by Aster C. Lilly

Created on: March 21, 2007   Last Updated: March 25, 2007

Recently, Menu Foods of Canada issued a recall of both Cat and Dog food. The list of affected items include hundreds of brands, including many major pet foods.

On March 15th, 2007, the US FDA ascertained that certain pet foods were poisoning people's pets, including cats and dogs. The FDA found contaminated vegetable proteins that had been imported into the US from China and used as ingredients in certain pet foods.

A portion of the contaminated food was used to create animal feed. The FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture learned that some of the contaminated food had also been converted into feed for livestock and domesticated animals. Government scientists ascertained a very low risk to human health from consuming food from animals that ate the contaminated feed. The contaminated pet food, animal and fish feed, and wheat proteins continue to be recalled and eliminated as they are discovered.
On February 6th, 2008, the FDA announced that two Chinese nationals and their businesses, along with a US company, had been indicted by a federal grand jury for a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the United States.
The recall concerns wet dog and cat food with a potential contamination of experimental form of wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a form of protein derived from the wheat seed, and is comprised of two proteins: gliadin and glutenin. Wheat gluten is an important source of nutrition world-wide, and is used in countless food products, for both animals and humans.

The companies had been adding a substance called "Melamine" to their wheat gluten, to give the appearance of a higher grade of protein. Melamine is typically used in many industrial capacities, from dyes, to glues and plastics. Melamine is a toxic substance, causing reproductive damage, bladder cancer, and even kidney failure.

The experimental form of wheat gluten has allegedly contaminated several batches of wet dog and cat food.

Pets who eat food from certain cans of wet dog and cat food, stand a small risk of becoming sick from the food. Certain types of liver damage may occur with your animal.

Cats and Dogs cannot digest the new wheat protein, and the tainted cans may cause liver and kidney problems for the animal. Cats may be more at risk to develop symptoms.

SIGNS YOUR PET MAY HAVE BECOME SICK:

1. Lethargy
2. Vomiting
3. Increased thirst

For a comprehensive list of recalled items, please visit:

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html

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