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Food for thought: Oh my gosh, we’re nearing the one-year anniversary of …
By Gina Spadafori
January 16, 2008
… you guessed it: The rolling waves of pet-food recalls after tainted ingredients from China killed thousands of pets.
Of course, China has since declared their problems fixed (and they’ll happily execute anyone who says otherwise). U.S. companies hit by a series of “consumer confidence issues” (which is a cute phrase for “death by poisoning,” but I read it in a major news source, so it must be No Big Deal) are pretty busy trying to alternately:
1. Pretend nothing ever happened; and
2. Assure us that nothing will ever happen again.
Meanwhile, Washington is just a little too busy wondering who’ll be the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to do much of anything about anything.
Those of us who prefer pet food without melamine and children’s toys without lead continue to muddle on as best we can. Regular reader Nadine snagged a couple of stories for us this morning:
Spurred by food safety lapses in 2007, Congress appears ready to push for aggressive new regulations in the coming year, according to food manufacturing and legal experts.
Sweeping changes may be coming as early as spring, said Scott Faber, vice president of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
“This is either an exciting or terrifying time to be working on these issues, depending on your perspective,” he said at the Northwest Food Manufacturing & Packaging Expo in Portland Jan. 14.
Here’s the rest, and then there’s this from Forbes:
There’s no shortage of proposed solutions for filling the safety gaps in the U.S. food system.
Many suggestions focus on the oft-stated reforms of establishing one federal “superagency” to monitor food safety; beefing up the overworked U.S. Food and Drug Administration; or, at the very least, giving the FDA the ability to recall tainted food products.
The rest gives a list of proposed regulatory changes, but of course some believe there’s no need to go to all that much trouble:
Others think the food industry can create its own solutions.
“I think things have changed now and… companies are willing to talk about mandatory guidelines,” said Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with Consumers Union.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), which represents the nation’s top food producers, unveiled in September a “four pillars” plan to increase government oversight — but of imports rather than domestically produced food.
The new strategy is also meant to take “a bit of the burden off of the FDA,” said Jenny Scott, vice president of food safety programs at GMA.
How thoughtful. Fox. Henhouse.
***
The anniversary of the first of the rolling waves of pet-food recalls coincides with the annual dry-food edition of the Whole Dog Journal. And because of last year’s disaster, they’ve done some things differently. From Editor Nancy Kerns:
This year, with the memory of the 2007 pet food recalls still fresh in our minds, we are emphasizing pet food company transparency and its value to pet owners. In the past, we’ve asked pet food companies to disclose to us, not for publication, where their products were manufactured – mostly as a lever to pry more information out of them about their ingredient sourcing and quality assurance programs. Following the 2007 recalls, and the months of uncertainty about ingredient and product safety, we decided this was not enough.
For this year’s review, we required each company who, in the past, had a product on our “approved dry dog food” list to divulge, for publication, information about their manufacturing sites. As a reward, we gave the participants – the ones that were still talking to us at this point! – the opportunity to make a short statement about their companies and products. You should find the statements very interesting and diverse.
As we’ve written consistently from Day One, we don’t think commercial pet food is “bad.” On the Pet Connection team, we had — and still have — people who feed everything from a 100 percent home-prepared diet made from whole, organic and local ingredients to people who feed a mix of whole food and small-company commercial to people who feed a top “name brand” to people who feed generic. And yes, we all love our pets.
No one should have to worry about a food killing a pet, no matter what you feed. That remains our bottom line. It’ll be interesting to see how food-safety issues — for us all, people and pets — continue to play out in boardrooms and legislative bodies.
We’ll be watching.
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My mind is totally at ease now that the Chinese have declared that all their safety problems are fixed! I agree with the fox in the henhouse analogy;however our government is so heavily indebted to lobbyists and corporations that government oversight almost means nothing. Here’s a link for info about Chinese cars - with a passing mention to the pet food recall.
http://www.manufacturing.net/N.....?menuid=36
Doesn’t it make you want to run right out and get one?
Comment by Carol — January 16, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
I just received in my mailbox early notification that The Whole Dog Journal is reviewing dry dog food in February. They are adding a category of grain-free foods for review and also requesting the food companies to provide their own comments as well as providing information as to where exactly the food is produced. Would be interested to hear comments from other bloggers who may get the WDJ in February as to what their thoughts are on the subject.
Comment by VJ — January 16, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
After a year of heartbreak and vocalizing all our qualms to USG entities and filing suit against companies……tell me……just what have we accomplished towards ensuring that this kind of epidemic won’t happen again?
I say we’re sitting ducks.
Comment by Lynn — January 16, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Tonight’s episode of “Law & Order” included a subplot where tainted toothpaste manufactured in China was purchased by a major U.S. discount chain. When the discount chain discovered that the product was tainted (poisoned)they sold it to a company which then distributed it to nursing homes and prisons in the U.S. — now that’s a plot that wouldn’t have been written into a major network show a year ago. At least it could remind consumers of the need for protection from businesses which care only about profit.
Comment by shadepuppy — January 16, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
Oh I love the Law and Order idea. It has seemed to me for a number of years now that the only way people will listen is if they see it on TV or in a movie, fiction or no fiction they will believe it.
Comment by `Kathy — January 21, 2008 @ 7:18 pm
Law & Order seems to break out of the box at times, example being, an episode on Katrina. I have continued to wonder, ponder this whole ordeal, never hear any vets speaking up, have any of you?
I have tried to research, with little out there I could find the lead deal. Has to be as bad worse in balls, toys etc. I really do walk away from anything made in China now, wonder how far to go back and toss all.
Good article I read and finally someone did address, probably with no further info.
In a message dated 1/22/2008 5:32:53 A.M. Central Europe Standard Ti, DrJon@petplace.com writes:
Dog Crazy Newsletter Monday January 21, 2007
Hi Friend,
Last week, I wrote an article about lead toxicity. I had just seen a cat in my practice with lead toxicity secondary to paint dust and chip exposure during home renovations. This is a very common method of lead toxicity in cats and dogs. Lead based paint is sanded causing dust which gets on the paws and fur of cats and dogs or chips fall the ground which dogs ingest.
After that email, got hundreds of emails asking… what about toys and bowls? What is safe? Should you be concerned? Is it just paint that can cause lead toxicity? How about toys made in china?
This past fall, there were a series of recalls involving over 1.5 million Fisher-Price children’s toys made in china with lead based. I asked one of our wonderful PetPlace writers to research this topic and I’ll share some of that information with you now. I’ll try to answer some of the most common questions that I got.
Is Lead Toxic?
Yes. Lead is a metal that can be toxic. Old paint contained lead and the paint, paint chips and paint dust from homes being renovated are a possible source of lead that can cause lead toxicity. This was a problem in paints produced prior to 1977 contain high lead levels. The paint is perfectly safe while it’s on the walls, but once you start scraping and disturbing the paint, you may have a problem. Come companies are still using it to paint children’s and pet products.
What are Common Signs of Lead Poisoning?
Common signs of lead poisoning may include vomiting and diarrhea that may progress to symptoms that involves the nervous system such as seizures or abnormal behavior. Lead toxicity can also cause anemia which can cause lethargy and weakness. Hundreds of pets are poisoned each year. For more information about the exposure to lead, diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning, go to http://www.petplace.com and read about Lead toxicity in Dogs.
Does Anyone Test Animal Toys to Determine Safety?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) checks the safety of all toys intended for humans. Unfortunately, there are no organizations regularly testing animal toys, and there are no federal standards regarding lead in pet toys. The CPSC enforces a federal standard for lead in paint on children’s toys. This standard is 600 parts per million (ppm).
Are Pet Toys Toxic?
In the wake of the lead scare, two laboratories have conducted independent tests on randomly selected pet items. These very qualified laboratories include Trace Laboratories, Inc. in Illinois and ExperTox Analytical Laboratories in Texas. Both labs **have** found lead and other toxic heavy metals in pet items purchased from American stores.
ExperTox Analytical Laboratories tested a Chinese-made, Wal-Mart marketed cat toy and dog toy. Both were packaged in a clear plastic wrapping with a cardboard label and no brand name.
The dog toy, a latex, green monster, contained high levels of lead and chromium (a cancer-causing heavy metal) and smaller amounts of other toxic materials. The cat toy contained very high levels of the toxic heavy metal, cadmium.
The lab determined these toxins were easily accessed and could be acquired from the toy with a simple lick of the dog’s or cat’s tongue.
Trace Laboratories tested Paws ‘N Claws tennis balls purchased at a dollar-type store. They found an astounding 27,200 ppm lead levels in the ink on the balls. They also tested a ceramic food dish and found lead levels at 2,890 ppm. The lead levels in both these items far exceeded the limit set for human toys.
Should You Be Concerned?
There are conflicting opinions regarding the severity of these levels of lead and other heavy metals in pet products. Because of the lack of federal regulation at this time, it is up to you, the pet owner, to determine your level of concern.
An interesting bit of information to consider: Wal-Mart actually recalled children’s toys which are quite similar to their lead-containing pet toys. These Chinese-made, Wal-Mart children’s toys are sold at a similar price, without a brand, in packaging very similar to that containing their toxic pet toys. If these toys are not safe enough for your children, should your pet be playing with them?
What Can You Do?
How can you protect your pet? Talk to your veterinarian. Do your research. Check with the manufacturers of your pet’s toys; ask for proof of their safety testing. Strongly consider discarding your pet’s current products which are made in China. When buying new products, look for items made in the United States. Also, avoid toys made of latex, as they are more likely to contain lead. Above all, be proactive and don’t take chances with the health of your pet.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon
P.S. Keep your dog safe in all ways. Make sure you can do your best for him or her in the case of a medical emergency.
Comment by Mary — January 22, 2008 @ 5:53 am
An interesting bit of information to consider: Wal-Mart actually recalled children’s toys which are quite similar to their lead-containing pet toys. These Chinese-made, Wal-Mart children’s toys are sold at a similar price, without a brand, in packaging very similar to that containing their toxic pet toys. If these toys are not safe enough for your children, should your pet be playing with them?
And, what is the concern that children will be exposed to pet toy toxicity/
Comment by Mary — January 22, 2008 @ 5:56 am