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 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?