Pet food scare prompts FDA to check imported human fare
Pastor Dale Morgan
Pet food scare prompts FDA to check imported human fare*
POSTED: 0135 GMT (0935 HKT), April 24, 2007
Story Highlights
• Imported ingredients to be tested for contamination
• Wheat gluten, corn gluten, cornmeal, rice bran, rice protein to be checked
• Hogs on farms in three U.S. states test positive for melamine
• No contamination has been found in human food, FDA says
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Food and Drug Administration says it will test
ingredients imported for human consumption in connection with the recall
of pet food that has killed at least 16 pets and perhaps more than 100.
In addition, the FDA on Tuesday announced plans to expand testing of the
animal food supply after hogs on farms in three states were quarantined
after testing positive for melamine, the toxic substance at the center
of the recall.
A poultry farm in Missouri is also being investigated, federal officials
said.
Wheat gluten, corn gluten, cornmeal, rice bran and rice protein are
among the imported products being tested in both the animal and human
food supply. (Watch suggestions for improving U.S. food inspections Video)
"I want to emphasize that this is a proactive step," said David Acheson,
chief medical officer for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition.
The comprehensive testing will begin at the end of the week and focus on
public awareness and checking of samples, Acheson said.
The FDA said hog farms in California, North Carolina and South Carolina
have been quarantined after tests found melamine in the animals' urine.
Owners of a hog farm in Ohio are also working with the FDA.
Hogs from farms in New York and Utah have also been placed on hold for
distribution, but testing has yet to confirm the presence of melamine in
those animals, federal officials said.
The FDA has officially tallied 16 animal deaths related to the pet food
recall, but other organizations have put the estimate much higher.