Pet food recall: Congressional committee hearing on pet food recall
By Christie Keith
April 23, 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.
Don’t forget that tomorrow morning, Tuesday, April 24, beginning at 9:30 AM Eastern Time, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will be holding a hearing on “Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of the Nation’s Food Supply?”
Good question.
Which reminds me, when we blogged this last Friday, Gina wondered if by the time the hearing rolled around, the FDA would have revealed the names of the other two companies to whom Wilbur-Ellis sold contaminated rice protein concentrate.
It hasn’t, and instead, we now find out from Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Maria Cantwell of Washington that “in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine.”
One of the most interesting things about Tuesday’s hearing is the witness list – check out the third panel:
CEO, Menu Foods
CEO, ChemNutra, Inc.
Sr. Vice-president, Manufacturing
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
President
Natural Selection Foods
The full witness list is here (PDF).
As far as I can tell, you can listen to, and perhaps watch a videocast of, the hearing on the Committee website. If so, I’ll probably liveblog it, although that’s 6:30 AM for me. Perhaps someone in San Francisco would volunteer to show up on my doorstep with coffee?
Update: Here’s a piece from the AP that I’d like to quote every word of, but won’t… be sure to read it:
The same food safety net that couldn’t catch poisoned pet food ingredients from China has a much bigger hole.
[...]
Over the past five years, the AP found, U.S. food makers prospecting for bargains more than doubled their business with low-cost countries such as Mexico, China and India. Those nations also have the most shipments fail the limited number of checks the FDA makes.
“You don’t have to be a Ph.D. to figure out that … if someone were to put some type of a toxic chemical into a product that’s trusted, that could do a lot of damage before it’s detected,” said Michael Doyle, a microbiologist who directs the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety.
Doyle sat on several federal task forces studying threats to U.S. food security; while they discussed ingredients, he said, their findings are classified.
[...]
By its own latest accounting, the FDA only had enough inspectors to check about 1 percent of the 8.9 million imported food shipments in fiscal year 2006. Topping the list were products with past problems, such as seafood and produce.
“I don’t ever remember working on ingredients,” said Carl R. Nielsen, a former FDA official whose job until he left in 2005 was to make sure field inspectors were checking the right imports. “That was the lowest priority, a low priority.”
Update 2: Up from Brenda in the comments. Did China give in? The New York Times reports:
China on Monday has given American regulators permission to enter the country to investigate whether Chinese suppliers exported contaminated pet food ingredients to the United States earlier this year, leading to one of the largest pet food recalls in American history.
Representatives of the United States Food and Drug Administration had been blocked from entering China, despite growing evidence that the tainted pet food that killed at least 16 cats and dogs and sickened thousands of other animals in the United States originated with Chinese exporters of wheat gluten and other animal feed ingredients.
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What pet foods does Natural Selection make?
Comment by Sara J. — April 23, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
None, they are the company whose spinach was contaminated with e. coli.
Comment by Christie Keith — April 23, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
Oh, I just watched CNN. I didn’t catch anything about another contaminated shipment. But at least it got some press.
Comment by Sara J. — April 23, 2007 @ 7:48 pm
Why are they questioning the Spinach problem in CA? That was caused by runoff water that is believed to have been contaiminated with wild hog feces and urine. I guess it’s important but this issue is different, this is intentional terrorism.
Comment by Sara J. — April 23, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
I believe they’re looking at FDA as a whole - not just as it relates to the Pet Food Recall. Judging from the title of the hearing, it sounds as though they’re trying to present evidence that the FDA is unable to carry out its duties [and in my opinion, quite possibly due to understaffing and old time management policies].
Hey, maybe they’ll suggest imploding the current system and devise a new one with totally separate divisions and staffing. Could be a good thing….could be jumping from the pan into the fire.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
My goodness - Senator Durbin’s invited a large swath of the rogue’s gallery that calls itself the pet food industry.
Comment by Andrea 2CatMom — April 23, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
All I can say is he**(I wont cuss here) hath no fury like the pet parent scorned! I am so glad to see some of this good news finally….hearings with a couple of the prime people involved, Sen Durbin doing right by all of us and CNN also. This is what we have all been waiting for! We are far from done but at least its some good news for a change, I know I could certainly use some.
Comment by Sandi K — April 23, 2007 @ 8:24 pm
I’m praying we find out the names of the two remaining pet food companies and also the other supplier.
Can Congress make people tell the truth? Seems many were doing a lot of side stepping last week.
Comment by Sara J. — April 23, 2007 @ 8:27 pm
Let em lie and spin all they want to the Senate tomorrow. At their own peril.
Comment by Steve — April 23, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
I called and wrote to three of the staffers who might be prepping their congress critters for this meeting. Unfortunately because of my work schedule I don’t know if I reached them in time. And even if I did reach them, they might not attend. But I tried. And I did send the list of questions that you all provided.
Here is the post where I listed them.
a link to importer’s question list.
Thanks to everyone who suggested a question, hopefully some will get asked!
Comment by spocko — April 23, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
It isn’t too late to send a message. I just sent this. Feel free to re-use if you like. It’s less detailed than Spocko’s questions, but I really believe full disclosure has to be the first step in a long journey.
___________________________________________
Hi, David. I’m a devoted pet owner who no longer knows whom to trust. I’m at wits’ end trying to figure out what’s safe to feed my dogs and cats.
I know the FDA isn’t on tomorrow’s witness list. But please, please ask Senator Durbin to push the FDA to reveal the names of the companies who have received the potentially contaminated products. The pet food industry has made it clear they have NO INTENTION of policing themselves - they’re far too busy making money from us. At least two other companies, potentially more, have known since Thursday they’ve used tainted rice gluten. How many more days will the US government defer to them while we unknowingly feed our pets poison?
It’s up to the FDA and Congress to do the right thing by all of us nameless, tax-paying pet owners. We’re losing thousand of pets (not 16 - what would it take to make the FDA release the real numbers?) and millions of dollars cleaning up after our own generation’s Robber Barons.
Please let the Senator know we’re relying on him to pull NO punches. We literally have no where else to turn.
Comment by Laura — April 23, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
They are preparing for a recommendation for huge increases in spending for the FDA, which has been a long time in coming, to properly equip it. There have been major decreases in funding over the years and now with a global food supply, it is absolutely imperative to protect the U.S. I don’t think many people out there understand the scope of the “pet food” tragedy or get the bigger picture of the ultimate possibilities. With this hearing, I hope this breaks it all wide open and will spare pets and people’s lives immediately and in the future. Grilling Henderson and Miller, et al, could be extremely powerful, especially if they are under oath. I’m praying.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
“They are preparing for a recommendation for huge increases in spending for the FDA,”
increases won’t mean squat if the FDA doesn’t have impartial staff willing to protect us and our pets. Right now they hold poor performance to a new standard.
Comment by straybaby — April 23, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
Just a note, this hearing isn’t under Durbin. This is a different group. Here are the committee members
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
(Ratio: 9-7) http://tinyurl.com/yr9mrm
Bart Stupak (MI), Chairman
Diana DeGette, CO
Ed Whitfield, KY, Ranking Member
Charlie Melancon, LA, Vice Chair
Greg Walden, OR
Henry A. Waxman, CA
Mike Ferguson, NJ
Gene Green, TX
Tim Murphy, PA
Mike Doyle, PA
Michael C. Burgess, TX
Jan Schakowsky, IL
Marsha Blackburn, TN
Jay Inslee, WA
Joe Barton, TX (Ex Officio)
John D. Dingell (Ex Officio)
I wrote the staffers for Charlie Melancon, LA, Vice Chair, Bart Stupak (MI), Chairman, and Jay Inslee, WA.
Comment by spocko — April 23, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
Will petconnection be at this hearing? Just wondering as it was cool last time they did that press conference to have a blow by blow.
Comment by Bonni — April 23, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
We need new laws so Pet Food Brands can no longer use deceptive marketing practices also.
No more of this. . “yes some of our food is made by Menu, our cooked in grandmas natural kitchen brand. And the Private Chef’s Kitchen. It’s the same stuff a the grocery brand sells, for $1.25 less a can. Our packaging is prettier then their’s though. So your really getting premium value for your money.”
Comment by Steve — April 23, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
Steve. . . yes, and no more six months to change the label please!
Comment by Bonni — April 23, 2007 @ 9:07 pm
I’ll liveblog it if they webcast it or it’s on C-Span, otherwise, no.
Comment by Christie Keith — April 23, 2007 @ 9:11 pm
Comment by straybaby — April 23, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
You’re absolutely right! The problem is that FDA people are appointed, and it ties in with campaign contributions.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
Gee, I hope that the Chinese have had ample time to clean up their facility. We must do what we can to protect them so we can continue to import their precious products. I wonder if the same facility can also get me a bootleg copy of the latest DVD’s and a Louis Vuitton purse. They truly are a partner in our economy. Thanks George.
Comment by Deb — April 23, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
D’oh! Sorry! (okay, not THAT sorry, since I suspect Durbin is still our best ally on this. :)
Still, in the interest of making up for the mistake, here’s the page to send a message to Chairman Bart Stupak (MI):
http://www.house.gov/stupak/IMA/issue2.htm
And Vice-Chair Charlie Melancon (LA)
http://www.melancon.house.gov/emailcharlie.asp
So let ‘em have it (in a nice way, of course).
Comment by Laura — April 23, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
I follow the politics very closely and one of the things that we are seeing is a concerted plan to put people into these agencies that are loyal to the president. I don’t want to go into details, but talkingpointsmemo.com has been talking about the process lately. The FDA lost a top official in Oct. 2005 because she was asked to put politics over science. I only point that out because if you lose a top official for that kind of reason you might have also lost others who have the same feelings.
As the Science Officer of my ship, I care about science! (It’s my human half that is interested in the politics!)
Comment by spocko — April 23, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
OMG…Bart Stupak not only doesn’t reply to emails from outside his district, he apparently doesn’t accept them, either.
Now there’s a forward-thinking guy, obviously.
Let’s hope he’s smarter than that tomorrow.
Comment by Laura — April 23, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
I think that the pet food companies are scared tonight and I have a reason to think so. After checking quite a few places on the net known to be..infested with trolls and VERY prolific posters who seem he11 bent on muddying the water, poof, most are all of a sudden gone. Very odd.
Burning the midnight oil with their dark masters is my guess, or burning documents.
Something is up, not my hopes by any means, but something. Maybe just bags to pack and jurisdictions to flee.
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 23, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
I spoke to a Melancon staffer, he was very nice, asked for the info, but didn’t know if Melancon will be attending there are multiple other hearings going on at the same time.
One think that I think you all should note is just how wonderful Durbin’s request for input on his bill was. Yes, the lobbyists will do their damnest to water it down, but he came to you all and say, “Here is what we want to do, any suggestions?” That is so different from the usual way it happens. A lobbyist group says, “We’ll write the bill and you push it!”
Comment by spocko — April 23, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
I try not to listen to anything George Bush has to say…but as far as I know he has not addressed this entire fiasco, has he?
That truly surprises me that the White House has not weighed in on this issue…or have they?
Comment by Carole — April 23, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
Forget Bush, the FDA works for him. Remember FEMA. Durbin sure has my respect on this.
Comment by Robin — April 23, 2007 @ 9:56 pm
Carole,
I’ve been searching today for any comment at all from the White House and don’t see anything. I guess I’m not surprised really. I hear that George doesn’t want to spend money at the FDA. Perhaps if he ignores it, it will go away.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
Bush is easily forgotten. I am just curious as to why he has not mentioned something causing such mayhem in this country.
Comment by Carole — April 23, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
One would expect at least a gesture of sympathy for those who have lost pets at a time like this. Maybe he hasn’t heard about it yet(?).
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:10 pm
RE: Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Even if they do make a case for additional funding, which IS a long time coming, AND they get it, as sure as I’m sitting here, the veterinary Div of the FDA will be the low man on the totem pole.
Von Eschenbach has been criticized for pushing drugs through rather than spend time and resources to investigate before approving. Translation: this takes money!
P.S. You have NO idea how I’m hoping I am wrong.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
Anyone know if the session can at least be listened to?
[Note to Ourselves: Flood C-Span will calls and email re live broadcast of future hearings that relate to pet food recall.]
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
Traditionally, yes, low man on the totem pole. I believe that position will change in light of the importance of the global issue. Much work has been done in the area of the role that companion animals play as sentinels for disease. It seems this concept is seriously behind in its implementation. This sure was a preliminary test.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
Hmmmmmm - you know the discussion about sending the stuffed animals……. What if we were to send them to the major news stations in major cities? Get their attention.
And if nothing else, as silly as it sounds, we should send a bunch of stuffed animals to Durbin, get Newsweek to take his photo with them outside on the lawn. Caption “Durbin Takes on the Dogs.” Works for me.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
E-mail C-SPAN
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 23, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Lynn,
I also think there can be emergency funds extended for this current tragedy—-there are funds available under one program or another, depending upon the interpretation. If they can always find money for impromptu overnight stays at toney golf resorts, certainly they can locate some extra for this tragedy.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
REIGNING CATS AND DOGS
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
If C-SPAN doesn’t carry it, another possible source is http://www.fednet.net/ . However they only record what their clients pay for.
Comment by leek — April 23, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
Thank You to everyone at PetConnection for keeping us up-to-date on the developments on this Pet Food Tragedy. You’ve been really busy bees lately. I’ve been reading the story links and I am having trouble keeping up with the number of updates and the gravity of this situation.
I wish there were a way of condensing it all down so that everyone can be more quickly informed allowing them to be more participatory in our democratic process of how to overhaul the FDA.
In short, the FDA is a DISASTER. Not just in regulating the huge rise in food importation in the last few years, but also in the regulation of approving and monitoring medications. Lack of Funding and Huge Conflicts of Interest are just the tip of the iceberg.
If you are comforted by the fact that these issues are now being heard in Congress, Don’t Be. It is a start, but it is a long way away from finding the appropriate structure for a Modern FDA, Funding It, Overseeing Its Compliance, and Continuing to Make Improvements over the next few years and beyond.
There will ultimately be Food Industry opposition, from those in Congress and other parts of government (supported by Campaign Contributions from the Food Industry) who will Vigorously Protest any measure of Oversight by the FDA [which by the way, the Food Industry already has done and will continue to do - (In addition, their notion of Self-Regulation is more than wholly inadequate, it is Dangerous in this day and age, and they have proven time and again that they can’t be trusted. They have too many conflicts of interest such as money, not safety.)].
These Congressional Hearings are only the beginning. The Public must keep a vigilant watch over the proceedings and intercede when necessary to come to a reasonable solution.
I don’t want to sound alarmist, but I want everyone to Think Very Carefully about what they feed their pets and themselves, and how you want to see that Regulated by the FDA. Think about the Entire Package of a food and what you’ve just purchased [i.e. Tomatoes plus any Pesticides plus any Herbicides plus any Fertilizers plus any Miscellaneous Chemicals (Melamine) equals the Entire Product].
I can only hope that some people will actually read this blog at this late hour. I’m up way past my bedtime.
Comment by SL — April 23, 2007 @ 10:35 pm
Thanks, Gina. Email to C-Span sent!
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:38 pm
Thanks for the link to e:mail CSpan Gina, I just sent my message pleading with them to air it. One thing I am truly thankful for is that Mr Ekedahl of PFI wont be there tommorrow, I would go crazy if I had to listen to his jibberish one more time!
Comment by Sandi K — April 23, 2007 @ 10:40 pm
Chances are that someone will liveblog the hearing over at DailyKos, FWIW. Won’t be me, though, not that early.
Comment by TiaRachel — April 23, 2007 @ 10:40 pm
RE: Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
So true. One problem: their spending priorities probably don’t match mine.
Example: the dog gets the $25.00 bottle of shampoo; I get the $1.99 Suave.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
RE: Comment by spocko — April 23, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
Yes, Spocko. Andrew von Eschenbach has been a Bush family friend forever.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:44 pm
Comment by SL — April 23, 2007 @ 10:35 pm
SL,
Read your post and I totally agree. We are all taking this very seriously. Unfortunately it took the loss of our pets to move us to action, but we all are so much more informed as a result of studying the issues surrounding this event and global food for pets and people. When this all started, my personal mantra was that we had to learn from the experience and use it to create good out of a very tragic event.
6:30 will come very early.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
Has anyone seen this? This is not related to or a result of the recall. This forum was started by a senator in Australia.
APEC Members Move to Harmonize Food Safety
Hunter Valley, Australia, April 5, 2007
As the global population grows and pressure on food and water supplies increases, cases of food-borne illness will multiply, the inaugural APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum was told this week.
Dr. Gardner Murray, a former Australian Chief Veterinary Officer and now special adviser to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, told the Forum meeting in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney that climate change and increasing variations in the ecology of environments will force food scientists and regulators to revise their understanding of food pathogens and how to deal with them.
“With environmental damage and climatic variations we are already seeing new diseases emerging and 75% of them are zoonotic diseases (animal diseases that humans can catch),” Dr. Murray told delegates.
“New bugs are appearing and are adapting to the new conditions.”
In Australia, for example, bat Lyssavirus has been around for thousands of years but only recently, as bat and human populations are pushed closer together in land and property developments, has the disease begun appearing in humans.
Similarly, research in Vietnam on the spread of the H5N1 flu virus showed that outbreaks spiked during the Tet holiday when people moved about the country with their poultry.
Communicating information about new disease threats to their populations will become more important for food regulators, whose risk analyses and communication messages must be simple, transparent and easy to understand, Dr Murray said.
“For example, in Korea, health authorities put food safety messages on the back of commonly sold packs of toothpicks in restaurants.”
Meeting greater demands for food from growing populations has also led to more intensive livestock and agricultural production, genetic manipulation and new processing and preservation technologies producing an “explosion” of new foods. These are foods in which new chemicals are appearing as a part of the manufacturing process.
“As a result of increasing global trade, people movements and the industrialization of production and processing, consumers are potentially exposed to a greater number of food safety hazards than in the past,” Dr Murray said.
“Dealing with this threat requires a thorough risk analysis process, the key elements of which are to identify and characterize hazards, assess the risk, manage it and communicate it publicly.”
Forum participants agreed to meet again in two years to assess progress made and to respond to member economies’ needs in:
Information sharing
Food safety regulatory systems
Food inspection and certification
Technical skills and human resource capacity building
Comment by Carole — April 23, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
LOL—-I know what you mean. Dog and cat go to vet immediately. I take aspirin and go to bed.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
I heard that it might start a little earlier - or rather that’s what I saw on the C-Span website.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
RE: Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:46 pm and Comment by SL
I’m sure we are all optimistic that something good will come from all this misery. It’s got to. I believe it will - yes, it will take a long time and it’s foolish to think the entire system can be overhauled overnight. Still, my thinking is that this is MY sentence for being so dumb as to naiively believe that I was using a good product. This issue simply cannot go undone.
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
Comment by Carole — April 23, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
Over the past week, I’ve been researching what other countries are doing in light of global commerce, bioterrorism, ecology. It appears to me that the U.S. is so far behind and it is scarey! I’ve begun to feel this country’s priorities are seriously scewed. Australia seems to be leading the world in it’s very aggressive stance on all the logically important issues. What I’ve come across has been impressive. Not so for the U.S. It’s no wonder the attitude toward our country. From international polls, we are no longer out there in front.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
I found this post on the Rainy Monday thread. (Gina I am sorry for your loss of a dear friend, I am allergic to bunnies but have always wished I could have one for a pet.) I live just around the corner from UOP and I am going to contact this Professor tomorrow and ask (maybe beg) him to test this stack of wet cat food sitting on my computer desk from unrecalled companies, due to growing suspicion and concern, we might be able to find something out. Wouldn’t it be nice if a pet owner was able to find out that one of these products were tainted before the company could spin some kind of cover up story? Bet we’d see the “Deer in the headlights” look then!
#
Pacific Chemistry Professor and Student Discover Breakthrough Testing Method for Pet Food
http://www.spectroscopynow.com.....amp;page=1
[April 23, 2007 University of the Pacific / Rhashad Pittman]
——————————————————————————–
Stockton, CA. April 23, 2007.
A professor and graduate student in University of the Pacific’s chemistry department have developed a new method for determining how to identify foreign substances in pet food. The breakthrough discovery allows scientists to determine whether pet food has been contaminated in a matter of minutes.
Professor O. David Sparkman, who has made recent appearances on spectroscopyNOW’s podcasts, and graduate student Teresa Vail used a mass spectrometer with the D.A.R.T. (Direct Analysis in Real Time) interface device to determine that a can of dog food that was recently recalled contained melamine, a chemical used in plastic furniture, cookware, and fertilizers. The chemical is at the heart of the nationwide recall of contaminated pet food that has caused numerous animal deaths.
“The significance of the D.A.R.T. mass spectral technique is that results are available in minutes or seconds,” Sparkman said. “Because of enhancements we have made to the D.A.R.T. technology, our answers are definitely unambiguous.”
Mass spectrometry is used to determine the mass of and to identify molecules in substances. By using mass spectrometry, Sparkman said, they were able to determine that a sample of ALPO dog food that had been listed in the recent recall contained melamine. The sample produced an accurate mass signal that is specific to the chemical.
The D.A.R.T. device, when connected to the mass spectrometer machine, allows food substances to be analyzed without the need for any sample preparation, he said. The process takes only a few minutes.
The traditional process of determining whether a food substance has been contaminated using conventional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques can take an hour or more. The new method could save federal regulators time and money when testing food imports, Sparkman said.
The idea to use the method came after Ms. Vail received word that some of the cans of ALPO she recently purchased for her own dogs were recalled due to the possibility that they contained melamine. Under Sparkman’s direction, she tested the dog food and found that only one of a dozen cans tested positive for the chemical. Vail said they were using the same testing method in other research projects in the department.
They will present their breakthrough method at an American Society of Mass Spectrometry conference in Indianapolis, Ind., in June.
Sparkman is a mass spectrometry consultant to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and manager of the chemistry department’s mass spectrometry facility.
For more information, contact Professor O. David Sparkman at +1 209 483 5740 or osparkman@pacific.edu.
Comment by Mike — April 23, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Comment by Lynn — April 23, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
I’ve learned more in six weeks than I did in the last 40 years. Grass roots efforts are very powerful. We, the consumers, have that power to turn the tide. It is my observation that so many more effective people are fed up. We must press on. Do you know how to scare a black bear? You stand up tall and wave your arms in the air and shout so that you appear much larger than you really are to the bear. Sales is nothing more than perception. We must keep this dialog going here on the blog to continue to inform and educate others so they may join us for the wild ride.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Mike, I have, available for testing, three bags of food, at least one of which I believe is tainted—-from before the recalled batches. My dog had renal failure and was euthanized in September 2006. I thought then that it was the food so I saved it. I’m in Tahoe.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Sorry, Amy, that post for Mike was for you. I’m really tired!
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
Nadine,
I have already emailed the Professor and if he oks the testing I will let you know so that you can send me some of the food you want tested. I will just group it in with my stuff.
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
Amy,
That will be wonderful! I haven’t been able to get it tested because I don’t fall into the “time frame”—-least so far. Their invention sounds like something that could be used not only at the FDA, but State Labs and pet food/food companies.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:26 pm
Sounds promising to me too
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
Amy,
Find out what quantity they would like to have for testing. Thanks.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 23, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Gina/Christie…
Do either of you have any connections at the University level here in Calif? UCD or any others? It would be helpful, if indeed I can get this Professor to test my suspect foods, to have the results backed by another series of testing.
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
Gina, thanks for the C-Span link.
I’ve been sending copies of Durbins letters to local media in hopes of sparking some interest. Not holding my breath here, but hoping at least one will run with a story on it.
Comment by Kathi — April 23, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
I take it no one’s ‘fessed up yet?
Guess it’ll take time to get their stories straight and the documents (kaff-kaff, hairball) fixed up.
Comment by Kathi — April 23, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
Other “local” media weighing in.
http://www.newsobserver.com/559/story/567104.html
Comment by Amy Boda — April 23, 2007 @ 11:52 pm
Please don’t be put-off by those Sen. and Rep. who reject your emails because you’re not a constituent. Just move on to the next one.
I’ve written to many of them and most were very receptive and listened to what I had inquired of them. Some have sent personal letters to me and some have included their regular newsletters.
Comment by Kathi — April 24, 2007 @ 12:02 am
ATTEMTION:E Hamilton
What Itchmo needs to do for you is to copy the first post in your thread re: Pile O Death postcards and make that a ‘sticky’ on the first page of the forum and ‘lock’ that ONE post. But Leave the thread open for disscussion. He should also make a ‘sticky’ for his home page with the url. That would alert many folks and would also avoid the ‘trolls’.
Pile O Death postcards thread:
http://64.79.216.38/~itchmo/fo.....opic=107.0
Comment by Mary Smith — April 24, 2007 @ 12:53 am
If you want your pet food tested at UC Davis, you can have it done. (530) 752-6322
I think they want this set up through your vet, so have your vet call. You don’t need special connections.
Comment by Christie Keith — April 24, 2007 @ 1:07 am
Here’s some quotes from San Jose Mercury News.com. April 24, 2007
Michael Levy, owner of Pet Food Express says, “(We) will not restock any manufacturer’s products that have been recalled until they prove to us that they have control of their processes, and that the food does not contain melamine.”
***That’s a good start, Mike. But, how about taking another step: NO Chinese ingredients!!!
That’ll work for us, the customers.
Here’s another quote from SJ Mercury News.com:
The PFI has a caution of its own.
Duane says, “It’s important to keep in mind that more than 99 percent (*huh*) of the pet foods were not affected by the recalls and remain available for consumers to purchase. To put these numbers in perspective, every day the 80 million cats in the (U.S.) eat the equivalent of at least 40 million cans of cat food.”
***WOW, Duane, betcha got all “A’s” in math, too!!
Sure glad he and his employee have a handle on this.
Comment by Kathi — April 24, 2007 @ 3:23 am
Was Duane talking about the big cans or the little cans?
Comment by Kathi — April 24, 2007 @ 3:26 am
Now let me see if I got this straight. 99 percent of the food is okay and 80 million cats can survive on 40 million cans of food.
Yup, you’re right, Duane. I think I see your perspective now. Phew, no wonder they think we’re confused. Now I’m confused.
Comment by Kathi — April 24, 2007 @ 3:31 am
Todays Washington Post story on the hearing. 20 people died over the peanut butter salmonella - and now we have 16 dead pets - no wonder people aren’t upset yet. The peanut butter issue was shrugged off - so the millions of cans of recalled contaminated pet food seems like very small potatos indeed.
http://tinyurl.com/yuzwbg
Comment by Sara J. — April 24, 2007 @ 4:54 am
PFI Duane should read this story and get a REAL perspective. This dude’s got a grip on reality:
http://tinyurl.com/3y3dae
Don’t know if you should read it before breakfast or after.
Comment by Kathi — April 24, 2007 @ 5:02 am
Bon Appetit Indeed!
Mabe there’s nothing we can do to escape the horrors of pet food - no one talks about what “oil” they use do they? They talk about the components but using recycled grease from restaurants - I’ve known about this for years -I wonder how that is listed on pet food packages?
Comment by Sara J. — April 24, 2007 @ 5:10 am
The FDA finally has last week’s press conference up where Christie Keith dropped the bomb on them. Seems they cut her and Karen off pretty quickly!
Comment by CathyA — April 24, 2007 @ 5:10 am
China Yields to Inquiry on Pet Food:
http://tinyurl.com/2u2ery
If the tinyurl doesn’t work, the story is on the front page (center) of the drudgereport.com.
Comment by Sharon — April 24, 2007 @ 5:25 am
Reminder to watch Oprah tomorrow
Holistic vet, Dr. Martin Goldstein -
author of The Nature of Animal Healing: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat is appearing on Oprah on
Wednesday (April 25th). Unsure exactly what he will be talking about but hopefully he will touch on the pet food recalls.
http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml
Click on Loving Our Dogs
and then click on the link for tomorrow’s show.
http://boards.oprah.com/WebX/.f157001!DYNID=
Seems like a golden opportunity to get a discussion going about the pet food crisis on Oprah’s messageboard!
Comment by Mike — April 24, 2007 @ 6:15 am
I am wondering why the national networks don’t carry this? I haven’t heard a word on the TV. I don’t get cable and a lot of other people don’t either. Why don’t they carry it on the 6 oclock news? Trudy
Comment by Trudy Jackson — April 24, 2007 @ 6:37 am
Well at least today the FDA is reporting they have had 15,000 calls from pet owners reporting to them of their pets death. Like the Oprah message board idea.
Comment by Maudigan — April 24, 2007 @ 6:38 am
TO U.S. INSPECTORS GOING TO INSPECT CHINESE WHEAT GLUTEN FACTORY:
Now remember, if the grain storage silos and piping are as clean as a whistle and smell like ammonia…
if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Article from NY TIMES:
“Spiked wheat - Schuler Grain Co. uses additive to artificially boost the protein content of its wheat” - 22 YEARS AGO
*******Quote from article linked below********
When FDA received the tip about the company, it sent its investigators to inspect the Schulers’ operation. When Thomas Nelson and Dirk Mouw arrived at the company’s grain elevators, there was no sign of the tanks and pipes needed to treat wheat with urea—just a suspiciously empty steel building smelling strongly of ammonia.
“One thing for sure about inspecting grain elevators,” Nelson said. “you always get dirty. This particular building was clean as a whistle. We learned later they had dismantled all their treating equipment. Someone apparently had warned them we were coming.”
http://findarticles.com/p/arti.....ai_9246932
Comment by petlover — April 24, 2007 @ 6:49 am
So over the weekend, I went to Whole Foods and in the freezer section are bags of edamame shelled soy beans that are marked ‘certified organic’ but they’re from China… who marks them certified organic? who checks it and how is it checked? Obviously, the FDA isn’t doing it, so who is? The grower, the packager, the distributor? This is just one example because it appears that most of our organic food, fresh or preserved, is not grown anywhere that regulates how something is grown.
Since I’ve been making wet cat food, I’ve begun to really notice how poor and corrupt our food system is.
Comment by Cynthia — April 24, 2007 @ 7:10 am
Good Job Cynthia,
This is exactly what I was talking about in the earlier post in this section. Whole Foods (on their website) claims that they work with their suppliers on these quality issues, but how do we know for sure, when the sources of foods are imported from many different countries with a wide variety of growing standards.
Consumers need to start asking lots of questions about the foods they buy in the supermarket and if it is really safe to eat both for short-term health and long-term health.
Comment by SL — April 24, 2007 @ 7:26 am
Comment by Cynthia — April 24, 2007 @ 7:10 am
Good point. Just how many products does China fake right now. Purses, clothing, CD’s, books…where does it begin and end? Why would they stop there?
Comment by DeeAnn — April 24, 2007 @ 7:29 am
Eliminating products from certain countries from your life is, in my opinion, not fully obtainable.
Was packing up a new computer today for shipment to a different office. Parts of the computer are made in China, others in Malaysia.
Comment by Carole — April 24, 2007 @ 11:04 am
There is an article up at Howl911 with a link to the charlotte NC observer paper.
Melamine contaminated hogs found at a plant in NC. USDA newsflash reports it is all okay, because the system worked. No humans ate the contaminated hogs.
Wish I had the confidence to believe that there none of the hams in my freezer were made from other unreported upon or covered up contamination episodes. But I don’t.
Comment by TC — April 24, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Just turned on the computer—right on my homepage is an ad for Eukaneuba’s latest smokescreen, breed specific dog food!
Comment by Kathy Thompson — April 24, 2007 @ 6:11 pm