Tainted pet food reaches human fare Officials doubt a health risk, but 1,500 hogs are quarantined as

[Shallah Kali]

Source: Boston Globe

An industrial chemical linked to kidney failure in dogs and cats has found its way into the human food supply chain. California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals' feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine .

In addition, 26 hogs were sold and slaughtered at an unnamed processing plant in northern California . Federal authorities quarantined those unprocessed carcasses at that plant, but state officials expect to identify more California processing plants that purchased the hogs.

American Hog Farm, a specialty slaughterhouse in Ceres, Calif., sells whole hogs suitable for backyard barbecues to celebrate weddings, retirements, graduations, and other festive events.

A man who answered the phone at American Hog Farm and who identified himself as one of its owners said yesterday it is premature to comment since the federal investigation continues.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/21/tainted_pet_food_reaches_human_fare/

---

Authorities hunt pork that may be tainted
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/158956.html

State and federal authorities worked Friday to track down pork customers and start testing muscle, liver and kidney tissues from California hogs fed pet food containing melamine, the chemical linked to cat and dog deaths nationwide.

Scientists at a state laboratory in Davis are studying the pork to determine whether melamine is present and poses a risk for people who might have eaten it. Officials said they view the risk to people as "minimal" at this point.

{snip}

Wilbur-Ellis sold tainted rice protein to five pet food manufacturers.

Among them was Diamond Pet Foods in Lathrop, which in turn sold salvage pet food containing melamine to American Hog Farm, a 1,500-hog operation in Ceres, in Stanislaus County. Small farms routinely buy salvage feed from pet food makers that repackage torn shipments or spilled products.

[lligrd]

1. Well I Doubt There Isn't A Health Risk

not do I doubt they will try to cover it up.

[Shallah Kali]

2. A woman in Canada got sick after eating dog food to coax her dog to eat it

I won't be shocked if there is enough junk in the pigs to make humans sick if they eat them as well.

Eating poisoned dog food sickens pet lover
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=1527772d-a1c2-42b8-a069-c8e8ee6aff26&k=8618

[lligrd]

3. I Find It Hard To Believe That Anyone Is Stupid Enough To

think that eating dog food would convince their dog to eat it. At least anyone who didn't vote for Bush.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Funny story.

When my son was four, we got a puppy. We had a hard time with training, so we tried the doggy pee pads that you put on the floor--same theory as newspaper training.

Well, we kept the pads on the floor in the bathroom. One evening, I walked into the bathroom, and was amazed at the huge stain on the pad. I started to praise the puppy, thinking that maybe she had held it all day, and then finally let go on the pad.

I called my son into the bathroom and said, "MMjr, look what the pup did!" And he replied:

"Mom, the puppy didn't do that. I did. I was trying to train her."


Needless to say, I held a straight face as I explained to my son that the puppy really couldn't learn to pee on the pad by watching him do it, but that it was nice of him to try. When he left the room, I laughed until my ribs hurt. That memory still makes me smile. He did take an active role in teaching her to pee in the right place, though--had to give him credit for that.

:)

[lligrd]

6. So Funny

Thanks for the chuckle.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

11. Brilliant!

Hell, I don't think my oldest son was even potty trained at four yet!

[WiseButAngrySara]

14. Oh this is hysterical! How precious. MMjr and the puppy training! ....n/t

[MindPilot]

23. I've gotten my puppy to eat several things by showing him

Specifically fruits and vegtables, if I give him a piece of carrot he spits it out a glares at me with that "you call this shit FOOD?!" look. If I bite off a piece, let him watch me eat it, then suddenly carrots are his favorite food.

He also learned how to turn his paw and scoop out the ball stuck under the kitchen cabinet from me showing him. He got it the very first time.

Haven't really had the opportunity to use watch & learn for housebreaking; a puppie picks that up from an older dog pretty quick.

Altho I didn't vote for Bush, i probly just look stipd, cuz my dogs so smart.

[Jamastiene]

26. I believe dogs and cats do learn from humans too.

When my aunt has a spasm in her throat, she chokes until I get her a piece of peppermint and shift her position to make her more comfortable. I don't know why the peppermint works, but it does. Because she has MS and has a hard time opening the peppermint, my cat will now run to her when she starts spasming just like I do. I leave a few pieces of peppermint that has been partially opened each day for my aunt to use while I am in classes. Now, my cat will bring them to her anytime she needs one.

I hardly think having a strong bond with pets means someone is a Bush voter. I know no one in my household voted for either Bush either time. We just believe animals are smarter than most uppity humans give them credit for. They are certainly smarter than the uppity humans any day of the week. :eyes:

[Shallah Kali]

28. I have never voted for bush and I *have* conviced dogs to eat things that way

not dog food but vegetables. It is usually with a look of 'I can't believe you think this is tasty' look on their faces but seeing me enthusiastically much on plain lettuce drove my last dog wild and he would gobble down any I would give him.

[NYC]

4. I recommended this thread.

Try to keep it active until the morning people get a chance to read it.

I doubt this is the only incident of tainted human food.

[watrwefitinfor]

7. K&R for the Morning People. n/t

[fasttense]

8. Great,

Chicken could have bird flu, beef could have mad-cow and now pork has poison. Might as well become a vegetarian. Oh wait there was e. coli in spinach. I'll have to become a vegetarian who boils all his food. sigh...

[valerief]

9. Soylent Green will become a reality now! nt

[durtee librul]

32. Yep, and Halliburton will grow it

and KBR will make sure it makes it to our tables.

[City Lights]

16. And many meat substitutes contain wheat gluten.

So far there hasn't been any proof that the tainted wheat gluten made its way into the human food chain, but it wouldn't surprise me to read that it did.

[Shallah Kali]

29. Suspect Wheat Gluten WAS sold to Human Food Companies. FDA won't reveal who!

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/03/was_human_food_tainted_too

Tainted wheat gluten that triggered a massive nationwide pet food recall also ended up in processing plants that prepare food consumed by people, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday. While agency leaders offered assurances that the nation's food supply remains safe, they said they cannot yet completely rule out contamination of human food by the suspect wheat gluten, which contained melamine, a chemical found in plastics and pesticides.

According to import records, the wheat gluten was shipped to the United States from Nov. 3, 2006 to Jan. 23 of this year and contained "minimal labeling" to indicate whether it was intended for humans or animals. The vast majority went to pet food manufacturers and distributors, according to the FDA. But some of the processing plants that remain under FDA scrutiny make both human and pet food.
-------------

I have yet to find out what companies bought the gluten and how their tests turned out. And I wonder if testing would do any good if the wheat gluten was used in bread making as any product would be long gone since bread has a short shelf life.

[FlaGranny]

10. OH SHIT

I've been feeding my dog Blue Buffalo. Damn it. I am so pissed I could scream.

EDIT: Relief. I just checked their recall notice and it seems it was not in anything but one run of food, most of which didn't reach the market, but it was in kitten food. Dear me. Kittens are probably more vulnerable that adults. Damn.

[kestrel91316]

20. But don't you know, that makes EVERYTHING THEY MAKE AND

HAVE EVER MADE suspect!!!!!!!!

Blue Buffalo is just another EVIL CORPORATION!!!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[StarryNite]

22. In light of what

we are learning I think a healthy amount of suspicion is prudent. Not only with the pet food corporations but with human food companies as well.

[truth2power]

12. And Nero fiddles...

Heckuva job, Chimp! :mad:

[WiseButAngrySara]

13. Here's another thread by rumpel on this, posted yesrday in GD ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x717264

[WiseButAngrySara]

15. KNR! ....n/t

[Merlot]

17. So they took the recalled food and sold it as feed????

Wow. Never miss a chance for a profit.

[B3Nut]

19. I understand the concept of salvage feed, but

NOT when it's contaminated with dangerous substances! Christ these people are as stupid as they are evil...dammit! We should make them eat all the tainted pork. Don't let them eat a meal without it until ALL of it is gone, and if they get sick and/or die from it, tough shit.

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[kestrel91316]

21. I have a sneaking suspicion that KNOWINGLY selling adulterated

and recalled foodstuffs as livestock feed is a criminal offense. If not, it sure as hell should be.

[wildflowergardener]

24. website

Now I suppose it they could be lying but, this is from their website:

Regarding the American Hog Farm Melamine Contamination Issue

The salvage product provided to American Hog Farm in Ceres, Calif., by Diamond Pet Foods, was sold prior to Diamond Pet Foods being notified of the contamination in rice protein concentrate.
It is a common regulated practice for animal food facilities to provide salvage product to farms with non-ruminant animals. This regulated practice is mindful of the environment as it does not waste energy (food) and saves valuable landfill space.
We have been working closely with regulatory officials, and will continue to do so until this issue is resolved.

[kestrel91316]

31. "Salvage" is one thing. "Adulterated" is another thing entirely.

BECAUSE of this exact risk.

[durtee librul]

33. The spokesman from the American Hog Farm also added he will not

testify under oath, will only do so in private, and will promptly forget whatever it was that was said or sold or whatever.

[kineneb]

18. more from SacBee article, on rice protein

(boldface added for emphasis)
-snip-
"This week's recalls are the latest in a long string of actions that have pet owners upset and confused. The recalls began a month ago, after dogs and cats started dying and investigators linked their deaths to contaminated pet foods.


The FDA believes it is possible the melamine was added to imported ingredients from China used in pet foods to boost protein content and draw higher prices. Wheat gluten and rice protein concentrates have been implicated in pet deaths in the United States, and corn gluten in South Africa."

-snip-

"Rice protein is an insoluble, talcum powderlike substance that is refined from a rice byproduct. California Natural Products, in Lathrop, is the only U.S. producer, according to John Ashby, the company's general manager for ingredients.


Rice protein is not just a pet food additive. It is used in many grocery food items marketed as "wheat-free" or "gluten-free," Ashby said, and demand from U.S. companies exceeds his firm's ability to produce it. As a result, Ashby said many firms "without question" import rice protein from China. His company once considered importing rice protein but felt it could not count on the China-sourced product to be reliably pure."

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/158956.html
(registration required)

[KoKo]

25. Rice protein used in many Grocery Items marked "wheat Free or gluten free?"

So...if you are trying to avoid the wheat gluten by guying "gluten free" you might just end up with another tainted product. We may have already eaten it.......

[lovuian]

27. At this point but it doesn't mean tommorrow its a risk

Officials said they view the risk to people as "minimal" at this point.

:argh:

[Shallah Kali]

30. AP | Suspect Wheat Gluten Sold to Rendering Plant

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070421/us_nm/petfood_hogs_dc_3

Sundlof said the FDA believes it has accounted for all of the imported wheat gluten that may contain melamine. Some of it went to a rendering plant. "We have inspectors at the rendering plant," he said, to see what happened to the gluten.

rendering plants cook down everything from road kill and euthanized pets to supermarket waste and is often resold to pet food makers.

Sunday, January 6, 2002 in the Los Angeles Times
Outcry Over Pets in Pet Food
The practice of boiling down euthanized dogs and cats for industrial fat and protein causes an uproar in St. Louis

[Shallah Kali]

34. SacBee Pet food concern rising FDA cites 14 deaths toll's likely higher

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/141391.html

The dearth of information has frightened and frustrated pet owners and spurred a Sacramento pet expert to launch an Internet-based effort to track what's happening.

"There's a lot of panic and fear out there. ... I was in tears last night reading my e-mail," said Gina Spadafori, who teamed with veterinarian Marty Becker of the television news show "Good Morning America" to create a reporting system on a Web site they share.

"We kept hearing 10 dead pets, 10 dead pets (from the FDA), yet we were hearing anecdotal evidence over the weekend of dozens and dozens of pets," said Spadafori, a syndicated columnist and author of several pet books, including two with Becker.

Between Sunday and Tuesday morning, the team had gathered accounts from about 400 people around the country, including 130 who said their pets had died.