Posted on 04/24/2007 4:48:56 PM PDT by mom4kittys
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials are now looking at whether humans may have consumed food containing a chemical linked to a recall of pet foods and livestock feed, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.
FDA officials said they would inspect imports of six grain products used in foods ranging from bread to baby formula for traces of melamine, a chemical thought to have killed and sickened cats and dogs.
The California Agriculture Department said separately it was trying to contact 50 people who bought pork that may have come from pigs fed food containing melamine. The state's health department recommended humans not consume the meat, but said any health risk was minimal.
Melamine, a chemical used in plastics and fertilizer, has already been found in wheat gluten and rice protein imported from China for use in some pet foods, triggering a recall of more than 100 brands.
The FDA named the six grain products to be inspected as wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein.
"We're going to target firms that we know are receiving imported products," said David Acheson, chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a conference call with reporters. "The goal is obviously to sample as much as we can."
There is little research on melamine's effect on humans, according to
World Health Organization, but the chemical has been studied in animals for its risk of kidney problems and cancer. The WHO does not classify the chemical as a carcinogen for people.
Some tainted material was used for hog feed before the contamination was found, and officials said on Tuesday thousands of pigs might be affected on farms in North and South Carolina, California, New York, Utah and possibly Ohio.
The FDA is working with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and several states to investigate the now-quarantined farms and whether hogs on those farms were slaughtered for human food.
"Some of the hog operations were fairly sizable," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. But USDA spokesman Steve Cohen said the feed was sold to smaller and independent hog farms.
A poultry farm in Missouri also may have received tainted feed, officials added.
Still, the FDA has no intention of banning imports of wheat gluten, rice protein or similar products from China.
"We believe the safety net is in place to make sure that no additional products are going to get into the commerce of the United States," said David Elder, director of FDA's enforcement office.
Melamine was first found in March in wheat gluten used for some pet foods. Menu Foods, Procter & Gamble Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co., Nestle SA and Del Monte Foods Co. have recalled pet products made with the gluten.
More recently, rice protein tainted with melamine was also shipped to at least five pet food manufacturers by a supplier that imported it from China, the FDA has said.
On Monday, two U.S. lawmakers said a second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with Melamine. FDA officials on Tuesday would not say whether there was a second importer.
(Additional reporting by Charles Abbott)
ping
Pilose Antler And Penis Wine Product Description
Main material: Deer pilose antler, deer penis, pizzle, dog penis, ginseng, matrimony vine, schisandra fruit, barrenwort.
Deer pilose antler
Effect:
Deer penis
Effect:
Pizzle and dog penis
Effect:
“.. are now looking “
Just now ??
How about weeks and months ago !
Good post, thanks for the ping!
Thank you! I was over trying to read through the FDA website...that could take me years! LOL
tee hee
I believe all pizza contains gluten. That's how you get the chewy texture that's absent from Wonder bread.
http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia9928.html
IA #99-28, 4/19/07, IMPORT ALERT #99-28, “DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF RICE PROTEIN, RICE PROTEIN CONCENTRATE AND RICE GLUTEN DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MELAMINE”
People around the world have been using herbs to treat illnesses for millenia. The difference is that the West dropped the tradition once it came up with medical treatments based on the scientific method. The Chinese still have this fetish because it - along with having the world's longest recorded history diary and largest population - is one of China's few claims to fame in a world where 99% of what Chinese see on a day-to-day basis is a Western invention or design. In other words, many Chinese would rather cling to Chinese quackery and racial pride and die than adopt Western medication and live.
Well, of course, you've done a spectacular job thus far, especially since you're now having to check baby formula for contaminants.
We can all sleep easy tonight with the FDA on the job -- and above all else, keep those Chinese food imports coming, please sir.
I make my own crust, now (as I am allergic to soy, and it's in every crust commercially made.) I use flour, water, salt, sugar, and yeast.
I’m going to be an extra thorough label reader from now on, and not eat any food I buy for awhile after purchasing it. It will stay in the freezer or cans, just to be a little more sure.
I hope and pray melamine's not in the baby formula.
Amazing! Since they're only funded by the U.S.
Thanks for the ping (I think)...
This is all we need—to have the entire food chain contaminated by toxins from China!
Good motivation to go on a new diet! The nothing-from-China Diet.
You might be interested in this email I received from King Arthur Flour:
Dear Baking Friend,
Thank you for your inquiry.
All of the wheat gluten thats been in the news, as part of a recall on pet food, originates in China.
The vital wheat gluten sold at the Bakers Catalogue comes from the Netherlands and France, not China. (Even though some Chinese wheat gluten is shipped through the Netherlands, this is not the case with what we sell.) Our vital wheat gluten is imported from facilities registered with the United States FDA, and is free of melamine.
The gluten in our King Arthur signature flours is a natural part of the wheat berry; its not added after the fact. All of our King Arthur Flours are milled in the United States, from American-grown wheat.
Any of our mixes that include added vital wheat use the gluten that we obtain from the FDA-registered facility mentioned above.
Our dog biscuit mix doesnt use added wheat gluten; it only contains the gluten.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
MaryJane
Baker’s Catalogue, Inc.
1-800-827-6836
customercare@kingarthurflour.com
King Arthur Flour
Interesting post... thanks
I just knew this was coming.
The Chinese firm finally admitted that it sent imported products through the Netherlands. Corn Starch and Sweet potato starch were mentioned previously. Both are used as thickeners in many frozen products.
This is just the beginning. Pork and even chicken are now mentioned as possible problems. I think I am on a fruit and vegetable diet for a while...let the facts come out, slowly, I bet.
We Country Cousins are already ahead of the game, so y’all better hurry & catch up.
Will trade knowledge & advice for labor; dude farm vacations available; reasonable rates!
Coming soon:
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.