIN SUPPORT SS
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET FELINE HYPOALLERGENIC HP
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET FELINE SENSITIVITY RD (Rice and Duck)
Royal Canin has discovered a new contaminant in rice gluten. This
contaminant is cyanuric acid, which is chemically related to, but distinct from, melamine.
Comment by Pat — April 21, 2007 @ 10:26 am
There’s a petition going around that sends email to Congress asking them to block foreign foodstuffs until we know they are safe.
http://www.rallycongress.com/protectourpets/772/
Comment by Bob — April 21, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
Bob
Thanks so much for petition link. I just used it and sent to friends. Please post on other threads like Hogs, dogs and cats, etc. Make sure everyone sees it.
Thanks again.
Comment by Kathi — April 21, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
A little more insight on what we’re dealing with in deceptions and lies.
http://chinaorgans.notlong.com
Comment by Gary — April 21, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
I may be way out in left field with this, but it’s been on my mind since this all began. We’ve always been very careful w/any chemicals around our dog. Our previous dog died (6/16/2000)from hemolytic anemia and we learned alot about nutrition & everyday chemicals during her illness. 3 yrs ago, my 3 yr old healthy, active dog was hospitalized w/acute renal failure. After 3 days on IV fluids & antibiotics, all tests were normal and he came home happy and healthy. The only new product I was using was Mr. Clean Eraser. I had used it on the windowsill where he laid his head and watched the world go by. When I called Proctor & Gamble, they said that the product was made from melamine and was non-toxic. I was just so happy he was okay, I didn’t pursue it, but never used it near him again. Does anyone find it interesting that P&G is Menu Foods largest customer and they use melamine in another very popular product. The MSDS shows formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfate copolymer as the ingredients and hazardous ingredients: None. Hmmm…. http://www.pg.com/content/pdf/.....4AVABHO3ML
Comment by Cathy — April 21, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Interesting, from chron.com:
quote:
The FDA and Agriculture Department also were investigating whether some pet food made by one of the five companies supplied by Wilbur-Ellis was diverted for use as hog feed after it was found unsuitable for pet consumption.
end quote
WHICH MEANS THEY KNEW!!!!! They knew they couldn’t use it in pet food, so they sent it off to be used to feed hogs?? And, subsequently, people? It also begs the question: which company was this?
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor.....32830.html
Comment by Cornelia — April 21, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
Okay, now I’m really getting paranoid. I posted this comment a couple of hours ago and just got an ‘OUT OF AREA’ phone call. I answered hoping it was the FDA or Nutro returning my calls. The man said my name and hung up. You think I’m going nuts?
Comment by Cathy — April 21, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
I don’t know if the link I just posted to my web page on China will post to the list or not. If that or a snapshot that you can click on does post, check it out - I compiled some information on what is going on in China.
I don’t think it particularly constructive to blithely insult everything that has ever come from China, such as “Chinese takeout”. I’m not actually planning to buy no more from Walmart. But China itself has overwhelming, mind boggling, global ecology threatening problems, and food from there is not at this time safe for human or animal consumption. Not ALL food from tehre is toxic, nor is food from all regions of China equally likely to be, but I don’t wish to gamble, and the last thing China really needs at the moment is misplaced sympathy from us. International dollars is the only thing her government understands at the moment.
Comment by Dora Smith — April 21, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
I have a specific question about the test results that identified cyanuric acid, amilorine, and amiloride. It goes to accurately identifying the nature of what chemicals are getting into the grain products how. It is stated that these are animal metabolites of melamine and also that they are part of identical crystals that were found in the toxic wheat gluten, leaving it unclear whether they were part of the toxic chemicals that got into the grain products.
The quote at the top of this blog states exactly what today’s newspaper article states; that “Researchers isolated a spoke-like crystal in pet food, wheat gluten, and in the urine, kidneys and tissues of infected animals (miswording the author’s).” So far, identical crystals were found in the grain products, the pet food, and the animal tissues from animals who ate the food and got sick.
“About 30 percent of THOSE CRYSTALS (the identical crystals that were found in both the wheat gluten and the animal tissues) are made up of melamine, one investigator said (would have been nice to be able to call the investigator for clarification), and researchers spent several weeks trying to identify what is in THE REMAINDER (of the identical crystals that were found in both the wheat gluten and the animal tissues. Researchers in atleast three labs found cyanuric acid, amilorine, and amiloride — all by-products of melanine - IN THE CRYSTALS OF ANIMALS’ URINE, TISSUES AND KIDNEYS, according to Dr. Brent Hoff, a veterinarian and clinical toxicologist and pathologist, at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada (and two other specialists).
OK, either the crystals in the food and hte crystals in the animal tissues were identical or they were not. It is important to know whether these three chemicals were only found in the animal tissues or were already in the food the animals ate.
The article I have was written by Karen Roebuck, kroebuck@tribweb.com, 412-320-7939.
The other two veterinary specialists cited were Richard Goldstein, assc. professor of medicine at Cornell veterinary school, and Thomas Mullaney, acting director of Michigan State University Center for Population and Animal Health.
I’m planning to make some calls on Monday, if possible, and post what I learn, but I bet the owners of this site will get further with getting answers.
Comment by Dora Smith — April 21, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
I have followed some of the links provided by, if I am following the format of the blog properly, Kat and Margaret Bridge, on the breakdown of melamine and the three new chemicals.
First, the three new chemicals are all products of the breakdown of “s-triazine herbicides” in soil and by bacteria as well as in the bodies of animals. That means they could be part of the crystals found in the wheat gluten and the pet food that are identical to the crystals found in animal tissues, that contained the three new chemicals. They could have formed in the soil or as a result of bacterial breakdown of the melanine.
Second, melanine is a “s-triazine herbicide”, even though it is an ingredient in plastic and a fertilizer banned everywhere but Asia, and not a herbicide (we hope).
So we need to know if the melanine and its breakdown products could just have been in the soil where the grain grew.
I also just caught up with the pink bag thing. No, it doesn’t explain all three cases all by itself. And if we’re supposed to believe it, the inspectors who want to check the Chinese plants got their visas approved in five seconds last week.
Comment by Dora Smith — April 21, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
I was trying to relax,read another mag. to get my mind off my Mitten’s,Cremated Three months ago due to (Alpo Prime cuts,by Nestle Co.),when on page21 of the May issue of Consumer Reports article of “Special Lawn Section-How to Fix the top 10 lawn problems,and keep them from coming back.”,…1 Crabgrass.The Remedy : Apply CORN Gluten meal,….The EPA considers all three:Dithiopyr,prodiamine and pendimenthalin,as human carcinogens,….follow directions accordingly.Please ,all readers of pet connection be careful where your pets play this spring and summer on your Chemically treated lawns,…Dog’s sometimes eat grass,….Feeding them poisoned pet food is bad enough.Read All Lawn care products before applying(Domestic Animal warning )them on your lawns.Thanks Consumer Reports,and Pet Connection.
Comment by joe Romano — April 21, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
Bush has appointed over 100 Lobbyists to act as regulators. Conflict of Interest is rampant in this administration. I’m sure the Feds are doing everything they can this weekend to figure out how to protect their friends from any financial or legal liability they may face from this nightmare.
http://www.commondreams.org/he.....523-02.htm
Comment by Sharon — April 22, 2007 @ 8:00 am
That’s telling it like it is Sharon. This is an administration and political problem - and its ugly roots are wide and deep!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 22, 2007 @ 8:18 am
Yes Dora, some of my questions exactly! Bacteria are pretty good at breaking down atrazine in the soil, the ones with a specific enzyme that is. So far I’ve found evidence of several species of everyday soil bacteria that have this enzyme and some tinkering by scientists to put this ability into other bacteria. For these bacteria Melamine is food and the 3 “new” toxins listed are ones common to breakdown by bacteria. I think I’m way too tired to try and find out how cats and dogs would metabolize the 3 breakdown products, but that IS a question that needs to be answered.
Also I have no idea if a plant would “take up” the metabolites or the melamine into their tissue and become systemic or concentrated in the wheat seed. That’s another whole search. It could just be plain old dirt in the wheat gluten and the melamine food gave them something to eat.
I’d like to know if they plated out a wash of the wheat gluten+melamine to see if they’d find a preponderance of these soil organisms.
I am further confused by the recent declaration of the Chinese that this product was industrial wheat gluten not meant for consumption by pets. Do they mean it was (spoiled, cr*ppy, adulterated, moldy) wheat gluten spiked with Melamine+urea for cow food or do they mean it was supposed to go to industry where wheat gluten is used as a paper coating and even to make thermoplastics? Melamine wouldn’t be out of place in that instance and it may have even been a premix made for industry. There is even such a thing as melamine cyanurate, though for the life of me I don’t remember what the heck it’s used for.
So many questions, so little energy….
Comment by CathyA — April 22, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Oh yeah Dora, to flesh out one thought: it may not have anything to do with wheat itself, but perhaps having melamine all over the place for blocks around the melamine plant. Melamine eating bacteria would be dominant in the soil and perhaps the presence of the breakdown products is a sort of an “infestation” of the plant itself.
Comment by CathyA — April 22, 2007 @ 9:16 am
cripes, I should go back to bed…..infestation of the melamine plant……not wheat plant…..sort of like having moths in a granary!
Comment by CathyA — April 22, 2007 @ 9:18 am
I found this link
http://www.aqua-shine.com/Index/CyanuricAcid.htm
where it says melamine is used to determine the amount of cyanuric acid in pool water.
“A reagent called melamine is used. The melamine combines with the cyanuric acid in the water to form a fine, insoluble, white precipitate that causes the water to cloud in proportion to the amount of cyanuric acid in it. When the water clouds, it becomes more difficult to see an object in it.”
An “insoluble precipitate” would surely mess up the kidneys and maybe that’s the mechanism of harm the researchers are looking for.
Comment by Bob Huffman — April 23, 2007 @ 9:07 am