US senators raise new concerns in pet food scare

Source: Reuters

- A second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with a chemical linked to a major pet food recall, two U.S. lawmakers said on Monday.

Rice protein tainted with the chemical melamine was used in pet foods from at least five manufacturers who obtained the protein from one supplier, U.S. officials have said. It also made its way into feed used at a California hog farm.

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"We have learned that in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine," the senators wrote. "We request the FDA identify this second importer as well as those manufacturers to which it may have sold the contaminated product."

An aide to Durbin said the senators found out about the second importer from industry sources.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN23332213

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Link from Itchmo blog here: http://www.itchmo.com/read/second-company-likely-imported-tainted-rice-protein-from-china_20070423

The FDA, of course, refuses to name this company. In fact up till now many articles have said that Wilbur-Ellis is the only rice concentrate importer out there. this has me concerned for the pets out there and for humans as well since one of the foods recalled because of rice is a company that makes human grade petfood not the typical condemned recycled waste masquarding as healthy food.

US Yahoo http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070423/us_nm/petfood_dc_1

Canadian Yahoo http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/070423/us/usreport_petfood_dc_6

US Food Safety Strained by Imports
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070423/ap_on_re_us/imported_ingredients;_ylt=AmOec5X5goDGtWYwdeq6t.ZvzwcF

we already grow in high amounts here*. Although I understand the need for some "trade", importing from a different country stuff that we already grow/manufacture here in high quantity is ridiculous. I can't see how it is truly all that good for the long term health of our economy, ourselves or our pets. :(

<*it's a rhetorical question since I'm fairly sure it boils down to $$$>

I wonder who's profiting from the export/import streams compared to who would if everything was kept internal to the US.

The fact that SOUTH AFRICA imported tainted corn gluten from China has nothing to do with the US........

We grow LOTS of corn here. I doubt we are an importer of corn gluten.

corn gluten does not seem to be one of the things that we've imported. "Things like corn" however, such as wheat (and rice to a degree), is something we grow here and was imported from China so, although my memory was muddled regarding the corn, my general and slightly OT point is still made which is why import things we grow plenty of here?

As someone who has done extensive rescue work, fostered furkids and currently has a houseful the pet food issue is very real to me (as I know it is with you as a vet:)). Like many others here I'm simply trying to find answers and I want our government to do it's job. I want them to look into what happened, why it happened, how wide spread is this and what can we do to prevent this from happening in the future.

which means less jobs for Americans in America plus all our money is going over THERE and staying there. It ain't coming back cuz they ain't buying much of our goods.

Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with China
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html

Study Documents Negative Impact of U.S. Trade Deficit with China
Job losses hit all states, high-tech industry, U.S.-China commission says
http://usinfo.state.gov/ei/Archive/2005/Jan/12-31762.html