Investigations on Pet Food Contamination
| Investigations | | FDA Response Summary | | Contamination Aftermath |
On March 15, 2007, Pet food manufacturer Menu Foods alerted the FDA to14 animal deaths in the U.S.
- 4 cats and 1 dog reported by consumers
- 9 cats that died during routine taste trials conducted by the company
- All the animals were reported to have developed kidney failure after eating certain "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food produced at Menu Foods' facilities in Emporia, Kans., between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007
- Menu Foods voluntarily recalled about 100 different brand name products made at its U.S. plants in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., and its Canadian plant in Streetsville, Ontario.
On March 16, 2007, FDA launched an investigation within 24 hours after being notified by Menu Foods of a recall.
- FDA investigators went to the company's Emporia plant and searched for possible sources of contamination.
- FDA consumer complaint coordinators nationwide began taking calls from consumers and veterinarians who reported illnesses potentially associated with the contaminated pet food. They received over 12,000 reports in the first three weeks (beginning March 16) and over 14,000 reports in the first four weeks, which is more than twice the number of complaints typically received in a year by the consumer complaint coordinators.
FDA conducted numerous inspections of manufacturers and warehouses identified as recipients of the suspect product to identify all the contaminated products.
FDA inspectors collected samples of the recalled pet food and sent them to FDA laboratories around the country for analysis.
- FDA scientists looked at a broad spectrum of ingredients
- "We first looked at all the most likely suspects and compounds that might cause acute kidney disease," says Sundlof, "such as vitamin D, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), and some of its derivatives: diethylene glycol and propylene glycol."
- In addition, scientists tested products for toxic metals, as well as mycotoxins, toxic substances formed by certain molds that are known to be toxic to the kidneys. None of those compounds was found in the samples.
- A New York State laboratory on March 23 reported finding aminopterin, a form of rat poison, in some pet food samples.
- FDA's Forensic Chemistry Center could not confirm these findings. Instead the center found melamine in the pet foods and in the wheat gluten used as an ingredient.
- Subsequently, FDA's field laboratories found melamine in over 130 of more than 210 samples of pet food and wheat gluten.
- Also, Cornell University scientists found melamine in the urine and kidneys of cats that were part of a taste-testing study conducted for Menu Foods.
FDA laboratories found melamine and melamine-related compounds in samples of pet food.
- Melamine alone may not be the cause of illness and death because melamine is a relatively non-toxic substance. FDA is examining melamine-related compounds, such as cyanuric acid, also found in pet food. The combination of melamine and cyanuric acid appears to be more toxic than either compound alone. When these two substances interact, they form crystals in urine and kidney tissue, which can lead to kidney failure. Using advanced forensics, FDA continues to examine the interactions of melamine and its related compounds to find the cause of pet illness and death.
FDA's further testing showed that the vegetable protein products imported from China were mislabeled as "wheat gluten" and "rice protein concentrate."
FDA also worked with the affected firms to assist them with their product recall efforts.
FDA's investigation identified the distributor of the contaminated wheat gluten as ChemNutra, of Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Working with the firm, FDA traced the suspect product to a single supplier in China, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology
- On April 3, 2007, ChemNutra issued a recall of all suspect products labeled as wheat gluten that it had imported and distributed.
- FDA issued an import alert focused on this supplier, and started sampling 100 percent of all wheat gluten from China—regardless of its source—coming into the U.S.
- FDA also sampled all wheat gluten coming from the Netherlands, since the Chinese supplier shipped some of its wheat gluten to this European country.
San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company, an importer and distributor of agricultural products, imported the rice protein concentrate and distributed it to pet food manufacturers. On April 18, 2007, Wilbur-Ellis issued a recall of all suspect products labeled as rice protein concentrate that it had imported and distributed.
Based on the information FDA has, it appears that melamine was added to the products handled by the two Chinese suppliers to increase the apparent protein content in those products. In November 2006, the first shipment of a product labeled as wheat gluten known to be contaminated with melamine or its related compounds arrived in the United States. In July of 2006, the first shipment of a product labeled as rice protein concentrate known to be contaminated arrived in the United States.
Wheat Gluten and Rice Protein Concentrate:
- Wheat gluten
- Principal protein component of wheat flour
- Obtained by hydrating wheat flour and mechanically separating the wheat gluten from the starch and other flour components
- Can be used as a thickener in pet foods
- Also used in human food products as a stabilizer or thickener
- Not normally associated with food contamination
- Rice protein concentrate
- Made by separating and isolating the protein portion from the carbohydrate portion (starch) of rice
- Used in many pet foods as part of the formulation (recipe)
- Adds plant proteins that contain little, if any, gluten
Dedicated personnel in each of its 20 district offices to take consumer calls and conduct inspections and investigations
Sent more than 400 employees to collect pet food and animal feed samples, monitor the effectiveness of the recall, and prepare consumer complaint reports
Performed numerous inspections of manufacturing facilities and warehouses to trace all of the contaminated products
- FDA is not required to inspect foreign firms that export food or feed products to the United States.
- As part of its risk-based approach, the FDA does conduct foreign food inspections in a number of targeted program areas, but these inspections are not a prerequisite for firms to export products to the United States.
- FDA's risk-based approach means that the agency uses its limited inspection resources to look at products that pose the greatest risk to public health.
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| A scientist in FDA’s Forensic Chemistry Center weighs out a sample of wheat gluten to be tested for melamine. Once the samples are prepared, state-of-the-art instrumentation is used to check for the presence of melamine contamination and to determine the amount present. |
Carried out a massive, nationwide testing and education campaign to help keep contaminated products from reaching American dinner tables, pets, or other animals
Analyzed more than 700 pet food and ingredient samples in 6 FDA field laboratories and FDA's Forensic Chemistry Center
Issued press releases, conducted media interviews, and developed a Web site to provide current information to consumers, veterinarians, and regulatory counterparts
Collaborated with its regulatory partners in all 50 state agriculture and health agencies to share information and collaborate on investigative and analytical efforts
Activated its Emergency Operations Center, with staff available to all FDA offices on a 24-hour basis, to manage incoming information from pet owners, veterinarians, and others
Testified in April 2007 before the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee's "Pet Food Safety" hearing and in May 2007 before the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture's "Food Safety and Animal Health" hearing
Instituted import alerts that require all importers of all Chinese vegetable proteins and protein concentrates for food and feed to prove that their products are not contaminated before they are allowed to enter the United States dispatched an investigative team to China.
Play with the game:Click this link and download/open the flash game to put FDA Pet Food Contamination Response Timeline in order. |
Voluntary Recall
In the following months after March, 2007, both consumers and veterinarians reported many more illnesses and deaths potentially associated with a wide variety of pet foods made by Menu Foods and other manufacturers.
- Many companies provide their formulation, or recipe, to manufacturing firms. The manufacturer then mixes ingredients according to the recipes to make a wide variety of pet foods for companies to sell under many different brand names.
- Because one manufacturer may produce multiple kinds of pet foods at the same facility, a contaminated ingredient can get into many brands.
- Not all of the recalled foods were contaminated, but companies acted cautiously because of the potential for cross-contamination.
Since March 16, 2007, more than 150 brands of pet food have been voluntarily recalled by a number of companies. Types of pet foods recalled include:
- moist (packaged in pouches) dog and cat food
- canned dog and cat food
- dry dog and cat food
- dog treats
- dry ferret food (only Ultra-Blend Advanced Nutrition (Net Wt. 20 lbs, UPC 26851 00413, Code C7072), manufactured by Chenango Valley Pet Food)
The recalled products represent less than 1% of all pet foods, according to the Pet Food Institute.
Voluntary recalls of pet food products were conducted by Del Monte Pet Products, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, P&G Pet Care, and Sunshine Mills
On April 5, 2007, Sunshine Mills, Inc., of Red Bay, Alabama, voluntarily recalled a portion of its branded dog biscuits made at its Red Bay, Alabama biscuit plant during part of March 2007
In addition, Menu Foods, Inc., voluntarily expanded its pet food recall for selected “cuts and gravy” pet food products, manufactured back to November 8, 2006.
Lawsuit
Dawn Majerczyk’s suit, filed by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, seeks class-action status. "I want my vet bills and I want some compensation for what they did to my kids and for the company's neglect," Majerczyk, a medical assistant in a dermatology office.
The company stated it had not seen the suit and had no comment
The FDA had no comment on the company's delay in announcing the recall.
- The wet food was sold throughout North America under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels like Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.
- FDA has sent inspectors to company plants in New Jersey and Kansas.
- Most complaints stem from products made at the latter factory, though both received shipments of wheat gluten, identified as a likely source of contamination, from the same supplier, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian.
Further Improvement
FDA personnel went to China in April 2007 to work with Chinese government officials to find out how the contamination may have occurred and how to prevent it in the future.
- FDA found that both companies that had exported melamine-contaminated products were shut down.
- FDA is evaluating the data and information collected from the trip to China.
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michael O. Leavitt, and the Commissioner of FDA, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., met with counterpart Chinese officials in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2007.
- The U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to meet later this summer to work out a plan to strengthen bilateral cooperation to help assure the safety of Chinese products entering the United States.
