Poisoned Pet Food Crisis Expands To Human Food Scare

[mhatrw]

45 people in Illinois alone have been exposed as well as hundreds in California!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070428food-story,1,7734426.story

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. ...

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." ...

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. MacIntire said his office is investigating a shipment of rice protein concentrate imported to Illinois and potentially used in a human product.

For more on this see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=780555

and: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=767375&mesg_id=775902

[havocmom]

1. Storm Board Rooms and eat fat-cats who will cut corners for a penny more profit

:grr:

[AndyTiedye]

5. That Would Be Even More Unhealthy. Fat content is WAY too high.

[mhatrw]

11. Just like veal. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

2. But has there been any report of humans inexplicably developing

onset of kidney stones or kidney failure like in animals?

[Kagemusha]

3. Lack of evidence will not be treated as evidence of absence.

Different foot, same shoe.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. It gets even scarier. Only 1.3% of foods imported for human

consumption are inspected by the FDA.

April 17, 2007


Just 1.3% of imported fish, vegetables, fruit and other foods are inspected—yet those government inspections regularly reveal food unfit for human consumption.

Frozen catfish from China, beans from Belgium, jalapenos from Peru, blackberries from Guatemala, baked goods from Canada, India and the Philippines—the list of tainted food detained at the border by the Food and Drug Administration stretches on.

http://www.asq.org/qualitynews/qnt/execute/displaySetup?newsID=1369

Add to that the fact that we don't have regulations yet to allow us to know where imported food items originated and I would say that we have a bigger problem than most are aware of. Country of Origin Labelling has been delayed until 9/30/2008.


On May 13, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, more commonly known as the 2002 Farm Bill. One of its many initiatives requires country of origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts. On January 27, 2004, President Bush signed Public Law 108-199 which delays the implementation of mandatory COOL for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish until September 30, 2006. On November 10, 2005, President Bush signed Public Law 109-97, which delays the implementation for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised and shellfish until September 30, 2008. As described in the legislation, program implementation is the responsibility of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL/

[lyonn]

7. The repubs are determined to shrink our rights and protections

from corrupt corporations. They are doing better than anyone could imagine!

[StarryNite]

6. Swell

"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."

I don't even know what to say about all of this anymore.

[C_U_L8R]

8. I'm not eating gluten anything if I can help it

until either the FDA gets on the ball
or the food manufacturers step forward
and start investigating (and preventing)
this food poisoning fiasco. It makes no
sense to even chance eating food that
may not be safe.

[mhatrw]

10. Rice protein concentrate is also contaminated.

And they put this stuff in products even when it's not on the ingredient label:

http://www.itchmo.com/read/breaking-news-diamond-and-chicken-soup-for-the-pet-lovers-soul-recalled_20070426

[C_U_L8R]

12. That's it... I'm not eating

seriously though.. I've been sticking to a colorful fresh veggie diet
(oh i'm sure there's lots wrong with my veggies too)

[Javaman]

9. History book in 21550...

"with all the wars, peak oil and climate change to doom the human population, it turned out that bad pet food finally did them in"

[Lance_Boyle]

13. Consumption of melamine by humans is improbable?

Fucking dinner plates are made of the stuff, and have been for decades. Are they seriously trying to get away with a "nobody knew" when THE THINGS WE EAT FOOD OFF OF HAVE BEEN MADE WITH THE SUBSTANCE IN QUESTION FOR YEARS??? Jeebus. Guess I'll trade in my green melamine place settings for alternatives made from arsenic or something. No way in hell dinner plates made of arsenic could be dangerous. It's just "improbable."

[mhatrw]

14. Good point. n/t