Month: April 2007

A reader asked why we are importing agricultural products from China. Slate Magazine answers why we’re importing wheat gluten.

You can find out much more on the recall on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.

Researchers have identified three melamine by-products in the tissue and urine of affected animals.(article via PetConnection) Scientists at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Center for Population & Animal Health have found cyanuric acid (used as a stabilizer for pool chlorine), amilorine, and amiloride. They think the cyanuric acid is what is killing pets. The article also discusses hogs that were fed salvage pet food from Diamond Pet Foods that may or may not have entered the human food stream.

Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Center for Population & Animal Health has photographs of these crystals in the kidney of an affected dog and micrographs of these crystals clogging the renal tubules of the kidney. It makes it easier to understand what these crystals did when you see these images.

You can find out much more on the recall on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.

I’ve tried to stay pretty even tempered about this nightmare of a recall so I can navigate the snarl of information out there and post what you need to know, but the FDA’s latest press conference has just about pushed me over the edge. I am so incredibly angry, it’s beyond words.

Please read what the very informative people at PetConnection have written about this joke of a press conference. It’s important. The FDA is supposed to be working for us. Protecting us. But they so clearly are not. They are working for those companies that import cheap, deadly crap from China. And they work for those pet food companies that used it. And they are protecting all of them and themselves.

The FDA regulates our food, drugs, medical devices, biologics (vaccines), animal feed & drugs, cosmetics, radiation-emitting devices (like cell phones), and “combination products“. Feel safer? Me either.

So today is Friday. Any bets as to how many late night press releases there are tonight just in time weekend? I’m guessing we’ll hear from the last two companies Wilbur-Ellis sold tainted rice protein concentrate to. I’ll be really glad when there aren’t anymore late night press releases and there aren’t several things to cover about the recall every day.

You can find out much more on the recall on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.

Royal Canin US is recalling products made with contaminated rice protein gluten this time. They are recalling:

Royal Canin Sensible Choice

• Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior
• Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet

• Canine Early Cardiac EC 22
• Canine Skin Support SS21
• Feline Hypoallergenic HP23

Royal Canin Canada is recalling pet food. The list includes Royal Canin Sensible Choice Diet (I’m assuming all varieties) and these Royal Canin Veterinary Diet varieties:

• Canine Early Cardiac
• Canine Sensitivity RC
• Canine Skin Support
• Feline Hypoallergenic HP
• Feline Sensitivity RD

You can find out much more on the recall on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.

Christie Keith at PetConnection.com participated in the FDA press conference and liveblogged the results. (There will be a cleaned up transcript soon.) I don’t find the FDA’s answers very reassuring. They’re waiting to report which three companies also received questionable rice protein concentrate until those companies themselves confirm the rice protein was actually used in their products. I understand caution, but at this point waiting seems like an incredibly arrogant choice on the FDA’s part.

Christie Keith has her own blog at DoggedBlog.com. I’ve covered some of her posts previously.

You can find out much more on the recall on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.