Hog Farm Quarantined over Contaminated feed*

Saturday April 21, 2007 5:01 AM

By OLIVIA MUNOZ

Associated Press Writer

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The health risk appeared to be ``minimal'' for
people who ate pork from a hog farm where an industrial chemical was
found in its animals, state officials said Friday.

Tests of seven urine samples and two feed samples at American Hog Farm
in Ceres all came back positive for the chemical, melamine, which has
tainted more than 100 brands of dog and cat food, said state
Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer.

Three live pigs were taken for testing, and inspectors are rounding up
an undetermined number of live hogs sold from the 1,500-animal farm
since April 3. So far, the state has 26 recovered pigs at a Northern
California facility, officials said.

The farm also operates as a ``custom slaughterhouse,'' one of 40 such
state-licensed facilities in California that butcher animals for
individual orders, Breitmeyer said. The meat is not intended for resale
and is stamped ``not for sale,'' so the pork would not be available at
commercial outlets, he said.

``There is no evidence that any products from this farm have entered the
food supply,'' Breitmeyer said. ``The risk to people right now is minimal.''

Still, the state is asking customers who bought nearly 100 pigs from the
slaughterhouse since April 3 not to eat the products as a precaution.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture imposed the quarantine
on the farm Thursday after records from Diamond Pet Food's Lathrop
facility showed it sold salvage pet food to the farm for pig feed
earlier this month.

Those shipments from Diamond, which produces products under the Natural
Balance brand, were later found to have melamine, traced to rice protein
concentrate imported from China.

Melamine, which is used in making plastics and other industrial
processes, has been blamed for causing health problems in dozens of dogs
and cats, but the Food and Drug Administration could not provide numbers
of pet deaths or injuries due to the contaminated food.

Calls made to American Hog Farm on Friday were not answered. Phone calls
to Diamond Pet Food's Lathrop facility and Meta, Mo. headquarters were
not immediately returned Friday.

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Associated Press Writer Aaron C. Davis in Sacramento contributed to this
report.

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On the Net:

California Department of Food and Agriculture: http://cdfa.ca.gov