People Ate Tainted Pork, We May Be On the Verge of Crisis
The Chicago Tribune has detailed information (reg. req.) on how a pet food recall has brought a federal agency to its knees. The agency admits being behind the curve, while the bulk of the investigation has yet to begin. Also, FDA is investigating an Illinois shipment of rice protein used in human food.
Here are the highlights:
The end of this pet food crisis appears more elusive than ever…
About 45 [California] state residents ate pork from hogs that consumed animal feed laced with melamine from China.
What last month was a limited recall of canned pet food is on the verge of becoming a full-fledged public health scare.
The FDA’s real detective work may be just beginning. Having found many sources of contamination, investigators must now determine exactly how widespread the problem is and how it began.
More highlights after the jump.
From the Chicago Tribune:
The investigation’s progress in Illinois alone illustrates the problem.
About half of the 32 FDA investigators in the state have worked on responding to more than 500 complaints of sick or deceased dogs and cats since the recalls began March 16. They must collect medical records from veterinarians and gather samples of contaminated pet food.
The office is also involved in recall effectiveness. “It’s very taxing on our resources,” said Scott MacIntire, director of the FDA’s Chicago office, which oversees state operations.
MacIntire said his office is investigating a shipment of rice protein concentrate imported to Illinois and potentially used in a human product.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
**Can Not Read Chicago Tribune nor LA Times** articles here, without a “sign-in” {ie: account}
I know I’m not the onlyone to have this non-access issue.
I’ve been going to the Print sites and printing out as many articles, on the is whole Nasty Doping and Contami-nation issue, for more than a month. I’d Love to be able to get access to ALL the News article LINKS HERE, if it can be done somehow!
Can Anyone help?
Thanks!
April 28th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
www.bugmenot.com may be able to help you.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
If the article asks for an email account to login and password, then Bugmenot isn’t much help.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Ann, check it out:
http://www.bugmenot.com/view/w.....ribune.com
April 28th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Bugmenot has worked on the Chicago Tribune for me in the past, and I was able to get to the linked article with no issue today (maybe a PW saved in my browser somewhere). I’m not posting the entire text since I don’t yet know how Itchmo feels about such.
I still have to wonder, just why in the frell are we importing basic foodstuffs like wheat, corn and rice?
Yea, I know. Its cheaper.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Ment to add:
Given this fiasco, I think I’ll go back to being vegetarian (Ovo-lacto) that only eats certified organic foods.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Bug me not worked for me. This is what I used:
Username chicagotribune123@mailinator.com
Password tribune
April 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
God, my head is going to blow off…there is so much recall info now that I can hardly keep it straight, and I’m sure I’m far from alone in that thought.
ITCHMO, I don’t know HOW you are keeping up with all of this (do you ever sleep?!)
Thank you so much for providing a place where we can find GOOD information…your efforts are VERY much appreciated by many I’m sure!
April 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Speaking only for myself, I think we blew by the”verge of a crisis” the day I had to put down two of my pets on the same day and watch others falling ill and had no freaking clue what was killing my pets.
Now the FDA may THINK they are just entering a crisis but I can assure you that the day I found out how useless they were and the day they decided not to count our dead and the day the FDA decided NOT to publicly admit that the work done here and other places on the net SAVED THE LIVES OF PERHAPS THE ENTIRE NATION, while suffering staggering losses and vet bills, that was the day of crisis for the FDA.
They may not know it yet but I promise you they are going to know it.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
As hard as it is to keep reading of more recalls, I’ve tried to focus on making sure I’ve got non-recalled cat food and writing my fingers off to Senators, FDA, FSIS, reporters, Governors…. it relieves some of the helpless feeling to communicate to them what a mess they made of our sense of pride and safety in living in America.
Now, the White House is the one responsible for holding off the Safety in Food act because of concerns over cost!!!!!!!!! Sheesh.
Somebody send Bush the bill for this fiasco. (cattle farmer who knows, NPN, right?)
Ann
April 28th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Eva, I am in awe of your courage and determination.
You know what frosts me about this aside from the obvious suffering of an entire population of companion animals and the families who love them? (To say nothing of the people, whom I feel sure are being poisoned as well)
We have a well-regulated (well, more or less… they at least have some standards) agriculture industry in this country, and they’re all busy growing crops for biofuel… and getting top dollar for it, while we and our animals are left to consume this imported poison. How bass-ackwards is that?
April 28th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
[…] Itchmo for bring this to our attention! Lets see just how fast and hard the powers that be will work on […]
April 28th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Verge?? Full blown crisis is more like it. Just because the media is behind the 8 ball here doesn’t mean it isn’t already happening. I am just now hearing about the hogs on the tv news and newspaper articles - where the h*ll have these reporters been. The pet owners have been screaming about the potential human catasrophe for a month but have been treated like Chicken Little.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
We import raw materials from China for distribution to the energy drink and nutritional supplements industries
Chem Nutra
http://www.naturalproductsinsi.....p/li/49724
April 28th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
did we ever get feedback on the chickens they were testing? I can avoid pork, but we eat chicken almost every day, and that’s what I’m also feeding my cats now.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Donna, I think the ball was probably dropped over the chickens :( I have not heard squat, even locally!
April 28th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Donna Says, did we ever get feedback on the chickens they were testing?
No. I think the FDA is following China’s practice.
We’re not going to say anything because we don’t want you to be upset with us. If you worry to much your health might be affected.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I am overwhelmed by the deafening silence from Bush
over this whole recall nightmare. Has anyone heard him actually address this whole issue or has he been too busy with photo ops? Where is the leadership?? What is it going to take before we get some administration notice of the true magnitude of the crisis? Where is the call for emergency funding?? Couldn’t staff from other agencies be temporarily re-assigned to help with some of the FDA paperwork at least?? The fiasco with FEMA during Katrina is being played out again with the FDA now, I can hardly wait to see what the “third strike” will be and which government agency will fail us next. Sue
April 28th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I got a fabulous idea, lets load up all this contaminated food and drop it at China’s door since they seem not to care, but unfortunately, I have the the most horrible feeling this is just going to end up back in the pet foods :(
April 28th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Sue, I share your frustrations and questions on where is the leadership, and the protection of the American people….I am so exytremely diheartened by this whole mess!
April 28th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
C-SPAN is replaying the tainted food hearing from this week, for anyone who missed it.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Sue I’ll bet money you the only place in the U.S where the most rigorous testing of food occurs is the White House kitchens receiving dock.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
At first the media didn’t care much, then I think they were told to shut up. You can’t tell me our guv’mint didn’t know from the first that a large black hole had opened up in food safety. I know the FDa is not going to give us “the numbers” because they’re too busy chasing shipments of poison which keep multiplying virtually overnight. But I think vet assns have been urged not to speculate either for the very same reasons. Just knowing the Chicago FDA agents are responding to 500 cases of pet poisoning is very telling and may be the first real number we’ve had from anyone official that reflects the scope of the problem.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
KatieKat, China has no incentive to care, since the US government is so obviously at a loss to deal with the situation. An complete, immediate ban on all foodstuffs imported from China would have elicted an entirely different reaction. I would prefer to pelt US officials with contaminated kibble, reserving the cans to chuck at the execs of the corporations that were supposedly “policing themselves”. China has simply done what they’ve been allowed to do. I wouldn’t mind launching a few pork chops at the white house, either.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I think that always making sure to include the recycling of pet food manufacturer to stock animals for human consumption; the stock animal byproducts back to the pet food… Pet owners are mostly aware of that. The rest of the US may be blissfully unaware.
You know, make sure they know the human waste, road kill,etc goes to the PFI recycle bin for pet foods; salvage from the PFI recycle bin ends up back touching the people food…
That’s scary and true. But, lots of folks aren’t even aware of that aspect of the petfood industry being a recycle bin.
Annn
April 28th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Donna Says, did we ever get feedback on the chickens they were testing?
…………………………..
When we end up in the hospitals (like thousands of Chinese people every month), THEN we’ll start testing. We don’t want to panic the public unnecessarily… We KNOW we are eating these foods now!
Right now the FDA is trying to contain things by following the “pet food- turned-into-animal-feed link,” but behind the scenes, you can bet they’re chasing down leads into the grains/carbs sector, not wanting the public to think about what is already in our cereals, breads, pastries, vegan burgers, soy protein drinks, etc.
I think we can bet that a multi-million/billion HUMAN FOOD producer bought the other shipment of rice protein concentrate. We’ve been told there is a second unnamed importer.
We heard about the hogs that ate the rice protein concentrate (RPC). But RPC was the SECOND named “contaminated” ingredient. What about all of the wheat gluten, which was viewed as the only ingredient under suspicion for one month, that was added to pet food and sold as salvage? I’m sure that was sold to livestock ranchers as well — long before the RPC animal feed was sold.
The manufacturing dates for the pet food went back to Nov. ‘06. The AP found that ChemNutra has been importing RPC since the mid-summer of ‘06. I don’t think every shipment was contaminated (for lack of a better word), but there’s a lot of this stuff already in our food, IMHO.
Soy protein energy bar anyone?
April 28th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
yuk.. “human waste” should be uh.. LOL. not.
waste from human food ingredients..
Ann
April 28th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Wilbur Ellis went back to July 06 for the rice protein.
ChemNutra wheat gluten was Nov 06 .
ChemNutra’s import (from their same wheat gluten supplier) was May 06 - so far, they’ve not disclosed any contamination of their rice gluten import.
Ann
April 28th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
i just tried to explain this situation to my mother, who has no pets and doesn’t use the computer. I think I sounded like I was having a paranoid psychotic episode, because since there is nothing in the media about this, she has no frame of reference. I’m just spouting off about poisons from china that are in everything. It would be comical if it wasn’t so scary.
April 28th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Here’s the Chicago Trib Article:
Food safety worries mount
Does melamine hurt humans? Why isn’t food supply protected?
By Stephen J. Hedges and Mary Ann Fergus
Tribune staff reporters
Published April 29, 2007
WASHINGTON — The tainted pet food scare, which has swelled into a serious crisis for animal lovers, now has spread to humans.
California officials have revealed that the contamination got into the food chain: About 45 state residents ate pork from hogs that consumed animal feed laced with melamine from China. Melamine is used to make plastics, but it also artificially boosts the protein level—and thus the price—of the glutens that go into food.
It was already fatal for some pets: 17 cats and dogs are confirmed dead, more have likely died without being reported, thousands have suffered kidney problems, and 57 brands of cat food and 83 of dog food have been recalled. On top of that, roughly 6,000 hogs will be destroyed because they ate tainted feed.
The effects of melamine on people are thought to be minimal, but no one really knows. Its consumption by humans is considered so improbable that no one has even studied it.
But they are studying now. What last month was a limited recall of canned pet food is on the verge of becoming a full-fledged public health scare, potentially overwhelming government agencies and raising troubling questions about U.S. food safety in the global economy and in the post-Sept. 11 era.
The Food and Drug Administration, criticized by some in Congress for responding too slowly, is struggling to catch up with the implications of the spread of melamine-contaminated glutens from China to hogs, and the human food chain. The FDA is still trying to get its investigators into China, where a skeptical government only last week assented to investigators’ visa requests.
At a time when food imports are growing, and only 1 percent to 2 percent of food imports receive any government scrutiny, critics say the scare reveals the shortcomings of a weakened food safety bureaucracy, the inadequacy of existing regulations and the inability of the FDA, which has suffered significant cutbacks, to protect the food supply.
“They’re reactive, not proactive,” said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), whose House subcommittee on investigations last week held a hearing on food safety. If the problem was imported pet food additives, he asked, “How does it then get to hogs? They’ve known about this for some time. What did they do with it?”
In a statement, the FDA said that “food safety funding” for the year ending last Sept. 30 “was $376 million.” But funding for the agency’s Center for Food Safety has dropped from $48 million in 2003 to about to $30 million in 2006, according to the center’s 2006 budget priority statement. Full-time jobs in the Center for Food Safety have also been cut from 950 in 2003 to about 820 in 2006, according to the budget statement.
FDA looking for origins
The FDA’s real detective work may be just beginning. Having found many sources of contamination, investigators must now determine exactly how widespread the problem is and how it began.
The importer of the bad wheat gluten, ChemNutra Inc. of Las Vegas, contends that its Chinese manufacturer, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., illicitly added melamine to the gluten in order to boost the measurable protein level and thus the price of the shipment. If so, the FDA may find itself pursuing criminal charges against the Chinese company.
FDA officials Friday searched ChemNutra’s offices, as well as a pet food plant operated by Menu Foods in Emporia, Kan., according to The Associated Press. Menu Foods has recalled millions of cans of pet food in recent weeks.
In China, the central government has been defensive about charges that an export shipment had been deliberately contaminated, at first denying that any tainted wheat gluten was even shipped to the U.S. But that tone has softened as the extent of the pet food recall expanded. On Friday, a government spokesman told USA Today that some shipments were contaminated.
Scores of pet food brands have now been recalled in the U.S. for fear that melamine-contaminated glutens were used in their manufacture. They include canned and dry dog food and dog biscuits that are made in places as widely scattered as Utah, Missouri and South Carolina.
The FDA is also examining imported vegetable proteins earmarked for human products like pizza, protein bars and baby formula. That investigation, still in its early stages, hasn’t uncovered any contaminated ingredients, but the agency, an FDA doctor said, wanted to “get ahead of the curve.”
The melamine-laced food reached hogs because surplus pet food—crumbled and broken food bits rejected as unsuitable for dogs or cats—was sent to hog farms and turned into feed. The FDA says bulk shipments of feed were delivered to hog farmers in California, Utah, Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina. FDA officials said they were also concerned that contaminated livestock feed may have been shipped to Missouri.
“It’s absolutely a terrible nightmare story,” said Eric Nelson, a Wisconsin feed specialist and president of the Association of American Feed Control Officials. “It just doesn’t seem to get any better, and I’m sure it’s not over.”
Rice protein also a problem
Even as the tainted wheat gluten cases have multiplied, the FDA has learned of another problem: Chinese rice protein. U.S. importer Wilbur-Ellis told the agency that a single bag of rice protein that it had imported tested positive for the presence of melamine. Wilbur-Ellis imported the rice from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. in China’s Shandong province. In the U.S., the protein went to five U.S. pet food makers in Utah, New York, Kansas and Missouri.
While the FDA has targeted select states for hog inspections, the pet food recall and the large number of sick cats and dogs have overwhelmed state agencies that often only investigate a dozen pet food complaints a year. The FDA says about 400 employees across the country are collecting pet food samples, monitoring the recalls’ effectiveness and preparing complaints.
The investigation’s progress in Illinois alone illustrates the problem.
About half of the 32 FDA investigators in the state have worked on responding to more than 500 complaints of sick or deceased dogs and cats since the recalls began March 16. They must collect medical records from veterinarians and gather samples of contaminated pet food.
The office is also involved in recall effectiveness. “It’s very taxing on our resources,” said Scott MacIntire, director of the FDA’s Chicago office, which oversees state operations.
MacIntire said his office is investigating a shipment of rice protein concentrate imported to Illinois and potentially used in a human product.
Nationwide, the FDA has only enough inspectors to check 1 percent to 2 percent of the 8.9 million imported food shipments in 2006.
“We don’t have the resources or the capabilities to test every single shipment of every single food item that crosses into our country or into our state borders,” said Frank Busta, director of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense.
Stupak is among a small number in Congress who for several years have pressed for stiffer food safety regulations. He said legislation likely to pass this year could include a provision giving the FDA authority to order food processors to recall questionable items.
Currently, the FDA can issue mandatory recall orders only for baby formula, while other government safety agencies can demand the recall of goods such as unsafe toys and tires.
“It took Menu Foods almost a whole month to do a full recall of the dog food,” Stupak said. “If they’re dragging their feet on the recall of dog food, in the meantime this tainted wheat gluten is going to hogs.”
Other fixes could include expanded funding for food safety inspections and labs, the right to conduct spot inspections, subpoena power for the FDA and country-of-origin labeling on food products. Congress has already passed the labeling law, but the Bush administration has declined to implement it, citing cost concerns.
FDA officials acknowledged that they are closing seven labs but said they are older facilities that needed renovation and that other labs are being expanded to compensate.
What price safety?
The end of this pet food crisis appears more elusive than ever, shedding light on issues beyond the largely self-regulated pet food industry to America’s growing dependence on cheap imported ingredients from China and other countries, where safety precautions may be more lenient.
But just as troubling, federal officials and congressional critics of the FDA say, is the ease with which the bad gluten was passed along once in the U.S. After the Sept. 11 attacks, food and water safety were an issue of great concern, they say, but those concerns seem to have eroded.
America’s increasing reliance on low-cost food creates a complicated food distribution system, Busta said — and that leaves “many potential vulnerabilities.”
shedges@tribune.com
mfergus@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
April 28th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I went shopping for organic eggs yesterday and came across Land O Lakes organic eggs. What caught my eye was the claim on the package that these eggs are from chickens who are fed a vegetarian diet only, no animal by products. The package boasts that the chickens are fed soy protein. Now tell where this soy protein in chicken feed comes from. I have a good idea. It was a deal breaker for me.
Check your labels. Cereal in particular. Special K, second ingredient is Wheat Gluten. All the protein bars as well. On the side of the Special K cereal box is an advertisement for Special K Protein meal bars, Protein snack bars and just in case regular old spring or tap water doesn’t do it for you, they also sell Protein water. Scary, scary, scary….
April 28th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Wheat gluten is in a ton of things. I’m a vegetarian and just ate a Boca Burger for lunch that has wheat gluten in it. I wouldn’t be surprised if if it’s from China. I had it on a 100% whole wheat bun - also with wheat gluten in it, and from a more local bakery. It’s in a ton of food.
Me thinks the new buzz word in marketing in the up-coming months will be “Certified US Grown” or something. ;)
April 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I was just at Trader Joes and was going to buy some brown rice to mix witht he girls chicken and right under the picture it on the label it said fresh from Thailand so I put it back, pick up another on it said made in India laid it back down too might of bough tit for me to eat was this was for in my girls food. No Way
April 28th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Speaking of Boca Burgers. I got a new box a couple of weeks ago from Costco and after eating one I got a serious upset stomach within about 30 minutes. I looked at the box and found wheat gluten in it. I emailed Boca about this and asked what the source of their wheat gluten was. Several days later I received a call from the company saying that their products were completely safe… and that the source of the wheat gluten was propriatary… I asked if they would like the rest of the burgers back for testing and they declined.. At this point we are eating whole foods as much from local growers as we can. I had also purchased vegan spring rolls from Costco at the same time. They were wonderful but when I looked at the bottom of the box I found that they were ‘a product of China’ so they went into the garbage can. It will not suprise me at all if some human soy products turn up on the contaminated list soon…
Deb
April 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Americans eat an estimated 260 Lbs of imported “stuff” a year per person.
Think about that.
April 28th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Not anymore Steve. not in this house
April 28th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Unfortunately, we won’t be eating much if we aren’t eating products that come from China, contain wheat gluten, and animals that were fed vegetable proteins, which no doubt include wheat, corn and rice fragments. I guess we need to become fruitarians.
April 28th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Lorie: Go back to Trader Joe’s and look in the freezer section for the most awesome brown rice ever made! You put it into the microwave for three minutes…and that’s it. It is delicious.
Here’s what the box says, “Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice…Grown in the Sacramento Valley of northern California, this rice has been husked, cooked and frozen to quickly that you’d have to live in a rice paddy to get it any fresher.”
Everyone I know loves this rice!
Sue
Lorie Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I was just at Trader Joes and was going to buy some brown rice to mix witht he girls chicken and right under the picture it on the label it said fresh from Thailand so I put it back, pick up another on it said made in India laid it back down too might of bough tit for me to eat was this was for in my girls food. No Way
April 28th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Donna I hear you. We are also becoming the next wave of “jaded consumer” now.
April 28th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Ok this is so ironic it is almost funny in an insane sort of way. I just switched my dog to raw and sent my husband to buy me a digital scale so I can weigh the things I add to the bowl. So he gets me one and I look on the package and it is MADE IN CHINA!!! Here I am having to spend a lot of money and time and handle disgusting raw food because the chinese poisoned the food I fed and I will damned if I am going to use their scale. I made him bring it back. Everywhere I turn, China is there.
April 28th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Third Panel coming on now at C Span
April 28th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
[…] Ate Tainted Pork People Ate Tainted Pork, We May Be On the Verge of CrisisApril 28th, 2007 The Chicago Tribune has detailed information (reg. req.) on how a pet food recall […]
April 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
AZSue,
Thanks for the tip on the rice, that rice is okay to use in the cat food right?
E. Hamilton
Thank you for the post card blitz I sent 8 of them one for each cat to both people stating they were effected or vicitms of this food recall, and the #s are wrong. It made me feel really good inside to do this for my two babies. The dandelion tea was interesting to me I read about it and alfalfa as detox herbs can you give me some more insight on what to do I feel I need to do some home detoxing, I do not think vets are going above and beyond at trying to make a difference, or maybe it is just because it is know to them but I do know that I hve been to ER vet 3 times and my reg vet twice oh and spoke to that holistic vet that says it attacked her cats GI track and only 2 out of those 5 would really admit there is a crisis the others down played it and mad me sooo mad
April 28th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Lorie:
I would think that it is okay for the pet food recipes.
My rice cooker is very sad since I found this rice! It tastes better than any brown rice that I have ever cooked from scratch. Each box contains 3 packages, with what I consider 3 servings each. It has a wonderful flavor!
Okay, I’m going to stop now before someone accuses me of working for Trader Joe’s!
Sue :)
April 28th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Words that get the governments attention on the CIA computers :).
Anthrax
lethal virus
US Mail
Uranium
dirty bombs
Washinng DC
Pentagon
Jihad Pakistan
You are killing us and our furkids you idiots
April 28th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I hope the government hacks my computer lol they would then see all the pics of my wonderfull family and furkids…. :)
April 28th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Katiekat
Love your post. I the CIA is as sharp as the FDA is they might hack into your computer about year 3032. LOL
I am sitting her with Geisha girl on my lap hopeful this is not a temperary thing now that I have decided no commerical food period her and Topaz will remain on the road to recovery. The only good thing to come out of my ER visit last night was they finally were able to draw urine and it si fine and her kidneys are back to normal, now hopefully this GI issue will subside.
April 28th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Found Texas grown brown rice in my local Raleys’ mkt (similar to QFC when Ilived on Browns Point). It’s called TEXMATIC Long Grain American Basmatic BROWN RICE. Details on their web site riceselect.com. Haven’t tried it yet, so can’t comment on taste. Nice to know we can still grow some food here!
April 28th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Thanks for all the rice info
April 28th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I cannot and WILL NOT give medical advice to anyone. I am planning on getting hit with a lot of trouble from the powers that be because of the blitz and stuff I have done here, that is OK, I knew going into this that I might become a target. The FDA screwed over one of their OWN vets and messed up her life something fierce for years and years. Google it, I do not have the link handy. So I sincerely doubt that would think twice about coming after me.
All I will say is that when I sat down and thought about it, why the heck should I be pouring drugs into my pets? The FDA say they are safe, LOL, ha aha and I am supposed to BELIEVE them now? I had nothing to lose , I had pets that were dying.
So I read up on what the women did to save their soldier sons and husbands who were poisoned by gas attacks in world war one.
My pets had been poisoned.
I trusted what women from before I was born had done in THEIR desperation to save their loved ones.
Sounds pretty stupid doesn’t it?
Sounds pretty desperate?
It was both ,but it worked.
April 28th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
More than 50 cases seeking class action status have been filed in recent weeks in response to pet illnesses and deaths linked to tainted pet food.
And recent civil judgments have nodded to people’s emotional attachment to their pets: A default judgment last year in Washington state awarded a man $50,000 for the intrinsic value of his cat.
April 28th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I’m not sure if this was ever posted here, but why are the white coats so unsure of what melamine in humans will do? A woman was hospitalized (as well as her new dog) the day BEFORE the recall because they both ate some of the recalled foods..
http://www.canada.com/edmonton.....amp;k=8618
April 28th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Home cooking is hard for me because I don’t even cook for myself anymore. I wanted to share my frozen entrees with my cat but when I looked at the ingredients on the labels they are the same ones I’m trying to avoid in her food. Right now she is still eating dry Evo, even with a bad tooth. I just pray it is safe since the sight or smell of a can of wet cat food makes me sick.
April 28th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Lorie, I am soooooooooo glad your babies are doing good!! I felt so bad for you yesterday, and wanted to help ya out, just didn’t know how other than pray a whoooooooooooole lot :)
April 28th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Itchmo, the google ads have us targeted pretty well here don’t they. Boy those pet food makers must be scared of us. How uplifting. lol
On a sadder note my aunt who asked my dad when am I going to shut up about cat food already is STILL feeding the Hill’s Rx diet that made her cat sick in the first place, and they have already sunk $2000 into her kidney problems, but their vet is a sweet old guy who would NEVER hurt their pets so he must be right and I am Chicken Little. AUGGGGGHHHH. And she is going to be beside herself when the cat dies. She LOVES her cats and dogs!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
To Sue:
“heard from Bush?”
Sue, are you a comedian? Surely that wasn’t a serious question. I am so glad to say…I didn’t vote for him. Our lives and our pets lives have been set back an untold number of years beginning in 2000.
Me from Florida where the election was stolen.
April 28th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Hmm….. Leadership is something that this administartion can not handle!!!!
Our food supply is not safe(both for humans and animals) , our soldiers getting killed every day in Iraq, the FDA has no clue, they are like FEMA(…took them 4 days to react to the destruction of Katrina) but the President just watch all these going with total silence!!!! Elections are coming!!!!!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Was Bush reading a book upside down to the ASPCA when they told him about the pet food? Did he just keep sitting there for half an hour reading an upside down book? Is he still doing that?
April 28th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Just called Natural Balance, because I had recently purchased some of their food. Only 1 can I have is recalled. Here’s basically what happened.
Question: “Can you assure me that these other canned products were NOT made at the American Nutrition plant?â€
Answer: “Yes. Our other products are made at some of our own plants.â€
Question: “Can you tell me if Natural Balance will be discontinuing using American Nutrition as a manufacturer? Especially since they altered your recipes?â€
Answer: “I can’t say that. It’s an ongoing investigation, and we are working with the FDA. I can tell you what’s recalled. . . â€
Question: “Can you tell me if American Nutrition is currently manufacturing for you?â€
Answer: “Once again, I can’t answer that question. It’s an ongoing investigation.â€
There was more, but basically it was you can get a refund, here’s what’s recalled stuff. What I included is what I think is important. I concluded by saying I am returning it all and will not buy again from them until they can tell me they are not using American Nutrition as a manufacturer.
Shame on you, Natural Balance. I defended you before, no longer will I. If Blue Buffalo can say THEY will no longer use American Nutrtion, because this was a huge break in trust, so can you.Now you’ve broken my trust. If I found out a bartender slipped something into my drink, I wouldn’t buy another drink made by that bartender. It’s a simple enough concept, don’t you think?
April 28th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Floridian,
Nice Catch! I haven’t seen it, but you can bet I’m gonna copy and paste it on petconnection..and print it for all those who think I’m nuts saying “Be careful with pork!”
April 28th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
oops, I meant I haven’t seen it before
April 28th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Helen,
He’s trying to finish “My Pet Goat,” being prez is hard work!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Garyn: I found out how much food contains wheat gluten 3 years ago when one of my co-workers decided to eliminate wheat gluten from her diet to help her rhuemetoid (sp?) arthritis. She was a vegetarian, and she had to give that up in order to have more than about 3 foods in her diet. Her food bill tripled even though she was actually eating less, but her arthritis DID improve and she was able to give up most of her chemo treatments. Wheat gluten is bad for us too.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Itchmo Admin:
I really think you should check out the article Floridian found, about a woman getting sick from recalled pet food. It’d be a great head story!
http://preview.tinyurl.com/23ud2z
April 28th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Hi!
Itchmo ran the woman eats tainted pet food story when it happened. Just wondering, if the “Chicago Tribune lists 17 dead, would # 17 be the golden that died on CBS?
Nancy
asks snarkily
April 28th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
E. Hamilton,
I did the googling and that is interesting. FDA is trying to protect big business buddies. And try not to let this slip out of control as far as that it probably is into the human food chain lots further than the hogs. They will slap around the small guys a little and leave the big mega agri-business friends alone. Menu and Chem-Nutra small fish compared to the likes of Wilber Ellis, Conagra or ADM.
April 28th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I gave the matter a logical think and this is what I think.
Purina just built a whopping pet food factory in China.
They are perched to “save the day” and it is a set up.
All the “Little guys” are being picked off one by one.
Blue buff was set up to get hit like this, I swear. too bad the CEO of blue was too stupid to contact me, I had some juicy stuff for him.
The guy from Chemnutra ? Miller? oh does he have the ties to Defense stuff, DARPA and Barbara Bush and it just keeps a coming.
(do I hear the black helicopters coming?)
The political folks involved, Mitt Romney, etc, are in on it.
Those “funds” or investment groups or whatever tax dodge works this week, darn, they are all tied in.
I want to start a thread or 10 here and ORGANIZE the info and links that are such a mess over at petconnection.
Stuff gets lost.
Those people have done a faboo job but jeez you can’t find anything 10 minutes later!
I would welcome any help. Take links and info put it in ONE thread and be ruthless about keeping the thread to ONE topic.
No reposts no off topic, just the facts maam.
Maybe next week if I can get some help.
The great research being done by so many over at petconnections needs to be in a place where it can be used.
April 28th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
E. Hamilton, I agree with you 100%…the info that people have dug up is invaluable to us all. I wonder if just a website with all the finding would be better than blogging it, that way there is much better orginitzation….just a thought, but I think you are definately on the right track here!
April 28th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
E. Hamilton, Spocko, and those interested in unusual happenings. Bear in mind the self reported aspect as well as the surge of reports from California in the “last six months”. Another fluke?
morgellons.org
April 28th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Bush is too busy trying to convince us that the Iraq war is still a good thing. And that’s all I’ll say on that.
I went to the local organic store today, to price taurine and bone meal powder. When I told the proprietor why I was checking for it, she started to get snarky…until I cut her off and told her it killed one of my cats. I’m sure she’s in a pretty bad position - has had to pull much of her food and isn’t at all sure whatever else she buys is going to get sold.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Anonymous Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
E. Hamilton, Spocko, and those interested in unusual happenings. Bear in mind the self reported aspect as well as the surge of reports from California in the “last six monthsâ€. Another fluke?
morgellons.org
WOW! now that was a VERy interesting site you have there. Fluke..sure doesn’t look like it.
Do you think there is a connection to the recent pet poisonings ie, could have been contaminated all along, including human food? If not the Melamine contaminant, possible another?
April 28th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
This Whole senerio that is playing out over the last several months is starting to make me think of horror movies like “Virus”…nobody get’s it until it’s too late :(
April 28th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
We work with what we have, what we have here is a tool that can work. It CAN be done. Later it can be moved but for now, FOR TODAY, pick one of these topics and go start a thread in the forum, then go read yourself blind at petconnections and start putting the info IN SHORT FORM-long stuff, post the link, in your thread, ask for help but I WARN you, some will hinder so tune them up or tell them to go elsewhere.
Go start a thread for any of these topics in the forum, if you want to help but you better buckle up because it is a TOUGH job getting people to STAY ON TOPIC.
You start it, you babysit it. You Up for it? Get to it. I will help tomorrow
1-Chemical info- science, please put bernies stuff in it.
2-newstories- maybe two sections, one for reporters who need a tune, one for those who “get it”
3-political info, connections, who appointed who, who own what and is running for Prez
4-pet food companies, name address phone, contact name, whatever you can dig up, we NEED this in one place
5-costs, ask for the treatment cost for pets or whatever from folks and make them, MAKE them keep it short, have them PM contact info to you, this will be used to show the economic impact and anyone taking this particular job on- may god have mercy on you because it is the toughest
I have ideas for others but YOU tell me, here or in the forum what else do you want to be able to find?
What info helps? What do you look for and give up? Get the idea?
NO HANDHOLDING, they have a sad story?, take it to that thread, not one of these, can’t read directions?, send them to your first post again and them make the directions REALLY clear and simple.
You are going to have to be tough and strong to do this but I think the talent is here and heck, the FDA guys have jobs and look at what fools THEY are.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
E. Hamilton: I think you are right on target, unfortunately, about Purina. My suspicion has been mounting every day that they don’t recall anything. Oh sure they recalled one little batch of Alpo to make it look like they gave a crap and then went on and on about all their other “safe” crap. Makes me want to keep buying Innova, I can tell you that. At least until Purina buys Natura.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Perhaps some more drastic measures are needed to get the attention of Congress and the mainstream corporate media. We could 1) gather up all our tainted pet foods and have them delivered to our congresspersons at their Washington offices 2) Find some way of connecting this scandal to sex–the media will jump at anything connected to sex–as in man hospitalized in critical condition after fornicating with melanine-diseased pig 3) dump all our tainted food on White House lawn or on Pennsylvania Ave. via the French farmers method and 4) call FOX news and report that this is an Al Queda terrorist attack on our food supply.
That the corporate media is ignoring this scandal is a scandal in and of itself.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
RE: my above post. Forgot to mention the one media person who might give this some air time. Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
E. Hamilton,
If Purina is going to try to save the day, China was one hell of a stupid place to open a new plant. I think even the masses will have a hard time swallowing pet food made in China. Even with very little coverage people are following this, granted not like us, but following it to the point of being pretty upset about all the imported food from China and the risks involved. They have connected China with the mess.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
How about a centralized website for all the pets that have been sickened and lost with photos…..set up the entries is web forms and have folks list ages and food that sickened or killed….and the anout of exoenses you encures…
I do love the idea of droppping all the food at the whitehouse lawn along with a pile of stuffed animals to show the sick and deceased
April 28th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
KatieKat- just sayin is all. It’s important for everyone to look at what’s going on around them. If not for Itchmo, PC and so many others who would know anything beyond those involved? The general media moves on for lack of interest but that doesn’t make it go away.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
good grief i need to slow down and check for typos lol
April 28th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Other topic for TARGETED info,
6- who has a potential toxic waste site in collections of possibly poisoned pet food? do you have 6 bags of pet food and 400 cans of pet food that you dare NOT feed your pets? let us hear about it here!
There is info that NEEDS to be organized, if you can help then please go do it .
April 28th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I like your idea, KatieKat. Put faces to the statistics. And E. Hamilton’s…but wouldn’t that require making everyone who starts one of those threads a mod so that they can take care of the thread?
I’m thinking maybe I should box up my remaining food and send it to one of my Senators, with a nice note to please have it tested by the FDA.
Something I’m wondering, too…do you think plastic (dishes, food containers) would soak up some of the poison? When I was trying to get Miaka to eat, I washed her hard plastic bowl out and put babyfood in it, but she still reacted like she smelled bad food in it.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I’d like to see a thread for Companies who have Plants IN China Now (whether processing, storage, actual manufacturing, shipping etc.)
AND a Thread for Companies MOVING To CHINA. Or whom are in the Process of Moving to China, to produce “American” products there and then will ship them BACK to the USA. For us Lucky USA consumers.
I am not sure where I read some of this type Info this week; it may have been on the Forbes.com site. I might be able to back track on this particular article, but until I can find “it” (again) I, Will not Post the Companies I remember right now as MOVING TO CHINA.
I’d also like to see a Boycott CHINA thread and similar ‘items’ to boycott.
I think this may be the Only HUGE way to get REAL Attention; is to: NOT BUY “Made in China” junk. Post about it and pass the word and FOLLOW through with it.
You might be Suprised who is following suit to China these days. Then again maybe not.
SHAME the HECK outta em’!!!!! Shut em’ down Before they get there!
Hurt em’ in the pocket-book!
OH and My Original Idea to Boycott the 2008 China Olympics. They are trying Sooooo Hard to make a nice “bedspread” to COVER-up the Ugly part of China for the Olympics!
At least get the Word out.
There are PLENTY of Reasons to Boycott China (and the Olympics *there*).
The Doping of Ingredients I think, is a Big enough Start!
I don’t know…are These Good Ideas?
Are there Enough Angry Pet-parents in the USA to make a Dent?
April 28th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
E. Hamilton: I’ll take #5 — the medical costs. Since I’m a vet tech, that’s right up my alley.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
E. Hamilton: Think we could divide the costs into two groups? 1) the medical costs, and 2) The costs related to switching from food to food? I’d like to stick with medical costs if I may.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
My company laid off a bunch of software developers and hired a group in China. I think the whole thing stinks worse than the rotting pet food. I’m all for boycotting China, I’m not even doing take out anymore.
I love the idea of sending bags of the crap to Washington. And I think the guy fornicating with the tainted pig will for sure make CNN take notice.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
OK. I just started a new topic on the forum. Medical Costs for Treating Affected Pets. Please start posting. Be as specific as you can. If possible, itemize. If you must estimate, please indicate that it is an estimate. Let’s get this rolling!
April 28th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I just got the postcard blitz done without moderator power and it was stone cold b1tch to get it done, but either we start today , no discussion or what if or it is NOT going to GET done.
So, do it or don’t , help or don’t, but unless you are either doing it better than I can or doing it PERIOD, I will not listen to argument about it.
Tomorrow morning I will be starting threads and getting that info organized so we can DO something with it and I would really like it if others would do the same but with you or without you it is going to get done.
Someone wants to get a dedicated website with mod power and whatever you think this needs going,? Then get after it because in the meantime I will be getting it done. Happy to cooperate , in the meantime I have work to do.
If you can do it better?, well, I have just invited you to do so.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Marilyn, ALLRIGHT, do it however you want hon, that one is your baby and it will really be useful and really, you are just WONDERFUL!!!!
April 28th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
I just posted a message over at petconnection inviting them all to hop on over here and start posting their medical costs.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
See how excited I got when Marilyn posted her great start! It was me and I am proud of you and that thread is going to do a lot of good and so will the others.
First person to get the thread started -it is their baby, you need to be online a lot to get this done so if you need help, team up and share the work, I do not care how.
Find a way.
You can do it, now go get that info organized and Go GO GO!!!
I will be back tomorrow.
I promise to post good links and info and dig up stuff on petconnection before it gets lost for every single one of you who starts a thread , every one of you.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I loved the first post! However, Keith Olbermann is too busy bashing Bill O’Reilly to give a rat’s ass. I am so glad that I don’t have cable anymore…and guess what, life actually goes on without it. Even better, you HAVE a life without it.
I blame Congress for everything. Don’t care who’s in charge, Rep or Dem, they are all in bed together.
Bush is just a figure head. Besides, he was too busy blowing up the World Trade Center, causing hurricanes and making Don Imus to speak racial slurs to taint the pet food. I think he even got Rosie O’Donnell fired last week. I wish I had his energy….
Sue
mgm Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Perhaps some more drastic measures are needed to get the attention of Congress and the mainstream corporate media. We could 1) gather up all our tainted pet foods and have them delivered to our congresspersons at their Washington offices 2) Find some way of connecting this scandal to sex–the media will jump at anything connected to sex–as in man hospitalized in critical condition after fornicating with melanine-diseased pig 3) dump all our tainted food on White House lawn or on Pennsylvania Ave. via the French farmers method and 4) call FOX news and report that this is an Al Queda terrorist attack on our food supply.
That the corporate media is ignoring this scandal is a scandal in and of itself.
mgm Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
RE: my above post. Forgot to mention the one media person who might give this some air time. Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Marilyn,
Find a way to keep personal info safe, do NOT let anyone post personal info, make your first post really clear on this.
Make sure the posters give you an email or a way to stay in touch by private message, that way when we can use the info and it needs to be verified, that can be done.
Does not matter if the correct tests were done at the time early on. No one knew then and they STILL count.
Tell people to get copies of bills or ongoing bills and put in an big envelope to save and keep. Document, document, think a count that NO ONE DISPUTE, those costs are VERY very important, keep the posters and the info safe!
Just a hint Marilyn, this is YOUR baby.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Guys I am definitely in on whatever needs done I have to cats trying to survie what Purina has done to them. I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring them down……………………….and I am tiered of living in fear of feeding my cat anything but people food sincelast night when they relapsed.
BTW, my emergency vet called me back today after I left her a message this morning about Topaz displaying the same GI problems Geisha had to been seen for last night. She told me she sees common thread now btwn my two girls no more food allergy BS it is definitley a symptom of the poisoning, she is going to confer with the holistic vet I said had a cat pass from this with only GI symptoms. She is very young and interested by this I told her maybe her and the other vet with this common thread to figure out the long term fix for thr survivors and be rich and famous she said she would just settle for the cure.
April 28th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Duh…..just a suggestion: Next time there’s a Presidential Press Conference, why doesn’t a pet-loving reporter as Bush this question:
“What are your dogs eating these days in light of the FDA’s recall on contaminated food?”
If he doesn’t know what’s been going on, surely Laura will find out and clue him in.
Still, don’t expect any intervention from him. He’s tunnel visioned all the way to the other side of the globe.
April 28th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Lorie, Thanks for being the first to post your medical costs. It encourages others to post if someone else has already done. I’m sending you many best wishes for Geisha and Topaz to have a full return to health, and for your nightmare to end.
April 28th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Marilyn
you are welcome but I shold be thanking you and evryone else who has provided all these wonderful infomation filled place to go to share stories report damages, organize mail protest that without we would not be heard. All of need to be a counted for this whole thing is so devastating. I will contirbute in what ever way I can even if it providing info data for stats.
I spoke to mother today and she is beside herself with this whole gov’t fiasco let alone what she sees it putting her daughter through mentally and finacialy trying to protect her babies. She is appauld that vets are charging us full frieght for a major emergency that they are not even sure how to treat and using our pet as their learning tools. I agree to a point have been to about 4 vets now and had a phone consult with another and some are very opinionated and mad and others are down playing it and not treating it as big crisis as it is.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:06 am
In responce to the pork being tainted I noticed there is a big sale on pork at my local grocery store this week.
No thanks I believe i’ll just have some fresh steamed vegies and hope to heaven they weren’t sprayed with some swful insectiside or grown with some fertilizer that’s not legal or shouldn’t be used.
Kathy
April 29th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Moony brought up feeding in plastic bowls. It dawned on me that 5-6 years ago a vet told me to USE STAINLESS STEEL, especially for cats. I don’t know if anything was ever written up but some of the vets out there might know something about it. It seemed to be in relation to mouth or skin problems.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Plastic bowls cause are known to cause changes in nose color in dogs: so we use stainless, plus stainless doesn’t hold odors and can be put in dishwasher or very hot water to clean.
I think we need a link to the Whitehouse mail: we can keep badgering Mr Bush to at least acknowledge there is a problem. I read lately he won’t sign the food labeling and food source law congress passed because it might cost too much money to enforce.
April 29th, 2007 at 2:43 am
About plastic bowls - they get scratches, dents, and chips that harbor bacteria and odors. Stainless steel bowls don’t and they can be bleached to sanitize them. That’s why stainless is preferable and recommended for cats who have feline acne and rodent ulcers on their chins. Just FYI from a vet tech…and the director of an animal rescue home who’s praying I don’t feed any contaminated food to my 40+ rescues here!
April 29th, 2007 at 2:58 am
Lorie - sorry to hear about your babies and my prayers are with you - and everyone else who has sick fur kids!
You were feeding your kids Purina? What variety and canned or dry? I’ve been feeding Purina Cat Chow at my animal rescue home for a few years now. So far I’ve been lucky not to have any signs of poisoning and thought I’d be safe sticking with it as it has no wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate listed in the ingredients. I’ve spoken with them several times and they assured me that, after the recalls started, they begain testing all their grain products (rice, wheat, corn, etc…) and have stopped buying any imported grains.
Is there something going on with Purina now that I’ve missed? It was the one company I felt fairly safe with and now I have my doubts!
April 29th, 2007 at 3:03 am
About the plastic- thanks for the heads up about nose color. No, it wasn’t just because of the sanitation issue. A good point, though. I’m reasonably sure it was mouth or skin irritation.
I was reading elsewhere about the Morgellon’s post. I think it’s a perfect example of how many of you were treated before anyone admitted there was a problem with the food. Not meaning to hijack this but it doesn’t matter if you agree with the page cited, management of an organization, or consider Wikipedia an authority. There is no difference between people telling their vet they think the food is a problem and people being deemed delusional because doctors can’t figure something out. If 2,000 reports come in from people about a pet food and they can only prove 1,000 of them, do the rest go away? This is about keeping an open mind, not an agenda.
Sorry about getting off topic. Thanks Itchmo for being tolerant of such things.
April 29th, 2007 at 3:13 am
Bush won’t sign a food labeling/source law because: 1) to fund might take money away from his precious war and 2) somehow, someway, he probably has an interest in one of the companies involved and it might hurt his bank account!
April 29th, 2007 at 3:19 am
Thanks Bluescat. With so many people considering raw switching to stainless
bowls sounds like a good idea. Perhaps a help to those pets recovering as well on the chance they sense melamine as a toxin.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Concerning the plastic bowls and why some animals develop sores on their chins and noses… The theory that I am familiar with is that some animals are allergic to the petroleum products that are in the plastic. We see this problem frequently in the vet clinic.
Some animals can’t wear the plastic e-collars either. I had one Saint Bernard years ago that had that problem, and we see it once in awhile in the clinc, but not every often. Maybe because they usually don’t have to wear the collars very long, whereas if they are eating out of a plastic bowl, they are in contact with it every day.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:33 am
WOW, great posts from all - where to start:
Purine = NESTLE = largest global market and largest US market @ 30%. We really need to put the real face to the real culprits:
Nestle
Colgate and Palmolive
Proctor and Gamble
Walmart
Mars
DelMont
Nutro
These guys may up 86% of the pet food sales market. Most of them outsource all their stuff - human food, stuff, and pet food to third world countries. The reason the story has been under-reported in the media is due to advertising dollars (think about how MUCH these guys sell). Fox news would rather report about Anna Nicole Smith, Rosie O’Donnell and the Donald, and Alec Baldwin calling his kid a pig because this is yet again ONE MORE BIG HIT on this administration - will it, can it ever end - this administration is going to go down in history as the very worst, most incompetent, most corrupt group of people ever.
That is why there has not been a peep out of the white house.
Finally, if they are feeding the hogs and chickens pet food that is not fit for dog and cat consumption, then they are basically feeding those poor animals their own species since dog and cat food is made from rendered animal parts. And guess what? We get to be at the end of this sick, sick sick, disgusting food chain. THIS IS SICK and I thought they banned this practice years ago???
WTF….
April 29th, 2007 at 9:01 am
BluesKat,
My cats were both eating FF Elegant Medley which contain both Wheat Gluten and Soy rice protien, it was two cans into new case that my living nightmare started and continues. However they both started having issues again on Friday night Saturday morning after be given out of desperation some of the Eukanuba dry and FF savory salmon that I had not been giving them since March 23rd. SO now I am scared of them all plus everything in between I have used. Vets aren’t sure if these new symptoms are carry over from March 23rd or new exposure from one of the ones I picked after recall thinking they were safe. it is very hard for parent to figure out what caused the problem when NOT ONE of the items she has ever fed either cat in there whole entire life has shown up on the FLIPPIN LIST
April 29th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Robin: You are overlooking that most people are absolutely clueless that pet food is even a crisis. They are still buying new cans of the same stuff that was recalled like nothing happened. Purina sells 30% of all pet food. People who are buying from little companies like Blue Buffalo are the ones on the internet freaking out. If we quit buying their food based on this, they go out of business, and then what options are available for people to feed their pets?
April 29th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Robin: You are also overlooking that currently the law does not dictate country of origin labelling, so even if the masses don’t want pet food grown and manufactured in China, they have no way of finding out if the food is from China or not.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Moony, smells do stay in plastic. Also your baby might associate that dish with the bad food. Give a ceramic dish that is a different color and shape.
April 29th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Bush has signed legislation delaying country of origin labeling (COOL) that has been mandated by Congress for human food over and over again throughout his time in office. They (he and his buddies) do not want safe food. It’s not good for the bottom line. This administration is the most corrupt in history. I can’t believe people wanted to impeach a president over a sex scandal but allow Katrina, the war, and this mess to continue without demanding it. This has gone beyond incompetence. Why should they care about pets? People died in New Orleans and nothing has changed. If you are poor, black, or a companion animal your life means nothing.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Attention vegans, hempies, greenies and granola heads!
It’s easy to point fingers at, and demonize people that we don’t like, when something goes wrong. But when we step back and give some rational, unbiased, intelligent thought to the situation, we begin to see the real picture.
Why are we in this mess? Because American-grown food is more expensive. Why is American-grown food so expensive? Because American farmers are leaving their homesteads in droves. Why? Because they can’t make enough money to feed their own families anymore. Why? Because Americans (YOU and ME) refuse to pay the American farmer enough money for their products to scratch out even a meager existence. Why? Because WE are greedy!
We would not be importing our grains, feeds and foodstuffs from the likes of China if WE were not so self-absorbed and self-serving, that we would turn our backs on the American farmers, in favor of putting a few extra pennies in our pockets.
WE poke fun at our farmers, calling them “hicks”, “bumpkins” and the like. WE think of them as uneducated, dumb “country folk”.
Well step on down from your little ivory towers folks.
Next time you climb up into your gas-guzzling SUV and drive the two blocks to the local super-duper mart…the next time you whine about having to pay HOW MUCH!? for those designer pumps…think about the American farmer that you ridicule and ignore on a daily basis.
WE reap what WE sow, as they say.
So next time YOU choose to point your long finger of blame, remember, three fingers are pointing right back at YOU!
April 29th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
K, i don’t mind paying farmers, and i am in fact appalled at how little they make for all the hard work they put in and risks they take. but it’s not quite so simple as you would have us believe. the factory farm, often owned by some mega-corporation, has driven many a small farmer out of business because they simply cannot compete with the high volume, low priced goods that can be produced by these behemoths. now those same factory farms have turned a lot of their acreage over to production of biofuel components, because that’s where the money is! i doubt that the fuel producers are contracting with small farms for biomass. you would think that this could create an opportunity for smaller growers to provide food for animals and people, but no… those things are imported. it’s a simple matter to demonize the people who have to stand in line at the grocery store and count their pennies and hold their breaths when the final tally is rung up, hoping that they don’t have to put things back. i won’t argue the suv thing with you, though. at any rate, the rich get richer, and the poor, whether they live in the country or the city, get poorer. the rich have managed to convince the small farmer that it’s the consumer’s fault, and are happily counting their money while the poor fight among ourselves. it’s a system that works… for them!
April 29th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
K, American people haven’t screwed the American farmer (at least not intentionally). Corporate farming and farm subsidies for corporate farmers have screwed American farmers. The Amercian public is clueless about where they get their food. They still think that cows graze on pastures and pigs are in pigpens and chickens walk around the farm scratching the dirt looking for grubs. Corporate farming, like corporate everything (eg. Walmart) has destroyed our food supply.
April 29th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Okay. First they test it on the animals and then they test it on humans. Melamine is in fertilizer. Wonder if it is our food chain not just in the meat but also in our fruits and veggies. We have so many diseases now days that the doctors cannot explain. They don’t know how people develop autoimmune disorders of which there are at least 80 known and arthritis is one. My friend has an autoimmune disease which is a cousin to Lupus. She started to eat all organic foods and her symptoms are not as bad as they used to be. Could this be why we have so much cancer too? Something unnatural is being added to our food!?
April 29th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Any way you slice it, it’s all about American consumers who scream at the mere thought of paying what the rest of the world pays for their food.
The corporate mega-farms are in business because WE demand cheap food! They don’t exist in a vacuum. If the demand for cheap stuff wasn’t there, they wouldn’t exist.
FYI…small farmers get their share of big daddy government’s subsidies as well…honey producers, peanut farmers…not just the big boys.
And the po’, dumb little farmers aren’t as easily convinced by the big, bad rich folk as you may think. It’s actually quite insulting that you may suggest that they’re not smart enough to think for themselves, or understand simple economics and come to their own conclusions.
April 29th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
it’s also kind of insulting for you to accuse us of standing around demanding cheap food, as though anybody actually listens to us! i buy what i can afford, and that makes me some kind of greedy villain? but nevermind… arguing with you simply diverts me from the real problem
April 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Good posts, K
April 29th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Stephan, thank you.
And Pat, I don’t refer to you specifically…I am refering to the American consumer in general. We speak with our wallets…and we speak volumes. And believe me, the market listens.
I don’t see you in particular as a villain, any more than I see any one politician as such. We all are to blame, each one of us.
As for the real problem…what is happening to our pets is horrendous, and if it’s shown that it’s become a problem in our food supply, then let’s hope it’s not too late to rectify.
But let’s remember where it all began. With us.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
It doesnt begin with us. It begins with a guy in China -former top food and drug regulator Zheng Xiaoyu (recently executed) whom took bribes to approve food and medicine that were contaminated.
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