Pet Connection Live Blogging the FDA's Spin, er, Press Conference

[mhatrw]

Why does this remind me of the EPA at Ground Zero and FEMA in New Orleans?

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/05/03/pet-food-recall-liveblogging-53-fda-press-conference/

Meanwhile, back in the reality: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_505650.html

Between 2.5 million and 3 million Indiana-raised chickens that ate contaminated feed were slaughtered in March and are in the human food supply, U.S. Department of Agriculture and FDA officials announced yesterday. The processed meat will not be recalled, but 100,000 other birds that ate contaminated feed will not get into the food chain, they said. About 6,000 pigs in six states ate contaminated feed, but only several hundred are believed to have been sold to consumers. The surviving pigs will be put down, but the sold pork will not be recalled, federal officials said. ...

Four chemicals -- melamine, a chemical used in plastics; cyanuric acid, a chemical commonly used in pool chlorination; and their by-products, ammelide and ammeline -- have been found in wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and in the urine, kidneys and tissues of infected cats and dogs, Rumbeiha said. ... Few health studies have been gauging the effects of ingesting the four contaminants, and no studies have looked at the impact of consuming them in combination, he said. "We all believe that individually these compounds that are named alone are not that dangerous, but together they are more toxic," Rumbeiha said. ...

Rumbeiha, Dr. Bruce Dixon, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, and other doctors and veterinarians said that while people and many pets are unlikely to become seriously ill immediately after consuming tainted foods, they may be suffering kidney damage that won't be evident for years.

Humans can function normally until nearly 90 percent of their kidneys shut down, and sometimes do not realize they have a problem until they need dialysis, said Dr. Stephen Sandroni, director of the division of nephrology and hypertension at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side. "It's not unlike secondhand smoke; it's not unlike asbestos; it's not like aspirin and phenacetin, which affected kidneys. It's a slowly damaging process," Dixon said. "I don't think anybody has the data yet to suggest it's not a significant risk. I think it is."

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. What are the concentrations?

[mhatrw]

4. What are the products? Which farms? Where did the poultry and pork end up?

Exactly which lot samples of what products tested positive for melamine? At what concentrations? Where did these lots end up? Did the most recent recall based on "cross contamination" have anything to do with the FDA's recent inspection of Menu Foods' facilities? Why can't we get any straight answers?

[AndyA]

2. Great! Thank you China.

Thank you for killing us and our pets.

Keep buying those foreign cars and shopping at Wal-Mart, America! They are finally killing us, and we're so complacent we didn't even know it until our pets got sick and died.

[DawnIsis]

3. Thanks for posting this although the FDA answered nothing

we need independent food testing for melamine. This is so crazy. The FDA has admitted there has never been a study done on humans so when they proclaim "no known risks to health" that's what they mean.

I said in an earlier post we, as consumers, have got to send a message with our wallets. Don't buy anything processed until real thorough testing is done. Gluten is in almost everything it is used not only to boost protein levels but to make things chewy or to thicken.

If you have a young child it is imperative they not eat anything but organic vegetables, milk, cheese, and free range meats. You should make everything you give a child from scratch bread, cereals, soups, treats. There is no telling what melamine will do to a small child.

The FDA is currently investigating baby food and formula so parents aware.

[magellan]

5. I emailed the USDA about this and got no answer - WE SHOULD ALL CALL& EMAIL

I tried calling but never got past voicemail. That they're withholding the names of the companies involved and have no scientific data on what effects this may have on humans (small children in particular) is REPREHENSIBLE. People might have that chicken in their freezer. Or they may have already eaten it and really ought to see a doctor to have themselves checked over. How is anyone to know if the USDA doesn't tell us?

Anyway (rant off), here's the contact info for the Meat and Poultry Hotline:

Diane Van                       301-344-4777           Rm 2-L290, 5601 Sunnyside Ave.,
[e-mail]     FAX [phone]  	       Beltsville, MD 20705

The general contact information page is here: http://www.usda.gov/news/pubs/htgi/FoodSafetyandInspectionService.html