Problem Pet Food Ingredient in US Feed (US Company Used)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

The same industrial chemical that led to a massive pet food recall was used in animal feed ingredients made by a U.S. company, health officials said Wednesday.

The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration was the first indication that a U.S. company had used melamine as an animal feed ingredient. Agency officials said that melamine and related compounds were used to bind feed for cattle, sheep and goats, or fish and shrimp.

Previously, the problem of melamine in animal feed was thought to be contained to China, where manufacturers had added it to wheat gluten.

Melamine is not approved as an additive for the feed. It has a number of industrial uses, including as a binding agent and flame retardant. It's also used as fertilizer in some parts of the world, but not in the U.S.

---

The FDA alerted feed manufacturers that ingredients containing melamine and related compounds were found in products made by Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, and used by Uniscope Inc. of Johnstown, Colo.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=3227704

---

The way I read this they were adding melamine in the U.S. and this one has nothing to do with China. How deep is this sucker going to go. And you have to wonder when we have kidney problems is there any relation?

[flamingyouth]

1. Well, isn't this a delightful turn of events?

:mad:

[NYC]

2. Makes you wonder why my 31 year old friend had his kidney removed.

He's wondering.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. It would appear that they are saying it was added in the US

In one paragraph they say, "The agency also advised manufacturers to recall feed made from AquaBond or AquaTech II. Official did not make the same recommendation for feed made from Xtra-Bond, based on the low levels of melamine and related compounds."

Doesn't this imply that they suspect, perhaps even know, that at a high enough level this will cause health problems?

[RamboLiberal]

7. Makes you wonder if the other pet food companies ordered

the same from China with a wink and a nod and the Chinese are being scapegoated?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. Yes, it does

And I would not be in the least surprised to find out that is the case.

[DBoon]

4. What Mad Cow was to Thatcher

this will be to Bush

The legacy of "feed the rich" politics in human suffering and death

[kestrel91316]

5. This really sums it up:

".......Melamine is not approved as an additive for the feed....."

I say jail time for the folks running the companies who thought they could get away with putting PLASTIC in animal feed to enhance profitability (because that's ALWAYS why things like this are done)!!!

Here's the guilty parties:
Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, OH
http://www.btlresins.com/
Uniscope Inc. of Johnstown, CO
http://www.uniscope-inc.com/

Tembec makes the "resins". Uniscope is the one who was providing additives for feed, so THEY are the ones who HAD TO HAVE KNOWN what was on the approved list of additives and what wasn't. There is nothing mysterious or nebulous or speculative. If something isn't aproved for use in animal feed, you DON'T PUT IT IN.

Contact info for Uniscope if you want to express your opinion of what they did:
http://www.uniscope-inc.com/contact.htm
http://www.wand.com/core/CompanyProfile.aspx?mfgcode=50039214 This one lists a Daniel Mommer as contact.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. They claim it was used as a binding agent

Even if that is true, there have to be other approved binding agents that would have done the job. It would seem they have no fear of punishment.

[kestrel91316]

11. Binding agent or other purported purpose notwithstanding, it

was ADDED to the feed, and it's not an approved ADDITIVE. Somebody needs to go to jail.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Oh, I agree with you

I just have a feeling they expect they're going to get off with no more than a slap on the hand, if that.

[leveymg]

6. From the same wonderful people who brought you this: Bush's FDA fights testing for mad cow disease

U.S. government fights to keep meatpackers from testing all slaughtered cattle for mad cow
The Associated Press
Published: May 29, 2007
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Mad-Cow.php


WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive tests on their larger herds as well.

The Agriculture Department regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry.

A federal judge ruled in March that such tests must be allowed. U.S. District Judge James Robertson noted that Creekstone sought to use the same test the government relies on and said the government didn't have the authority to restrict it. - A federal judge ruled in March that such tests must be allowed. The ruling was scheduled to take effect June 1, but the Agriculture Department said Tuesday it would appeal, effectively delaying the testing until the court challenge has played out.

[Kagemusha]

14. Totally predictable.

I wonder what happened to that talk by the agri sec that Japan would be allowed to inspect US meat processing facilities or something like that?

[cascadiance]

10. Hmm... Do you think they might use China's punishment for these crimes?...

http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/29/news/international/china_death_sentence.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

Naaah! We don't have enough power over the corporatocracy yet for that to happen! :)

[Eugene]

12. "...intentionally added melamine to improve the binding properties of ingredients..."

US says 2 companies recall tainted feed additives
30 May 2007 22:57:42 GMT
Source: Reuters

-snip-

Officials said Tembec confirmed it intentionally added
melamine to improve the binding properties of ingredients
used to make feed pellets. Melamine is not an approved
feed additive.

-snip-

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30448929.htm

Sure! If you believe that, I can sell you
the Brooklyn Bridge real cheap.

[kimpossible]

15. And the CPSC has been crippled by the Bush Crime Family

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently powerless because it doesn't have a quorum to act.

The CPSC needs at least three commissioners to perform regulatory activities and to levy fines. The commission has not had three commissioners since former chairman Hal Stratton, another Bush appointee, abruptly resigned July 15, 2006 to become a lobbyist.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Act, which created and governs the CPSC, the two remaining commissioners can continue their regulatory activities for six months after a vacancy has been created. After those six months, their powers are stripped until the President fills the vacancy and as of Jan. 15, 2007, that has been the case.

http://petfoodtracker.blogspot.com/2007/05/us-asks-china-to-monitor-exports-cpsc.html

[Scott Neelan]

16. Nothing Surprises Me Anymore

Intentional poisonings. Crippled federal protections. Corporate cover-ups. What else is new?

The only thing any of these greedy, disgusting SOBs will end up being sorry for is getting caught. They don't care about the consequences, the long-trem effects, or anything other than the quick, easy benefits for themselves. It's the American Way, after all. :sarcasm:

When will the government actually start serving and protecting the people? Y'know, like it's supposed to? Is edible, safe food for myself and my pets really too much to ask for?