Centreville Animal Hospital Newsletter
www.centrevilleanimalhosp.com

Vol. 7 Number 5

News and Views as Spring Approaches

This pet food thing just won't go away or get solved!

CHINA - SECOND CHEMICAL IN PET FOOD  A second industrial chemical that regulators have found in contaminated pet food in the US may also have been intentionally added to animal feed by producers seeking larger profits. Three Chinese chemical makers said that animal feed producers often purchase, or seek to purchase, the chemical cyanuric acid from their factories to blend into animal feed.  The chemical producers said it was common knowledge that for years cyanuric acid had been used in animal and fish feed.  Two of the chemical makers said feed producers used it because it was high in nitrogen, enabling feed producers to lift the protein reading of the feed artificially. Scientists studying the pet food deaths say the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid, mixed together with perhaps some other related compounds, may have created conditions that formed crystals in the kidneys of pets and led to kidney failure. (International Herald Tribune)

CHINA - INVESTIGATION INTO MELAMINE CONTAMINATION   The FDA confirmed that it has opened a criminal investigation into the recent pet food contamination incident, but has not named a target.  China has given American regulators permission to enter the country to investigate whether Chinese suppliers exported contaminated pet food ingredients to the US.  The FDA now believes that the Chinese companies may have intentionally added melamine to their feed ingredients to artificially bolster the protein count in those supplies. (AnimalNet - New York Times)

US - MELAMINE IN LIVESTOCK FEED   The FDA has quarantined hog farms in at least five states due to concerns over feed contaminated with melamine. One poultry farm also could be affected, according to a release from the American Veterinary Medical Association. The FDA has traced salvaged pet food, specifically from manufacturers that have since issued pet food recalls because of potential melamine contamination, to hog farms in California, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Utah and possibly Ohio. The poultry farm in question is located in Missouri. (Drovers Alert)

US - FDA CONFIRMS MELAMINE IN RICE PROTEIN   The FDA confirmed that a shipment of rice protein imported from China was contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds, and that it was used in the production of pet food; a byproduct was used to make animal feed. A spokesman added that scientific research indicates that melamine alone, at detected levels, is not a human health concern; however, no scientific data exist to ascertain the effects of combining melamine and melamine-related
compounds.  The USDA said it cannot rule out the possibility that food produced from animals that consumed contaminated feed might also be contaminated, which is why the agency cannot place
the mark of inspection on it. The USDA is offering to compensate producers who euthanize hogs fed contaminated feed. (Meating Place)

PETFOOD FORUM AND FOCUS 2007. APRIL 16 - 19, 2007, Chicago . The annual Petfood Forum held this week was a study in contrasts. Tuesday's sessions provided upbeat, forward-looking presentations on a wide variety of topics, from new ways to formulate, produce and package foods and treats to optimistic reports on sales trends and new product innovation.

Wednesday's sessions were more somber, as two different panels of experts wrestled with issues surrounding the massive recall facing the industry. Even this week, more recalls were announced. One company reported that it has received more than 90,000 calls so far, and has had to open up a new, remote call center just to handle the volume.

Two themes emerged from the recall discussions. First, the problem probably was not preventable by the manufacturers, because it is virtually impossible for the industry to routinely test ingredients for a wide array of unexpected contaminants. Second, there was no mechanism in place for the industry to communicate as a group with pet owners and veterinarians. Every pet food marketer was left to its own devices. Consequently, the response to the recall has been fragmented and confusing. During one of the discussions it was reported that Petfood Institute, a trade association, has just this week assembled a commission of experts to provide direction in dealing with the recall crisis.

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