Category: Cats

The FDA has revealed more disturbing news. Another company besides Wilbur-Ellis may have bought melamine tainted rice powder concentrate. But, the FDA isn’t naming names—again.

Thousands of hogs may have been fed contaminated, salvage pet food. Hogs on farms in California, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and possibly Ohio are being quarantined and tested. A chicken farm in Missouri may also have used salvage pet food and is being investigated. It isn’t illegal to feed livestock salvage pet food.

The FDA says it’s being “proactive” by starting testing of six grain products—corn gluten, corn meal, rice bran, rice protein, soy protein, and wheat gluten—which are used in human food products like bread and baby formula. I’m not sure what they think the definition of ‘proactive’ is. Thankfully, our Legislators are demanding answers and threatening to withhold FDA officials’ salaries if there isn’t prompt action.

It’s a good thing in light of China’s poor track record for food safety.

Drs. Foster & Smith is recalling two products due to rice protein concentrate purchased from Wilbur-Ellis. (scroll down for lot numbers) They are:

• Adult Lite Dry Dog Food
• Adult Lite Dry Cat Food

So is this the fifth company Wilbur-Ellis sold to?

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

The FDA has released the name of the fourth company that bought tainted rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis. SmartPak is recalling one production run of their LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food. There is still one more company that has gone unnamed. (via PetConnection)

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

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.