No contaminated wheat gluten in human food supply, importer says

[mhatrw]

Source: Associated Press

None of the contaminated wheat gluten that led to the U.S. recall of pet food went to manufacturers of food for humans, the ingredient's importer said Tuesday.

The Chinese wheat gluten imported by ChemNutra Inc. all went to companies that make pet foods, Stephen Miller, chief executive officer of the Las Vegas company, told The Associated Press.

Miller declined to identify what companies ChemNutra supplied. Nearly 100 brands of cat and dog foods made with the ingredient, since found to be chemically contaminated, have been recalled.

Read more: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/UPDATE/704030453/1020

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Why did it take until today for this information to be released? Why won't ChemNutra release the list of companies they sold to? Something doesn't add up here.

[mhatrw]

1. From ChemNutra's website.

http://www.chemnutra.com/

ChemNutra imports quality ingredients from China to the U.S. for the feed, food and pharma industries. We are a professionally managed, American owned company experienced in negotiating, securing and delivering ultra-competitive pricing on high-quality chemicals and ingredients from quality-assured manufacturers in China. We bridge the business and cultural gaps…including all regulatory, compliance, import and transportation requirements.

We specialize in Taurine, L-Cysteine, Glycine, Vital Wheat Gluten, and Glucuronolactone, and we also handle many other ingredients.

ChemNutra imports over 4,000 tons per year, and our customers include several Fortune 500 companies.

[mhatrw]

7. They altered their products page since 2005.

August 2005: http://web.archive.org/web/20050412231541/http://www.chemnutra.com/products.htm

Click on proteins to see wheat gluten.

Now: http://www.chemnutra.com/products.htm

Click on feed to see wheat gluten. They also seem to have stopped selling:

Rice Protein Concentrate
Bacteria Gluten
Corn Gluten Meal
Bean Gluten
Wheat Germ Meal
Soy Protein

while still selling wheat gluten. Why?

[mhatrw]

9. Check out this ad.

They claim to DOMINATE the pet food market in supplying taurine:

http://www.petfoodindustry-digital.com/petfoodindustry/200605/?pg=35

And it just so happens that the same magazine they advertise in says that taurine should be in pet food:

http://www.petfoodindustry-digital.com/petfoodindustry/200605/?pg=32

[SpiralHawk]

2. ChemNutra ??? WTF ??? I think I'll pass on this. Not really hungry.

Don't want no steenkin ChemNutra industrial food-product crapola.

Sounds like they must have republicons in the kitchen.

[tridim]

3. Why does the name "ChemNutra" freak the hell out of me? n/t

[0rganism]

5. Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

for some reason, that comes to mind...

[shain from kane]

6. Too close to chemical nut rot? Chemical castration.

[0rganism]

4. "dual use technology", anyone?

According to another thread in LBN, at least two companies' processing plants that produce ingredients for both humans and pets received wheat gluten from the contaminated batch. Whether the contaminants actually went into any human food is unclear at this time...

[newscott]

26. It's a floor wax and a dessert topping!

[Junkdrawer]

27. Hilarious if it weren't so sad....n/t

[AnneD]

30. What a flashback....

:spray: thanks. Wasn't it Gilda and Dan that did those commercials.

[partylessinOhio]

8. Well, let this importer eat his own crap. I don't want it in any form AND

I don't believe him/her.

An earlier post today stated that at least one company makes pet AND human food at the same facility. So stop telling lies!

CHEMicals aren't NUTR(A)inents.

[sevenleagueboots]

10. Archer Denial Midland - one of worlds largest agri processor of

.... soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. TOO BIG TO DISCUSS ABOVE A WHISPER.
Double Castration!

[PhilipShore]

11. Prove it, open up all the books for US media inspection n/t

[mhatrw]

12. Here they claim to be among the largest distributors of wheat gluten

for the US petfood industry:

http://www.petfoodindustry-digital.com/petfoodindustry/200703/?pg=30

[PhilipShore]

14. I don't trust them

It does not make any sense; because Wheat Gluten is Wheat Gluten. If they can prove -- that it was "impossible" for them to of sold it on the food grade market, by opening up their books, then -- I might be able to believe them.

[AnneD]

31. Exactly....

For Lent this year, I gave up all fast food (very high in gluten I am sure). I ate lunch in the school cafeteria (low bid deal full of gluten)and felt like I had eaten an indigestable rock all day long. I guess I clear it out of my system and am going to have to eat real food from now on.

I don't believe these folks. They have a bad rep among small farmers. If they would knowingly kill pets, what's to keep them from doing this to people.

[Bluestar]

13. Ah, OK, I feel so much better now n/t

[pnwmom]

15. This article doesn't exclude the possibility that OTHER importers brought

Chinese wheat gluten from the same supplier into this country.

ChemNutra bought this "food grade" gluten and sold it to pet food companies.
How do we know that other companies didn't buy it from the same tainted source and sell it to food manufacturers.

[mhatrw]

18. Good question. Currently, we don't. n/t

[daleo]

16. I wonder if someone isn't lying with the truth

The statement was too terse to be satisfactory.

[mhatrw]

17. 792 METRIC TONS OF CONTAMINATED WHEAT GLUTEN WERE SHIPPED!

http://www.chemnutra.com/pr.pdf

The wheat gluten ChemNutra recalled was all shipped from China in 25 kg. paper bags,
and distributed to customers in the same unopened bags. The bags were all labeled
“Wheat Gluten Batch No.: _______ Net Weight: 25 kg Gross Weight: 25.1 kg Made
in China”. The batch numbers included in the recall are 20061006, 20061027, 20061101,
20061108, 20061122, 20061126, 20061201, 20061202, 20061203, 20061204, 20061205,
20061206, 20061208, 20061221, 20070106, 20070111, 20070116, and 20070126. Each
ChemNutra shipment had the certificate of analysis information from the supplier,
including batch number and the supplier’s content analysis and test results. ChemNutra
shipped from its Kansas City warehouse to three pet food manufacturers and one
distributor who supplies wheat gluten only to the pet food industry. ChemNutra’s
shipments commenced November 9, 2006 and ended March 8, 2007. ChemNutra did not
ship to facilities that manufacture food for human consumption, and the distributor
ChemNutra shipped to supplies wheat gluten only to pet food manufacturers. The total
quantity of Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten shipped was 792 metric tons.

[RestoreGore]

20. Do they think this absolves them of something?

In case they didn't know it cats and dogs are living creatures too... and I don't believe them.

[RestoreGore]

19. "ChemNutra imports quality ingredients from China to the U.S."

Well, that's obviously a lie right there. China has lost millions because of the drought they are currently going through. I doubt what they are exporting is of high quality, and they ain't checking if it means making money to make up for all the wheat they lost due to the drought.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37831/story.htm

[fasttense]

21. I don't trust the AP. They do little research unless they are slamming

a Democratic candidate. I'll wait and see.

[nealmhughes]

22. Why are the Chinese processing wheat for the gluten to import into the West?

One would think that those billion noble Sons of Cathay would be too busy making electronic trinkets and eating processed tadpole powder or whatever the "Communist" government feeds their workers to actually be growing, processing or selling a wheat product.

Does the straw and husks go into the Chinese workers' diet and the gluten to export?

[BluePatriot]

23. Wait, they sell taurine?

Cue every energy drink out there...

[mhatrw]

24. Sure enough ...

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/guide/Listing.asp/li/49724

ChemNutra Inc.

We import raw materials from China for distribution to the energy drink and nutritional supplements industries.

[cosmicdot]

28. knr

and, taurine is in the vet-prescribed Royal Canin Skin Support dry dog food our Duchess & Windsor are currently eating. Have been hoping Duchess's skin allergies have helped the situation here.

I just ordered some Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw formulas. Taurine is an ingredient.
I hope Pearson and Shaw demand the highest grade and quality of ingredients.
http://www.life-enhancement.com/category.asp?SID=1&id=3

[EnviroBat]

25. Oh, Tap-Dancin Jesus Christ!

How long do we have to endure this Corporato-fascist bullshit? ChemNutra should be burned to the fucking ground over this! Importing inferior bullshit all to save bucks and generate huge profits, while our US farmers are in the worst position in this countries history. Fuck, I want to punch something...

[cyberpj]

29. But what about THIS article ???

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2792245&mesg_id=2792245