More on Pet Food, Melamine & the FDA

Food | Sandra | April 28, 2007 at 08:07

A local company ChemNutra Inc. has been named in the contaminated pet food controversy. According to the Associated Press, as published Fri Apr 27 in the LVRJ (Las Vegas Review Journal), a Kansas pet food manufacturer Menu Foods Midwest Corp. recalled 60 million cans of pet food after 16 pets, mostly cats, died from the effects of eating the melamine-contaminated food. According to US News & World Report Apr 28, the offices of Menu Foods and ChemNutra Inc. were searched by FDA agents.

Evidence is mounting that the tainted pet food is more toxic to cats than dogs. Melamine has now been found in pig urine at a California pig farm.

Wheat glutten is used as filler in the pet food. ChemNutra imports the wheat glutten from a Chinese company which ChemNutra claims was represented as a reputable source for high quality nutritional ingredients and which provided apparent proof that its wheat gluten was safe. Melamine has been found in Chinese-originated wheat glutten, rice protein and corn glutten, all used as pet food ingredients.

Melamine is a chemical found in plastics, pesticides and sometimes fertilizers, certainly not approved for use in pet food by the US FDA. A leading theory is that the melamine was deliberately added to fake higher protein levels. The FDA has set up a website for concerned pet owners: www.fda.gov.