Fish Fed Melamine-Tainted Feed, Rice Protein Actually Wheat Flour
UPDATE 2: Transcript of the press conference is here.
UPDATE: Here’s a picture of the “mis-labeled” bag imported through ChemNutra that containted the melamine-tainted wheat flour.
The AP reports on why we didn’t know sooner:
When asked why ChemNutra didn’t disclose previously that it played a part in that deal, Stern said the company did notify the FDA in mid April. However, the company chose not to include the co-brokered shipment in an April 2 recall of the wheat gluten it had imported for use in pet food … because it hadn’t sold the ingredient, Stern said.
So what other company was involved?
(Correction: Wheat flour spiked with melamine was sold as wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate)
May 8th FDA press conference on melamine investigation update. We have posted the major points below.
Fish feed contaminated: Contaminated feed went into fish feed in Canada, sold to US fish farms. Investigators have only been to one farm and no fish has entered the market yet. Learned in the last week (about 2 months after the first recall) that contaminated fish feed ingredient was brokered through ChemNutra — the same company that supplied Menu Foods. Fish meal constitutes less than 50% of fish food.
Pet food quality control failed to detect problems: Wheat flour added instead of rice protein concentrate or wheat gluten. Pet food companies are responsible for testing for correct ingredients.
Contaminated shipments actually wheat flour: Not labeled wheat flour. Wheat gluten and wheat flour are related. Pet food with contaminated rice protein concentrate actually contained wheat flour.
Affects on farm animals not yet conclusive: Animal exposure risk assessment not yet complete. May take a week. Although the FDA is saying that the exposure to the animals was brief and the concentration is low and even if you take an extreme position of exposure, the risk is 2500 times below any known possible risk.
FDA in reactive mode: FDA is currently focused on testing new imports of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, not other possible suspects. FDA will look at other ingredients if they start to see unusual spikes of unexplained illnesses.
The process of making wheat gluten: FDA comments: Wheat gluten is a component of wheat flour. It uses a process where you wash the starch away and then you’re left with the wheat gluten (the protein). This is when we are speculative — it certainly is a simpler process of a manufacturer where they take wheat flour or whole wheat and grind it up and then it would still have some wheat gluten in it. The total protein content of that is low. If you add melamine, you are adding nitrogen to it and when you do that, the measure of protein is actually measuring nitrogen. You have a wheat based product with high protein and then that creates the appearance of high protein when it actually is high nitrogen.
Attendee list after the jump.
On the call:
- 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
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
May 8th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I avoid buying pet food with fish in it because it is more than likely to be the highly contaminated factory farmed type. Unless it is wild caught, but then again you need to be cautious of where it is caught and what kind of fish it is.
I only buy wild caught fish for myself and my cats. The only salmon I buy is Pacific (not Atlantic) wild caught.
Articles on this subject…
Melamine-spiking “widespread†in China; human food broadly contaminated
http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2861
…The practice is widespread in China,†the Times reports, and has been going on “for years.†And it is not just wheat, corn, rice and soybean proteins that should be suspect, but the animals who feed on it, including all imported Chinese pork, poultry, farm-raised fish, and their various by-products. Despite FDA and USDA efforts to allay concerns about consuming melamine-tainted meat, the health effects are unstudied, and the permissible level is zero. If China could impose a three-year (and counting) ban on the import of U.S. beef after a single incident of Mad Cow disease, then surely the U.S. would be justified in imposing a ban on Chinese vegetable protein and livestock products due to such a prevalent, industrywide contamination.
Norwegian farmed salmon production raises global concern
http://environmentalchemistry......almon.html
Report Cites Health Risks of Farm-Raised Salmon
http://www.latimes.com/la-me-s.....3045.story
Fish Farms Become Feedlots the Sea
http://www.latimes.com/la-me-s.....full.story
Related News Coverage
Environmental Working Group
http://www.ewg.org/news/eclips.php?issueid=5007
May 8th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
This whole country is so messed up. You cannot eat a flippin thing let alone feed your pet without some kindof CRAP being in it. I might as well move to a third world country at this rate that is about how safe the food is these days.
May 8th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I had some friends back in the 1980’s who were not only macrobiotic vegetarians, but grew their own food for themselves and their pets. At the time I thought it seemed kind of extreme, now I think they had (have) the right idea.
May 8th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Thank you so much for this informative website. I view it everyday and do whatever you ask to insure our pets and our own safety. I do have a comment to make. Do any of you now wonder why we hear of so much cancer and other dreaded diseases being on the uprise? We have no idea what is in our food and what it is doing to our bodies! I wish someone would wake up to this fact and stop letting our foods be contaminated with foreign wastes.
May 8th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Somebody help me here. I’m not understanding the whole wheat flour thing???
May 8th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Makes me wonder about the rise of Autism in young children too. This needs to be looked into. I know for a fact that taking autistic kids off of Wheat Gluten has helped a lot of them. This poisoning by way of China could be the missing link to why there is a spike in AUTISM.
Think about it.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Hello, what’s with the wheat flour? Have we missed something here?
I am now totally confused.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
“Have we missed something here?”
naw, but the government has . . .
May 8th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Do I have this right? They take the wheat gluten out of the wheat and than add melamine to the wheat flour to bring the protein level back up? Iam so confused!!!
ITCHMO ADMIN: They make wheat gluten out of wheat flour. In this case they add melamine to up the protein content to wheat flour. The contaminated substance is wheat flour, it was incorrectly labeled wheat gluten. (Corrected)
May 8th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
don’t worry, i’m sure the govenment plans to make this all go away by approving melamine as a food additive. that will make it all better.
and while we’re talking about possible long term effects, don’t forget that it’s been reported in major medical journals that a nearly 16% rise in kidney disease has been seen among adults in this country in the years 1998-2004. anybody still think this just started in in november 2006?
May 8th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
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.â€
Knock off the Kool Aid Duane
May 8th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Got ya. Thanks.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I just left a comment on another post asking about the autism connection. Does anyone know of any autism or autism related syndrome websites that are tracking this? Given the astronomical rates of autism in this country, I wonder how they are assessing this.
Anyone with any info, please post.
Thanks in advance.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Did anyone tell Mr. Ekegahl that after 9-11 it might be a good idea to test imports and not allow on that country to be “honest and upfront” to us? The US has to be proactive and testing 1% of imports is inexcusable—the money needs to be there as this is a “Homeland Security” issue. My nest email to the FDA will remind them of 9-11 in case they forgot about it!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
What’s with this wheat flour and “mislabelling?” I can’t find it now, but haven’t we seen the ChemNutra documents that say wheat gluten? I’m confused.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
who needs terrorists when we have the pet food institute?
May 8th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Carol at 3:43 pm
The Lunatics are in charge of the Asylum??
May 8th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Basically, why is the FDA even bothering with all this?
They just let the crap back out to come back to pet foods again.
Legal now has new meaning. Laws can be changed by risk assessments. NOT
May 8th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Our own companies here aren’t honest and upfront” with us. Why would we expect a foreign company to tell us the truth? And now that we know they lie, why are we still doing business with them?
May 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
U.S. investigators also have learned that the purported Chinese wheat gluten and a second ingredient, rice protein concentrate, were actually simple wheat flour. The flour was spiked with melamine and related, nitrogen-rich compounds to make it appear more protein rich than it was. In tests, nitrogen levels are measured to gauge the overall protein content of food ingredients.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
ok, i think this is what they’ve done. they took wheat flour and spiked it with melamine to make it appear to be wheat gluten, which has a higher protein content. this way, they don’t have to process the flour to make the gluten. cheaper. then they simply lie to the importer and say it’s wheat gluten. or rice protein concentrate. what i can’t understand is why it took 8 weeks to discover this.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Carol, I got an answer from AAFCO about homemade pet foods reminding me dogs can’t eat chocolate…
May 8th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
When I read the live blogging, it sounded like it was actually wheat flour that was labeled wheat gluten and rice protein. Like they took the melamine spike a bit further, by adding it to flour to make it appear protein rich like gluten.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Ann H
I think US chocolate is a tad safer than Chinese vegetable proteins . . .
*hands my Dalmatian another choc covered almond*
May 8th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Maybe it’s China’s plan to kill the U.S. slowly and make money too. They win all around, world domination and paid for it. Don’t forget, we are in their way.
Duane Ekedahl from Steve’s post:
“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.â€
When we’re going to be hit again, “We shouldn’t have to inspect?”
We are living in a country run by evil fools.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
‘We are living in a country run by evil fools.’
Gary you got that right. Corrupt to the core, screwed into every sinew. Going going GONE.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I thought the same thing about autism.
Also- there is a rise in joint replacements for Baby Boomers. They call it boomeritis or something.
Not to mention more arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
At least it is making the news:
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
You are what you eat
Another day, another food contaminated with melamine.
During an ongoing media teleconference call, USDA/FDA officials have revealed that melamine-tainted “protein concentrate,†imported from China, contaminated fish meal manufactured in Canada. The tainted fish meal was then distributed to an unknown number of fish farms in the US and Canada.
Other revelations:
50,000 swine have been quarantined in Illinois due to suspect feed.
The tainted “wheat gluten†and “rice protein concentrate†at the center of the pet food recall, was actually misrepresented as such. Further tests have determined that it is wheat flour, adulterated with melamine.
http://www.nwprogressive.org/w.....u-eat.html
May 8th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Any way you look at this wheat thing, we have to take an educated guess that it is in all our food by now. The FDA is making me feel like one of those poor ducks or geese that they force feed large amounts of food through a metal tube shoved down their throat to make pate de foie gras….fatty liver!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
I simply don’t understand how anyone with eyesight could mistake wheat flour for wheat gluten. If you remember the pictures of the crystals in the wheat gluten it was yellow - didn’t look anything like wheat flour. The texture was wrong, the color was wrong (though I suppose they could have chucked in a little Sudan Red to dye it).
May 8th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
SIGH, I sent the FDA letter to Food Mfg to Dear Duane. :D
I enjoyed that.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
http://www.northplattebulletin.....;pageID=29
Melamine suspected in hog deaths in China
by North Platte Bulletin Staff - 5/8/2007
Hong Kong television broadcasts and newspapers recently contained accounts of pigs staggering around with blood pouring from their bodies.
It is suspected that the pigs were sickened by wheat gluten containing the illegal substance melamine, which can be deadly if combined with other substances.
The New York Times reported that the sick pigs were in Guangdong Province. The Apple Daily newspaper said as many as 80 percent of the pigs in the area had died, and panicky farmers were selling ailing animals at deep discounts.
The Times cited reports in Hong Kong that said the disease began killing pigs after the Chinese New Year celebrations in February and is now spreading.
Is anyone suprised that it’s the same toxin there as here? When will THIS country know better and put a HALT to Chinese food/medication imports across the board?
May 8th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....id=topnews
May 8th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
My Dog’s Mom wondered if any autism sites are tracking this - intresting question- I don’t know, but here’s a link on “some” autism info - seems thimerosal is the most likely culprit but considering the lies upon lies from various government agencies who tell you vaccines are safe- who knows where the truth is
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=9096
May 8th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
As i read this, therefore: any food that includes a grain “flour” should now be suspect (mostly dry dogfood).
Also keep in mind: many petfoods (even grainfree-dry) contain meals.
Whatever was in that (quickly dumped mela-meat) is concentrated in the meal. Meals are processed at high temp - a factor in production of the toxins.
Lots of petfoods contain fish meal - which we now know if we had not already suspected - involve ChemNutra’s adulterated poison products.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Truly this whole thing was a conspiracy perpetrated by the Cattleman’s association against Chick Fil A :)
May 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
““No amount of regulation would have found the melamine,†says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute. ”
A few days ago this site had photos of untainted and tainted product and they looked quite obvious to my eye. If you can see it, I say regulation should have stopped it.
I can’t find these photos on here right now.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
“FDA will look at other ingredients if they start to see unusual spikes of unexplained illnesses.”
So what they are saying is that many, many people must become ill without explanation before thay will test another ingredient. I can’t believe such a thought could come out of the mouth of the person in charge of our food safety. Eat it, if you get sick and die, then we will test it. That is too absurd to even make sense of. How about you test it first, then I eat it so I DON’T become sick and die. Doesn’t that make more sense. I think they have actually lost touch with the fact that we are human beings. They have to be mentally unbalanced to say such a thing. Maybe the melamine has killed their brain cells.
Today I had a plain cucumber on non wheat gluten bread for lunch. It was the only non poisonous thing I could find. And now you are telling me that the actual flour in the bread may be spiked. *goes off to find a high bridge to jump off*
I guess the tilapia fish I bought for my dog has to go in the garbage too.
This has just become surreal. I wish I would just wake up from this nightmare.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Think US chocolate is safe? Hershey just closed one of several US plants. They have a plant in Guadalajara, Mexico.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Dear Duane Ekedahl:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking this opportunity to remind food manufacturers of their legal responsibility to ensure that all ingredients used in their products are safe for human consumption. In view of the recent recalls of various pet foods due to the presence of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine, and information revealing that some of this contaminated pet food may have been mixed with feed for pigs and poultry meant for human consumption, manufacturers are encouraged to make sure they have procedures in place that ensure the safety of the ingredients in their products, as well as the safety of the packaging and processing supplies they use. Manufacturers should also verify that their suppliers have such procedures in place. Advice on how to ensure that food ingredients and food products are safe for human consumption can be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alert.html.
FDA issued a protein ingredient surveillance assignment on May 1, 2007. As part of this assignment, FDA, in conjunction with state regulatory authorities, will be performing inspections of various food and feed facilities and collecting and testing for the presence of melamine a variety of protein ingredients, and finished products containing such ingredients, commonly found in the U.S. food and feed supplies. FDA has initiated this assignment to help ensure the safety of the U.S. food and feed supplies. The assignment will supplement melamine testing already conducted by FDA. The protein concentrates being tested include wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, and rice protein concentrate. Over the next few weeks, the assignment may expand in size and scope to include additional types of protein concentrates and finished products.
During inspections of manufacturing facilities conducted as part of this assignment, FDA will reiterate to the food and feed industry the importance of assuring the safety and security of their ingredients and products by knowing their manufacturing and packaging operators, ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers and sources for all incoming materials. FDA will collect samples primarily during inspections of domestic food manufacturers or, in the case of imports, at the point of entry. The samples will be analyzed at a variety of laboratories that are part of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN).
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 www.fda.gov/cvm/MelaminePresence.htm.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Director
May 8th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
We can keep cheap pharmaceutical products out of the country so big pharma can “protect” consumers from paying less…
But we must let cheap adulterated food products in so that big business can kill our pets and us to protect their bottom line.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I can’t believe that they won’t test without a spike in deaths. The most sensitive would probably be the elderly. How long would it take to notice more of our elders dying of kidney failure? Frequently they die in nursing homes and no autopsies are done because they’re old and sick.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Pet food recall: Liveblogging the 5/8 FDA/USDA media conference
http://tinyurl.com/32pdd4
May 8th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
4lgdfriend–the letter I got from Purina said we the consumers wanted cheaper ingredients (not they the stockholders wanted larger quarterly dividends). Basically I felt they were trying to say it’s our fault they out-sourced to China.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Wonder how long the media takes to sort this out. Hey AMerica, our government just made us all guinea pigs!
I am so depressed.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Susan well quoted!
Money more money more money
May 8th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
anon Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Think US chocolate is safe? Hershey just closed one of several US plants. They have a plant in Guadalajara, Mexico.
yeah, i remembered that after i posted :-/ at least they aren’t hershey’s. i got them at the natural food store so they should be safe . . . LOL!~~~~~~~~~~
*head explodes*
May 8th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Susan,
Wonder if Purina CEO bonuses went up after the de-patriot-ization.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
**“FDA will look at other ingredients if they start to see unusual spikes of unexplained illnesses.â€
So what they are saying is that many, many people must become ill without explanation before thay will test another ingredient. **
Yes Garyn, seems the FDA really is saying, “Eat sh** and die.” Then if, and I say IF alot of us do, then maybe, just maybe they’ll look into it.. It’s like when you want your town to put up a traffic light at a bad intersection. There have to be a certain amount of deaths in accidents before they will even consider it.
In a sense this is saving some jobs in America. If you die because you were in an accident at that bad intersection, ate too much tainted food, not only will YOUR job become available it will keep the hospital, police, undertaker, your insurace agent (who will do his job by denying your insurance to your spouse or family), and so on down the job chain.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
So disgusting. Companies only interest is money. They pay the FDA. They pay for their preferred perks -on K St. Advertising = lies sanctioned and ignored due to bribery. Labels = lies sanctioned and ignored due to bribery.
Petfood companies have zero credibility. Already knew the FDA has zero credibility
May 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Anon- I’m sure they got HUGE bonuses. Got wheat gluten for less, charged us more. And now they blame us for not wanting to buy from them anymore.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Some posters have seconded this since the FDA press conference this afternoon:
(From AP’s Int’l Herald Trib. article recently put up online) “U.S. investigators also have learned that the purported Chinese wheat gluten and a second ingredient, rice protein concentrate, were simple wheat flours. The flour was spiked with melamine and related, nitrogen-rich compounds to make it appear to contain more protein than it did. In tests, nitrogen levels are measured to gauge the overall protein content of food ingredients…What we discovered is these are not wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate but in fact are wheat flour contaminated by melamine,” Acheson said.” http://tinyurl.com/2mg956
SHOCKING! And I don’t mean that as a snark. We’ve been counting on the FDA to get to the bottom of what the contaminants are. Now we find out they didn’t even know what the primary inert product was? Wheat flour instead of wheat gluten or RCP? I can’t wrap my head around this whole investigation at this point. It should be taken out of the hands of the FDA altogether.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
http://www.organicconsumers.or.....e_3611.cfm
Another Pennsylvania Township Strips Corporations of “Rights”
It can be done.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
susan, funny, but purina never asked me if i wanted cheaper ingedients in my pet food. where do they get off with this stuff? i hadn’t noticed that the cost of pet food has *ever* gone down at any time. did i miss the demonstrations where hordes of people rioted over the price of pet food? it really rots my socks how these companies try to blame us for the fact that they want to increase their profits by using cheap ingredients. i would ask them to document this consumer demand for cheaper pet food and see what the answer is then.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-b.....amp;src=ap
Farmed Fish Fed Contaminated Material
Updated 4:30 PM ET May 8, 2007 AP
By ANDREW BRIDGES
“The supposed wheat gluten was exported directly from China to Canada in a deal brokered by a U.S. company, ChemNutra Inc., Acheson said. ChemNutra also supplied the ingredient to a Canadian dog and cat food company, Menu Foods, that’s since recalled dozens of brands.
Steve Stern, a ChemNutra spokesman, said the Las Vegas company actually only cobrokered the deal to supply wheat gluten to the fish meal producer: “We never owned it, we never sold it.”
When asked why the company didn’t disclose previously that it had had a part in that deal, Stern said: “I really haven’t got an answer to that right now.”"
http://www.chemnutra.com/
Nothing here about the fish meal deal…
http://sdsternpr.com/chemnutra/
Here either, at the company mouthpiece.
http://www.chemnutra.com/pricipals.htm
Stephen S. Miller, CEO
“Steve has over 20 years experience in business management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and law. He has also served as Vice President at both Smith Barney and EF Hutton, as well as Investment Officer at Citibank.
Steve earned a Law degree as well as an MBA degree at Columbia University, and bachelors degree from Brigham Young University. Steve is a lawyer and licensed member of the New York Bar. He also served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance at New York University.”
Can you say deep you-know-what?
May 8th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Wonder if Purina CEO bonuses went up after the de-patriot-ization.
Nestle’ Revenue $98,5 billion CHF (2006)
No. They are for the common people. Just regular guys like you and me struggling to make a living.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Susan: They lied and we’re “not buying it”
Good line! WE’RE NOT BUYING IT
May 8th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Steve Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
May 8, 2007
“No amount of regulation would have found the melamine,†says Duane
wELL, I asked him how come IAMS was the one that told the FDA and Menu Foods about it. Seems to me the poor fella be wrong on several counts.
Hey, ya gotta know, this is the most fun of it all.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Maureen Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
yeah, it’s one thing the plant workers don’t care enough to notice, but the FDA not knowing the dif between RPC/WG and FLOUR?!
*I* can tell the difference between wheat/rice/oatmeal/potato flours. heck, they even smell different!
*allows head to explode again*
May 8th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Did you hear about the baby formula thing in China? It was mentioned in USAToday a couple of weeks ago. They sold baby formula that was only chalk and water and babies starved to death. This spiked wheat flour thing sounds just like that. Why are we still doing business with them? (I know, I know, corporate profits, I can’t get it through my head.)
May 8th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Menusux said: Can you say deep you-know-what?
“dew-dew” HRH Bsh the frst - should be in good standing w Barb’s brother, former prez EFHutton.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
cobrokered means “free” then?
I haven’t really got an MBA right now
May 8th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
“Maureen Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Some posters have seconded this since the FDA press conference this afternoon:
(From AP’s Int’l Herald Trib. article recently put up online) “U.S. investigators also have learned that the purported Chinese wheat gluten and a second ingredient, rice protein concentrate, were simple wheat flours. The flour was spiked with melamine and related, nitrogen-rich compounds to make it appear to contain more protein than it did. In tests, nitrogen levels are measured to gauge the overall protein content of food ingredients…What we discovered is these are not wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate but in fact are wheat flour contaminated by melamine,†Acheson said.†http://tinyurl.com/2mg956”
The next one with some ’splainin’ to do then, is Wilbur-Ellis, who imported the “RPC”–where were their testing folks who should have tested product when it arrived to ascertain it was RPC, as they ordered?
W-E then sold “RPC” to various entities such as Diamond, ANI, et. al.,–they misrepresented what it was they were selling to their buyers–and all because this shows there was no testing done before the product was sold & distributed. Doing GcMP testing on the shipment(s) would have revealed them to be adulterated wheat gluten and not RPC at all.
This is not to paint halos on ANI and company, because THEY should have tested what they bought from W-E–unless they knew about it all along and this is why they were feeling confident in using the “RPC” in the products which don’t have RPC on their labels….
I hope nobody signs any settlement waivers with ANY of the companies because much info now out may be of use in any legal actions against ALL of them.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
menusux said: This is not to paint halos on ANI and company
That would be one h8L of a paint job…….
May 8th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
For years the airlines have employed “tombstone technology”……if enough people die, they will fix a mechanical problem they are already aware of….but only when enough people die (not sure how many is “enough”).
This is the new stance taken by those wonderful, caring people at the FDA…….f****** dumb a*******. Oops, did I say that? That damn Kahlua & melamilk made me do it.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I am confused, so is the fish in cat and dog foods>???
Is it in human food chain??
If so, then, even the so called high end that have fish or fish meal, salmon and or herring can be contaminated and in our animal’s foods??
May 8th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
i’ll take your Kahlua comment and toast it with my Bailey’s. i’m seeing lots of new t-shirts in the making ;)
May 8th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
anon:
I like that! Petfood Lies. Nobody Buys.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
“Is it in human food chain??”
well, if we believe the government *cough*lol!~*cough* it is not in the human food supply . . .
*head explosion #3*
May 8th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Sandi said: I am confused, so is the fish in cat and dog foods>???
meals are usually from lower quality sources to begin w [even though the PFI would like us to believe they’re more nutritious - they’re not]
so what’s a quick and easy turnaround for the mela-meat that can’t be sold?
If you ask me, I say yes to all your questions. Dangerous to take a chance, since the stuff will be in more concentrated form in the meal, even if the mela-chicken contained less than the original mela-wheat-flour-labelled-every kind of gluten.
I’m not eating any farmed fish, that’s for dang sure.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
straybaby:
I think IF any of us really KNEW how widespread this contamination is, we would never eat again nor would we feed our pets. Something tells me this has gone on for years & is in just about everything. These jerks were wise enough, for a very long time, to keep the contamination low enough so that they knew damn right well nobody would ever catch it. Just got a little too greedy & upped the ante…….so my guess is that you & I & all of our pets are walking melamines.
Excuse me, my Kahlua & melamilk is calling……
May 8th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Sandi:
also, the articles I’ve read say the Chinese have been feeding mela-crap to fish for 15 yrs or so…….anyway we know whatever they put in petfood comes from the cheapest possible source so:
is it in there?
does a bear sh8t in the forest?
do petfood companies EVER lie?
May 8th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I keep wondering about that chicken that they quarantined. Will that go into the pet food? Is it there already? Where is a good homemade pet food page that I don’t have to pay $50 for? Did you see AVMA’s link? $50 for 5 pages on making your own cat food.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
so much for grain free petfoods.
mela-chicken will be in chicken meal.
mela-fish will be in fish meal. and in fish.
The FDA wouldn’t go to all this trouble concocting bs for nothing.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Ok, guys, why is my name in blue & just about everybody else is black……am I on a fecal roster or what? Did I say one bad word too many? Oops…..melamilk, kills what few live brain cells are left……
May 8th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
JanC Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
sadly, i agree with you. and here i was wondering what effect the 9/11 air had on my pets . . . . silly me.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Susan, try these for starters:
http://www.catinfo.org/index.htm
http://www.holisticat.com/rawrecipe.html
http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/
http://www.drpitcairn.com/
May 8th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I just had a very sobering conversation with the FDA today. Regarding pet food: 1. They do not have recall authority. 2. They can only request that a company issue a recall, unless laws have been broken and the company is charged with something. 3. If a company chooses not to investigate pet food complaints, it is their perogative. The FDA can make a company aware of problems, but has no authority to force the company to act.
This answers why so many animals are still getting sick on non-recalled brands.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
YOU KNOW WHAT FDA STANDS FOR F_ _ KING DUMB @SSES TELL ME ITS NOT A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY HERE NOW ,IS ,WE NEED TO TAKE BACK THE GOVERNMENT -GET RID OF DUANE AND HIS JOB AT THE JOKE FDA AND GET REAL INSPECT (EVERY TING AT OUR PORT AND NOT IMPOET FROM DUMPS LIKE CHINA AND COUNTRIES THAT WISH WE WHERE DEAD ANY HOW ,AND WHILE SPEAKING OF NOT CARING IF DEAD IN CLUDE OUR OWN COMPANIES THAT POISON US FOR BIG MONEY ,THIS IS FAR WORSE THAN SAD ITS SICK AND WE ARE SILLY ASS PEOPLE FOR TRUSTING GOVERMENT TO KEEP US SAFE WHEN THEY CAN SCREW US FOR MONEY IN HEALTH CARE AND POISON OUR PETS IS THE LOW BLOW ,
May 8th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
I have a friend that works at Walmart. She told me that they pulled all the Tilapia fish because it was recalled due to suspected “contamination”. She says they get in great shipments of it from China and can’t keep it in stock because it is so popular with the hispanic members of our community. I would avoid all farmed fish.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Stray baby –THANK YOU for those links!
May 8th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Susan : look up littlebigcat.com http://tinyurl.com/28r4ud
howl911 sidebar has numerous books. Suggest holisticat if you have a cat. I have no commercial interest in any of them. Michael Fox’s page has recipes.http://tinyurl.com/28r4ud
Series of recipe links here: http://tinyurl.com/ynl5uc
ALSO: why fish is dangerous for cats anyway: http://tinyurl.com/24ujen
May 8th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
This is almost funny, round and round we go, pass the buck, who gets sick we dunno!
It’s in the animal feed, not just dog and cat food. Betcha Cattle are involved too, it’s awfully quiet about the cattle. Too quiet.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
The PFI and Duane will be happy to sit back and let the FDA take all the heat for this if we let them. I am not going to let them. I am sorry…..the Chinese ingredients were purchased by the manufacturers, were put into products by the manufacturers and we paid good money to the pet food companies for their poisoned food when it should have been safe. For any one who has ever baked or cooked, you know that the cookie or the bread looks very different in its finished state than when you were looking at the raw ingredients sitting on the counter. The pet food mfrs. were the ones that SAW the raw ingredients. Consumers did not, veterinarians did not, and the FDA did not. We saw and used only the finished product.
I fault the FDA for extremely poor communication and very poor decision making after-the-fact. I am sorry to discover they are so understaffed and do not have recall authority from congress. But I do not fault them for having difficulty figuring out what went into the pet food and therefore how it interacted. The FDA had to test and guess just like the rest of us did and like the independent labs did. Menu and others KNEW all what went in to the pet food, knew when and where they got it, and they weren’t tellin’! Shame Shame Shame.
The melachicken and melapork would not even be being discussed had not the unscrupulous pet food mfrs. dumped the poisoned food on farmers and ranchers to create this mess.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
coming up on CNN “What do you have in common with the family dog?”
lol!~ we all ate Mela Meats!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
I have been thinking the same thing. You have got that straight..notnewnews..Cattle eat grain unless they are grass fed. Hummm. I wonder when that ball will drop.Who is covering up for the cattle industry? Where is the beef!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
As many of you,I am very confused about this wheat flour,rice protein,etc
Just got some premium cat food,supposedly “healthy”,ocean white fish ,shrimp,sardines and others,and some dry food with fish meal.Does that mean I should stop feeding them this food?I have 5 cats and I am worried sick.I am going out of my mind.Will this ever end?
May 8th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I have a dog & I don’t have a clue what to feed her anymore. First I had to avoid wheat gluten, then it was rice protein concentrate, then it was any gluten…..now I don’t know how many of the different flours they use might be contaminated……are they all melaflours? What about fish meal, something a lot of them use? Chicken? I’m wondering if any of the ingredients are not contaminated.
Making me crazy with worry. Excuse me while I mix another drink……I need something to calm down my melanerves.
May 8th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
http://sdsternpr.com/chemnutra.....timony.pdf
Page 56-57-US House Commerce Committee Testimony-May 2007-Stephen Stern-
“We import high-quality nutritional and pharmaceutical chemicals from China to the United States. Those products come from manufacturers either known to us personally or recommended to us by a number of reuptable and well-qualified trading agents with whom we have had long-standing relationships…
“Until March 8th of this year, ChemNutra had never had an issue or incident with its Chinese manufacturers, all of whom provide certificates of analysis of their products, which is STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR US IMPORTERS….”
Note–testing by ChemNutra would have at LEAST revealed that this was wheat flour, not wheat gluten. And this should have set off some bells & whistles while it was still in their warehouse for no other reason, possibly than this was not what they paid for. It may have prompted someone to do futher testing on the product and the melamine may have been found at that point. The paperwork said it was wheat gluten, so ChemNutra said it was wheat gluten without testing one bit of it. And they sold it as wheat gluten to the pet food producers as wheat gluten.
Wilbur-Ellis is is the same leaky boat because they failed to do the same thing–test the “RPC” to determine whether that’s what it was or not. Testing here too would have revealed that it was wheat flour, not RPC–and that may have prompted more testing and the discovery of the melamine. W-E sold the wheat flour as RPC to the pet food producers without testing it as well.
The pet food companies are just as guilty because none of THEM tested what they bought from ChemNutra & Wilbur-Ellis to determine whether it was what they bought and paid for. If neither ChemNutra nor Wilbur-Ellis tested the product, the required testing here by all pet food manufacturers would have determined that the substance they were shipped was neither wheat gluten nor RPC–and this should have been the fail-safe to keep it out of pet foods.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/protltr.html
Letter to Food Manufacturers Regarding Legal Responsibilities for the Safety of Food Ingredients
May 7, 2007 FDA
“Manufacturers are responsible for taking their own measures to ensure the safety of their products. “
May 8th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
menusux Says: at 5:47 pm
ChemNutra Mission Statement
Corollary to the Peter Principle is that a person, on reaching their level of incompetence, will surround themselves with even more incompetent subordinates.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Can somebody lay this out in plain English for me and help me understand? So they took wheat flour, spiked it with melamine, and labeled and sold it as wheat gluten? Is this correct? No one is saying whether or not wheat flower is now suspect. PLEASE HELP!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
yes, that is what they did. also labeled as RPC.
“No one is saying whether or not wheat flower is now suspect.”
that will be Thursday’s press conference update I believe . . . or perhaps the Friday Night Other Shoe Drop?
May 8th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Well go Lou Dobbs! He almost sounded like a disgruntled pet owner.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Garyn Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
“FDA will look at other ingredients if they start to see unusual spikes of unexplained illnesses.â€
………..
Face it. We are nothing more than experimental subjects. Maybe this is a way to cull the baby boomers. We know Social Security will be down the tubes and there aren’t enough workers to support them.
THIRD WORLD COUNTRY = USA
May 8th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Can hardly wait for the next FDA press conference.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Heath,
I agree completly. I do have all 3 you listed and I thought O didn’t eat all that bad. Just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. Now I know. NOTHING!
May 8th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
When tests are done for melamine, isn’t it the glutens that have been tested and found contaminated? And if so, then the melamine is in glutens as well as wheat flour? Are finished products tested, also?
May 8th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
RE; Eric Says:
“No one is saying whether or not wheat flower is now suspect. PLEASE HELP!!!
If you follow “their” logic - there is no reason to suspect wheat flour because there is no economic advantage to spiking wheat flour.
Wheat flour has low protein levels and isn’t used to boost the protein levels of substandard formulations.
The whole point of spiking the wheat flour was so that they could sell it as the higher price wheat gluten without all that tedious and costly processing.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Gee…I wonder what was in the wheat flour bag…….I feel more recalls on the way…..
May 8th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
What do we do now? Were’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t!
May 8th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Genny Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
apparently, nobody can tell the difference bewtween WG/RPC and Wheat Flour . . . so who knows what the heck they are testing . . .
May 8th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Re: the hogs dying in China from melamine. So I guess we are to *assume* that those hogs must have been fed much more mela-feed than the hogs we have in the US - the ones that are A-OK for people to eat - right?
May 8th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
SH*T! Pass the Kahlua…..and throw in some Vodka.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Just thank your greedy, coprorate feed Politicians for allowing these companies not to disclose this information for weeks and months.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
# Dogmom Says:
May 8th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
“I have a friend that works at Walmart. She told me that they pulled all the Tilapia fish because it was recalled due to suspected “contaminationâ€. She says they get in great shipments of it from China and can’t keep it in stock because it is so popular with the hispanic members of our community. I would avoid all farmed fish.”
Dogmom, do you and your friend live in Alabama? I read the following on petconnection.com; the Alabama agricultural commissioner (Mr. Sparks) has suspended imported fish from China because of presence of antibiotics which are not allowed in the U.S. We also know that the huge Yangtze River is probably “irrevocably contaminated.” I’ve read recently that people who love tilapia have found “huge” tilapia in their local mega-super-markets.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Everything is bad for you. There is nothing that isn’t. Unless you grow or raise your own food, there’s nothing you can do to avoid it. The air we breath, the food we eat, the water we drink is all harmful to us. The government doesn’t care, this is how they weed out over population.
The world is no longer a safe or healthy place to raise children. We’re all on our own, may god bless you all.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Do antibiotics help with the poluted waters? Is that their thinking?
May 8th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
the only thing left to do is catch your own fish, kill your own deer,rabbit, turkey and so on or pay some one to kill it for you. Or you can find a farmer maybe amish that grow their own grains and livestock. I think I am going to go with the raw diet and do this myself. anyone have any suggestions. at least the money will stay in your own community and the farmers can maybe raise better grains and livestock for the next year.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
I’m not buying any of it - pet food or lies.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
It is killing me that no one outside of a small circle of friends cares about all of this! You see the same handfull of nice careing people on this site but where is the rest of the masses of a+++s? It should be headline news and there should be thousands of people in the streets! I grew up in a generation of demonstators. I know some people care ,but not enough to make a difference..sad….apathy has set in.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
At this point I think the safest thing about any pet food might be the bag it comes in. Oops, is that another recall I hear? Maybe the only safe thing about any of them is the bowl we put it in to give to our trusting pets.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
hmmm.. could it be a “test” to see how easy it would be to contaminate our food supply? These are not times to be lax!
May 8th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I just read an article that said a lot of our vitamin companies have went out of business and amost all of our vitamins, especially vitamin C is made in China now in poor manufacturer companies. And that there could be some harmful iron in our vitamins. And do not forget the glyerson stuff the guy was making and it got into the US and they were going to put it in several of our cough surops, etc. In a lot of medicine. They caught it once. But this does not mean they still are doing it. This stuff was tainted with anti freeze.
The FDA has not said a word about our chicken eggs yet, or turkey farms. I am sure they will get to them soon. Or Will They?
People we have to do something. Sitting here talking about it all is doing nothing!! WE the People have to do something about it now!!!! We all have to stand up and be accounted for! Talking does nothing! doing does!! Does anyone have any ideas how we all can start to do something? Maybe if each and everyone of us e mailed our senators and anyone else we can complain to. Write letter to the president too. Anyone. Don’t just talk any more!! We have to do something now before it is too late. Before it kills our children. It already has taken its toll on our pets, hogs, chickens and now fish.. Are we going to wait till it starts taking a toll on all of us too. Our babies? OUR family!! It will be too late then! They do not have enough kidney machines to take care of all of us and where would we get our transplants from? China of course!! Please everyone start doing something now! I don’t want my children to suffer to! Do YOU!! and if anyone has any other ideas as what to do then lets here it and lets do it now!!
May 8th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Gerry,
Your right!
Genny,
I’m with you. Lets get drunk!
May 8th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Justjeneric…Unless that bowl is melamine….I was going to post something but I cant remember what it was…must be melapause!!! Soon the diseases from all of this will hit the fan and than what will the FDA say? Let me guess..Its safe if used in the recommended doses…..
May 8th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Well, actually, the terrorists must be loving ChemNutra- wonder if there is any connection, or if was just plain old greed. If so, a charge of depraved indiffernce to life would not be put of line. Come to think of it, the terrorists couldnt have done a better job. This company needs to be shut down, IMHO!
May 8th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Highnote says —> Write letter to the president too
you mean the man who would be King?
May 8th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
High Note. YES! YES! YES! You made my day! Thank you!!! I wrote to my senator but I will do it again! You brought back my faith in man kind.. Didnt take much did it!!!LOL
May 8th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
If Walmart is pulling suspect fish, dontcha wonder who is going to want to take the risk of selling it? If they ever get sued by a consumer, who the blazes are the gorcery stores going to go after? The possibilities multiply with each passing day yanno…..
May 8th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Genny, the antibiotics are coming from the sewage created by their own sick people. Right out through their urine. Happens here, too.
ADMIN: Say, is there any way a banner or something could be created at the top pointing new readers to the forums so they can start getting themselves armed with information?
ITCHMO ADMIN: We’re working on a redesign that would help with navigation. But the recalls keep happening…
May 8th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
My above includes the risk of selling tainted chicken and pork too.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Ok, this is as far as I read before it enraged me!
FDA will look at other ingredients if they start to see unusual spikes of unexplained illnesses.
So before the lazy, incompetent, corrupt (so and so’s) would like to say something else, are going to look at other ingredients, more pets have to become ill and/or DIE!! Or people, and that would get a faster response, though probably not much faster. It is the old tombstone effect in action.
How do they have the courage to say something like that! Because they think the American people will put up with anything and be docile and complacent, and submissive!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Tee Shirt Idea:
got melamine?
got melameat?
got melachicken?
got melapigs?
got melafish?
got melavitamins?
got melapause? (ha ha…love it!)
Think I’ll make a shirt and maybe it will inspire conversations to spread the word.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
The banner thing sounds great! I sadly only know enough about this computer to get online find this site, b===h about whats comming down and put in my two cents worth. Any one computer savy out there???
May 8th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Gerry,
You are so right, apathy has indeed set in! I get the same non-reaction, if they personally don’t have a sick pet or fear their pet is at risk they pretty much figure it is a non-issue and I am “over-reacting”. Now if we had a celebrity’s pet that had been poisoned everyone would sit up and take notice I bet..
I don’t understand how so many people can be so complacent, if poison in our food supply doesn’t get people’s attention, what would it take?? Our country is going down a scary road in many ways. Sue
May 8th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Moony,
Puts a whole new meaning on “Don’t drink the water……..”
Where’s that Vodka and Kahlua?
May 8th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Genny - those are too f’ni! You might even get rich selling them.
Maybe add one more:
got mela_________?
(since we don’t know what all else is going to crop up)
May 8th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
ally,
“”got mela_________?”"
No sh*t. WAIT! STOP the printing machine!!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Yay! NPR is reporting about it on All Things Considered! Not quite updated, but at least they’re saying something about the fish…but damn, not much else. :/
I keep trying to tell people, at least the ones who will listen. Seem to have about 50/50 chance that they’ll listen…the other 50 usually getting derisive or closed in the ‘companies won’t hurt us because they want to make money from us’ mindset. I did get pretty saturated with stress pretty quickly, tho, so I’ve had to back off.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
JanC I just love Kahlua and mega milk…sometime just Kahlua and I’ve been lovin it alot lately like you! Maybe some night we should all get onto one of these thread and just all tie one on…I’ll be by 3 in the morning we’ll still make more sense than the FDA and our freak show government!
Cheers!
*Hic!*
May 8th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
What is a thread? Sorry…new to this.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
What to do, when there is no place to turn. Am at my wits end with a big bunch of cats to feed. Could someone tell me if the following possibilities are good, or is there something wrong with these too, If I am willing to spend the money. I might be able to afford this stuff, since I won’t be eating very much myself, it seems.
I have a friend who said she wasn’t worried too much because her daughter feeds the dog Venison, and Buffalo!! He was very allergic on regular petfood, (wonder why) and when she switched to venison and buffalo, he got better quickly. Yes, she said it is expensive.
I cannot personally get my mind around eating those lovely, harmless, sweet dear, or the poor buffalo who have been trying to recover from near extinction a while back, however, the great maker did make is so animals must eat animals. Soooo while I would not eat them myself, and I eat almost no meat except CHICKEN!! (and say a prayer of apology to the chickens when I do that) I would be willing to buy venison or buffalo for my cats.
I have heard that New Zealand venison is the cleanest best venison in the world, and I have seen buffalo in my Shop Rite, though I couldn’t bring myself to buy it.
Do you think buffalo still GRAZE on grass??? Might that be safe for our cats, and dogs if they will eat it, which is a big IF.
I don’t know where to get New Zealand venison, but can google it, and ask in my supermarkets.
Another friend said she is going to buy frozen Alaska polluch, (SP)caught live in the sea off Alaska for her cats, (even though too much fish is bad for cats)
She said her cats love it. Cats are carnivores! they MUST HAVE MEAT!!
I have many cats, what am I to do?? I look at their innocent faces, trusing me, and could cry. I was going to feed the birds today, and thought NO, they are safer finding their own food, who knows about the birdseed!!
Yes, some Bailey’s is definitely in order. I was awake all night, and I am too old to lose my sleep!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Genny,
Glad you liked it!
I’m still LMAO at your “got melapause” one!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I’m for saturating our elected officials with emails every single day till they get sick of seeing them. The pet food manufacturers, too. I bet if everyone bombarded them with emails and boycotted all tainted foods we’d get some attention - hit em where it hurts - their damned pockets - it’s obvious that’s all they care about. It worked back in the 70s.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Moony,
I’m glad, in a twishted sort of way, that I am not the only one that cannot convince people to realize how serious this is and will be. I’ve read everything from all the major sites and many, many of their blogs. I’ve been the one most concerned enough and persistant to forward all alerts and info to friends with pets. With the exception of someone feeding Alpo before it was recalled that sickened two dogs, none of them changed foods and my cat is the only one to get sick. Ironic.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
My cat has had allergy problems and she is on a strict diet of New Balance CANNED venison and pea formula. I have spoken with a regional manager several times and he said that they tested all of the rest of their products and they are safe. Their recalled products are being reformulated to not include the ingridients that caused the problem. They are currently investigating other canning options besides ANI. In this time of not knowing who to trust, they have come through for me.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Make that Natural Balance. Too many hours on the web….
May 8th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
ally,
Credit goes to Gerry for “melapause”. I’m still chuckling over that one, too and thought it deserved a place on my mela_______ shirt.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
A question. Opinions wanted:
Do you all really think that writing letters to government officials will make a spit of difference? Have they ever? I can’t see how they would. Sure, you can vote for some another candidate but who’s assured that they will make changes or do anything different? I ask this sincerely, not sarcastically, and appreciate all who can explain how they will seriously help change things.
Thanks.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
I think we’ve all been on hear to long. We are thinking about drinking and the rest are getting daffy! Guess we have to laugh a little or we’ll cry again.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Genny,
Good question. At this point, who knows. They haven’t been looking out for us so far, have they. We’ve been sold down the river A LONG TIME AGO!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Genny, yes I do think the letters will help. We already have several senators in our ocrner. I’m these people don’t read every letter, maybe very few. But I’m sure there are their staff who is reading at least some. And if we can get even a few staff members to get interested, they may push whoever the ltter was intended for to read it and more….or give it to someone else they think may be responsive. It can’t hurt.
Years ago the stroe around here during Christmas and Thanksgiving would give free turkeys or hams if you spent a certain amount of money. Nopt eating meat I felt very left out. I can spend just as much as everyone else. I spoke to the manager at the A&P and expressed my disappointment that nothing is offered to those that don’t eat meat. He asked what would I like if they did. I said a veggie platter, fixins for lasagna or something equal to the cost of the meats. He explained to me that the meat was the deal, but the following week when I came in, they tracked me down and gave me a large veggie platter. The following year they offered the store or Stouffers vegetable lasagna as an alternative. Ove voice went along way. And it wasn’t long before the others stores picked up on it too. Maybe it was just me asking about it and that manager making a suggestions at one of their manager’s meetings.
It’s worth a shot. I’ve been pestering everyone I can think of. It’s our pets lives and also our own. MADD was started by one mother who lost her son and decided to change the system. We can do this.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Genny…You are so right in asking that question. Sometimes it seems like they wont listen so is there any reason to write to our senators etc.. yes there is.. because there isnt much else we can do. We have to try. And at least in the end we know in our heart that we have tryed to make a difference…
May 8th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Debbie4747,
You better watch what milk your having with Kahlua.
Ann,
I have the same thing. I had mine on Venison & Green Pea can food. I took them off of that because I was afraid and the pet shop I go to sent back there shipment for the same reason. I put them on Tuna & Shrimp. Now I’m afraid of that one. I don’t know now if I should go back to Venison until I figure out something else.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Subject: Autism
Someone asked about a possible connection between melamine in our food and austism. Here is an article that you might find interesting:
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=9096
May 8th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
bw - buffalo cannot be farmed the way cattle are. They’re too big and too strong and not domesticated. So yes, they’re grass and/or alfalfa fed. Don’t assume that none of them get grain, tho. Buffalo is also expensive. Venison would be cheaper, and deer are far more numerous anyway, or beefalo if you can get it.
ann - well then you’re the only one NB HAS been good to. Their un-recalled Reduced Calorie killed one of my cats and they STILL haven’t answered my email. You won’t find a lot of love for NB here…
Gerry - a thread is a thread of discussion in a forum. Go up to the top of this page and click on ‘discuss in forums’ to go there. Yeah, I haven’t convinced anyone else, except maybe a ferret owner, to change, but at least they can’t say they didn’t know now.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
I am surprised that there has been a protest anywhere.And i haven’t heard much since the first recalls from menu foods in the local news.I beleive they are terrorist trying to kill all of us a little at a time.which fish is contaminated?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
“except maybe a ferret owner”
For some reason that made me actually laugh out loud for real. Thanks for the much needed laugh.
OK, I’ll write the letters.
And you’re right about MADD, Debbie4747. Excellent point.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
I hate to bug anyone, but does anyone have a list of the crap in the food that we should not buy. I think I know all of them, but there’s just sssoooo much my head is spinning. I should have written them all down to be sure.
Thanks
May 8th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Barbara,
Step away.. from the Kahlua.
Are you talking about something other than the glutens, concentrates and wheat flour?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Barbara - anything with a vegetable protein, ’cause they most likely came from China. Much easier to remember! :D
Genny - yeah, he’s a friend of mine who feeds his ferrets cat food, and has been concerned because of his elderly ferret. I know its a common practice with ferrets, but somehow I don’t think the ferret people are as up in arms as dog and cat people. If they’re even paying much attention to it.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I guess we can’t buy any bags of flour for baking anymore, can we?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Sure - get organic, grown in the USA flour. You can find it at organic groceries.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Genny,
I haven’t started yet, but I’m ready. I just wanted to know if there is something else out there I may miss. I don’t want to hurt my furry babies.
Thanks Genny and Moony.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Don’t know if it is significant, but the city where the pigs are bleeding out is near a Cargill mill and a couple of oilseeds crushing plants. (General area and a branch office is around there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.....ina%29.png
http://www.cargillchina.com/lo.....loc_en.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05.....ref=slogin
May 8th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
To. bw… I dont think at this time it makes much difference what type of meat you use for your pets food. It seems to me that every meat source is suppect at this time. I gave up on chicken and started making my pets food with grass fed beef. I know it isnt cheap. I really feel for you. I hate giving advise about the right kind of food right now for a pet cause I love mine dearly and I am no expert. I would of said a few weeks ago to listen to your vet but I have a different point of view now. I lost a boston terrier that I loved like one of my kids to ibs. I would feed anything home made versus the vet recommented food. It really isnt that much more cost wise to do it home made. Try some homemade recipes. There are alot on line. I use Home=prepared dog and cat diets The Healthful Alternatives by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM PhD
May 8th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
suppect? Iam, tried…..going to bed///nighty nighty…..
May 8th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
http://www.koin.com/Global/story.asp?S=6488592
Melamine Found In Oregon Hatchery
PORTLAND - The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that melamine has been found in fish feed at the Marion Folks Hatchery in Oregon.
The manager at the hatchery discontinued use of the feed, labeled as Bio Vita Starter, when the FDA contacted him about testing. The grade of food is used as a starter diet for juvenile salmon and trout.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife contacted the company to find out if the feed was shipped to other hatcheries. Representatives from the Skretting Co. confirmed that the same lot was sent to the Willamette, Gnat Creek, Big Creek, Cole Rivers, Butte Falls and Leaburg hatcheries.
Hatchery managers immediately discontinued using any remaining fish feed from the lot in question and notified the FDA.
“Although officials from the FDA have not associated any risk to the fish or humans as a result of the melamine finding, we’ve stopped using the lot #32734 feed,” said Steve Williams, ODFW deputy fish administrator.
The fish feed is manufactured in Vancouver, Canada by the Skretting Co. It’s distributed under the Bio-Oregon label out of Longview, Wash.
5/8/2007
http://english.people.com.cn/2.....73045.html
China quality watchdog says two companies exported melamine-tainted wheat gluten, rice protein
China’s quality control watchdog has announced two Chinese companies exported melamine-contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein blamed for the deaths of dogs and cats in the United States.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier said the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. had exported the melamine-tainted products.
The FDA discovered melamine, a chemical used in plastics, fertilizers and flame retardants, in pet food recalled by Ontario-based pet food maker Menu Foods and traced the contaminated foodstuff to the two Chinese companies.
“The two companies illegally added melamine to the wheat gluten and rice protein in a bid to meet the contractual demand for the amount of protein in the products,” said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
The watchdog said the two companies managed to evade quality check-ups by labeling them as exports that are not subject to quality inspection.
It said it had ordered local branches to strengthen quality inspection on all vegetable proteins and pledged to include all vegetable proteins on the exports list subject for quality check-ups.
It added the local public security authorities had launched an investigation into the cases and had detained related company officials.
The administration said it had found no further melamine-contaminated products after checking 399 samples from 173 exporters nationwide.
The watchdog said it had notified the FDA of the investigation results and proposed to set up a cooperation mechanism on food safety with the United States.
Source: Xinhua
Note that it’s said that they were not labeled as food products. This is what everyone thought all along. And they were accepted by both CN & W-E without question and not tested.
May 8th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Duane, I SHOULDN’T have to lock my door at night. Neither should you.
And as far as that goes, I SHOULDN’T have to clean my toilet seat everytime my grandson doesn’t raise it. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE FEEDING THEIR PETS, OR THEIR CHILDREN, OR THEMSELVES.
You really think China is going to inspect their c*%p before they ship it to us?
Why should they? They could really use some more room. Why would they inspect? They already know how stupid we are!
May 8th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Gerry, Sue, keep trying. I converted a new person today to care about this. We should not give up on word of mouth.
May 8th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
From the transcript:
“DR. SUNDLOF: Yes. We have been for the last couple years working on a more comprehensive animal feed safety system. And we’ve been holding a number of public meetings…”
Does anyone else notice a decided lack of urgency here? “the last couple of years” !!!!!!! And here we are today in such an indescribable mess that I doubt anyone knows how widespread or dangerous this is. I do not for one minute believe all these safety-in-melamine assurances that are coming from FDA. I think they are desperately trying to cover themselves and avoid public panic. Public panic is exactly what should break out!
May 8th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Hogs, chicken….now fish…why has no one mentioned beef? Cows eat grain based feeds? And with cows we have the added threat that our dairy supplies would be contaminated too.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Barbara,
You’re welcome.
Moony,
I knew someone who had ferrets. Forgot that they do indeed eat catfood but I do remember they were somewhat smelly.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:57 am
I am a non-drinker going out now to get Kahlua, my holistic vet told me to feed my dogs Salmon, and I have been feeding canned salmon for about 2 years. Mix it with brown rice and shredded veggies, top off witha fish oil supplement and glucosamine. Dogs love it. I have been buying canned salmon for humans. Is it farm raised? cannot find anything onthe can. Will call mfg. tomorrow.
Oh, my ***, we may be in for BIG trouble.
Pepperdog’s mom
May 9th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Barbara,
I am pretty much a non-drinker, also, but I make a mean Bulldog for a few friends every Friday night before we go out for dinner. After last week with my very sick kitty, I’m surprised I haven’t depleted their Vodka and Kahlua supply.
I wish my kitties liked some kind of people food. You doggie parents probably have it a little easier in that respect. Salmon is supposed to be very good for people’s skin, btw.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Ann –I agree with Moony. My beloved 17 year old kitty got very sick after she ate Natural Balance including vension and oceanfish variety. It is the only time she ate part of it. I refused to feed her Fancy Feast as soon as recall started and having been looking for a “premium ” food she would eat (have tried different brands even prior to recall). I have emailed NB twice telling them that she got very sick and taken to vet on some non recall varieties but no response at all.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:40 am
Helen,
I’m glad you were able to convince at least one person. It drives me mad that so many animal’s lives are at stake and the owners just won’t hear what we are trying to tell them. I swear I feel like standing in the pet food aisles with a big sign around my neck
offering free advice on what NOT to buy! I cringe every time I see someone slinging bags of “suspicious” brands of food into their shopping carts without giving a second thought to what they are buying, or the possible consequences.Sue
May 9th, 2007 at 4:10 am
[…] Wheat flour sold as wheat gluten. Pet food companies duped. […]
May 9th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Some of you folks are funny.
You drink alcohol, might smoke, possibly even eat (gasp) fast foods, and worry about the safety of pet foods.
I’m betting even a few of you are overweight.
I’m thinking maybe even a couple don’t do aerobic exercise 3 or more times a week.
Yes, I worry about the safety of both pet and human food. But it’s only one tiny link in the wellness chain.
I feel better having said that, although I know it won’t be popular.
May 9th, 2007 at 6:27 am
barb, what people do by choice is just that… by choice. that does not mean that pet food companies have permission to poison my pet… or me for that matter. your logic escapes me. are you saying we have to be completely pure in order to have a legitimate complaint about the shenanigans going on in the food business?
May 9th, 2007 at 7:29 am
How much is the US taxpayer paying for Secret Service protection for Bush’s FDA buddies? Considering how many people have lost their pets I would be afraid to publically express such idiocy on a daily basis the way that they do. Sooner or later a distraught pet owner is going to take out their frustrations on someone. I just hope they visit Chem Nutra and Wilbur Ellis first.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:38 am
How much more is there that we don’t know about? We as consumers should not purchase any product or product ingredient from China. This would be hard to do since anything packaged on the shelf could have an imported ingredient and you would not know it.
Our government should ban all foods and food ingredients from China. If this would happen, we would have more businesses/manufacturing here in the US. How terrible would that be. I would be willing to pay more for my foods.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:50 am
In answer to Barb, we all have the right to decide to be healthy or not care. This catastraphy does not give you the choice. In my opionion, our government has not done anything and is allowing us to be poisined although they won’t look at it like that. Small amounts of anything won’t kill you according to the FDA. Look at this new no transfact label that manufacturer’s now have to put on their products. A certain amount of transfat is still allowed and they can still label it as “no transfats”. The only way to be healthy is to not eat any processed foods and make your own. But now we can’t even trust the flour. I don’t think we can grow wheat ourselves and process it into flour. Our government needs to address this NOW!!!! We need to get republicans out of office who support big businesses to make a profit anyway they can, CHINA. We the people need to protest this. I don’t think that people think that this extends beyond pet food. I think people are in denial.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Barb, I agree with Laura and Pat on your post. Sure, there are those of us that aren’t entirely health concious, but to allow flat out poispns in our food chain, I don’t think so. Our little drink thread was just us having some fun. Sure some may smoke, but they know the cigarettes aren’t good for them. They know this and find it hard to quit because of the addicting crap put in them. Maybe some are overweight because of the crap in the food. Ever think maybe all that melamine (plastic) is a tad hard to burn off. We’ve always had junk food in this country, yet I keep hearing on the news what an epidemic it has become.
And sadly, even if the crap in our foods is okay for us to consume, we do know that it is killing our pets. We have all alost the confidence of opening a can of cat of dog food and feeding our furballs without the worry of poisoning them. Obivously, making their food ourselves may all be for naught too since it is in the chickens, pork and fish and who knows what else. Do we trust where the supplements or the ingredients that go into them..no. This goes well beyond the “transfat” that they keep harping on.
However, since you have it all under control, please let us know what you are doing these days in the food department, especially regarding your pets.
Thank you.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I’m confused about the fish feed tainted issue. Does this affect pet fish or fish that goes into our cat and dog’s food?
May 9th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Barb,
What the f*** does us being physically fit or eating fast food have to do with companies poisoning our pets and potentially us? Your logic makes no sense whatsoever.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:26 am
barb,
I have to agree with Debbie 4747, Laura and Pat.
Carol, as it looks to me right now, it has only affected fish for cat and dog food, but if you have fish, you may want to do some research .
By the way, I’m not the Barbara with the dog. I believe its Pepperdogs mom.
Thanks
May 9th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Barbara,
There is nothing else in their that can be adulterated. I was told cross contam is not an issue at ANI, and that all their products were tested. I spoke directly to one of the regional managers, not someone on the 800 line.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Oh, I agree with Eric also.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Shut down trade with China on any food protein. BUy only pet foods that have all protein ingredients sourced in USA.
I remember recently when Mad Cow was found in 1 cow, that Japan shut down all beef trade with USA.
If China kills all our pets and then us, who will be left to buy the junk at Hobby Lobby?
May 9th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Has anyone been in itchmo forums index recently? More good info, in there.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:27 am
[…] Happy emailed a new alert from Itchmo.com: Fish Fed Melamine-Tainted Feed, Rice Protein Actually Wheat Gluten. Ree-purrted by KC Don’t furget to scroll down to see ALL the posts fur the day - the […]
May 9th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Barb,
What a smug comment you made.
If I want to eat greasy chicken, pizza, cheeseburgers w/extra mayo, biggie fries and top it off with a fried pie, chase it with scotch on the rocks with a few cigarettes, that is MY choice. I am responsible for my own health choices and the effects thereof which might result in shortening my life by way of slowly killing myself.
It is a different matter should I unknowingly open a can of poisoned food, give it to my pet and watch it writher in pain and die suddenly right in front of me or, if I’m lucky, have a chronically sick pet that will cost me dearly emotionally and finacially . It is a matter of choice and responsibility, both of which have been taken away from us. Pssst….Your choice of healthy consumables has diminished considerably lately, also.
Pass the Buck-o-Chicken.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Our 3 cats love the raw diet formula at catnutrition.org.
FEEDING YOUR CAT: KNOW THE BASICS OF FELINE NUTRITION
Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
http://www.catinfo.org/
RECIPEs
http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html
May 9th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Barb,Another thing, as Genny pointed out about our pets writhing in pain. I don’t suppose you’ve ever seen a cat or dog in agony because it has blocked and can’t urinate and then having a catheter slid into its urethra. It’s especially painful in dogs. Have you ever seen a cat or dog just hover over the water dish, turn into skin and bones, have that “I wish I could just die already” look as it’s going through yet another round of fluids. Have you ever heard how sorrowful the pet parents can be as their furry are put down? Have you seen an animal gasping for life as it is in its last stages of renal failure? I used to work part time as a vet tech, and trust me it was not a pretty sight.
Sure, let the government allow all the poisons in their food which will of course trickle down into the pet food. Please, I asked before and I will ask again, since you seem to have it all under control, just what are you doing during these trying times?
May 9th, 2007 at 11:33 am
barb Says:
May 9th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Some of you folks are funny.
You drink alcohol, might smoke, possibly even eat (gasp) fast foods, and worry about the safety of pet foods.
I’m betting even a few of you are overweight.
I’m thinking maybe even a couple don’t do aerobic exercise 3 or more times a week.
Yes, I worry about the safety of both pet and human food. But it’s only one tiny link in the wellness chain.
I feel better having said that, although I know it won’t be popular.
OK Ms. PERFECT. What the hell does this have to do with poisionous ingredients in our pet’s food?
May 9th, 2007 at 11:55 am
“It’s especially painful in dogs”
Correction in my post above…should read It’s especially painful in male cats and dogs.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Debbie4747,
Dang! My male cat was the one that was catherized for crystal blockage. When I read your post about it being more painful for dogs I thought at least he had a tiny bit of something in his favor.
I watched the procedure through squinted, teary eyes but it was very interesting to witness, none the less.
I wish Barb would come back and enlighten us as you’ve asked. Despite the snippy post, I’m up for anything that will help with the health of my babies.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
To barb:
Shame on you. This is neither the time, nor the place for condescension and pouring salt in someone’s wounds.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Genny,
Sorry about the mistake in my post…I’m at work….interruptions…they really think I should do stuff, LOL!
But yes it is more painful in males because their urethra is more narrow, not that females enjoy the procedure. And it is more prevalent in cats than dogs, but dogs have been brought in for treatments as well.
I think Barb is just a health nut, or thinks she is. Seems though there is crap in so much of our foods, including the stuff we thought was good. My boss like to eat chicken alot rather than red meat and alot of carbs. Poor guy is trying so hard to eat healthy. As we now know, chicken not only has melamine, but has had arsenic for years. And we all know that’s really good for our systems. All this stuff should be on the label, just like the warning on cigarrette wrappers.
But yeah I could stand to lose 15-20 pounds, could exercise, but I don’t. That doesn’t mean I have to eat poisons or my cats have to eat poisoned food and die does it? I really want her to tell us what she is doing that makes her so freaking superior.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Debbie4747,
Yeah, it sux when work interfers with pleasure, eh?
Anything shoved up an urethra doesn’t sound fun. The first 2 times he was catherized, he was anesthetized but the last time he wasn’t. I wondered about that but he was so good during the last procedure and didn’t even moan, which he did the first time being under. I just hope neither of us has to go through that again. I don’t think I would be as good a patient as he was.
I don’t have human kids, only animal kids. I thought it was normal for any parent to have the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude meaning we would do better by our kids than ourselves. That’s why I thought the comments were a bit on the lame side…..and condescendingly superier. To each his own I suppose.
Btw, I really don’t like scotch and extra mayo but do crave greasy chicken occasionally. Since the future of eating chicken grows dimmer, I’m sure I’ll be jonesin’ for it more now since I shouldn’t eat it. ( ;
May 9th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I don’t know if anyone else gets email from HSUS, but I received one a couple of days ago regarding the “Pet and Human Food Safety Act” which evidently was introduced on 5/1/07.
According to HSUS, the law would:
Help regulate the industry by establishing mandatory processing and ingredient standards and requiring more inspections of pet food processing plants; Create an early warning system to help identify possible contaminants earlier and penalize companies that don’t report possible contamination; Ensure that any future recalls are conducted quickly by giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to order mandatory recalls of tainted food.
It may not solve all our problems, but I suppose it’s a good start (if it even makes it out of committee….)
May 9th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I particularly enjoyed last PM about Kahlua and Melamilk. I laughed and laughed, and was happy others were having a little fun. After all we’ve been through the last few months, we all needed it. It felt cozy.
Miriam, bw, and all:
I just purchased one of those metal mousetraps with the window on top. I am going to try catching a few live mice under the house for my indoor cats and will let you know how it works. If nothing else, it will provide healthy snacks for them. Never thought I would resort to this!
May 9th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
skl, they should also legislate a change in testing protocols to make them less susceptible to counterfeit ingredients. if protein testing wasn’t currently dependent on nitrogen content (an archaic, though cheap, testing method) the odds of us being in this mess go way down.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Genny, Sorry your kitty had to go through that and that you even saw it done. I’m sure it will live with you forever. How is he now?
I do like kahlua but only as an after drink when I go out and am not driving. I’ve had a bottle of wine in my fridge now for about 3 or 4 years…keep meaning to get to it but somehow never do…not much of a drinker either…but I do love ice-cream, oh how I looooovvve ice cream! Mela-brickle is my favorite. I too have only furkids and sometimes they do behave just like kids.
About 8 years ago I had some telemarketer on the phone and one of them was acting up. He would go to his romm on command, funny cat he is….but I was actually interested in what this one telemarketer was offering and had to yell at my cat for acting up. I scolded him and ordered him to his room and he went. I got back on the phone and the woman asked if I had kids. I told her no, actually it was my cat….duh…
But they are my babies and deserve to eat without being poisoned.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Excuse this post if this is only news to me but I just heard an ad on CNN about a program airing 5/19 and 5/20 about poisoned food and do you know what you are eating? or something to that affect. Two nights, back to back. Could be good information for the masses.
Debbie4747,
Thanks. What we had to go through was better than the alternative that so many have had to endure lately.
He was…..uh…trying to “hump” my other kitty (both neutered) so he is feeling much better and back to his normal tricks. I’m not so naive to think we are out of the woods yet, though. Now, if I could only figure out what to feed them and rid the explosion of fleas. I put off treatment because I didn’t want to compromise their systems should they get sick from their food. Then I waited a few days till kitty got a little better which gave the fleas a chance to go nuts.
Mela-brickle. Ha ha! Good one. I’ve heard they put some pretty nasty stuff in ice cream, too, but I love it when the weather is cold. Must be the power of suggestion. Kahlua over ice cream is really tasty.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Why are we importing Pork?
My question about fish in dog and cat food was answered by Cynthia.
Sooo, now back to the drawing board, I am using Canidae with Herring Meal in it.
Day by day I lose my appetite
May 9th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
barb,
Only a sadistic sociopath would laugh at or gain satisfaction in the suffering of poisoned pets and their owners. I wonder what your agenda could be in seeking to twist this tragedy into a mere food neurosis? You are wasting your time here. And “barb” is an appropriate moniker.
From barb:
“Some of you folks are funny.
You drink alcohol, might smoke, possibly even eat (gasp) fast foods, and worry about the safety of pet foods.
I’m betting even a few of you are overweight.
I’m thinking maybe even a couple don’t do aerobic exercise 3 or more times a week.
Yes, I worry about the safety of both pet and human food. But it’s only one tiny link in the wellness chain.
I feel better having said that, although I know it won’t be popular.”
May 9th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Genny, glad to hear your little guy is on the mend. Hope you can get the flea thing under control soon though.
Wish I had cable, I’d love to see the CNN thing, but through this site I’m sure I’ll hear all about it!
Kahlua on the ice cream sounds good to me too, LOL! Hope this food thing clears up soon so we can all go back to leading normal lives and feed our pets without worrying if it will be their last meal.
Know what? I don’t even own a bottle of Kahlua, LOL! Maybe I should change that. I do have a real kick-a** recipe for Kahlua balls which are a big hit during the holidays, or even anytime I have the time to make them. I’ll post it later tonight or this week if I can find it. If you don’t see it in a couple of days remind me, or email me Debbie4747@yahoo.com It’s a bit of work to make them, but so, so, sooooo worth it!
May 9th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Lookls like Cargill and Purina are linked . Perhaps getting closer to the smoking gun.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Sandi,
i am missing something what does that mean Cargill and Purina are linked. Purina made both my cats sick……………….
May 9th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
This is a little off the subject but, Does anyone know of a TV NOT MADE IN CHINA.
I went to Circut City the other day and couldnt find one that wasnt.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Martin,
Try to find a cat toy mouse that’s not made in China. It’s impossible. It seems that the USA isn’t allowed to make even the simplest things, cause China will do it cheaper. Sickening…
May 9th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Martin,
What’s even sadder is that even though it says made in USA or distributed in USA, whatever parts or ingredients that go into more than likely aren’t. And they don’t say where.
May 9th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
That’s why the unemployment rate has sucked for years. Not much manufacturing done in the US any more. Hey, but we have all these “service” industry jobs now……the ones that pay minimum wage that you can’t support yourself on.
May 9th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
My husband’s job was outsourced to CANADA of all places! Salaries are not that much lower there, though the Canadians were not happy with the salaries paid by General Electric. I figure that the big savings to GE was that they could parasitize the public health system up there for awhile. Globalists are on a campaign using propaganda to dismantle that system, too, and open it up to the insurance industry and for-profit medicine. I have heard Canadians say that said they believe we all have full-coverage, affordable insurance here! They were shocked to hear the truth.
May 9th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Debbie4747,
Grab a bottle on the way home from work. This crap is far from being over and comfort food is needed in times like this. Why don’t you just make the Kahlua balls and send to me. (wink) Hurry, it’s already hot here in South Texas.
Sandi,
I looked at that Cargill site and it was a very scarey read. Creepy.
Sylvia,
“parasitize” - very good descriptive word!
May 9th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
**scary** Scared me so bad I can’t even spell the word.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I told ya I heard of some fish being recalled. We’ll be hearing about it being fed to cattle next. Just you wait.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Or us. Or our pets.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Hershey Foods out sourced most of it job this month over seas. Now chocolate won’t even be safe.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Barb….when I read your post, I cried. I feel very hurt by your words.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
NO! NOT CHOCOLATE!! Say it ain’t so………
May 14th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Im in Canada and i just ate an Old El Paso soft tortilla.On the back of the package it says “…TRADEMARK OF PET INC….PREPARED FOR GENERAL MILLS CANADA…PRODUCT OF THE U.S.A….” Is that not plenty obvious,or could i be wrong?
October 22nd, 2011 at 12:54 pm
orgone
[…]Itchmo: News For Dogs & Cats » Blog Archive » Fish Fed Melamine-Tainted Feed, Rice Protein Actually Wheat Flour[…]