Timeline of the 2007 pet food recalls
Encyclopedia
This Timeline of the 2007 Pet Food Recalls documents how events related to the 2007 pet food recalls
unfolded. Several contaminated Chinese vegetable proteins were used by pet food makers in North America, Europe and South Africa, leading to renal failure
in animals fed the contaminated food. Both the centralization of the pet food industry and the speed and manner of the industry and government response became the subjects of critical discussion.
in bags from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company in China
is imported to the United States
by Las Vegas
-based ChemNutra, Inc.
from a Chinese textile company.
-based company Menu Foods
begins to use the tainted wheat gluten at its plants in the U.S. state
s of Kansas
and New Jersey
.
.
and a New York state-based testing facility receive samples from Menu Foods for testing.
and private-label brands sold at nationwide chains such as Wal-Mart
, Kroger
, and other large retailers. While the recalled products represent just 1% of pet foods available in the U.S., the recall is one of the largest in American history.
used to thicken and enrich the gravy in the canned and pouched wet food products, and that the medical problems exhibited in test subjects include renal failure
. At the time it is unknown why the renal failure occurs.
, little information is published regarding the situation in that country.
Some independent sources, such as petconnection.com, begin collecting several hundred reports of animal deaths per day.
was found in samples sent to them by Cornell. Aminopterin is widely described in news reports as a "rat poison
" though that assertion may be based upon a hypothetical use listed in the 1951 patent application and not upon the actual use of the chemical.
, as before, in order to ensure pet stores removed any chance of contaminated batches reaching consumers.
first reports that symptoms described in affected animals are not "fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison containing aminopterin."
, an industrial chemical, in wheat gluten imported from China. The FDA prohibits the import of wheat gluten from a specific Chinese company, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company (徐州安营生物技术开发有限公司),website, and says that the contamination may be in dry pet foods as well.
Late that Friday, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Del Monte, and Nestlé
Purina recall several brands of wet and dry pet foods.
The Chinese government refuses FDA requests to inspect facilities suspected of producing contaminated prodcuts.
categorically denies any connection to the North American food poisonings to the New York Times, claiming they had no record of exporting any agricultural products that could have tainted the recalled pet foods, including the wheat gluten that has been the focus of the investigation. The general manager of the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company also denied that they had exported any wheat gluten to North America
.
that they will investigate the source of the wheat gluten. The Xinhua News Agency
states that "sampling and examination" of wheat gluten was underway across China, centering on the presence of melamine.
animal health laboratory confirmed that a "popular brand of pet food" submitted for testing by area veterinarians was contaminated with melamine, even though it is not on the list of recalled cat and dog foods.
, Ontario
. Menu Foods officials had believed that the plant did not have the same problems as their New Jersey and Kansas plants, but tests revealed that contaminated wheat gluten had made it into Canada.
By April 10 Menu Foods had only confirmed 16 deaths outside of its test subjects, comprising 15 cats and one dog. This number is frequently cited in news reports as there is no equivalent of the Centers for Disease Control to verify the cause of other reported pet deaths.
The same day, a distributor of agricultural and industrial products, Wilbur-Ellis, discovers a single pink, one-ton bag labeled "melamine" among 145 other white bags of imported rice protein concentrate from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology in China. Wilbur-Ellis immediately quarantines the shipment.
By April 11 there are more than 130 brands of dog and cat foods from five companies recalled. Most of the foods are wet, though there are some dry foods and dog biscuits as part of the recall as a precautionary measure even though no cases of poisoning from dry foods have yet been reported.
Also on the 12th, Menu Foods admits that a "clerical error" allowed more tainted product to be released to the public after the recall had begun.
dog food was recalled in South Africa
on April 12 after 19 dogs were confirmed to be suffering "acute renal failure" related to eating recalled dog food. That week Hill's Pet Nutrition also recalled a batch of food for diabetic cats in South Africa.
, a chemical used in chlorinated pools. All three chemicals are derivatives of melamine.
The same day, Royal Canin
issues recalls of eight varieties of their pet foods.
Also on April 19, U.S. federal officials said that they were investigating reports that Binzhou Futian rice protein had been used in hog feed, but declined to specify where. The California Department of Food and Agriculture placed American Hog Farm in Ceres
, California
, under quarantine, after melamine was found in the urine of the hogs on the farm. California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer said "All animals appear healthy," and that "It is unknown if the chemical will be detected in meat." American Hog Farm primarily supplies whole hogs to individuals. Anyone who has purchased a pig from American Hog Farm since April 3 is advised not to eat it.
n pet food industry announced that they would no longer import gluten products from China after the presence of melamine was confirmed in Chinese corn gluten. At least 30 dogs have died of renal failure related to contaminated food in South Africa.
At least one plaintiff in a lawsuit against Menu Foods first receives a call from someone on behalf of Menu Foods who would not initially identify herself. She would not provide a last name, a return telephone number or information on how she got the plaintiff's number. Eventually the caller acknowledged she was from Menu Food's insurance adjustor, Crawford & Company
. This call is followed a few days later by a second caller who, when told it was illegal for the plaintiffs to be contacted directly by representatives of the defendant, allegedly responded "So you don't want a settlement package?"
On that same day, Chinese authorities shut down Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., and detained the manager, Tian Feng. Feng denies responsibility, saying that he "didn't do anything wrong," and denying that he even knows what melamine is.
Also on Monday, April 26, seven recalls are either expanded or issued for the first time.
The final Wilbur-Ellis-related recall is issued by Chenango Valley Pet Foods, nine days after Wilbur-Ellis had announced its rice protein was contaminated with melamine.
That day Diamond Pet Foods also issues an expanded recall and Costco
's Kirkland Signature brand issues a new recall.
Blue Buffalo also expands its recall, Harmony Farms announces a recall, and American Nutrition, Inc. (ANI) issues a voluntary recall of 28 different pet food products that they manufacture which are sold under other labels. ANI states that pet foods that they manufacture under their own label are not affected by the current recall.
Finally, China's Foreign Ministry says that it has banned the use of melamine in food products, admitting that products containing melamine had cleared customs while continuing to dispute the role of melamine in causing pet deaths. China also vowed to cooperate with U.S. investigators to find the "real cause" of pet deaths.
The April 26 and April 27 recalls by Blue Buffalo, Canine Caviar, Diamond, Harmony Farms, and Natural Balance are claimed by all five brands to be due to unauthorized inclusion of rice protein by American Nutrition, Inc. (ANI), their manufacturer. This adds a new potential source of contamination and distrust, namely non-compliant contract manufacturers, beyond the original problematic Chinese ingredient suppliers. Diamond and Natural Balance refer to this as a "manufacturing deviation" by ANI. Blue Buffalo and Harmony Farms characterize this as "product tampering" by ANI. Blue Buffalo has announced plans to change manufacturers while Canine Caviar and Natural Balance both announced that they will avoid future problems due to incorrect manufacturing by demanding more paperwork from their manufacturers. ANI has issued a press release denying any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct.
The FDA announces that of 750 samples of wheat gluten and products containing wheat gluten that 330 had tested positive for melamine contamination. Out of 85 samples of rice protein concentrate and products made with it, 27 were contaminated.
reports that, according to California state officials, approximately 45 state residents consumed pork from hogs that had been fed melamine-contaminated feed.
(USDA) issue a joint press release stating that contaminated feed was used at approximately 38 chicken farms in Indiana in early February and that and all fed broiler chickens have been processed. They state that the likelihood of human illness is very low.
The same day, SmartPak Canine executed a voluntary nationwide recall on two products that tested positive for melamine.
Dr. David Acheson, assistant FDA commissioner for food protection, states that the FDA has begun to investigate domestic food manufacturers who use protein products to ensure that no contaminated product is being used in foods intended for human use, noting that it has no evidence of this occurring, "but it's prudent to look."
United States food safety officials issue joint risk assessment of very low risk to humans from eating pork or poultry from animals known to have consumed feed tainted with contaminated pet food scraps based on criteria predating current research on toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid in combination."
in China is reported.
It is also announced that melamine discovered in fish feed at hatcheriers that raise fish for human consumption.
.
food.
– the unprecedented die-off of a quarter of the honeybees in the United States during 2006 that endangers the human food supply. Commercial bee feeds are protein-based, containing soy and yeast ingredients; however, no link has been found so far.
In U.S. District Court, Judge Noel Hillman cautions Menu Foods and their insurance adjustor, Crawford & Co., to avoid contacting pet owners who had joined any of the lawsuits against Menu Foods because, legally, Menu can only contact plaintiffs through their lawyers.
have started screening for melamine.
, California
, they are found to have all eaten Nutra Nuggets brand food – a food not on the recall list. Melamine contamination is confirmed after a sample was sent to a laboratory at University of California at Davis.
(DHHS) officials announce that melamine was detected in catfish imported to Arkansas from Asia for human food. The fish were being investigated for antibiotics, which were not found. The DHHS stated that the levels detected did not pose a human health hazard.
U.S. District Court Judge Noel Hillman orders Menu Foods to have no contact with plaintiffs unless their attorneys are involved in the discussion after lawyers from six firms representing pet owners claim that the company was directly contacting their clients. Hillman states that "It seems to me that Menu Food is out to do whatever Menu Foods wants to do in a way that could adversely impact the rights" of the plaintiffs.
, the head of the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration from its founding in 1998 until 2005 receives the death sentence for corruption. Zheng was convicted of taking bribes worth $844,000 – significantly less than the bribes taken by officials given lesser penalties in China. Dozens of Chinese died due to the approval of untested medicines and falsely-labeled food during Zheng's tenure.
China also announces the creation of its first recall system for unsafe food products.
, Ohio
, manufactures feed ingredients AquaBond and Aqua-Tec II, adding melamine to improve the binding properties of pelleted food.
feeds products that contain AquaBond.
, is identified by ExperTox Inc., a laboratory in Texas
, as a fifth contaminant present in many varieties of pet food.
A single 500 mg tablet of acetaminophen is sufficient to kill an adult cat. The FDA does not identify which brands might be affected, however on June 13 website ConsumerAffairs.com reports that two of the samples were Pet Pride "Turkey and Giblets Dinner" and "Mixed Grill", both manufactured by Menu Foods.
, Venezuela
, Belize
, Suriname
, Costa Rica
, Honduras
, Ecuador
, Brazil
, the Dominican Republic
, Jamaica
, Gambia, Lebanon
and Canada
. It is unclear whether the exported products actually reached their destinations or entered markets there.
China announces that three shimpments of raisins and health supplements form the United States were blocked because they "failed to meet the sanitary standards of China" after levels of bacteria and sulphur dioxide were found to be too high. The shipments were either destroyed or sent back. In April 2007 alone, the United States had rejected 257 food shipments from China.
– has decided to end its contract for cuts-and-gravy products. The contract accounted for 11% of Menu Food's 2006 sales. Procter & Gamble continues to purchase solid canned food from Menu.
FDA spokesman Mike Herndon says that, "At this point, FDA sees no compelling need to analyze any more samples for acetaminophen." A third, independent lab also did not detect acetaminophen. It is not clear whether the FDA checked samples of the same brands of food in which acetaminophen was allegedly found because the initial laboratory could not initiate contact with the FDA or publicly identify the manufacturer because of client confidentiality. Only if the FDA contacted the lab could information be shared, and the FDA did not do this until June 12.
(EC) acknowledged that corn gluten contaminated with melamine and rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine and analogues, both originating from China, had been intercepted in Poland and Greece, respectively.
On the same day, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
announces that "fears of widespread contamination of pet food with acetaminophen are unfounded," confirming the results of FDA investigators. The ASPCA collaborated with toxicologists with the California Animal Health and Food Safety System at the University of California, Davis
. They found no acetaminophen contamination in three cans of the same food that tested positive for acetaminophen at a Texas laboratory. Additionally, since the cat that had eaten the food suffered kidney, but not liver, failure, acetaminophen poisoning seems unlikely.
Liebefeld in Posieux (ALP) stated that corn gluten contaminated with melamine, cyanuric acid and urea had been imported into Switzerland from China.
2007 pet food recalls
The 2007 pet food recalls comprise the contamination and wide recall of many brands of cat and dog foods beginning in March 2007, and the ensuing developments involving the human food supply. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of renal failure in pets...
unfolded. Several contaminated Chinese vegetable proteins were used by pet food makers in North America, Europe and South Africa, leading to renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
in animals fed the contaminated food. Both the centralization of the pet food industry and the speed and manner of the industry and government response became the subjects of critical discussion.
November 6, 2006
Tainted wheat glutenWheat gluten
Wheat gluten can refer to:* The gluten found in wheat, a sticky substance composed of the proteins gliadin and glutenin* Wheat gluten , a food prepared from these proteins, such as seitan or wheatmeat...
in bags from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is imported to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
-based ChemNutra, Inc.
ChemNutra
ChemNutra is a Summerlin, Nevada based importer of ingredients for food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals. Self-described as "The China-Source Experts" they import their products from China and provide them to North American manufacturers. The Chief Executive Officer is Stephen S...
from a Chinese textile company.
November 2006
CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based company Menu Foods
Menu Foods
Menu Foods Limited, based in Streetsville in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and was the largest maker of wet cat and dog food in North America, with its products sold under 95 brand names, which the company identifies as supermarkets, big box and pet product retailers and wholesalers...
begins to use the tainted wheat gluten at its plants in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
December 2006
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Menu Foods receives word of a possible problem with some of its products as early as December 2006.February 20, 2007
Menu Foods acknowledges receiving the first complaints of sick pets on February 20.February 26, 2007
The Chief Financial Officer of Menu Foods, Mark Wiens, sells roughly half of his Menu Foods stock on February 26 and 27. He has referred to the timing as a "horrible coincidence."February 27, 2007
Menu Foods begins internal taste testing of its food. The company conducts taste testing of its products quarterly, and the February testing was not a result of the received complaints.March 2, 2007
The company begins to investigate a possible problem when as many as 1 in 6 pets began to die after consuming products containing wheat glutenWheat gluten
Wheat gluten can refer to:* The gluten found in wheat, a sticky substance composed of the proteins gliadin and glutenin* Wheat gluten , a food prepared from these proteins, such as seitan or wheatmeat...
.
Mid-march, 2007
Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and a New York state-based testing facility receive samples from Menu Foods for testing.
March 16, 2007
On March 16, Menu Foods issues a U.S. nation-wide recall for dog and cat foods produced at two of its facilities between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007. The initial recall comprises sixty million units of cuts and gravy-style food in pouches sold under nearly 100 brand names, including premium brands like IamsIams
Iams is a brand name for dog food and cat food manufactured by Procter & Gamble . The company sells pet food for cats and dogs formulated for puppy/kitten, adult and mature. Its products are developed by nutritionists and veterinarians and can be found in three main formulas: ProActive Health,...
and private-label brands sold at nationwide chains such as Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
, and other large retailers. While the recalled products represent just 1% of pet foods available in the U.S., the recall is one of the largest in American history.
March 21, 2007
Menu Foods confirms the problem was with the wheat glutenWheat gluten
Wheat gluten can refer to:* The gluten found in wheat, a sticky substance composed of the proteins gliadin and glutenin* Wheat gluten , a food prepared from these proteins, such as seitan or wheatmeat...
used to thicken and enrich the gravy in the canned and pouched wet food products, and that the medical problems exhibited in test subjects include renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. At the time it is unknown why the renal failure occurs.
Late March, 2007
Following the first word of a recall, reports of pet sicknesses and deaths began to come in from throughout the United States and Canada. Although Menu Foods products are also sold in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, little information is published regarding the situation in that country.
Some independent sources, such as petconnection.com, begin collecting several hundred reports of animal deaths per day.
March 23, 2007
The New York State Food Laboratory reported that aminopterinAminopterin
Aminopterin , a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. Aminopterin is a synthetic derivative of pterin. Aminopterin works as an enzyme inhibitor by competing for the folate binding site of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase...
was found in samples sent to them by Cornell. Aminopterin is widely described in news reports as a "rat poison
Rat poison
Rodenticides are a category of pest control chemicals intended to kill rodents.Single feed baits are chemicals sufficiently dangerous that the first dose is sufficient to kill....
" though that assertion may be based upon a hypothetical use listed in the 1951 patent application and not upon the actual use of the chemical.
March 24, 2007
Menu Foods expands the recall to include dozens of more cat and dog food products, including all varieties of 'cuts and gravy' type wet pet food in cans and pouches, not just specific UPCsUniversal Product Code
The Universal Product Code is a barcode symbology , that is widely used in North America, and in countries including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for tracking trade items in stores. Its most common form, the UPC-A, consists of 12 numerical digits, which are uniquely assigned to each trade item...
, as before, in order to ensure pet stores removed any chance of contaminated batches reaching consumers.
March 27, 2007
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
first reports that symptoms described in affected animals are not "fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison containing aminopterin."
March 30, 2007
Fhe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces a possible source of the sicknesses, indicated by the presence of melamineMelamine
Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses....
, an industrial chemical, in wheat gluten imported from China. The FDA prohibits the import of wheat gluten from a specific Chinese company, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company (徐州安营生物技术开发有限公司),website, and says that the contamination may be in dry pet foods as well.
Late that Friday, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Del Monte, and Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
Purina recall several brands of wet and dry pet foods.
April 3, 2007
Concerns are first voiced in the news media that the imported gluten may have been used in products intended for human consumption, however the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assures consumers that all of the suspect gluten was used exclusively in pet foods and there is "no evidence to suggest that any of the imported Wheat Gluten from the suspect firm has entered the human food supply."April 4, 2007
The contaminated wheat gluten is determined to have come directly from China or through the Netherlands to the U.S. through ChemNutra, a Las Vegas-based supply company for pet food manufacturers. ChemNutra orders a recall of all of the suspected wheat gluten batches.The Chinese government refuses FDA requests to inspect facilities suspected of producing contaminated prodcuts.
April 5, 2007
The Chinese governmentGovernment of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
categorically denies any connection to the North American food poisonings to the New York Times, claiming they had no record of exporting any agricultural products that could have tainted the recalled pet foods, including the wheat gluten that has been the focus of the investigation. The general manager of the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company also denied that they had exported any wheat gluten to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
April 6, 2007
The Chinese government tells the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that they will investigate the source of the wheat gluten. The Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
states that "sampling and examination" of wheat gluten was underway across China, centering on the presence of melamine.
April 9, 2007
News breaks that scientists at a University of California, DavisUniversity of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
animal health laboratory confirmed that a "popular brand of pet food" submitted for testing by area veterinarians was contaminated with melamine, even though it is not on the list of recalled cat and dog foods.
April 10, 2007
On April 10, Menu Foods announces that the recall will be expanded to include foods manufactured at Menu Foods' plant in StreetsvilleStreetsville, Ontario
Streetsville is an established community located in the northwestern corner of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on the Credit River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Menu Foods officials had believed that the plant did not have the same problems as their New Jersey and Kansas plants, but tests revealed that contaminated wheat gluten had made it into Canada.
By April 10 Menu Foods had only confirmed 16 deaths outside of its test subjects, comprising 15 cats and one dog. This number is frequently cited in news reports as there is no equivalent of the Centers for Disease Control to verify the cause of other reported pet deaths.
April 11, 2007
One self-reported on-line data base reaches more than 3600 deaths allegedly connected to the recall. The FDA acknowledges receiving more than 15,000 complaints from consumers related to the recall, but will not comment on the possible amount of pet sicknesses or deaths.The same day, a distributor of agricultural and industrial products, Wilbur-Ellis, discovers a single pink, one-ton bag labeled "melamine" among 145 other white bags of imported rice protein concentrate from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology in China. Wilbur-Ellis immediately quarantines the shipment.
By April 11 there are more than 130 brands of dog and cat foods from five companies recalled. Most of the foods are wet, though there are some dry foods and dog biscuits as part of the recall as a precautionary measure even though no cases of poisoning from dry foods have yet been reported.
April 12, 2007
Hearings are held by United States Senator Richard Durbin in front of the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. FDA officials admit that contaminated food was likely still on store shelves throughout the country, and urge consumers to re-check the food they have in their possession.Also on the 12th, Menu Foods admits that a "clerical error" allowed more tainted product to be released to the public after the recall had begun.
Recalls in South Africa
Royal CaninRoyal Canin
Royal Canin is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of premium dog and cat nutrition. It was founded in 1967 in a village of Gard, France, by the French veterinary surgeon, Jean Cathary....
dog food was recalled in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on April 12 after 19 dogs were confirmed to be suffering "acute renal failure" related to eating recalled dog food. That week Hill's Pet Nutrition also recalled a batch of food for diabetic cats in South Africa.
April 15, 2007
Wilbur-Ellis notifies the FDA that it had found a bag labelled melamine mixed in with a shipment of rice protein concentrate.April 17, 2007
On April 17 a product not containing wheat-gluten is recalled due to the presence of melamine in pet food. Natural Balance Pet Foods has found melamine in two products containing rice protein from a then-unnamed supplier (Wilbur-Ellis). Eleven dogs and "three or four" cats are reported as known to be suffering kidney problems as a result of eating the food.April 18, 2007
The contaminated rice protein is publicly identified as having come from Wilbur-Ellis, who had by then distributed the contaminated protein to five different pet food manufacturers in Utah, New York, Kansas and Missouri. Since pet food recalls are voluntary, the FDA refuses to name the companies involved.April 19, 2007
On April 19, 2007 researchers announce that they have identified three additional chemicals in the melamine-contaminated rice protein and animals that had consumed it. The chemicals include cyanuric acidCyanuric acid
Cyanuric acid or 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triol is a chemical compound with the formula 3. Like many industrially useful chemicals, this triazine has many synonyms. This white, odorless solid finds use as a precursor or a component of bleaches, disinfectants, and herbicides...
, a chemical used in chlorinated pools. All three chemicals are derivatives of melamine.
The same day, Royal Canin
Royal Canin
Royal Canin is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of premium dog and cat nutrition. It was founded in 1967 in a village of Gard, France, by the French veterinary surgeon, Jean Cathary....
issues recalls of eight varieties of their pet foods.
Also on April 19, U.S. federal officials said that they were investigating reports that Binzhou Futian rice protein had been used in hog feed, but declined to specify where. The California Department of Food and Agriculture placed American Hog Farm in Ceres
Ceres, California
Ceres is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 45,417 at the 2010 census, up from 34,609 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.-General:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, under quarantine, after melamine was found in the urine of the hogs on the farm. California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer said "All animals appear healthy," and that "It is unknown if the chemical will be detected in meat." American Hog Farm primarily supplies whole hogs to individuals. Anyone who has purchased a pig from American Hog Farm since April 3 is advised not to eat it.
April 20, 2007
The South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n pet food industry announced that they would no longer import gluten products from China after the presence of melamine was confirmed in Chinese corn gluten. At least 30 dogs have died of renal failure related to contaminated food in South Africa.
More recalls
Also on the 20th, pet food company SmartPak issued a late night recall of two dog food products related to contaminated rice protein. SmartPak was one of the two remaining companies supplied by Wilbur-Ellis, leaving only one company refusing to recall its contaminated products.April 24, 2007
The FDA announces that melamine has been found in the urine of hogs in North Carolina, California and South Carolina, that farms in Utah, New York and possibly Ohio had received contaminated feed. They had not yet determined if, beyond a small amount in California, any contaminated meat had reached the human food supply. The FDA also announces that it was now testing six common food ingredients – wheat gluten, corn gluten, cornmeal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein concentrate – as a precaution.At least one plaintiff in a lawsuit against Menu Foods first receives a call from someone on behalf of Menu Foods who would not initially identify herself. She would not provide a last name, a return telephone number or information on how she got the plaintiff's number. Eventually the caller acknowledged she was from Menu Food's insurance adjustor, Crawford & Company
Crawford & Company
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Crawford & Company is the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries.The Crawford System of...
. This call is followed a few days later by a second caller who, when told it was illegal for the plaintiffs to be contacted directly by representatives of the defendant, allegedly responded "So you don't want a settlement package?"
April 25, 2007
FDA Officials traced the melamine responsible for pet deaths to two Chinese plants, which have been supplying American distributors since last summer.On that same day, Chinese authorities shut down Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., and detained the manager, Tian Feng. Feng denies responsibility, saying that he "didn't do anything wrong," and denying that he even knows what melamine is.
April 26, 2007
On April 26, the FDA announced that over 6,000 hogs have been quarantined on farms in California, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma and Ohio. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the meat of 345 hogs that had eaten contaminated feed had entered the U.S. food supply, possibly via slaughterhouses in Kansas and Utah.Also on Monday, April 26, seven recalls are either expanded or issued for the first time.
The final Wilbur-Ellis-related recall is issued by Chenango Valley Pet Foods, nine days after Wilbur-Ellis had announced its rice protein was contaminated with melamine.
That day Diamond Pet Foods also issues an expanded recall and Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
's Kirkland Signature brand issues a new recall.
Blue Buffalo also expands its recall, Harmony Farms announces a recall, and American Nutrition, Inc. (ANI) issues a voluntary recall of 28 different pet food products that they manufacture which are sold under other labels. ANI states that pet foods that they manufacture under their own label are not affected by the current recall.
Finally, China's Foreign Ministry says that it has banned the use of melamine in food products, admitting that products containing melamine had cleared customs while continuing to dispute the role of melamine in causing pet deaths. China also vowed to cooperate with U.S. investigators to find the "real cause" of pet deaths.
April 27, 2007
Natural Balance Inc. issues another voluntary recall, recalling three of their varieties of dog food and one variety of cat food, and Canine Caviar issued a voluntary recall of 3 varieties of pet food.The April 26 and April 27 recalls by Blue Buffalo, Canine Caviar, Diamond, Harmony Farms, and Natural Balance are claimed by all five brands to be due to unauthorized inclusion of rice protein by American Nutrition, Inc. (ANI), their manufacturer. This adds a new potential source of contamination and distrust, namely non-compliant contract manufacturers, beyond the original problematic Chinese ingredient suppliers. Diamond and Natural Balance refer to this as a "manufacturing deviation" by ANI. Blue Buffalo and Harmony Farms characterize this as "product tampering" by ANI. Blue Buffalo has announced plans to change manufacturers while Canine Caviar and Natural Balance both announced that they will avoid future problems due to incorrect manufacturing by demanding more paperwork from their manufacturers. ANI has issued a press release denying any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct.
The FDA announces that of 750 samples of wheat gluten and products containing wheat gluten that 330 had tested positive for melamine contamination. Out of 85 samples of rice protein concentrate and products made with it, 27 were contaminated.
April 28, 2007
The Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reports that, according to California state officials, approximately 45 state residents consumed pork from hogs that had been fed melamine-contaminated feed.
April 30, 2007
The FDA and the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
(USDA) issue a joint press release stating that contaminated feed was used at approximately 38 chicken farms in Indiana in early February and that and all fed broiler chickens have been processed. They state that the likelihood of human illness is very low.
May 1, 2007
The FDA and USDA acknowledge that millions of chickens fed contaminated feed had been eaten.May 2, 2007
Menu Foods recalls additional pet food items made at the same plant as prior recalled items due to suspected cross-contamination.May 3, 2007
Chinese authorities detained Mao Lijun, general manager of the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development, on unspecified charges.The same day, SmartPak Canine executed a voluntary nationwide recall on two products that tested positive for melamine.
Dr. David Acheson, assistant FDA commissioner for food protection, states that the FDA has begun to investigate domestic food manufacturers who use protein products to ensure that no contaminated product is being used in foods intended for human use, noting that it has no evidence of this occurring, "but it's prudent to look."
May 7, 2007
The USDA releases some swine and poultry from farms suspected of having received contaminated feed for processing based on no melamine being detected in feed samples using approved tests. No mention is made whether USDA conducted tests for melamine in animal tissue of animals released for processing A USDA spokesman was reported as saying 20 million chickens were included in this category of animals released for processing.United States food safety officials issue joint risk assessment of very low risk to humans from eating pork or poultry from animals known to have consumed feed tainted with contaminated pet food scraps based on criteria predating current research on toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid in combination."
May 8, 2007
Adulteration of animal feed with cyanuric acidCyanuric acid
Cyanuric acid or 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triol is a chemical compound with the formula 3. Like many industrially useful chemicals, this triazine has many synonyms. This white, odorless solid finds use as a precursor or a component of bleaches, disinfectants, and herbicides...
in China is reported.
It is also announced that melamine discovered in fish feed at hatcheriers that raise fish for human consumption.
May 9, 2007
Officials from the USDA and FDA testify in front of the United States House of Representatives Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on Agriculture
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
.
May 11, 2007
Royal Canin issues an additional voluntary recall, recalling seventeen of their varieties in addition to those recalled on April 18 (at which time they stated that 'Effective immediately, Royal Canin USA does not source any of its vegetable proteins-including rice gluten-from China')May 15, 2007
56,000 swine are cleared for processing without being tested for cyanuric acid after a revised risk assessment by the USDA and FDA still concluded that there is "very low" risk to humans from eating the contaminated meat.May 17, 2007
Chenango Valley Pet Foods expands its recall to foods that do not explicitly contain wheat gluten or rice protein, citing cross-contamination with those ingredients in the manufacturating process. For the first time, a non-cat or dog pet food is recalled since the list includes ferretFerret
The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
food.
May 18, 2007
Researchers at the USDA Bee Research Laboratory and the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine begin investigating bee feed for the presence of melamine-related compounds as a possible cause of Colony Collapse DisorderColony Collapse Disorder
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of...
– the unprecedented die-off of a quarter of the honeybees in the United States during 2006 that endangers the human food supply. Commercial bee feeds are protein-based, containing soy and yeast ingredients; however, no link has been found so far.
In U.S. District Court, Judge Noel Hillman cautions Menu Foods and their insurance adjustor, Crawford & Co., to avoid contacting pet owners who had joined any of the lawsuits against Menu Foods because, legally, Menu can only contact plaintiffs through their lawyers.
May 20, 2007
Menu Foods and Chenango Valley Pet Foods both announce that they are phasing out Chinese ingredients until they can be assured that they are safe. Other pet food manufacturers, including Nestlé Purina PetcareNestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
have started screening for melamine.
May 21, 2007
After four dogs suffering kidney problems are brought to the same clinic in VisaliaVisalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, they are found to have all eaten Nutra Nuggets brand food – a food not on the recall list. Melamine contamination is confirmed after a sample was sent to a laboratory at University of California at Davis.
May 22, 2007
United States Department of Health and Human ServicesUnited States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
(DHHS) officials announce that melamine was detected in catfish imported to Arkansas from Asia for human food. The fish were being investigated for antibiotics, which were not found. The DHHS stated that the levels detected did not pose a human health hazard.
May 23, 2007
Diamond Pet Foods recalls bags of Nutra Nuggets Lamb Meal and Rice formula dry dog food after they are found to be contaminated with melamine that Diamond attributes to cross contamination in the manufacturing process.U.S. District Court Judge Noel Hillman orders Menu Foods to have no contact with plaintiffs unless their attorneys are involved in the discussion after lawyers from six firms representing pet owners claim that the company was directly contacting their clients. Hillman states that "It seems to me that Menu Food is out to do whatever Menu Foods wants to do in a way that could adversely impact the rights" of the plaintiffs.
May 25, 2007
Corn gluten from China tests positive for melamine and cyanuric acid and is intercepted by Canadian authorities.May 29, 2007
Zheng XiaoyuZheng Xiaoyu
Zheng Xiaoyu was director of the State Food and Drug Administration of the People's Republic of China. He was sentenced to death in the first instance trial at Beijing No.1 Intermediate Court on May 29, 2007...
, the head of the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration from its founding in 1998 until 2005 receives the death sentence for corruption. Zheng was convicted of taking bribes worth $844,000 – significantly less than the bribes taken by officials given lesser penalties in China. Dozens of Chinese died due to the approval of untested medicines and falsely-labeled food during Zheng's tenure.
China also announces the creation of its first recall system for unsafe food products.
May 30, 2007
The FDA issues a press release stating that two US-based animal feed manufacturers had been adulterating livestock feed and fish/shrimp feed with melamine. Tembec BTLSR Inc. of ToledoToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, manufactures feed ingredients AquaBond and Aqua-Tec II, adding melamine to improve the binding properties of pelleted food.
May 31, 2007
Zeigler Bros., Inc. issues a voluntary recall of its shrimpShrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
feeds products that contain AquaBond.
June 5, 2007
Sergeant’s Pet Care Products voluntarily recalled some production lots of Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food and Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food due to melamine being found in these specific products (approximately 20-80 parts per million). The fish food that is being recalled is for pet/ornamental fish and not used to feed fish intended for human consumption.June 6, 2007
The FDA launches and investigation after acetaminophen, best known under the brand-name TylenolTylenol
Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...
, is identified by ExperTox Inc., a laboratory in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, as a fifth contaminant present in many varieties of pet food.
A single 500 mg tablet of acetaminophen is sufficient to kill an adult cat. The FDA does not identify which brands might be affected, however on June 13 website ConsumerAffairs.com reports that two of the samples were Pet Pride "Turkey and Giblets Dinner" and "Mixed Grill", both manufactured by Menu Foods.
June 7, 2007
The FDA announces that melamine-contaminated shrimp feed and feed ingredients made in the United States, may have been exported by Zeigler Bros. Inc. to thirteen countries -- PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Gambia, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is unclear whether the exported products actually reached their destinations or entered markets there.
China announces that three shimpments of raisins and health supplements form the United States were blocked because they "failed to meet the sanitary standards of China" after levels of bacteria and sulphur dioxide were found to be too high. The shipments were either destroyed or sent back. In April 2007 alone, the United States had rejected 257 food shipments from China.
June 11, 2007
Menu Foods announces that a "significant customer" – later identified to be Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
– has decided to end its contract for cuts-and-gravy products. The contract accounted for 11% of Menu Food's 2006 sales. Procter & Gamble continues to purchase solid canned food from Menu.
June 12, 2007
The FDA announces that acetaminophen has not been found in five samples of cat food and two samples of dog food.FDA spokesman Mike Herndon says that, "At this point, FDA sees no compelling need to analyze any more samples for acetaminophen." A third, independent lab also did not detect acetaminophen. It is not clear whether the FDA checked samples of the same brands of food in which acetaminophen was allegedly found because the initial laboratory could not initiate contact with the FDA or publicly identify the manufacturer because of client confidentiality. Only if the FDA contacted the lab could information be shared, and the FDA did not do this until June 12.
June 13, 2007
Don Earl, a pet owner who links the death of his cat in January to consumption of Pet Pride cat food, reveals that he had paid ExperTox to analyze samples of the pet food. He alleges that the tests showed acetaminophen and cyanuric acid, but no melamine. The contaminated items were not subject to any recall.Contaminated corn gluten and rice protein concentrate from China acknowledged to have been found in Europe
June 21, 2007
The Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General of the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
(EC) acknowledged that corn gluten contaminated with melamine and rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine and analogues, both originating from China, had been intercepted in Poland and Greece, respectively.
June 27, 2007
Chinese state media announces that 180 food factories have been closed for improperly using industrial chemicals and recycled or expired food. The director of the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine's quality control and inspection department states that "These are not isolated cases." Most of the offending manufacturers were unlicensed food plants with fewer than 10 employees. It is estimated that three-fourths of China's one million food processing plants are small and privately-owned. In addition, the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce states that it closed 152,000 unlicensed food manufacturers and retailers in 2006 for making fraudulent or low-quality products.On the same day, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
announces that "fears of widespread contamination of pet food with acetaminophen are unfounded," confirming the results of FDA investigators. The ASPCA collaborated with toxicologists with the California Animal Health and Food Safety System at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
. They found no acetaminophen contamination in three cans of the same food that tested positive for acetaminophen at a Texas laboratory. Additionally, since the cat that had eaten the food suffered kidney, but not liver, failure, acetaminophen poisoning seems unlikely.
June 28, 2007
Official feed controllers of the Swiss research institute AgroscopeAgroscope
Agroscope is the Swiss Federal government agriculture, food and environmental research organization, gathering the three research stations of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, which is under the Federal Department of Economic Affairs....
Liebefeld in Posieux (ALP) stated that corn gluten contaminated with melamine, cyanuric acid and urea had been imported into Switzerland from China.
February 6, 2008
Owners and executives of Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company, Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts, and ChemNutra were indicted on charges of intentionally defrauding and misleading American manufacturers about poisonous ingredients used in pet food.External links
- Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) Pet Food Contamination Page - News & developments updated regularly