Veterans Guide

Human Food Recalls

Tomatoes Off Menus
June 10, 2008 · McDonald's "Big N' Tasty" sandwich is a little smaller Tuesday, and the Chicken Ranch BLT has temporarily lost its "T." Tomatoes are under scrutiny as the possible culprit in a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 145 people in more than a dozen states. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to avoid Roma, plum and red round tomatoes. So far, investigators know that cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vines still attached have not been implicated by people who have gotten sick.

E. Coli Scare Causes Massive Product Recall
According to federal officials, a Chicago-based company has begun recalling its beef based products distributed in 11 states over serious concerns about a possible E. Coli contamination.

Singulair Suicide Link?
March 28, 2008 · The popular asthma drug Singulair is under investigation for its possible links to suicide.

How Much of Your Food is Being Nuked Before it Hits the Shelf?
India alone grows 1,000 varieties of mangoes in such delectable variations as the sweet, orange-skinned Alphonso, the Bombay Green and the Bangalora. Here in the U.S., we rarely see more than one lonely variety at the local supermarket, but that’s all about to change. Soon consumers will be able to sample the sweet and tart nectars of many more imported fruits and vegetables from Thailand, India and Mexico piled high in the produce section. But there’s a catch: this fruit will arrive irradiated. Shoppers may not be the wiser.

USDA Makes Nation's Largest Beef Recall
February 17, 2008 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday recalled 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is being investigated for mistreating cattle. Officials said it was the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. The federal agency said the recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which supplies meat to the federal school lunch program and to some major fast-food chains.

FDA Issues Botox Warning Complications and deaths
This could get ugly. The company that produces America's most popular quick-fix for facial wrinkles is now a target of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA announced late Friday it was conducting a safety review of Allergan Inc.'s Botox and a similar product, Myobloc, after receiving reports of deaths and breathing problems in some patients who were injected with Botox syringes.

FDA Warns of Botulism in Canned Green Beans
December 22—Before serving up that green bean casserole for Christmas dinner, better check this out: the U.S. Food and Drug is warning consumers about a potential botulism contamination of canned cut green beans manufactured by New Era Canning Company, New Era, Mich. The suspect product is labeled as "GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans." The botulism bacterium produces a toxin that can result in a life-threatening illness or death. To date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with this incident. The canned cut green beans were distributed to retailers, restaurants and foodservice institutions by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, Mich., with lot code 19H7FL and UPC code 93901 11873, in large institutional-sized, 6 pound 5 ounce (#10) cans.

Beef Sold At Sam's Club Being Recalled
Cargill Inc. is voluntarily recalling more than 840000 pounds of ground beef patties distributed at Sam's Club stores nationwide after four Minnesota children who ate the food developed E. coli illness.

414000 Pizza Cases With Possible E. Coli O157:H7
As there is a raised risk of E. coli O157:H7 contamination of 414000 cases of pizza products with pepperoni toppings, the makers, General Mills, has announced a voluntary recall of said pizzas.

Another Beef Recall
You might want to make that a veggie burger. There's been another big recall of ground beef -- this time by Cargill, one of the largest U.S. food producers. Like the 22 million pounds of ground beef recalled last month, the latest batch is suspected of E. coli contamination. The "American Chef's Selection Angus Beef" patties were sold at Sam's Club stores and elsewhere.

Virus Spreading Alarm and Pig Disease in China
Aug. 9 — A highly infectious swine virus is sweeping China’s pig population, driving up pork prices and creating fears of a global pandemic among domesticated pigs. So far, the mysterious virus — believed to cause an unusually deadly form of an infection known as blue-ear pig disease — has spread to 25 of this country’s 33 provinces and regions, prompting a pork shortage and the strongest inflation in China in a decade. More than that, China’s past lack of transparency — particularly over what became the SARS epidemic — has created global concern.

ALERT
Today's USDA Announcement: Foods Carrying the USDA '95% Organic' Seal Are Now Allowed to Contain Factory Farmed Intestines, PCBs, and Mercury
Despite receiving more than ten thousand comments from consumers and family farmers opposing various aspects of a late May 2007 proposal, the USDA has approved a rule that will allow 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. But the agency says this may just be interim approval, ,and has offered to extend the public comment period another 60 days (the original public comment period was only 7 days). "The ruling is yet another reason for organic-minded shoppers to carefully read ingredient labels, look for '100% Organic' labels, and buy from local family farmers via your area co-op, farmers market or CSA." Take action and send a letter to the USDA here.

USDA May Trash Standards for Organic Foods
With the “USDA organic” seal stamped on its label, Anheuser-Busch calls its Wild Hop Lager “the perfect organic experience.” “In today’s world of artificial flavors, preservatives and factory farming, knowing what goes into what you eat and drink can just about drive you crazy,” the Wild Hop website says. “That’s why we have decided to go back to basics and do things the way they were meant to be … naturally.” But many beer drinkers may not know that Anheuser-Busch has the organic blessing from federal regulators even though Wild Hop Lager uses hops grown with chemical fertilizers and sprayed with pesticides. A deadline of midnight Friday to come up with a new list of nonorganic ingredients allowed in USDA-certified organic products passed without action from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leaving uncertain whether some foods currently labeled “USDA organic” would continue to be produced. The agency is considering a list of 38 nonorganic ingredients that will be permitted in organic foods. Because of the broad uses of these ingredients - as colorings and flavorings, for example - almost any type of manufactured organic food could be affected, including cereal, sausage, bread and beer. Organic food advocates have fought to block approval of some or all of the proposed ingredients, saying consumers would be misled. “This proposal is blatant catering to powerful industry players who want the benefits of labeling their products ‘USDA organic’ without doing the work to source organic materials,” said Ronnie Cummins, executive director of the Organic Consumers Assn. of Finland, Minn., a nonprofit group that boasts 850,000 members.

Genetic Roulette Book
The biotech industry's claim that genetically modified (GM) foods are safe is shattered in this groundbreaking book authored by Jeffrey M. Smith. Nearly forty health risks of the foods that Americans eat every day are presented in easy-to-read two-page spreads. The left page is designed for the quick scanning reader; it includes bullets, illustrations and quotes. The right side offers fully referenced text, describing both research studies and theoretical risks. The second half of Genetic Roulette explores why children are most at risk, how to avoid GM foods, false claims by biotech advocates, how industry research is rigged to avoid finding problems, why GM crops are not needed to feed the world, the economic losses associated with these crops, and more.

Why American's Keep Getting Fatter
A long-running contradiction in U.S. farm policy is fattening the waistlines of Americans and the profits of agribusiness at the same time. For the 30 years that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been issuing dietary guidelines, there has been a stark inconsistency between the federal government's advice and its food funding. True, the USDA has been doing more, over time, to promote health through dietary guidelines, food pyramids and other nutrition programs. And yet more than $20 billion yearly -- more than one-fifth its budget -- is sunk into a farm bill that supports many of the foods its recommendations warn against. At the same time, the department virtually ignores incentives to produce, promote and consume some of the healthiest foods: fruits and vegetables. This contradiction may play a role in today's obesity epidemic and is in part driven by a counterintuitive farm policy, highlighted by the farm bill, which is up for renewal this year in Congress.

ALERT
Today's USDA Announcement: Foods Carrying the USDA '95% Organic' Seal Are Now Allowed to Contain Factory Farmed Intestines, PCBs, and Mercury
Despite receiving more than ten thousand comments from consumers and family farmers opposing various aspects of a late May 2007 proposal, the USDA has approved a rule that will allow 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. But the agency says this may just be interim approval, ,and has offered to extend the public comment period another 60 days (the original public comment period was only 7 days). "The ruling is yet another reason for organic-minded shoppers to carefully read ingredient labels, look for '100% Organic' labels, and buy from local family farmers via your area co-op, farmers market or CSA." Take action and send a letter to the USDA here.

ACTION:
Tell the House Agriculture Committee Not to Allow Language Preempting State's Rights in Farm Bill
Farm Bill that Would Deny State’s Rights to Protect Citizens from Risky Foods The U.S. House subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry passed new language added to the 2007 Farm Bill that would bar states or localities from prohibiting any food or agricultural product that the USDA has deregulated. The primary intent of this passage is to deny local or state rights to regulate genetically engineered crops or food. This would wipe out the restrictions passed by voters in four California counties and two cities, and could limit the powers of the California Rice Certification Act and its ability to prohibit the introduction of GE rice varieties, as well as threaten similar regulation on GE rice in Arkansas and Missouri. Local and state laws pertaining to GE crops have also been passed in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. All of these democratically enacted laws are threatened by this language. After recent problems with Melamine in pet and livestock feed, Listeria in chicken, and E. coli contamination in spinach and ground beef, we need more food safety protection not less. More than 40 environmental, animal welfare, consumer and food safety organizations sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee opposing this dangerous language.

Tainted Chinese Imports Common
Dead pets and melamine-tainted food notwithstanding, change will prove difficult, policy experts say, in large part because U.S. companies have become so dependent on the Chinese economy that tighter rules on imports stand to harm the U.S. economy, too. "So many U.S. companies are directly or indirectly involved in China now, the commercial interest of the United States these days has become to allow imports to come in as quickly and smoothly as possible," said Robert B. Cassidy, a former assistant U.S. trade representative for China and now director of international trade and services for Kelley Drye Collier Shannon, a Washington law firm. As a result, the United States finds itself "kowtowing to China," Cassidy said, even as that country keeps sending American consumers adulterated and mislabeled foods. It's not just about cheap imports, added Carol Tucker Foreman, a former assistant secretary of agriculture now at the Consumer Federation of America. “Under the Bush administration in particular… if a proposed regulation does get past agency or department heads, it hits the wall at the White House Office of Management and Budget.” The Bush Office Of Management and Budget has never seen a food safety regulation it liked, and indeed plans are in the works to allow chicken to be imported from China despite the obvious risks (Avian Flu etc.) to consumers.

China's toxic syrup a global killer
A SYRUPY poison, diethylene glycol, is an indispensable part of the modern world, an industrial solvent and prime ingredient in antifreeze. It is also a killer. And the deaths, if not intentional, are often no accident. The kidneys fail first. Then the central nervous system begins to misfire. Paralysis spreads, making breathing difficult, then often impossible without assistance. In the end, most victims die. Many of them are children, poisoned at the hands of their unsuspecting parents.

Mad cow disease, propaganda, and the politics of greed
I’m obsessed with mad cow disease. I became obsessed with it about 15 years ago when I was working on the bovine growth hormone issue and found out that if you inject cows with bovine growth hormone, there’s a good chance you will kill them unless you feed them supplemental fat and supplemental protein, because the hormone is causing them to shed their fat and protein into increased milk production. So guess where that supplemental fat and protein is coming from? It’s coming from slaughterhouse waste. This, in fact, is what has amplified and spread mad cow disease—a fatal, food-borne disease that causes dementia. The solution is this: You may not be a vegetarian, but any animals you eat have to be vegetarians, because as far as we know, mad cow disease is really only spread through the practice of feeding slaughterhouse waste as supplemental fat and protein back to livestock. Of course, we’ve heard over and over that we stopped doing that in the United States in 1997 with our firewall feed ban. It would be wonderful if that were true, but it’s not. The United States, right now, continues to legally feed billions of pounds of slaughterhouse waste to cattle in the United States. This waste includes cattle blood, cattle fat contaminated with protein, meat and bone meal, fat and blood from pigs, and something called poultry litter – two billion pounds a year of what’s bulldozed up from the pit of these giant poultry factories is fed to cattle in the United States. Lester Crawford, who recently resigned or was pushed out of FDA is on record as saying 30 percent of that two billion pounds of poultry litter, nice little euphemism there, that’s fed to cattle in the U.S. consists of meat and bone meal that’s been spilled or defecated. Suggested Read: The Omnivores Dilemma.

The situation is grim
Today the Washington Post reports that in four months, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board rejected nearly 300 shipments of foodstuffs from China to the States. The would-be importers did not always despair, though: some of the adulterated "foods" tried more than once to breach the American border, the Post reports. Dried apples that were preserved with a carcinogenic chemical, frozen fish featuring not only ice but banned antibiotics, and "mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides" were on the list of delicacies aimed for the American palate, courtesy of corporate China, says the Post. Salmonella in imported pepper corns has been found too, though to be fair, Canada also had that problem with spices imported from India. Nor is that all. Panama was horrified to discover that its people are brushing their teeth with deadly toothpaste, branded Mr. Cool and Excel.

Tainted oysters
Rhode Island State health officials pulled oysters contaminated with norovirus off the shelves of two fish markets this week, directing customers not to eat any purchased from Bridgeport Seafood in Tiverton, while working with wholesaler American Mussel in North Kingstown to notify its outlets following a random test of the product from Quicksand Pond in Little Compton. The Department of Environmental Management announced that effective at sunrise Saturday it had closed eight other ponds and marshes for shellfishing due to the contamination. Within a day or two of swallowing the contaminated food, the norovirus infection can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps, Department of Health officials said.

Chicken Sausage recalled
May 19, 2007 — About 35,600 pounds of raw chicken sausage products are being recalled by Kayem Foods Inc. of Chelsea, Mass., because they contain wheat, a potential allergen, without listing it as an ingredient.

Huge US Beef Recall Due To E. Coli Fears PDF
May 18th, 2007 in Health. 129,000 pounds of beef products recalled by Davis Creek Meats and Seafood due to E. Coli fearsDavis Creek Meats and Seafood, a Kalamazoo, Mich., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 129,000 pounds of beef products, due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced recently. The beef products were produced between March 1 and April 30, 2007, and were shipped to foodservice distribution centers and Marketplace stores in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered by Michigan Department of Community Health as part of an E. coli O157:H7 illness investigation. The recall includes boxes of mechanically tenderized steaks and ground beef of varying weights. Labels on the boxes bear the establishment number “Est. 1947A” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a date code (on the top right corner of the label) between “060” and “120.” Only products with those date codes are subject to recall. Each box also bears a net weight declaration and the message “Manufactured for Gordon Food Service” or “Distributed by Gordon Food Service.

Tracking the source of Kalamazoo meat recall
Davis Creek Meats and Seafood recalled the steaks and ground beef Friday after the Kalamazoo County Health Department made a startling discovery. The health department routinely gets reports from area hospitals when a patient comes down with a communicable disease. But two cases last month, within days of each other, raised serious concerns. Davis Creek Meats and Seafood buys processed meat and cuts it into steaks or patties. Gordon Food Service distributes the meat to its stores and restaurants across the country.

Three US firms recall beef
A Michigan firm is voluntarily recalling about 129,000 pounds of beef products due to possible contamination with E coli, according to a statement issued Friday by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The beef products produced between March 1 and April 30 by Davis Creek Meats and Seafood, based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, were shipped to foodservice distribution centers and Marketplace stores in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Food Additives Turn Out to be Worse Than Feared
Parents have been warned to avoid artificial additives used in drinks, sweets and processed foods amid a link to behaviour problems in children. A study funded by the government's Food Standards Agency(FSA) is understood to have drawn a link with temper tantrums and poor concentration. There are also concerns about allergic reactions such as asthma and rashes. The findings are potentially explosive for the entire food industry, which faces the need to reformulate a vast array of children's products.

The ready meal: uncovered
The scandal that saw nearly 500 products swept from supermarket shelves left many of us deeply confused about the quality of what we eat. The crisis over the banned dye exposed how fancy food packaging can disguise hidden dangers. We take a look at the ultimate modern food phenomenon: the ready meal.

Flavoring Suspected in Illness
Ortiz, 44, is among a group of food-flavoring workers recently diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and life-threatening form of fixed obstructive lung disease. Also known as popcorn workers lung, because it has turned up in workers at microwave-popcorn factories, the disease destroys the lungs. A transplant is the only cure. Since 2001, academic studies have shown links between the disease and a chemical used in artificial butter flavor called diacetyl. Flavoring manufacturers have paid out more than $100 million as a result of lawsuits. No federal laws regulate the chemical's use.

Farm-Raised Fish Given Tainted Food
The tainted Chinese ingredient that was incorporated into U.S. pet food and later made its way into chicken and pig feed was neither wheat gluten nor rice protein as advertised, but was seriously contaminated wheat flour, government investigators said yesterday. The finding adds a new layer of fraud to an already seamy tale of international deception. Some of the contaminated flour was mixed into fish food in Canada and exported to the United States, where it was fed to fish raised for human consumption.

China's toxic syrup a global killer
A SYRUPY poison, diethylene glycol, is an indispensable part of the modern world, an industrial solvent and prime ingredient in antifreeze. It is also a killer. And the deaths, if not intentional, are often no accident. The kidneys fail first. Then the central nervous system begins to misfire. Paralysis spreads, making breathing difficult, then often impossible without assistance. In the end, most victims die. Many of them are children, poisoned at the hands of their unsuspecting parents.

20 Million US Chickens Linked With Toxic Contaminant
20 million chickens currently on United States farms states may have been fed contaminated feed. The US Agriculture Department says it is still establishing how long contractors have been using the bad feed, contaminated with pet food that contained the industrial chemical melamine. Which states have chicken producers affected by the hold will be announced later, Williams said. State agriculture officials as well as chicken manufacturers were being contacted as the agencies determine the extent of the problem, he said, adding that many farms in several states probably were involved. ...STORY DEVELOPING

American food supply at risk
The pet food crisis is forcing Americans to face a stomach-wrenching fact: The human food supply is little or no better protected than food for our dogs and cats. That's true even of domestic products, as we learned from the spinach contamination in September, but even more so of imports from countries with lower food safety standards. Who should be worried? Only those planning to continue eating. The average American eats about 260 pounds of imported foods a year, according to reports. Fruits, vegetables, coffee, flours, processed food, oils and spices are all being imported at record rates. The least the FDA can do is insist that food suppliers inform American consumers when they are digesting products that contain ingredients from other nations.

Millions of People Have Eaten Contaminated Chicken ?
It's impossible not to be concerned about the exploding story of deadly pet food, and way more importantly, the now confirmed entry of the problem into our own food chain. CNN is reporting this evening that as many as 2.5 million people may have recently eaten chickens that were fed with contaminated feed. And the more I read about the melamine tainted wheat gluten issue, the more I'm realizing that the FDA is dealing with the potential enormity of this disaster about as effectively as FEMA dealt with Katrina. More than 5,300 food products have been recalled so far.

Dying Bees Threaten Food Supply
Your grocery bill could be getting larger, because honey bees are mysteriously dying off. The bees pollinate about one third of the foods we eat every day, such as apples, cherries, and broccoli. They also pollinate alfalfa sprouts for cattle. That means our supply of fruits, veggies and meat could go down, and prices could go up.

Possible fecal contamination leads to beef recall
A Greene beef processor is voluntarily recalling about 1,900 pounds of beef products Thursday after state inspectors found fecal matter on machinery used in the processing of the meat.

Chickens Fed Tainted Pet Food
The Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration said in a joint statement that officials learned of the link between the chicken feed and tainted pet food as part of the investigation into imported rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten that have been found to contain the industrial chemical melamine and related compounds. An estimated 30 broiler poultry farms and eight breeder poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it. Other farms will probably be identified as having received contaminated feed, they added. [Editor: Many more health risks to the human food chain continue to exist. We advise our readers to seek out local, organic farmers for all you dietary needs. Click here to search.]

Hogs that ate tainted feed in human food supply
Several hundred of the 6,000 hogs that might have eaten contaminated pet food are believed to have entered the food supply for humans, the government said Thursday. Salvaged pet food from companies known or suspected of using tainted ingredients was shipped to hog farms for use as feed. A poultry feed mill in Missouri, also received possibly contaminated pet food scraps left over from production. [Editor: Many more health risks to the human food chain continue to exist. We advise our readers to seek out local, organic farmers for all you dietary needs. Click here to search.]

Pet Food Recalls and The Bigger Food Safety Picture
Uncontrolled distribution of low-quality, imported food ingredients is a great threat to US public health. The US has very little direct, hands-on control over our pet food industry. Incidents like the recent events probably will continue to happen until the US effectively overhauls our food safety programs. FDA appears to be some 30 years behind as they use pre-global economy border food inspection strategies in our new global economy world of massive international food trade from many countries with food safety standards much lower than ours. Unscrupulous people know that adding the industrial chemical, melamine to food products and ingredients can make that food product and ingredient test as having a higher protein content. Billions of dollars' worth of foreign ingredients that Americans eat in everything from salad dressing to ice cream get a pass from overwhelmed FDA inspectors, despite a rising tide of these imports from countries with spotty food safety records.

Genetically Modified Alfalfa Tested in Court
A federal judge has halted the planting or sale of genetically engineered alfalfa. He's expected to hear arguments Friday about whether the ban should stay in place while the government carries out a lengthy environmental study. The debate will focus on the likelihood that bees will carry human-modified genes from one field of alfalfa to another.

Stupak-led panel shines spotlight on food safety
Families victimized by tainted spinach and peanut butter put a human face on recent high-profile outbreaks of foodborne illness Tuesday, urging lawmakers to strengthen federal oversight of the nation's food supply.

Michigan Bans Importation of Wisconsin Hogs
LANSING - Effective immediately, Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Mitch Irwin is banning the importation of Wisconsin hogs due to an outbreak of Pseudorabies Virus (PRV) in that state. Testing this week by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed PRV in a swine herd in Clark County, Wisconsin.

Michigan Food at Risk
A new study says there aren't enough inspectors checking the food that makes it to your dinner table. State officials admit more needs to be done to examine all the food that comes into Michigan. Foods from around the world are entering our homes without a passport or a second look. We're eating more imported foods than ever before and it's overwhelming the nation's food inspectors. [Editor: It is important to note that nearly all of the food problems are related to "Factory Farm" and agri-corporation food production. It is time to support your local organic farmer.]

Harris Teeter: ice cream recall
Harris Teeter grocery stores issued a recall Tuesday for an ice cream brand containing wheat flour, which some people may be allergic to. The item is Hunter Homemade Chocolate Satisfaction Ice Cream with the UPC number 7433660047. It does not say on the package that it contains wheat flour. Anyone who bought the product can return it for a full refund plus replacement with a similar item, according to a Harris Teeter news release. For more information, call ( 800) 432-6111.

Humans at Risk for Tainted Food
Federal officials confirmed Thursday they are investigating whether pork products intended for humans are contaminated with the same industrial chemical that prompted a massive pet food recall and sickened cats and dogs nationwide.

Recall on Ground Beef Health Risk High
107,943 pounds of frozen ground beef products are being recalled, because it may be contaminated with E. coli, from Richwood Meat Co, Inc., Merced, California.

Cadbury charged over salmonella recall
Cadbury charged over salmonella recallConfectionery maker Cadbury Schweppes faces legal action after a salmonella outbreak forced it to recall one million chocolate bars

N.C. hog farm quarantined
A farm in western North Carolina has been quarantined after a chemical blamed for more than a dozen pet deaths was found in its hogs, state officials said Wednesday. The farm received a shipment of contaminated feed last week, said Mary Ann McBride, assistant state veterinarian for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. State officials took urine samples from 13 hogs, and all tested positive for melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and foam, McBride said. The farm, which wasn't identified, has about 1,400 hogs. Officials were trying to determine whether livestock at factory farms in other states have consumed the contaminated feed.

Fish processor escapes closure, for now
A seafood processor has avoided closure followings its agreement with the national regulator to integrate required food safety procedures into its operations. The agreement demonstrates that processors must comply with hygiene regulations or risk closure. It also shows that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is prepared to work with companies to ensure they meet the required standards. Minneapolis-based Worldwide Fish & Seafood - trading as Coastal Seafood - was facing possible closure after the FDA filed a lawsuit at Minnesota's federal court in November 2006 against the company for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Do Hormones Given to Milk Cows Make Them Unsafe?
About a third of American dairy cows are injected with rBGH. rBGH is controversial, due to potential health hazards to both cows and humans. According to the Center for Food Safety (and supported by a 2003 study published in the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research), cows treated with rBGH suffer a 50 percent greater incidence of lameness (leg and hoof problems), 25 percent more udder infections (mastitis), and serious reproductive problems including infertility, cystic ovaries, fetal loss and birth defects. Such animal health issues can sometimes translate into human ones, as antibiotics used to fight infection can find their way into milk, affecting our disease-resistance. Also, animals given rBGH produce more insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Studies, says the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), have linked high levels of IGF-1 in humans who consume rBGH milk with breast, prostate, colon and other cancers. This suggests that our natural defenses against early cancerous cells may be blocked by IGF-1. Many nations have banned rBGH, including all 25 European Union nations, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. [Editor: American's remain laboratory rats for the corporations that profit from these mad scientific experiments.]

FDA was aware of dangers to food
The Food and Drug Administration has known for years about contamination problems at a Georgia peanut butter plant and on California spinach farms that led to disease outbreaks that killed three people, sickened hundreds, and forced one of the biggest product recalls in U.S. history, documents and interviews show. Overwhelmed by huge growth in the number of food processors and imports, however, the agency took only limited steps to address the problems and relied on producers to police themselves, according to agency documents. Congressional critics and consumer advocates said both episodes show that the agency is incapable of adequately protecting the safety of the food supply.

U.S. food safety strained by imports
The same food safety net that couldn't catch poisoned pet food ingredients from China has a much bigger hole. Billions of dollars' worth of foreign ingredients that Americans eat in everything from salad dressing to ice cream get virtually no attention from overwhelmed inspectors. That's what the Associated Press has discovered in reviewing federal trade and food data. Before contaminated shipments from China killed 16 cats and dogs and sickened thousands more, government food safety task forces worried about the potential human threat. That's because ingredients are hard to quarantine and can go virtually everywhere in a range of brand products. Because these oils, spices, flours, gums and the like haven't been blamed for killing humans, it's buyer beware. And as the pet deaths showed, that system is far from secure.

Settlements reached in spinach E. coli outbreak
The California farm that grew the spinach linked to last year’s national E. coli outbreak, and the two companies that processed and marketed it, have settled lawsuits with the families of three women who died, two of whom had not been included in the official death toll. The attorney for the three families said Mission Organics, Natural Selection Foods and the Dole Food Co. agreed late last month to confidential settlements in the deaths of Ruby Trautz, 81, of Bellevue, Neb.; Betty Howard, 83, of Richland, Wash.; and June Dunning, 86, of Hagerstown, Md.

E. Coli Scare Prompts Beef Recall
A Pennsylvania company is recalling 259,230 lbs of beef due to fears of E. coli contamination A Pennsylvania company is recalling 259,230 lbs of beef due to fears of E. coli contamination A Pennsylvania beef company is recalling more than 259,230 lbs of beef products over fears of possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department who have recently released a statement.

Scientists want to put hormones in baby food
Scientists are currently studying the prospect of adding leptin to baby and children's foods as part of the solution to obesity. Concerns have been raised over the repercussions of tampering with babies' brains - essentially programming them not to overeat.

Pet Food Recall Expands To Human Food
The broadening global pet food contamination scandal has spread to human food. Now it has done so and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opened a criminal investigation after reports that more than 100 hogs were given contaminated food and later wound up on dinner tables.

Pet Food Contaminant May Be In Human Food
A hazardous chemical blamed for killing thousands of pets across the U.S. may have found its way into the human food chain. The contaminated ingredient is a rice protein concentrate which came from several companies in China. It was supplied to the hog farm - and possibly to other livestock farms and ranches.

Botulism scare
Consumers are warned about two separate food contamination scares, one involving meat infected with botulism and the second being salmonella-contaminated lettuce. The government food watchdog issued the alert yesterday after batches of venison and lettuce failed to meet safety guidelines. The meat, which has now been withdrawn from sale, has the business approval code of AD002. The beef batch has a use-by date of May 9, 2007 while the venison batch has a use-by date of June 9, 2007.

Frozen Ground Beef Patties Recalled
After five children in Napa Country (USA) became infected with E. coli after eating hamburgers at Little League baseball snack shacks, authorities have recalled approximately 100,000 pounds of frozen ground beef patties in five states. The patties were produced in April-May 2006, by Merced-based Richwood Meat Co. Inc, and are to be found in California, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington

Criminal Probe Opened
The Food and Drug Administration has opened a criminal investigation in the widening pet food contamination scandal, officials said yesterday, as it was confirmed that tainted pork might have made its way onto human dinner plates in California. More than 100 hogs that ate contaminated food at a custom slaughterhouse in California's Central Valley were sold to private individuals and to an unnamed licensed facility in Northern California during the past 2 1/2 weeks. The hogs consumed feed that contained rice protein tainted with melamine, the industrial chemical that has sickened and killed dogs and cats around the world. Five companies received the contaminated Chinese rice protein concentrate. Three firms have identified themselves by announcing recalls; the other two are not publicly known because the FDA will not name them until the companies say they used contaminants in their products.

Aspartame a Popular Artifical Sweetener Confirmed to be Cancer Causing
Aspartame, the artificial sweetener made by Searle/Monsanto was found to cause cancer in laboratory animals already in the original studies that were submitted to the FDA when approval was asked to put it on the market. The justified doubts of the FDA's scientists were overridden when Donald Rumsfeld called in his political markers. Another study conducted in Spain by Trocho et al came to similar results, identifying a transformation of parts of the molecule into formaldehyde as a probable cause. Later, a study of the European Ramazzini Foundation confirmed the sweetener's carcinogenicity in laboratory rats and seriously questioned its safety. But industry, through the European Food Safety Authority, succeeded in diverting attention from the damaging findings, calling them an artifact of the study's design. Now, a new, long-term study on Aspartame has been completed giving lower dosages but confirming, once again, the carcinogenicity of the sweetener.

Genetically Modified Potato Controversy - A case with disturbing implications
Two years after the release of the first GM plant, the FLAVR - SAVR tomato in the USA in 1995, there was still not a single publication in peer-reviewed journals probing into the safety of GM foods. As this was of public and scientific concerns..the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD, as it was called then) called for research proposals to investigate the safety of GM foodcrops; their possible effects on the environment, soil, microorganisms, animals, and whether they presented any risks for human consumers. [Editor: the majority of food sold for human consumption in the United States is Genetically Modified, in spite of the fact most other countries around the world ban such foods due to their potential health risks. American corporations that profit from the production of these foods employ powerful lobbyists to suppress consumer protections.]

FDA Warns of Botulism Risk for Imported Olives
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting consumers to possible serious health risks from eating olives that may be contaminated with a deadly bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum can cause botulism, a potentially fatal illness. The olives are made by Charlie Brown di Rutigliano & Figli S.r.l, of Bari, Italy and are being recalled by the manufacturer. Repackagers who have sold the olives under different brand names or who have used them in manufacturing other foods must immediately alert the FDA. In addition, all restaurants, delicatessens, and other food-service providers should dispose of their opened containers and contact suppliers for instructions about how to handle unopened containers. The olives are sold under the following brands: Borrelli, Bonta di Puglia, Cento, Corrado's, Dal Raccolto, Flora, Roland and Vantia, and have codes that start with the letter "G" and are followed by 3 or 4 digits. All sizes of cans, glass jars and pouches of Cerignola, Nocerella and Castelvetrano type olives are affected.

Listerine Recalls Agent Cool Blue Mouthwash
McNeil-PPC’s recall of every bottle of its Listerine Agent Cool Blue could mean the end for what had been a very promising brand for the company. The recall, announced late last week, involves all of the approximately four million bottles of the children’s plaque-detecting rinse manufactured since its introduction last year. In a press release, the company said it was issuing the recall because “the preservative system is not adequate against certain microorganisms.”

Less Than 2 Percent Of Imported Food Inspected For Safety From Contamination
Only 1.3 percent of imported foods, including fish, vegetables, fruit, butter, milk, ice cream and other foods are inspected. Despite that, the list of food exports that turn out to be unfit for human consumption includes beans from Belgium, peppers from Peru, blackberries from Guatemala, baked goods from Canada, India and the Philippines, for example. And even before the case of contaminated wheat gluten from China for pet food got through, food inspectors at American ports rejected Chinese exports for humans that included peas full of pesticide, catfish full of drugs, filthy plums and crawfish contaminated with salmonella.

Food Contamination: A Time for Action
A new report published last week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals a 50 percent increase in E coli infections since 2004, and a monstrous 78 percent increase in Vibrio infections - caused by eating raw shellfish - over the past decade. The center estimates that 76 million Americans get sick and 5,000 die from foodborne hazards each year in the United States. That's 5,000 deaths too many, and it cries out for immediate attention form government and industry. Admittedly, it might be a little optimistic to call for the complete eradication of all contamination cases, but there is certainly room for much improvement. In the last six months, there have been huge outbreaks associated with spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and peanut butter, and consumer groups are not just ranting when they say that people's confidence in the safety of the food supply has been severely shaken. And the case of ConAgra's peanut butter salmonella contamination has also hit the firm hard. Although ConAgra doesn't reveal the full impact of the infection on its business, a rough guess points to significant losses. For the recall alone, the firm said it expected to fork out up to $60m. Add to that the complete halt of production of its Peter Pan peanut butter - produced exclusively at the affected plant in Sylvester, Georgia - for a good six months, and the numbers start climbing.

New Report on Food-Borne Illnesses
The CDC today released its preliminary 2006 food-borne illness data. A total of 17,252 confirmed cases of food-borne illness were reported in those states in 2006, according to the CDC.

Center for Disease Control releases report on food borne illnesses for 2006
Foodborne illnesses are a substantial health burden in the United States (1). The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) of CDC's Emerging Infections Program collects data from 10 U.S. states* regarding diseases caused by enteric pathogens transmitted commonly through food. FoodNet quantifies and monitors the incidence of these infections by conducting active, population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed illnesses (1). This report describes preliminary surveillance data for 2006 and compares them with baseline data from the period 1996--1998. Incidence of infections caused by Campylobacter, Listeria, Shigella, and Yersinia has declined since the baseline period. Incidence of infections caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157) and Salmonella, however, did not decrease significantly, and Vibrio infections have increased, indicating that further measures are needed to prevent foodborne illness and achieve national health objectives.

Fast food increasing health risks in teenagers
A new study has confirmed that the poor food intake pattern of teenagers is increasingly leaving them vulnerable to health risks like obesity, as well as psychosocial and other health-related problems such as diabetes.

China's Food Exports Spark Fears
The list of Chinese food exports rejected at American ports reads like a chef's nightmare: pesticide-laden pea pods, drug-laced catfish, filthy plums and crawfish contaminated with salmonella. Yet it took a much more obscure item, contaminated wheat gluten, to focus U.S. public attention on a very real and frightening fact: China's chronic food safety woes are now an international concern. "This really shows the risks of food purity problems combining with international trade," said Michiel Keyzer, director of the Center for World Food Studies at Amsterdam's Vrije Universiteit.

Lawsuits Filed After Peanut Butter Recall
Lawsuits have been filed after people fell ill from eating peanut butter contaminated with salmonella. Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter brands with product codes beginning with 2111 were recalled after officials discovered they were contaminated with salmonella. The outbreak made almost 300 people ill, although a firm in Seattle has reported that they have been contacted by almost 2,500 people regarding the lawsuit. Salmonella can cause nausea and diarrhea but usually clears up within a week. If you or a loved one have become sick after eating Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter, please contact a [Peanut Butter] lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no charge.

Recall shows peanut butter riskier than previously thought
This year's salmonella outbreak revealed peanut butter is riskier than health officials had thought. Now the Food and Drug Administration says it will increase the frequency of investigations at plants that make peanut butter and similar products. Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter (ConAgra Foods), is currently being recalled after health officials linked the product to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 400 people nationwide. Doctor David Acheson is the chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He says peanut butter will almost certainly move up the list of high-risk foods, and the agency bases its inspection schedule on the relative risk of foods.

Peanut Butter Warnings
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella. ConAgra Foods Inc. told consumers to discard jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter with the product code number beginning with "2111", after the spread was linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people nationwide.

Salmonella found in the ConAgra Plant affecting Peanut Butter
As a follow-up to the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting an extensive inspection of ConAgra's Sylvester, Georgia processing plant. Samples collected by the FDA revealed the presence of Salmonella. The fact that FDA found Salmonella in the plant environment further suggests that the contamination likely took place prior to the product reaching consumers. Last week, tests by several states identified Salmonella in many open jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recovered from consumers. In these instances, the Salmonella found in the plant and in the open jars matched the outbreak strain recovered from consumers who became ill.

Law firm files class-action suit in Peter Pan case
A Brentwood-based law firm has filed what the attorneys say is the nation’s first class-action lawsuit for people who got sick after eating Peter Pan peanut butter contaminated with salmonella bacteria. The suit, filed Feb. 16 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, claims “injury and damages from human ingestion of peanut butter,” according to a release issued by Craft & Sheppard PLC, which also has offices in Columbia and Murfreesboro. The suit claims ConAgra breached its responsibility to provide a product that “was fit and safe for human consumption,” the attorney said.

Allergy Alert Issued Due To Undeclared Sulfites In Healthy California Mix And Raisin Nut Mix
Energy Club Inc. is recalling their Healthy California Mix, packaged in 4 ounce and 7 ounce pillow bags with header labels, and Raisin Nut Mix, packaged in 3 ounce and 7.25 ounce pillow bags with header labels. The bags were sold primarily through various convenience stores nationwide, due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) if they ingest 10 milligrams or more of sulfites per serving.

Childrens cough medicine recalled
The following Mucinex children's cough medicines were removed because of a product overdose potential due to markings on the dosing cup: • Mucinex Children's Expectorant, 4 oz., 03-63824-17364. • Mucinex Children's Cough 4 oz. 03-63824-17464. This recall does not affect any other Mucinex products. Customers with questions should call the Adams Respiratory Therapeutics recall line at 800-287-1584.

Tainted wheat gluten found in U.S. food plants
The tainted wheat gluten that triggered a massive pet food recall also ended up in processing plants that prepare food consumed by people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. According to import records, the wheat gluten was shipped to the United States from China between Nov. 3 and Jan. 23 and contained "minimal labeling" to indicate whether it was intended for humans or animals. ...STORY DEVELOPING

Contaminated Gluten in Human Food?
According to David Goldstein of the Huffington Post, a Del Monte spokesperson wrote a reply to an e-mail query in which she says "Yes, it is food grade." David Goldstein has more: 'Wheat gluten is sold in both "food grade" and "feed grade" varieties. Either may be used in pet food, but only "food grade" gluten may be used in the manufacture of products meant for human consumption. Published reports have thus far focused on tainted pet food, but if the gluten in question entered the human food supply through a major food products supplier and processor, it could potentially contaminate thousands of products and hundreds of millions of units nationwide. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this "with 100 percent certainty."' Wheat gluten, a common food additive, is used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and even as a substitute for meat. It is a common additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours. ...STORY DEVELOPING

Toxic Substance Causing Pets to Die May Be Found In Human Food as Well
The FDA announced today that it has traced the contaminated wheat gluten to a single processor, Xuzhou Anying Biological Technology of Peixian, China, but has not released the name of the U.S. distributor who supplied the product. Public statements have indicated that the contaminated gluten was distributed by a single U.S. company, but since the FDA refuses to name the supplier. Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten was supplied as a "food grade" additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten could have entered the human food supply. [Editor: It is immoral and unethical to protect a large U.S. corporation at the expense of you and I. Also, there is no mention in most media of the fact that the U.S. has been unloading GMO (contaminated) gluten on the rest of the world for years now. If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention!]

Monsanto GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) corn causes liver, kidney problems
Environmental group Greenpeace launched a fresh attack on genetically modified maize developed by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, saying on Tuesday that rats fed on one version developed liver and kidney problems. Greenpeace said a study it had commissioned that was published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Technology showed rats fed for 90 days on Monsanto’s MON863 maize showed “signs of toxicity” in the liver and kidneys. “It is the first time that independent research, published in a peer-reviewed journal, has proved that a GMO authorized for human consumption presents signs of toxicity,” Arnaud Apoteker, a spokesman for Greenpeace France said in a statement.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) Issue in Recalled Pet (and Human) Food?
The tainted ingredient in the recalled pet food was reportedly wheat gluten. Using GM technology to enhance wheat gluten content has been a hot research area since at least the late '90s. The toxic contaminant(s) apparently include melanine, a trimer of cyanamide. The toxic tryptophan scandal of 15 years ago may have involved the unexpected dimerization of tryptophan under conditions of GMO-enhanced concentrations in modified bacteria.

What is Melamine
Melamine is a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure. Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters. Melamine can be easily molded while warm, but will set into a fixed form. This property makes it ideally suited to certain industrial applications. Melamine is manufactured by mixing urea with formaldehyde under heat and pressure. The substances begin to polymerize and are forced into a mold which will create the desired shape. Under pressure, melamine releases water, which could make the plastic unstable if it is not removed. The materials finish polymerizing and create a finished product, melamine. Melamine is known as a thermoset plastic, because the plastic is fixed after molding. If exposed to enough heat, melamine will melt. For this reason, melamine dishware should not be exposed to high temperatures like those in the oven and microwave. However, the plastic is able to withstand higher temperatures than other plastics. Because it is a thermoset plastic, melamine is difficult to recycle.

Spinach E. coli traced to Salinas area ranch
The contaminated spinach that sickened hundreds of people and led to an unprecedented nationwide recall last fall was traced to a 50-acre field at a cattle ranch east of Salinas, according to a report by state and federal investigators released today. The most likely source is water which runs through the ranch and carrys manure from cattle fed [genetically modified feed which may by law contain diseased animal waste]

Another Concept of Animals...

We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals.Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledgeand sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion.We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves.And therein we err, and greatly err.For the animal shall not be measured by man.In a world older and more complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings;they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.

From the Outermost House by Henry Beston.
Distributed by All Creatures Animal Caring Society,
2006. P.O. Box 3664 / San Rafael, CA 94912
415-456-1941

Pet Food Recalls

The FDA said it has already gotten more than 10,000 complaints of pet food sickening or even killing dogs and cats, and now it seems there is a chance the contamination may have affected more than just wet food.

Take Your Pet to the Veterinarian Immediately if it is Exhibiting Any of the Following Symptoms

• If it stops eating,
• If it appears weaker than normal,
• If it appears tired, lifeless or lethargic,
• If it has excessive thirst,
• If it urinates more than usual,
• If it experiences vomiting or diarrhea,
• If it appears to have abdominal pain.

Foods Toxic to Your Dog
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these foods are not safe for pets — CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE LIST (pdf)

Pet Owners Cheer Pet Food Indictments
February 8, 2008—Pet owners across the country applauded the indictmen of two Chinese companies -- and an American importer and its owners -- for their alleged roles in intentionally manufacturing and distributing melamine-tainted wheat gluten that was used to make dog and cat food.

Cause of Pet Death's Finally Solved
Veterinarians say the mystery behind the deaths of dogs and cats across the country that ate tainted pet food earlier this year has been solved. They blame the deaths on the combination of two chemicals: melamine and cyanuric acid. Melamine is used to make plastic. Cyanuric acid is used to chlorinate pools. Neither is approved for use in pet food. Those two chemicals -- which FDA officials discovered in the imported wheat gluten and rice protein concentrated use to make pet food -- can combine and form crystals in the animals’ bodies, the veterinarians say

Pain Killer in Pet Food
It’s happened again. New laboratory tests have detected the pain killer acetaminophen in yet another brand of pet food, adding to the growing number of cases in which toxicologists at private labs have detected the over-the-counter pain medicine in dog or cat food.

Pet Industry Agrees on Need for Toxicity Standards
An Illinois pet owner -- worried about the safety of the chew toys her Shelties played with -- recently hired a laboratory at the Illinois Department of Agriculture to test 24 Chinese-made dog toys for lead.

They are what they eat
I had been told that in the basement of the animal-science laboratory building at the University of Illinois, Dr. George Fahey kept a colony of strange-looking dogs. At Fahey’s orders, each of the dogs had undergone a surgical procedure to string a length of tubing from its intestinal tract to a clear plastic spout that stuck out its side. Fahey, a professor of animal and nutritional sciences, could open a spout by hand, fill a bag with whatever happened to ooze out and calculate how much the dog had digested before whatever it had not digested could move farther through its body. Despite the emphasis on health, food for animals has long been prone to potentially lethal adulteration. In the 1920s and ’30s, industrial processing generated a number of newfangled carbohydrate byproducts that entered the food stream, and a terrible ailment known as canine hysteria began to torment dogs. “The animal behaves in a thoroughly panic-stricken manner,” noted a report by Food and Drug Administration scientists in 1948, “throwing itself against the sides of the cage, clawing the air and howling piteously. If unconfined, it will run wildly about bumping into all objects in its path.” In acute cases the disease culminated in convulsions and death, and the culprit turned out to be a chemical wheat-bleaching agent used in processing flour. Of course, there would have been no panic-stricken dogs if there had been no processed flour in their food, and no processed flour in their food if there had been no processed flour in human food.

Why Is the Pet Food Industry Killing Our Pets?
The commercial pet foods industry rakes in billions of dollars annually. In exchange for our dollars, we trust the companies to provide our pets with quality nutrition. The recent pet food recall demonstrated that our trust has been misplaced. But while many were shocked by the tragic deaths of beloved pets, many more would be shocked to know that the pet food industry has a long history of mistreating our pets. I first began researching the industry in 1990, when my two dogs became ill after eating a well-known commercial food. The first thing that came to light was the fact that the pet food industry is virtually self-regulated. The only requirement that the industry must meet is to adhere to the Labeling Act, which states that food must contain the name and address of the producing company, whether the product is intended for dogs or cats, the weight of the food, and the guaranteed analysis. The source of the protein included in the analysis can be anything: condemned material from slaughterhouses, road-kill, zoo animals and even euthanized companion animals. Of course, the industry denies all this, especially the use of dead dogs and cats in pet foods. However, a senior official from a large rendering conglomerate in the United States wrote to me, "I know of no rendering company in the U.S. that will segregate companion animals from the rest of the raw material they process."

Food Pets Die For
Pets in pet food? No, you say? Be assured that this is happening. Rendered companion animals are just another source of protein used in both pet foods and livestock feeds. Rendering is a cheap, viable means of disposal. Pets are mixed with other material from slaughterhouse facilities that has been condemned for human consumption - rotten meat from supermarket shelves, restaurant grease and garbage, "4-D" (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) animals, roadkill and even zoo animals [Summer '96 EIJ]. In 1990, John Eckhouse, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote a two-part exposé on the rendering of companion animals in California. While the pet food companies vehemently denied that this was happening, a rendering plant employee told Eckhouse that "it was common practice for his company to process dead pets into products sold to pet food manufacturers." Eckhouse's informant, upset that some of the most disturbing information was left out of the Chronicle article, subsequently brought his story to Earth Island Journal. (After the Journal published this insider's extensive report ["The Dark Side of Recycling," Fall 1990], the author placed a frantic call to the Journal to say that he was "going underground" because he feared for his safety.)

Diamond Nutra Added to Recall List
The pet food recall drumbeat sounded again today, with Nutra Nuggets lamb and rice dry dog food being pulled from the shelves. Diamond Pet Foods said it was recalling its Nutra Nuggets 40-pound bags of Lamb Meal and Rice Formula out of fears that they might have been cross-contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical blamed for killing scores of pets nationwide. The company said its latest recall item was limited to bags with production codes of NLR0404A2SL, "Best Before" Oct. 9, 2008, and NLR0404B2SL, "Best Before" Oct. 9, 2008.

Chenango dry pet food recall is expanded
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the expansion of a voluntary dry pet food recall initiated by Chenango Valley Pet Foods. The recall includes Doctors Foster & Smith lamb and brown rice adult dog food, Shop Rite Redi-Mix dog food, Lick Your Chops kitten and cat food, Shep Chunk Style dog food, 8 in 1 Ferret Ultra-Blend Advanced Nutrition Diet, Bulk Lamb & Brown Rice Formula dog food, Health Diet cat food chicken & rice dinner and Evolve Kitten Formula.

Costco dog food added to pet food recall
Kirkland-based Costco has announced the recall of one of its pet foods after the manufacturer announced that it contained rice protein that may be contaminated. American Nutrition says the rice protein concentrate in Costco's "Kirkland Signature Lamb and Rice canned dog food" may contain melamine, an industrial chemical that was found in other recently recalled pet foods. The chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers may be harmful to animals if eaten.

Survey To Quantify Pet Deaths From Tainted Food
A Michigan State University veterinary professor is launching a survey to better estimate how many cats and dogs died after eating tainted food and what, specifically, killed them.

Three Nutro Wet Canned Cat Food Products Recalled
May 2, 2007 –Menu Foods has announced an expansion of the pet food recall to include certain products that do not contain ChemNutra wheat gluten, but that were manufactured at Menu Foods' facilities during the period in which ChemNutra wheat gluten was being used. Menu Foods has expressed concerns of possible cross-contamination of certain products that were processed during the same timeframe as contaminated products. Three Nutro wet canned cat foods are included in this expanded recall even though these products do not contain wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate. Nutro dry pet foods are not manufactured by Menu Foods and are not impacted by this recall.

Menu Foods Expands Recall List More Than 220 Products
Over and over and over again Menu Foods has expanded its recall of contaminated pet food. Two months ago, Menu Foods of Canada initiated what has become the largest pet food recall in history, recalling nearly 100 brands of wet canned and pouched cat and dog food after it received reports that pets were dying from kidney failure due to the contaminated food. Since that time, 16 other firms have recalled pet food products and Menu Foods has expanded its recalled product list several time. Although just previously on Wednesday, Menu Foods widened its recall saying it had received information containing cross contamination, on Thursday Menu Foods again widened its recall list to add at least 220 more products. Menu appears to be adding to its list of recalled products frequently and pet owners are urged to check the recall lists at www.avma.org and www.menufoods.com.

US pet food recall widens amid cross-contamination
A major pet food recall has expanded again as manufacturer Menu Foods revealed evidence of cross-contamination by some cat and dog food pulled since March. The pet foods recalled late on Wednesday were made at the same facility at the same time as other Menu Foods products that contained wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine, the company said in statement. Menu Foods, which initiated a recall of 60 million packages of pet food on March 16, said the additional products were not supposed to contain wheat gluten, but a customer report and study results indicated cross-contamination. Since then, Menu Foods has expanded its recall several times.

Wegmans wet cat food recalled
One variety of Wegmans wet cat food is affected by today's recall expansion. The expansion includes cuts and gravy pet food, as well as other products that were not made with the contaminated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc., but were manufactured during the period the chemical-laced gluten was used. The affected Wegmans product is the wet Beef and Gravy Cat Food, 3 oz., UPC # 7789076381