Comments on: FDA meets tomorrow to discuss pet food safety http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/ The Web blog of the Pet Connection, a pet-care feature syndicated internationally by Universal Press. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:53:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Joy http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265514 Joy Wed, 14 May 2008 05:22:08 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265514 Am I behind in the times? Does everyone else already know about this? An import alert concerning Melamine dated 2/25/08. One of the companies is Jiangsu Peidi Brand and it’s pet/laboratory animal food. http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia7205.html I’ve never heard of Jiangsu Peidi Brand but their site says their “main customers” are Dingo Brand, PetEdge, RedBarn, Penn-Plax, Armitage, VPG, Hagen, Wilkingson, Friskies, Pet Brand, Master Pet and SunRise. http://peidibrand.en.alibaba.com/aboutus.html Am I behind in the times? Does everyone else already know about this?

An import alert concerning Melamine dated 2/25/08. One of the companies is Jiangsu Peidi Brand and it’s pet/laboratory animal food.

http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/o.....a7205.html

I’ve never heard of Jiangsu Peidi Brand but their site says their “main customers” are Dingo Brand, PetEdge, RedBarn, Penn-Plax, Armitage, VPG, Hagen, Wilkingson, Friskies, Pet Brand, Master Pet and SunRise.

http://peidibrand.en.alibaba.com/aboutus.html

]]> By: Joy http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265407 Joy Tue, 13 May 2008 21:08:24 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265407 I doubt I'll ever figure out the FDA comment page but here’s a thought: The pet food poisonings could have easily been prevented if the industry insisted on testing for TRUE protein content rather than CRUDE protein. The tests for crude protein only test for nitrogen. Those tests (the Kjeldahl method and Dumas method )will NEVER be able to detect accidental or intentional contamination with non-protein nitrogen sources like melamine and urea. Because they are inter alia…foods used as the sole source of nourishment….things like infant formula must be tested using only amino acid analysis for true protein content rather than crude protein. So, since pet food is being sold as a “complete and balanced” product meant as the as the sole source of nourishment, it too should be tested for TRUE protein to determine the protein content. If the industry made this simple change, raw ingredients like corn and wheat gluten could not be adulterated with nitrogen sources to falsely inflate their protein content. It would easily be detected and Viola! an end to the still common unscrupulous business of putting fake protein.. sometimes in the form of dangerous or deadly raw ingredients… into pet food. I doubt I’ll ever figure out the FDA comment page but here’s a thought:

The pet food poisonings could have easily been prevented if the industry insisted on testing for TRUE protein content rather than CRUDE protein.

The tests for crude protein only test for nitrogen. Those tests (the Kjeldahl method and Dumas method )will NEVER be able to detect accidental or intentional contamination with non-protein nitrogen sources like melamine and urea.

Because they are inter alia…foods used as the sole source of nourishment….things like infant formula must be tested using only amino acid analysis for true protein content rather than crude protein.

So, since pet food is being sold as a “complete and balanced” product meant as the as the sole source of nourishment, it too should be tested for TRUE protein to determine the protein content.

If the industry made this simple change, raw ingredients like corn and wheat gluten could not be adulterated with nitrogen sources to falsely inflate their protein content. It would easily be detected and Viola! an end to the still common unscrupulous business of putting fake protein.. sometimes in the form of dangerous or deadly raw ingredients… into pet food.

]]> By: Carol V http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265401 Carol V Tue, 13 May 2008 20:14:24 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265401 Gina -- I so hope you are right...this is just too important...I never want anybody else to go through the winter and spring of 2007 that my family did because of apathy with the people that can help make changes in the right direction. Gina — I so hope you are right…this is just too important…I never want anybody else to go through the winter and spring of 2007 that my family did because of apathy with the people that can help make changes in the right direction.

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265394 Gina Spadafori Tue, 13 May 2008 19:56:00 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265394 Nothing is going to change with a lame-duck administration. I can say that as a person who has watched this game played in Sacramento for decades. The political appointees running these agencies are just running out the clock. Come back after the election ... Nothing is going to change with a lame-duck administration. I can say that as a person who has watched this game played in Sacramento for decades. The political appointees running these agencies are just running out the clock. Come back after the election …

]]> By: Carol V http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265389 Carol V Tue, 13 May 2008 19:29:15 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265389 I did read there was concerns expressed at the meeting---where was the coffee.... http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/applications/WebBlogManager/inc_webblogmanager.asp I did read there was concerns expressed at the meeting—-where was the coffee….

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.c.....anager.asp

]]> By: slt http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265387 slt Tue, 13 May 2008 19:24:29 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265387 I guess the all day FDA meeting on pet food safety standards ended after 90 minutes due to lack of participation. I wasn't there and can't watch any videos from anyone who was, but I'll take a guess at how things went: Pet food is good. Pet food is safe. No changes need to be made or even discussed. Any questions? *tumbleweed blows across room* Alrighty then, meeting adjourned. I guess the all day FDA meeting on pet food safety standards ended after 90 minutes due to lack of participation. I wasn’t there and can’t watch any videos from anyone who was, but I’ll take a guess at how things went:

Pet food is good. Pet food is safe. No changes need to be made or even discussed. Any questions? *tumbleweed blows across room* Alrighty then, meeting adjourned.

]]> By: JuliaMartin http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265386 JuliaMartin Tue, 13 May 2008 19:21:19 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265386 FDA big deal public meeting today opened and _closed_ within 90 minutes, due to a lack of participants. (cough) It was a well coordinated shut out of public comment, docket numbers changed at the last minute and all the official participants too busy to answer questions. Not one media person there to ask how pet owners felt about anything. The new "stealth recalls" system is in place to ensure that no matter how many pets, or humans, die from any toxin, official numbers will be low. FDA big deal public meeting today opened and _closed_ within 90 minutes, due to a lack of participants.
(cough)
It was a well coordinated shut out of public comment, docket numbers changed at the last minute and all the official participants too busy to answer questions.
Not one media person there to ask how pet owners felt about anything.

The new “stealth recalls” system is in place to ensure that no matter how many pets, or humans, die from any toxin, official numbers will be low.

]]> By: Mark Bullock http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265212 Mark Bullock Tue, 13 May 2008 00:52:58 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265212 Go Eddie! Go Eddie!

]]> By: JuliaMartin http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265183 JuliaMartin Mon, 12 May 2008 23:23:45 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265183 Yeah, the FDA has been a real treat to deal with on this. Here is a cut and paste of a post from itchmo, made by the website owner referenced above. Anyone planning on being there? Eddie and I are going to go (and liveblog the event for Pets for the Environment). We'll also be delivering messages in (biodegradable) poop bags from pets and their owners (no real poop, of course, that would just be rude!), the idea being that "We're sick of the crap in our pet food!" http://petsfortheenvironment.org/crap Yeah, the FDA has been a real treat to deal with on this.

Here is a cut and paste of a post from itchmo, made by the website owner referenced above.

Anyone planning on being there? Eddie and I are going to go (and liveblog the event for Pets for the Environment). We’ll also be delivering messages in (biodegradable) poop bags from pets and their owners (no real poop, of course, that would just be rude!), the idea being that “We’re sick of the crap in our pet food!” http://petsfortheenvironment.org/crap

]]> By: Carol V http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/#comment-265177 Carol V Mon, 12 May 2008 23:08:51 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=2477#comment-265177 Amanda from petsfortheenvironment.org told me they would be posting updates tomorrow here from the hearing... http://petsfortheenvironment.org/blog Amanda from petsfortheenvironment.org told me they would be posting updates tomorrow here from the hearing…

http://petsfortheenvironment.org/blog

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