12/16/2008

By Niki Laviolette
for the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — It’s been almost a year since the nationwide pet food recall, which affected millions of people and their pets. On Feb. 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations declared a federal grand jury indictment against a U.S. company, its president and CEO, two Chinese nationals, and their businesses. The indictment is a result of their involvement in the importation of products into the United States that was alleged to be wheat gluten contaminated with melamine that was used in the production of pet food.

Charged in a 26-count indictment in Kansas City, Mo., by a federal grand jury were Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., LTD, a Chinese business that processes and exports plant proteins to the U.S., Mao Linzhun, a Chinese national who owns and manages Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co. LTD, a Chinese export broker who exports products from China to the United States, and Chen Zhen Hao, SSC president. A Las Vegas corporation that buys food and food components from China to sell to U.S. companies in the food industry, ChemNutra Inc. also was indicted. ChemNutra owners Sally Qing Miller and her husband, Stephen Miller, were charged in a separate but linked 27-count indictment. A Chinese national, Sally Qing Miller is the president of ChemNutra and Stephen Miller is owner and CEO of ChemNutra.

The indictments charge the defendants with distributing adulterated food containing melamine (a substance which could render food a health risk) into interstate commerce and introduction of a misbranded food into interstate commerce, as well as other charges. The indictments allege that more than 800 tons of contaminated wheat gluten was imported into the U.S. between Nov. 6, 2006 and Feb. 21, 2007. ChemNutra had contracted with SSC to buy food grade wheat gluten and then entered into a separate contract with XAC to supply the wheat gluten. The products are alleged to be misbranded because the labels represented incorrectly that the wheat gluten had a minimum 75 percent level of protein.

Melamine is not approved to be used in animal or human food in the United States. Wheat gluten is a natural protein derivative of wheat or wheat flour, which is removed in order to produce a powder with high protein content. Manufacturers of pet food frequently use wheat gluten as a thickener or binding agent in the production of specific types of pet food. In some instances, melamine mixed with wheat gluten can make products appear to have a higher protein level than is actually present.

http://www.tribstar.com/valley_life/local_story_047210518.html

Speaking of recalls! Is this new or an offshoot of the same thing?
I receintly got this in an e-mail.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/#Dog

The site says it's an update as of Jan 2008. I can't believe this is still going on!!

And the scary thing is, how can it be an effective recall if no one knows about it? Other than this website, what have these companies done to let people know there is a problem with thier products? Has anyone heard anything anywhere else? I'm flabbergasted....

And I'm wondereing why for the most part it doesn't tell you what the actual problem is with the food. On some it says salmonella, othere rice gluten, but nothing more specific that I can see.

I wonder how many dogs and cats ate these recalled foods for dinner tonight....Scary......

I was a little horrified after this that some of this recalled dog food was fed to pigs and reprocessed into fish food. Ug... makes me ill just thinking about it.

Thanks Bob for the updated list. Are you on a mailing list to get these updates?

Sandy

 Quote: Shody Lytle

And the scary thing is, how can it be an effective recall if no one knows about it? Other than this website, what have these companies done to let people know there is a problem with thier products? .....I wonder how many dogs and cats ate these recalled foods for dinner tonight....Scary......

Recalled food is not supposed to be on the shelves for purchase. Stores get these lists and it's up to the store to remove them from their shelves (they have to). The updates are good in case someone bought a food when it wasn't on the recall list or brought back on the market, then recalled again. These foods may be in people's homes.

Question

The pet store I go to has something on the list.
He is a small store and I bye natures variety kibble from him when I need it
He is very good and honest.
Should he take this off the shelf
He has nutro all of them
And what can he do from there
I do work for him from time to time.
Just so I can help him out he will take it off once I show him this
What should he do to customers that bought it already.

 Quote: Sandy Moore

The site says it's an update as of Jan 2008. I can't believe this is still going on!!

I can ... You can't put anything past corporate greed. You just have to be question them all and make your own mind up about the product that they try to sell us.

 Quote: Sandra Vernlund

Thanks Bob for the updated list. Are you on a mailing list to get these updates?

Sandy

No list that I know of. It was an e-mail sent by a club member.