Pet Food Recall Extended to Human Foods

The distinction between the pet foods and human foods being recalled is starting to blur. News of contaminated pork reaching human dinner tables was released last week from a hog farm in California. The hogs were fed food salvaged from pet food manufacturers before the recall. Now the FDA has issued warnings for pork in 6 states as well as chicken meat. This article is a collection of the leading headlines regarding the contaminated wheat, corn and rice recalls -- for both pet and human food.

Current recall list from the AVMA:
Pet food recall list

Recent Blog Posts

• Pet Food Recall - Intentional Contamination?
  
  Comments from viewers:
  • I believe the gluten was contaminated for profit. The Chinese government's current refusal for FDA inspections proclaims their guilt. Also, I am deeply concerned that the companies we trust with our pet's nutrition have not been more diligent in testing ingredients used in their products.
    Comment by Shannyn -- April 21, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
    
    
  • I believe that this pet tainting was purposely done by China.
    Perhaps it is also a sign of how easy it would be to tamper with our imported foods??? Just a thought!
    Comment by Marie -- April 22, 2007 @ 1:34 am
    
    Poll: Intentional Contamination?
  
  
  
• Pet Food Recall - FDA has Opened a Criminal Investigation
• Royal Canin Initiates Voluntary Pet Food Recall
• Natural Balance® Pet Food Update

Polls on the Veterinary Medicine site

• Pet Food Recall - Intentional Contamination?
• Have you changed your pet's food since news of the pet food recall?
  

From the About.com Cats Guide

• Cat Food Recall FAQs
• Pet Food Recall Index

Current News Stories

• Pet food recall could be just the beginning
  Associated Press
  This is the best/scariest article I have read about the recall and imported food in general. Ingredients and "parts" of processed foods are slipping by all sorts of safety regulations in the US and likely many countries. This is definitely a time to buy local from known and trusted sources.
  
  
• China to allow US pet food inquiry
  Boston Globe
  Representatives of the US Food and Drug Administration had originally been blocked from entering China.
  
  
• The pet food investigation turns to human food
  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  Hogs in 6 states ate contaminated food salvaged from pet food manufacturers before the recall.
  
  
• Pet food recall expands to company using 'human-grade' ingredients
  The Oregonian
  Recall of Spa Select Kitten by Blue Buffalo Co.
  
  
• Pet food scare prompts FDA to check imported human food
  CNN
  "Wheat gluten, corn gluten, cornmeal, rice bran and rice protein are among the imported products being tested in both the animal and human food supply." "Little research has been done to show that melaminecauses kidney failure, but its association with the recent pet deaths is undeniable, the FDA said."
  
  
• US examines if pet food contaminant in human food
  Reuters
  The FDA plans to inspect everything from "bread to baby formula" for traces of melamine. "The FDA named the six grain products to be inspected as wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein."
  
  
• US senators raise new concerns in pet food scare
  Reuters
  Two senators are requesting that the FDA reveal the identity of suppliers known to have received tainted rice protein content.
  
  
• Tainted Pet Food Found in Hogs in Several States
  Forbes.com - HealthDay News
  "...in addition to melamine, the FDA has now found cyanuric acid in the rice protein concentrate used for the pet food. Like melamine, cyanuric acidis a chemical that can be used to boost the apparent protein content of foods but is normally used as a stabilizer in outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs."
  
  
• Hogs quarantined after eating tainted pet food
  MSNBC
  Food salvagedfrom the pet food manufacturing process was fed to hogs destined to be human food.
  
  
• Humans at risk from tainted pet food?
  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
  "The contaminated feed was bought April 3 and 13 as salvage pet food from Diamond Pet Foods Inc., which received contaminated rice protein concentrate used in some recalled Natural Balance pet food, Lungren said. Diamond Pet Foods made the dog and cat foods recalled this weekby Natural Balanceafter melamine was found in an ingredient, rice protein concentrate." (emphasis mine)