Pet food recall: Liveblogging the 5/8 FDA/USDA media conference
By Christie Keith
May 8, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes information on recalled foods).
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
Update: The official transcript has been posted.
I’ll be liveblogging today’s media telebriefing with the USDA and FDA on the “melamine investigation” at 2 PM Eastern Time.
Present will be:
* David Acheson, M.D., assistant commissioner for food protection, Office of the Commissioner, FDA
* Kenneth Petersen, D.V.M., M.P.H., assistant administrator for field operations, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
* Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA
Re* Julie Zawisza, assistant commissioner for public affairs, Office of the Commissioner, FDA
* Captain David Elder, director, Office of Enforcement, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA
* Michael Rogers, director, Division of Field Investigations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA * Vera Adams, Executive Director, Commercial Targeting and Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
My usual disclaimers: I am typing this live. There will be typos. Anything not in quotation marks is a paraphrase. There will be an official transcript and if you want exact wording, you can get it there. These are usually out within 24-48 hours of the media conference and are published on the USDA website. We will link to it here when it’s available.
During the liveblogging, from time to time, just refresh your browser, and you can see the new material I am typing as the conference proceeds.
It’s starting on time, no musical interlude!
Dr. David Acheson opens.
Wants to address two issues: First is related to a misrepresentation of the wheat gluten and RPC.
As you are all aware, we have been following wheat gluten and RPC from two sources from China, and have done many tests with those. As part of our strategy “just to ensure we are following this in all possible directions,” they are further analyzing those samples and have discovered these products were mislabled, and actually contain wheat flour contaminated with melamine and related compounds.
None of these products have been used directly as ingredients in human food. These are the same ingredients we’ve been tracking all along, not new.
These are wheat flour, not wheat gluten or RPC.
None of this changes risk assessment re: feeding to animals.
Second point is fish and fish meal.
Where did contaminated wheat gluten go? A portion of the mislabled wheat gluten went to Canada, and was used to manufacture fish meal. Which was then imported to the US to feed fish in certain industrial aquaculture situations.
This fish meal was made in Canada, Canadian authorities are aware.
As with the situation with the poultry and the hogs, levels in fish meal are comparable so they don’t believe this is a human health risk in eating these fish. Investigation is active.
A number of firms have rec’d the fish meal and investigators have so far been to one, and confirmed the findings. “Very small fish,” fry or tiny fish not yet ready for human consumption anyway. That is the current state of the investigation, these are new findings linking this to the fish meal. Following pattern of other investigation. We’ll find out what’s going on with the fish facilities and follow up as appropriate.
[The rest is after the jump]
Dr. Petersen from USDA.
Risk assessment on humans and melamine and “melamine compounds.” Low risk to humans. USDA and FDA “initiating the appropriate course of action” for hogs and poultry that consumed contaminated feed.
Food consumed by the animals had low levels that became so diluted that any tests no longer detected the presence of melamine and its compounds. In those cases, poultry was released.
If feed tested positive, or there was no feed available to test, those swine and poultry are still being held, pending animal exposure risk assessment.
Animal exposure risk assessment will provide them with scientific data on how animals excrete melamine and related compounds, which will provide scientific data. They believe that data will support their human risk assessment, but investigation is ongoing.
They expect to have animal exposure assessment by the end of this week.
Ms. Vera Adams, Customs and Border Patrol:
Testing additional ingredients from all countries destined for human and animal consumption. Sending samples to laboratories to determine there is no further risk. There is no evidence of risk or further contamination, but are conducting tests as a precautionary step.
We do routinely test products entering the US, and have seven regional labs that mirror FDA procedures. Sampling for RPC, wheat and corn gluten began last week. Are getting those samples back for testing ASAP.
Open to questions.
NYT Times: You’re testing wheat, corn gluten and RPC. But you say it’s wheat flour. Are you testing the wrong thing? And how did you determine this wasn’t RPC and wheat gluten?
Vera Adams: If it’s misrepresented it’s wheat gluten, it’s important we target wheat gluten. We are in touch with FDA and USDA to see if what we’re targeting needs to be changed.
David Acheson: To clarify. This product was LABELED wheat gluten and RPC. So that’s what we’re targeting. Assays were done that determined it, using light microscopy. That is followed by a type of chromatography that is looking at levels of starch.
(NOTE FROM ME: But if it’s the wheat flour that WAS contaminated, isn’t that what should be tested, not just things labeled gluten?)
NY Times: Will you now be looking at wheat flour?
Acheson: Focus is on things labeled as RPC and wheat gluten. We plan on expanding the assignment as we learn more and get the ingredient side of things figured out. I don’t exclude it, but right now this is not the top priority.
Reporter: Shouldn’t you expand investigation to cover everything from China at this point?
Acheson: Trying to expand our investigation based on where we see the risk. This is shifting constantly. From one company, to two, to import alert on all Chinese protein concentrates, now to also to pet food and animal food (???) coming in. Border Protection also expanding it.
“You have to put your resources where you believe the risk to be greatest.”
Reporter: What don’t we know is in Chinese products that’s being shipped to the US?
Acheson: If I could tell you what I don’t know, I’d know. This is not a melamine investigation only. We are looking more broadly. We’re keeping our eyes open. If we start to see unusual spikes of inexplicable illness, we’ll ask those questions. We’re making maximum use of resources.
Reporter: Following up on antibiotics found in imported Chinese catfish, are you testing US catfish for melamine?
Acheson: Yes. We are focused on testing a range of different fish samples. We have validated an assay for melamine in fish, which we did not have a week ago. We can add it to antibiotic screening. Will test any remaining fish samples in the lab, and as fish samples come in, we’ll test for melamine related compounds.
If we find levels, particularly if they’re signficant, we’ll focus where the risks are likely to be.
David Curley, ABC News: Chinese news agencies are saying the two companies added the melamine illegally. Is that your understanding?
Acheson: Our investigators are on the ground in China. We’re working closely with investigators. Will have more answers as to what happened in China.
Curley: Which story should we believe? Have Chinese accepted this has happened?
Acheson: Why this happened in China, that is a Chinese investigation, with our investigators. We want to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s still ongoing, they’re out there, they’re getting to the establishments, I don’t have any more specifics I can share.
Washington Post: Noted many of the reporters missed the beginning of the media conference. Asked for a recap. What flour, not wheat gluten, so is this about flour instead of gluten? Does this add to the possibility this entered the human food supply instead of just pet food?
Julie Z says Dr. Acheson will recap. (FROM ME: I’ll cover this only if it differs from, or adds on to, what he said before. Resting my wrists.)
He did call this “a perfect storm for total confusion.”
(NOTE FROM ME: I find it interesting that these two different companies – ChemNutra and Wilbur-Ellis – sold different ingredients – wheat gluten vs RPC – from two DIFFERENT sources in China, that both turn out to be contaminated, mislabled wheat FLOUR.)
Back to liveblogging after recap.
WaPo revised question: Did something get done to the fish meal in Canada?
Acheson: No, no, it was contaminated wheat gluten was imported to Canada just as the US.
WaPo: How many fish ate it?
Acheson: We don’t know. Investigating.
Karen Roebuck: It’s not expected people would get sick in the short term. Are you ruling out the possiblity of long term health effects from consuming the products over time. And Dr. Petersen said pigs who ate the contaminated food could not LEGALLY be put onto the market because they ate adulterated food, but now they are. How is that legal?
Dr. Acheson: Long term exposure consequences. We don’t know for a fact yet that there’s been long term exposure or that melamine has gone into the human food supply other than the poultry and hogs. We’re working with the CDC looking for a shift in trends. We can’t rule it out. At this point I can’t rule anything in or out other than to say there’s absolutely no evidence that has happened.
Dr. Petersen: The initial discussion was about the swine, we had very little info. Some level of contaminated food had been fed to swine. We took the most aggressive approach to protect public health. Subsequently there has been significant additional info. Low amount of melamine in pet food, then low amount went into animal feed, exposure was brief, no reason to believe concentration of melamine in meat. Our initial scicentific judgment was applied to risk assessment, risk is 2500 times or so below any known possible risk. At the time, the appropriate decision was not to apply the mark of inspection. But given all the new info, and farms where feed tested negative, we can apply the mark of inspection to these animals. With some animals we’re still missing info, either no feed or it tested positive, we’re still waiting for more facts. Position has shifted as facts were put on the table. We want to make sure the public is well-served.
Acheson wanted to clarify about wheat flour vs wheat gluten. “Because it’s complicated.” Wheat gluten is a component of wheat flour. To make gluten, you wash the starch away. It’s the protein part. Wheat gluten is a component of overall wheat flour. This is the point at which we become speculative. It’s a simpler process in which a manufacturer would take wheat flour or whole wheat, simply grind it up, and it would still have a low level of wheat gluten. The starch is still there. It’s total protein content would appear low.
If you add melamine to that, you’re adding a source of nitrogen, you’re measure of protein (or actually nitrogen) gives you a wheat based product with an artificially high level of protein because of the melamine. Speculates that if you avoid the whole process of refining to get the wheat gluten, you just add melamine to get the higher level of protein. May explain what’s going on.
Reuters: 6000 hogs, how many chickens? Indiana? Missouri?
Petersen: Last Friday we asked that 20 million chickens be voluntarily held so we could do the risk assessment. Most of those – half – have begun to move into slaughter channels. Those were associated with a negative feed test. The other ones in Indiana are still, approximately 100K of the breeder birds are still on hold, don’t remember if it’s voluntary or not. “Don’t quite have a negative test” on those.
Reuters: What about the 3 million in Indiana, and the other 10 million birds? And the hogs.
Petersen: Other 10 million are eligible and are queuing up for slaughter facility. Others had already made their way into commerce. Slaughtered in March, we believe. One other piece of info on animals on hold. There are some on hold in Illinois, three facilities. Approx 50,000 swine on hold. (NOTE: THIS IS NEW INFO.)
“That’s pretty much what we have in total.” The broilers (chickens) are moving to market today.
CNN: How do you know the wheat flour in the fish meal was contaminated? Are there samples?
Acheson: Yes, the fish meal was positive.
CNN: Now that risk assessment is low, will you allow the pet food companies to sell all the recalled foods to the livestock companies for feed, as long as it’s used in small quantities?
Sundloff: The answer is no. Any food that tests positive is considered adulterated and can’t be processed into animal feed.
Japanese reporter: How long investigators going to be in China?
Acheson: Will return early next week.
Abigail Goldman, LA Times: You said you don’t know how many fish, how many farms or aquaculture establishments, and what kind of fish. Also, doesn’t this alert you that wheat flour has been adulterated and that all wheat flour should be investigated?
Acheson: We do have a preliminary list of places to follow up on, and we’re trying to confirm it. We don’t have a definitive list to share with you. With regards to wheat flour, it came into the US labeled as wheat gluten or RPC. We don’t have any indications that anything else coming into the US labeled as wheat flour is anything other than wheat flour. We have no reason to believe wheat flour being imported as wheat flour is contaminated.
Andrew Bridges, AP: Who exported the wheat gluten to the Canadians, and why did you only learn this now? Are you looking at fish meal that could have been contaminated?
Acheson: It came from the Chinese firms.
AP: Who imported it and re-exported it?
Acheson: ChemNutra. Brokered through ChemNutra direct to Canada. That wheat gluten never came to the US. Went directly to Canada. Whe they dug into the ChemNutra records, this came to light.
AP: Why didn’t ChemNutra disclose this? Does that disturb you?
Acheson: I’d have to talk to our investigators and see what questions they actually asked. I’m not aware that ChemNutra were withholding information deliberately.
AP: Were fish in China fed contaminated feeds since birth?
Acheson: Looking at a lot of feeds.
Rogers: (Very hard to hear him.) All vegetable protein concentrates from China. Using risk based approach on other products. (May have missed something.)
Julie Schmitt from USA Today: Dr. A, is it reasonable some company along the supply chain could have discovered the product was not a protein concentrate but a wheat flour, or do they only test for protein levels?
Acheson: Different companies have different degrees of quality control. If it fails their testing, they’ll just reject it, they wont’ dig into why. Don’t have an obligation to tell anyone.
USA Today: The companies all along said they used it.
Acheson: They assumed it was wheat gluten.
USA Today: With average due diligence, shouldn’t they have discovered it?
Acheson: Depends on level of quality control. Doesn’t really know.
USA Today: It’s easier to see wheat flour is a step to wheat gluten, but you’re saying the RPC wasn’t rice at all?
Acheson: That’s my understanding.
Wall Street Journal: Is FDA or USDA or other agencies thinking about broad changes in regulations? Seems there is a pattern here…hogs, chicken, fish.
Dr. Sundloff: Yes, we have been working on some comprehensive animal feed safety systems. Working on for years. Our previous food safety programs have been targeted at specific issues such as mad cow disease or medicated feed or e. coli. We have not had an overall comprehensive program that looks at safety from a broader perspective such that it would catch problems like melamine.
Baltimore Sun reporter, didn’t catch name: Asks if the process being simpler also means it’s cheaper.
Acheson: Don’t have a specific analysis of that.
I missed something here, sorry.
Reporter: How long have these companies been exporting to America? What states (?) are under investigation?
Acheson: Won’t name states under investigation. How long, I know back to 2006. David Elder?
David Elder: Investigation is ongoing. Will be confirming details. At this point in time we don’t have anything.
Acheson: Working closely with Canadian government?
Reporter: Are fish fed 100 percent fish meal?
Sundloff: No, but can’t tell you proportion. Probably less than half.
Conference ends.
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I am so confused. Which wheat gluten is he talking about? Is he saying the wheat gluten never was contaminated??? Whatever it is it is now being fed to fish??
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:13 am
If I’m understanding this correctly, he’s saying the rice protein concentrate (as well as the wheat gluten) were actually just wheat *flour* poisoned with melamine and friends. How awful for those specifically shopping for pet foods free of wheat due to pet allergies. Again, ingredients on label do not equal actual food in can. : (
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
banging head.
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:19 am
“Sampling for RPC, wheat and corn gluten began last week.”
a little late there . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Not the top priority to check contaminated wheat flour???
grrrrrrrrrrr
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:19 am
OMG - LAST week? What the hell have they been doing?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:20 am
fish meal?? isn’t that an ingredient in pet foods? is it the meal made from fish or meal for fish? do I have to worry about my fish being poisoned too? or my cats begin poisoned from herring meal? this is a bottomless pit. keeping pets is officially an fda nightmare and I never want to eat again!
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:20 am
but right now this is not the top priority.
is anything EVER top priority with them?!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Acheson = Brownie
Heckuva job.
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:23 am
“If we start to see unusual spikes of inexplicable illness, we’ll ask those questions.” — Dr. Acheson.
OK, then! Wow, I feel so much better!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 8, 2007 @ 11:23 am
I’ve got a case of Wellness canned cat Salmon and Trout; any takers? I’ll give you a real good price.
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:23 am
I wonder if we can all get a quantity discount on tranquilizers? I sure need some.
Oh, bet they’re made in China too.
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:23 am
“If we start to see unusual spikes of inexplicable illness, we’ll ask those questions.”
yeah baby that’ll work . . .
how about STOPPING Chinese imports for now?!!!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:24 am
Gina - can you tell by his voice if he believes his own crap?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:24 am
i’m in ur fish, chewing up your guts.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:24 am
So let me get this straight, no matter how it was labelled, it was tainted plain old wheat flour, and it was in addition to our pet food was fed to fish, Right?
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:25 am
I’m not on the line this time. In a place where I can’t be.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 8, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Is there anywhere someone can actually get the live video? I checked CSPAN and, NADA!
Comment by Palomino82 — May 8, 2007 @ 11:25 am
*passes kim the liquor bottle”
i *think* it’s safe . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:25 am
is this the apocalypse? I think they’re trying to kill all of us and all of our Toto’s too. Are sundloff and acheson 2 of the 4 horsemen?
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:27 am
*guzzles tequila* (doesn’t care if it’s safe)
Thanks straybaby
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:27 am
“If we start to see unusual spikes of inexplicable illness, we’ll ask those questions.” — Dr. Acheson.
Gina, Kind of like they did for the pets.
Now Humans get to be the canaries in the coal mine!
Weeeee! Why be pro-active when you can be re-active?
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:28 am
*passes tequila to Christie*
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:29 am
So…. 8 months from now when babies are born deformed or die in utero - that’ll count as a spike?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:30 am
You know I’m kind of pissed that this is broadcast for all to hear. I think that if people would hear these exchanges they would be horrified.
I’ve offered to audiotape this digitize it, post and host it, but I’m just a dfh blogger.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:30 am
“we’re making maximum use of resources.” - Acheson.
Um… that’s you and me, folks. We get to loose a kidney or 2 for the FDA run-around cause.
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Re: “He did call this “a perfect storm for total confusion.”” Echo, Echo……
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:31 am
oooh, can’t wait to hear what Karen Roebuck asks…
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Cynthia: Don’t worry. You can get new kidneys in China for cheap. :-)
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:33 am
spocko - Please do tape it. Where is it available?
Comment by Palomino82 — May 8, 2007 @ 11:33 am
I loves me some Karen Roebuck.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:33 am
nice to think about how much sushi i’ve eaten in the last couple of months . . .
and here i thought my only worry was human hair soy sauce . . . OY!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:34 am
I think it’s time to get the shorter list of what’s actually safe to eat for pets or people… how short is that list anyway?
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:34 am
Spocko—They should be broadcasting each of these “events”. Why is the media the only sector that gets to hear this? I don’t need a filter to interpret what is going on.
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:34 am
Palomino82. I can’t get into the call. I’m not a “credentialed” press member. :-(
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Spocko - you and I need to figure out how to get on the next call, so we can do our thing. ;-)
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:36 am
spocko…. Nice one! That’s what I thought happened to the melamine guy who was allegedly arrested in China… I kind of figure he’s now an organ donor.
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:37 am
“We want to make sure the public is well-served.”
Great news! When’s that slated to begin?
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 11:38 am
“We want to make sure the public is well-served”??!!!
Reminding me of “New Orleans Convention Center? That’s the same as the Superdome”
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:38 am
Quoting the t-shirt “FDA… we make FEMA look good”
(Man I want one of those shirts)
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:39 am
“Low amount of melamine in pet food”
excuse me?! and what about the OTHER toxins?!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:39 am
We took the most aggressive approach to protect public health. Kenneth Petersen, D.V.M., M.P.H., assistant administrator for field operations, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
No you didn’t, the most aggressive approach would be to cull the food.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:39 am
*GRABS tequila from whoever now has it and goes straight for the worm…..*
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Um, yes, you do need a filter:
“In light of the recent pet food recall, thousands of Web sites and even some news sites have been quickly posting un-filtered information. Often times this information is inaccurate and sensationalized but looks like fact or news. This further added to the fear of pet owners.”
From this media release on April 19.
Actually, I think it was all the dead pets that added to our fear, call me crazy.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 8, 2007 @ 11:40 am
*pulls out stashed Bailey’s* hic
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:40 am
*opens up new bottle of tequila, passes the lime*
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:41 am
“Low amount of melamine in pet food”
right..just low enough to kill 1000’s+ cats and dogs and affect 10s of thousands of others.
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Check out that back peddling of Petersen! Go Karen!
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Gina - I really didn’t need to know that.
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:42 am
“Because it’s complicated.”
is that like “hard work”?
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:42 am
No Filter! I am very capable of scaring myself to, pass the tequila please!
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:45 am
*passes Shawn tequila*
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:45 am
“Sundloff: The answer is no. Any food that tests positive is considered adulterated and can’t be processed into animal feed.”
animals can’t eat the feed, but we can eat the animals?!
mmmk!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:46 am
So when are the going to name the names of the chicken processors and where those 20 million chickens will end up?
If they trust the chicken is safe, then tell us the names. If the don’t tell us the names that tells us something about the FDA/USDA.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:46 am
“Because it’s complicated.”
Translation: my brain can’t handle it.
It goes all esplodey…
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:46 am
They just can’t be this bad! I want my taxes back. And the answer to get China straight is to say very softly to them “Do you want anyone to come to your Olympics?”
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:46 am
“Because it’s complicated.”
‘Complicated’ like feeding your pets from your own kitchen Dr. Sundlof?
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 11:48 am
it must be all that liquor Ally
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Sundloff: The answer is no. Any food that tests positive is considered adulterated and can’t be processed into animal feed.”
Translation..If we don’t test it you can put anything you want into it.
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 11:48 am
what’s on the sunloff/petersen/acheson dinner tables these days?
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:49 am
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 11:48 am
LOL!~
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:49 am
How mant times are they going to change the number of animals tainted not to mention the species?
3 million chickens
No, wait - make that 20,000,000.
150 hogs (or whatever it was in california?)
6,000 hogs
today: 50,000 swine?!!!
Oh and fish. Mustn’t forget the fish.
AAARRRGGGH.
Anyone have some mushrooms?
The magic kind?
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:50 am
*looks around* Anyone need more tequila?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:50 am
“I’m not aware that ChemNutra were withholding information deliberately.”
OMG! I guess they missed all the website product revisions!
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:50 am
Cynthia: “it must be all that liquor Ally “
LMAO!!!
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:51 am
*takes empty tequila bottle, imagines smashing it over official’s heads*
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:51 am
“Don’t quite have a negative test” on those.
That’s reassuring.
Comment by Stephanie — May 8, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Now common, if it was all flour all along, then why didn’t the pet food look different. Surely you get an entirely different result from adding just the gluten vs. the flour (which includes the gluten). Cooks, check in please. Either the food was way to runny or it was paste thick. Something about this latest “information” makes no sense at all.
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
Wheat gluten is supposed to be 75% or more protein. Wheat flour is around 10-12% protein (or even less). Boosting the nitrogen content of plain flour to make it assay as 75% protein would take a lot more added non-protein nitrogen (NPN — urea, melamine, CA, etc.) than boosting the nitrogen content of low grade wheat gluten that is already at, say, 70%
So wheat flour masquerading as wheat gluten would really pack a NPN punch…
Comment by David — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
“Dr. Sundloff: Yes, we have been working on some comprehensive animal feed safety systems. Working on for years.”
Well take yer time for goodness sake. No rush…
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
I totally agree Shawn, this story is even harder to swallow than the rest. (maybe it’s all those melamine/cyanuric acid crystals in my throat)
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
“Dr. Sundloff: Yes, we have been working on some comprehensive animal feed safety systems. Working on for years.”
WTF?!!!
we’re doomed.
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Acheson:
“just to ensure we are following this in all possible directions,”
(in other words, we have no direction….)
Acheson:
“Trying to expand our investigation based on where we see the risk. This is shifting constantly.”
No CHIT Sherlock. Gee, what was your first clue?
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Yep that is why it killed our pets.
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:57 am
how brilliant and reassuring:
Yes, we have been working on some comprehensive animal feed safety systems. Working on for years. - Sundlof.
Maybe one of the reasons all the pets got so sick is because ALL of the ingredients: chickens, fish, glutens etc. - are contaminated.
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 11:58 am
You know that scene in the movie scanner where the head of the guy explodes? I’m that guy.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Kim: “(maybe it’s all those melamine/cyanuric acid crystals in my throat)”
Or ureters. Don’t forget those guys. The poisons they do know where to hide themselves but good. Pesky l’il buggers yanno.
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 11:59 am
But David, why didn’t Menu notice anything different, really different in the way that the food set up?
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
I’m not the most knowledgeable cook by any means (hopefully someone more experienced will chime in) but the more you “work” wheat flour, the more you activate the gluten - that is, it becomes stickier and tougher. I would guess that in the manufacturing of pet food, the flour/gluten is “worked” quite a bit and then mixed with other ingredients. So IMO it’s certainly possible they didn’t notice any drastic difference in the final product.
Comment by slt — May 8, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
These people are more amazingly dumb than I ever would have imagined. First they state that Chinese wheat flour was mislabeled as wheat gluten, then in response to a question as to whether or not we should be checking all imported wheat flour, says “no wheat gluten!” Later, Acheson attempts to explain that the manufacturers are bypassing the refining process by merely adding melamine to wheat flour. “Wait, doesn’t that mean we should be checking all Chinese wheat flour coming in?” No, he responds, wheat gluten! It’s like Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first, What’s on second…”
Unbe-frickan-lievable!
Comment by Palomino82 — May 8, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
just from making dog biscuits and using rice, oat and potato flours, they should have noticed a difference between wheat and rice! i started mixing oat and rice for volume consistency in recipes i was altering from wheat flour.
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
you’re not that lucky spocko. you’re still here with us and the fda and usda and all the other confuse-a-cat acronyms.
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
Erin Brockovich where are you ?
Comment by Donna — May 8, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
Nobody asked the names of the processors of the Safest. Chicken. Ever. Oh well. I guess we are all safe.
And the 50,000 swine? Safest. Pigs. Ever.
Poultry before Swine, folks.
Fish need tainted feed like they need a bicycle.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
i THINK i’m gonna be sick
Comment by Ann H. — May 8, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Awesome job Christie - thank you so much. Don’t know how you can stand listening to it, it’s hard enough to read it.
Tequila?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
Modern medicine is coming up with ALL the new drugs to combat the diseases and ailments the food is causing. Of course most of the large corporation have holdings in all those areas…so it is a win/win situation for them.
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
This just gets worse everyday. And everyday I am shocked at how much worse it’s gotten.
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
Mal - not to mention that all the new drugs have ingredients made in China!
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
“If we start to see unusual spikes of inexplicable illness, we’ll ask those questions.” — Dr. Acheson.
Someone should call the CDC. There’s been an epidemic of exploding heads during FDA news conferences!
Comment by Katherine — May 8, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
“We have not had an overall comprehensive program that looks at safety from a broader perspective such that it would catch problems like melamine.”
9/11, terrorists, food safety anyone?!they are addressing this, aren’t they?!
please don’t answer that last question . . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Erin Brockovich where are you ?
Comment by Donna —
Donna, YOU are the Erin Brockovich of this, what with all your letters. All of us are Erin Brockovich. (I look great in a push up bra)
Now, who will play us in the movie? I call dibs on George Clooney.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
LOOK What I Got!!! A response.
Copied Eric Nelson of AAFCO on my letter last night.
He responded, “Thank you for the very sincere and concise letter. I hope that they listen. Eric”
Comment by Donna — May 8, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
oy vey. Here I was thinking I was being hyper paranoid that I stopped feeding my cat pet treats that have wheat flour early on in this, just out of an overabundance of caution.
Comment by yet another pat — May 8, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
“Tequila?”
*chairfall*
You kill me, lady.
Christie - thanks again for doing such a stellar job!
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
Aaaaaah, Kahlua & melamilk……
Comment by JanC — May 8, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
spocko:
“(I look great in a push up bra)”
Oh Giiiiina? I sense a photo op a ‘comin’ on!!!
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
Isn’t this all perfect material for a Robin Cook or Stephen King series of books? or have they already written this story and we’re just getting around to living it?
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
So it appears that pork, chicken and fish may have been fed melamine/cyanuric acid tainted feed. But is even the beef safe? Forgetting about BSE..if tainted feed went directly to fish feed, then isn’t it possible that tainted feed went directly to cattle farms as well??
There is no way that the governments (US and Canada) will ever come clean. It would cripple their economies if the real truth were known.
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
CNN (radio) has just reported on the melamine-tainted food fed to farmed fish, and about mislabeled wheat-rice feed/products. So that’s one major media outlet is reporting on this. Of course petconnection scooped ‘em :-)
I absolutely hate the cavalier (=arrogant) attitude of these top federal agency folks about our food supply but it goes with this administration.
Comment by Sandy — May 8, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
AP has picked up the story:
Farmed Fish Fed Contaminated Material Linked To Pet Food Recall
May 8 - Farmed fish were fed meal spiked with an industrial chemical linked to the ongoing recall of pet foods, though the contamination level was probably too low to pose a danger to anyone who may have eaten the fish, federal health officials said Tuesday.
The Canadian-made meal included what was purported to be wheat gluten, a protein source, imported from China. The ingredient was contaminated by the chemical melamine and related compounds.
After pigs and chickens, the farmed fish mark the third food animal given contaminated feed. The level of contamination is expected to be too low to pose any danger to human health, said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for food protection.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/sto.....id=5285079
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
Mal. Actually the interesting thing is the the beef MIGHT be safe. Why? I believe that animals with four stomachs ( Ruminants ) have the ability to break down some melamine. I don’t know about the melamine combined with c-acid and other things.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Interesting. That they pick up on the fish thing. That will be the news bit out of this one.
I wonder if the theory is to just get the story bigger and bigger and focus on on safe all the food is that eats the food?
Then the attitude is “Well there isn’t anything you can do and we haven’t seen any spikes in deaths so don’t worry, be happy.”
I really wonder why nobody asked the names of the companies that will be selling the 20 million safe chickens? Or the names of the 3.5 they already sold?
I guess they don’t want to know.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Actually the interesting thing is the the beef MIGHT be safe.
Very good point Spocko. I hope you are right. I am running out of safe foods for my kitties meals. I will look for wild tuna and salmon but chicken and pork are no longer on my list.
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
If it’s true that wheat flour has lower protein then gluten, now it makes sense why they really poured on the melamine this time. They were probably spiking the gluten for years (which is what I believed all along) & no pets died (at least not in huge enough numbers for them to care). They decided to take yet one more cost cutting step & just use the flour & pile on the melamine. I wondered why this last time it was so heavily spiked…..now we may have our answer.
Pass the tequila……oh, nevermind, I forgot I have my Kahlua….
Comment by JanC — May 8, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
ookay…call me insane…but ya know…I bake..and wheat flour put into a recipe will behave entirely differently than the same amount of wheat gluten. Even if made into gravy, the two behave differently…. try it …go make plain old fashioned gravy with flour — then make gravy using gluten…
something makes no sense whatsoever.
Comment by GingerTom — May 8, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
I agree GingerTom.
So… they want us to believe that the Wheat Gluten and Rice Protein Concentrate weren’t actually contaminated because they were really Wheat Flour instead - WHY?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
Kim, my gut reaction: a cover up to confuse us. I strongly sense back peddling.
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
I have a serious question about chicken - you guys think Organic Chicken is safe? How about “Natural” Chicken - the stuff with no antibiotics/etc?
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
GingerTom-That’s what I thought. I don’t understand why there weren’t reports by anyone of the food not coming out right.
Comment by Shawn — May 8, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
Then the attitude is “Well there isn’t anything you can do and we haven’t seen any spikes in deaths so don’t worry, be happy.”
they haven’t been looking for spikes until now . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
kim. organic yes. natural no. imo ;)
Comment by straybaby — May 8, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Why do they think we’re stupid? We want safe food. Seems easy enough to figure out. My mother used to say if they can’t dazzle us with brilliance, they’ll baffle us with b.s. I just want safe pet food; I’m not asking for a safe Mars landing. Thanks, all of you for keeping us up to date.
Comment by Susan — May 8, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
kim… certified organic, yes… different than organic or natural
Comment by Cynthia — May 8, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
Kool Aid Alert
May 8, 2007
“No amount of regulation would have found the melamine,” says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute. Instead, he says, the Chinese government should step up to help certify its food products – or otherwise be stung by consuming nations that shift their trade to more careful trading partners.
“The US system is not broken; that’s an oversimplification,” says Mr. Ekedahl. “We shouldn’t have to inspect it here. [Foreign governments] should inspect it all there.”
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
So in what state does that leave our pet foods?
oy sigh
Comment by Ann H. — May 8, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
It’s so obvious that the FDA doesn’t know what’s going on - everything from China is suspect. The FDA sounds concerned also but their job is like looking for a needle in a ten story haystack and we don’t know where it is until we swallow it.
Comment by Linda — May 8, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Steve, I smart mouthed Mr Duane, can’t wait to send him the FDA letter
Comment by Ann H. — May 8, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
GingerTom: I’m a baker. And I have a couple of great books that I have. CookWise and the Science of Cooking. They have several pages on how the gluten is created in bread, how the protein content of different flours will impact the texture and the “crumb” of the bread.
The issue of how you create the sheets of gluten in bread that make it possible involves kneading the bread (via hand or machine).
If I have a bread that has a low protein content (like the flours from The South in the USA, vs. the hard high protein content flours from Canada) sometimes I need to add wheat gluten. Or if I’m using a type of flour (rye) that has less gluten than wheat.
So it depends on HOW the actual product is being used if they would notice how it responds in a manufacturing process.
In the massive bread making operations they do things differently; less by feel than by things that they can measure and observe with instruments.
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Thanks for the responses: You can get Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Whole Chicken for $2.49 lb
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
“We shouldn’t have to inspect it here. [Foreign governments] should inspect it all there.”
— Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute.
But Duane, don’t you know we are inspecting it over there so we don’t have to inspect it here?
Comment by spocko — May 8, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
ok - i’ve been following the blog off and on today from work - and what i would like to know is what planet Mr Ekedahl resides on -
“The US system is not broken; that’s an oversimplification,” says Mr. Ekedahl. “We shouldn’t have to inspect it here. [Foreign governments] should inspect it all there.”
Seems to me that’s what we’ve been doing - relying on someone else to inspect our food products - AND WE CAN ALL SEE HOW WELL THAT’S BEEN WORKING!!!!
well except Mr. Ekedahl - like “pull your head out”
Comment by Deborah — May 8, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
The FDA’s current belief is that the threat to humans from contaminated poultry or pork is extremely low, and therefore no recall is warranted. The health of this nation hinges on a belief not facts. There has been minimal testing on the effects of Melamine, and those tests were several years ago on rats. There has been no testing on the long term effect of Melamine on either rats or humans. The FDA is playing Russian roulette with our lives in order to prevent businesses from losing money.
The FDA says that the melamine is in all the pork and some of the poultry but refuses to name where the pork and chicken went. We as consumers have a right to decide whether we wish to purchase melamine tainted pork and chicken, we have the right to know.
The FDA position on the tainted poultry and pork is resulting in a force feeding of melamine to the people of the United States. Maybe we are the test subjects to determine the effect of Melamine on humans?
It wasn’t too long ago that smoking was thought to be harmless and opium was legal. Now we know what the long term effects of these two products are. Remember Thalidomide. Thalidomide was chiefly sold and prescribed during the late 1950s and early 1960s to pregnant women, as an antiemetic to combat morning sickness and as an aid to help them sleep. Unfortunately, inadequate tests were performed to assess the drug’s safety, with catastrophic results for the children of women who had taken thalidomide during their pregnancies.
From 1956 to 1962, approximately 10,000 children were born with severe malformities, including phocomelia, because their mothers had taken thalidomide during pregnancy. In 1962, in reaction to the tragedy, the United States Congress enacted laws requiring tests for safety during pregnancy before a drug can receive approval for sale in the U.S. Other countries enacted similar legislation, and thalidomide was not prescribed or sold for decades.
Do we really want to take the chance that we could have similar results with Melamine? Remember Thalidomide was proscribed to individuals, not sold to the public at large. If indeed the long term effects of melamine are in any way dangerous to the human body, it could affect all Americans.
Our nation could become a nation of cancer riddled, unhealthy, mutant people, all based upon the “belief” of the FDA. Why are we even taking the chance? We are slaughtering and disposing of the tainted hogs and chickens and spending millions of dollars to compensate the farms where these animals were housed, yet we are still consuming them. If the products from these animals are safe, why are we spending millions of dollars to dispose of them? If they are not safe, why are they being sold as food?
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks announced a ban on the sale of catfish from China last month after antibiotics prohibited in the United States were found in the product. Why isn’t the Federal Government protecting the people of the United States? The sale of tainted pork and poultry should be stopped and all food products and food ingredients from China should be banned from importation.
Comment by Rebecca Del Medico — May 8, 2007 @ 12:39 pm
Memoradum: Important FDA Letter to Food/Feed Manufacturers
2007-05-07 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
“Manufacturers are responsible for taking their own measures to ensure the safety of their products. Manufacturers should not wait for ***possible FDA testing of their materials as manufacturers bear the responsibility of ensuring only safe products are put on the market.*** For those companies interested in performing their own tests for melamine, the methodology used by the FERN laboratories can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MelaminePresence.htm.”
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/t.....p;zoneid=6
And of course all the manufacturers are vigilant about their testing. We have already been shown that. (dripping of sarcasm)
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
“So wheat flour masquerading as wheat gluten would really pack a NPN punch…”
Comment by David — May 8, 2007 @ 11:56 am
This may go a long way towards explaining why this hit critical mass when it did. They may have been adding melamine to wheat gluten for a while, but then when they wanted to skip a step or steps, it took extra chemicals to boost the melamine so wheat flour would read the same protein level as the wheat gluten did.
Comment by yet another pat — May 8, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
Once again that slinky little shell-game playing lawyer turned import-export China supplying poison crap perjurious scum-bag…….cocky-doo-doo.
I can’t say it enough, I knew Miller and Ms. Q were deeply invovled.
And he lied when Stupak questioned him during the House hearing.
This by no means let’s the rest of these creeps off the hook.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Oh yeah the Good Ol’ Millers.
Where they hiding out these days?
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
I think this is fixed now, could someone post to this thread, please?
Comment by Christie Keith — May 8, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
sure - np!
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
YAAAYYY Christie!!!
By jove I think ya fixed it!
Comment by Ally — May 8, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
Hi!
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
You know what’s scary? When episodes of ‘24’ involved less incompetence and fewer cover-ups than real life does.
I’m watching ‘24’ to escape! Up until 2 months ago I got stressed watching ‘24’so hadn’t watched it for 3 seasons, now it helps relax me. Mind boggling.
(thanks for fixing the thread - you guys rock.)
Comment by Kim — May 8, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Classic. Love it.
AP: Why didn’t ChemNutra disclose this? Does that disturb you?
Where’s the Millers these days anyway? When we going to have Sally step up to the Plate as the official “buyer” for the firm?
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
This is all very lovely, NOT. Just in time for summer BBQs. The perfect storm. What happens if one person eats chicken, fish, pork that fed on the contaminated feed, and some bread (wheat flour/glutten) in the same day??? This is really unbelievable.
Comment by anon — May 8, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
Steve
I take it you noticed the fancy “Q” signature on the invoice? The same invoice with both Chinese company names on it. The seller being the textile company that slipped it through as non-food. And the other company that listed it as food grade.
Am I supposed to believe Miller and Q didn’t plan this little charade?
When pigs fly!
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
Maybe they could cut a deal to share a cell together.
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
ChemNutra’s added another PR Hack to their arsenal by the way.
Get a load of this guy.
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/
http://www.chemnutra.com/media.htm
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
Steve
You see my comment on Spocko’s Brain: CEO’s for Menu and ChemNutra Testify?
I wrote out the dialog between Stupak and Miller.
Interesting how Miller would start to say something, catch himself, start to say another thing, catch himself again, then say something else.
The guy’s a real scream, isn’t he?
*** my comment is farther down the page. ***
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
The people committing the crime and/or subsequent cover-up can be operating on the assumptions that “We’re too smart to get caught,” or otherwise believe in an arrogant fashion they are above the law.
http://tinyurl.com/aa5fy
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
Another “comforting” thought. But it is probably well “diluted” so NO PROBLEM!!!
US: Another Chemical Emerges in Pet Food Case
by
DAVID BARBOZA, The New York Times
May 9th, 2007
Chemical producers said that it was common knowledge that for years cyanuric acid was used in animal and fish feed in China. In the United States, cyanuric acid is often used as a disinfectant in swimming pools.
But interviews with Chinese animal feed producers, melamine companies and traders and other chemical makers over the last two weeks indicate that melamine and cyanuric acid are often added intentionally to animal feed to cheat buyers.
“I’ve heard that people add cyanuric acid and melamine to animal feed to boost the protein level,” said Yang Fei, who works in the sales department of the Shouguang Weidong Chemical Company, which is in Shandong Province, where some of the contaminated pet food ingredients came from.
Chinese chemical makers say they also produce a chemical which is a combination of melamine and cyanuric acid, and that feed producers have often sought to purchase scrap material from this product.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14467
So..is our food still safe MR FDA??
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
I guess they NEED two talking heads to slime their way out of this mess.
Maybe he needs Bernstein to cover Stern’s hole.
Stern was digging a pretty deep one.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:27 pm
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
They been lying, spinning, and covering up from day one.
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:27 pm
Corollary to the Peter Principle is that a person, on reaching their level of incompetence, will surround themselves with even more incompetent subordinates.
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Steve
Ya think.
If this weren’t so horrendous, it would be hilarious.
Maybe with two guys on board digging holes, he can dig all the way to China. I think Q flew the coop before the melacrap hit the fan.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
I wasn’t able to be here when the live blogging went on but boy what a load of bull they’ve unloaded today!
“We want to make sure the public is well-served.”
Do these guys really think we’re buying all this stuff??? And ya know…I keep asking this and maybe somebody can tell me if my thinking is all wrong but…why can’t we buy stuff from AMERICAN farmers??? Just cut the darn Chinese out entirely.
Comment by Therese — May 8, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Stephen S. Miller, importer of toxic Chinese wheat gluten and probably winner of the all-around most unpopular guy in America award.
Apparently that hasn’t sunk in yet.
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
Oh, and I forgot to add….Kim…pass the tequila!
Comment by Therese — May 8, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
I really thought last night it couldn’t get worse. The FDA/USDA/PFI, I have never, ever seen such a group of incompetent people in my life! Not to be political but I remember when our President made the comment about how hard the job of being Pres. was. Now the FDA is pitching the same thing.
And, I’m wondering about all the wheat….
Just came home with fish, made sure it was from the US, caught here - Yuck! And, dog food contains fish meal!
Back to store to buy buffalo meat - do you think it’s safe???
I truly believe, they are scared and afraid of panic and lost dollars and lost trade with Europe. And they will sell us down the river to save their hides. I’m pissed and want my tax money back!!!!
Katie
Comment by Katie — May 8, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
Steve
I was thinking of posting his photo on my dartboard, using a little voodoo to make him squeal.
I, too, had him pegged at the beginning.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
“Based on the risk assessment, we do not believe that there is any human health risk associated with consuming these fish,” says David Acheson, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for food protection.
SHOULD READ:
“Based on the risk assessment, we do not believe that there is any human health benefits associated with listening to the FDA,”
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
It bothers me that Stupak didn’t grasp the discrepancies in Miller’s answers.
Any chance we can see the reports that Henderson and Miller submitted to the House?
I’d like to scrutinize those reports myself.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Could be the panel is taking a give them enough rope and they will hang themselves approach.
Then one day they get a knock on the door, and men in suits hold up an ID and say,
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at interrogation time and at court.”
Comment by Steve — May 8, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
Comment by Rebecca Del Medico — May 8, 2007 @ 12:39 pm
Rebecca’s post is terrific, including this: “Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks announced a ban on the sale of catfish from China last month after antibiotics prohibited in the United States were found in the product. Why isn’t the Federal Government protecting the people of the United States? The sale of tainted pork and poultry should be stopped and all food products and food ingredients from China should be banned from importation.”
Rebecca, a lot is going on here today, but didn’t want you to think such a great post went unnoticed.
Comment by Maureen — May 8, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
Steve
I sure hope it goes that way.
Maybe a little prompting from us will make it happen. Let ‘em know we know.
Comment by Kathi — May 8, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Cattleman calls for labeling country of origin on food
St. Francis cattleman Mike Callicrate has long urged Congress to enact country of origin labeling for food consumed in the United States.
The discovery that melamine-laced additives might be responsible for pet deaths and the recall of thousands of pounds of pet food should result in a slam-dunk on the issue, he now says.
“I think we should implement country of origin labeling on an emergency basis,”
It’s the corporate control issue that concerns Callicrate.
“Here I am in Ranch Foods Direct getting the … kicked out of me by Sysco and U.S. Food Service,” he said of his efforts to market directly to consumers. “I’m convinced if the packers are able to help to run me out of business, they will.”
Callicrate said his company recently tried to strike a deal with the Great American Hamburger restaurant in Colorado Springs. Even though they thought a deal had been worked out, another supplier came in and offered hamburger at 80 cents a pound less.
“You know that is predatory pricing,” he said.
http://online.hdnews.net/conte.....0807.shtml
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 3:35 pm
Ex-FDA Chief Pleads Guilty to Conflict Of Interest Charges
October 18, 2006
http://www.consumeraffairs.com.....ioner.html
Wonder who else may have conflict of interest connections??
Comment by mal — May 8, 2007 @ 3:51 pm
Oh great - can’t use it in feed, but can feed it to humans.
Comment by Jenny — May 8, 2007 @ 4:11 pm
Noticed how the FDA spin doctors are saying that the chicken,hog and fish is safe for human consumption.Not one time have they said that is also safe for animal consumption. Guess, if we believe all the pet food companies with expanded testing, wonder if it safer for humans to eat pet food now. Also, it is so ironic, that in the 19th century and before, it was common for people to die of comsumption( meaning unknown causes or TB) Guess , we have taken a giant leap back.
Comment by Serijna — May 8, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Really,has anyone contacted Erin Brockovich ?
Lorna
Comment by Lorna — May 8, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
All Melamine fed food products are safe. The FDA had a hunch they won’t kill you immediately and future cancer and endocrine disorder will be delt with later. Enjoy your mela-chicken, mela-pork and mela-fish. Don’t bother going vegetarian, because that stuff has GMO grains. Take advantage of the unproven “dilution effect”. FDA political appointee’s are in the know.
Comment by Larry — May 8, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
So, I may have missed it, but did anyone ask if the meat could be sold to pet food manufacturers? Of course I know that it will be, but I wanted to know if they came out and said it.
Comment by Joyce — May 9, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Gotta read this! Just posted today on the AVMA website…
http://avma.org/aa/petfoodreca....._sheep.asp
May 9, 2007
Source:
Clark, R. 1966. Melamine crystalluria in sheep. Journal South African Veterinary Medical Assoc., 1966, Vol. 37, pp. 349-351. CAB Record Number: 19671407708
Melamine crystalluria in sheep
The toxic effects of melamine given directly or in the feed to merino wethers were studied. A single dose of 100 g increased urea in blood from 28 to 315 mg per 100 ml for a period of 11 days. There was complete loss of appetite and excretion of urine ceased on the tenth day. When the sheep was examined post mortem on the eleventh day the tubules of the kidney were packed with crystals. Nephrosis and erosive abomasitis were seen also. Daily doses of 50 and 25 g killed the sheep after 7 and 9 days, respectively. In those sheep the blood urea was high just before death and post mortem crystals in the kidney tubules, nephrosis, haemorrhagic cystitis and acute typhlitis were seen…..
There’s more…
Comment by Marilyn — May 9, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
I bet they’re not eating this stuff in South Africa.
Comment by Marilyn — May 9, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
Is there a link to the chat log for Tuesday’s evening FDA discussion?
Would someone please post it?
Comment by safefoods — May 9, 2007 @ 3:19 pm