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FDA is MIA on Safe Pet Food Regulation
When dogs and cats began to sicken and die after eating certain brands of commercial food, the public had the right to expect swift action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to resolve the situation. That's not what we got. Instead, FDA officials have dithered, hemmed and hawed and appear more interested in protecting manufacturers' reputations than in preventing more suffering and death.Given the scope and tragedy of the FDA's failure to act, Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach should step down and allow a more capable leader to direct the agency.
The flaws in the agency's response became apparent soon after Menu Foods announced on March 16 that some of its products had led to kidney failure and death in dogs and cats.
Rather than calling for an immediate recall of all brands that may have been contaminated, the FDA turned over all recall decisions to the manufacturers and referred the public to Menu Foods' Web site for a list of contaminated foods rather than providing the information itself, as would be expected of a public agency. At a March 26 news conference, an agency official tellingly referred to the pet-food manufacturers as his "colleagues at Menu Foods." (Timeline of FDA and pet food industry malfeasance here.)
Contaminant confusion
In the weeks since, the agency has failed to identify the contaminant with any certainty. Menu Foods first announced that aminopterin, a chemical used to poison rats, was found in canned foods. But it wasn't long before the FDA identified wheat gluten contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in making plastics, as the culprit.We still don't know for certain, and two independent laboratories are now claiming that the FDA was wrong -- melamine is not the contaminant.
The FDA is so far sticking to the melamine theory but has inexplicably refused to name a dry pet-food manufacturer believed to have received the suspected contaminated ingredient and hasn't recalled brands of dry food that may be affected.
When asked about this at the March 26 news conference, Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, excused the agency's lack of action by saying, "This is an ongoing investigation."
Inadequate inspections
But even this excuse is couched in misleading and contradictory statements about the agency's responsibility in investigating the scandal. Dr. Sundlof has said to the media, "There are really no differences in the regulation of animal food and the regulation of human food. The same people that inspect human food plants also inspect pet food plants."
But it turns out, according to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., that the FDA hasn't inspected the New Jersey Menu Foods plant, one of two implicated in the contamination, since 2004.
In the meantime, the FDA further confused the issue by putting this on its Web site: "FDA has limited enforcement resources that are focused on human food safety issues. "This is apparently how the agency explains away the fact that it isn't regulating pet foods, as it is congressionally mandated to do.
Rep. DeLauro puts it bluntly: "Based on the evidence so far, it would appear that FDA is failing its responsibilities to protect animals from unsafe food as much as it is failing to protect American consumers."
Investigation needed
In addition to the FDA commissioner's resignation, a thorough investigation into the agency's failure is in order. The pet-food industry and the agency charged with regulating it have failed to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
It won't bring back the animals who have died and it won't offer solace to the people who have lost their family members, but it might prevent another tragedy.
Dr. Alka Chandna is a senior researcher with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 501 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 23510; www.peta.org.
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12 Comments so far
Show AllYou don't get to much more corrupt than the FDA. This is all just normal business for our great two party system.
It has come to the attention of the public that the pet food industry is "self regulating." What has yet to be made public is that the human food industry is also "self regulating" and supposed to report to the FDA (rather than be actually inspected). For that we can thank presidents Reagan and Clinton.
Right on, JadedProle. This whole episode is disgraceful and points to the utter failure of "self-regulation" to protect people and animals. This is only the latest in a series of episodes in which contaminated food has sickened or killed: spinach, lettuce, peanut butter, and who knows what else is coming.
In this case, I think there is now some suspicion that the toxic ingredient may have been added deliberately in order to increase protein content, thus increasing the "value" (read: cost) of the product.
Whoever is responsible for this should be made to sit down to a nice dinner of dog food until his own kidneys and liver stop functioning.
Ever wonder why we don't hear about mad cow disease anymore? The disease has not gone away but anybody who talks about it had better have deep pockets. Corporate agriculture has unlimited resources with which to hire attorneys and bring legal action against anybody who suggests a problem still exists.
They have done nothing to correct the problem and have stopped governmental agencies from looking for cases of mad cow. You can't find what you don't look for and their boast is that almost no cases of mad cow have been found recently.
There is a glut of milk on the market but government subsidies for milk production are still paid. The result is milk cows being injected with hormones to boost milk production.
These hormones cause inflammation of the udders. The cows suffer miserably, and nobody who saw a cow with mastitis would drink the milk from that cow.
When a cow on a family farm had mastitis the cow had to be milked, but it was given to the pigs. Lucky for us corporate agriculture prevents us from seeing where our meat and dairy products come from.
Not only does the FDA not act when the food supply is contaminated, they have been approving tons of products that never should have made it to market.
About 1/5th (18.4 percent) of FDA scientists have admitted that they "have been asked, for non-scientific reasons, to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information or their conclusions in a FDA scientific document." - http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/fda-scientists-pressured.html
What's worse is that improperly tested GM crops are in almost every American's diet. High Fructose Corn Syrup is in so much food, from jelly, to almost every kind of processed snack... and since 40% of corn is GM corn in the U.S. we know that most people are eating that corn syrup from GM crops... millions of people could all suddenly have serious health problems if things go wrong in this human GM experiment the FDA OKed.
Being veg solve so many problems.
If there is a deity what would be a better advertising campaign than making the bad (meat) shades of excretions and the good (fruits and vegetables) the colours of the rainbow?
sigh
Dr. Sundlof has said to the media, "There are really no differences in the regulation of animal food and the regulation of human food. The same people that inspect human food plants also inspect pet food plants."
This very well could have been the human food supply, our industrialized system is on the brink of collapse.
Kelmer, We could be living in a different world:
forests could come back--not tree farms, forests
water would be available where it was absent before
greenhouse gasses reduced
water without nitrate pollution
longer, healthier lives
sharing,not dominating the planet
My personal belief:
We would not feel such a desperate need to be somewhere we are not
vacations fewer and closer to home
fewer wars
Less time spent at work
simpler, happier lives not dependent on excessive expenditure of money
better family life
fewer material goods
less shopping as entertainment
I could go on but you get the idea
My comment on this discussion about the food products that had killed so many cats and dogs is appauling. The fact that the FDA turned it over to Menu Foods to get out of their mistake is like turning a prison over to the prisoners. When are people going to wake up that animals are almost as human as we are, with feelings, love, and comfort. Wake up America
patt scully
I was researching pet food recall topics for my blog and I kept seeing Google Sponsored Links for pet foods that have been "certified safe by the FDA". So I clicked on the links. These manufacturers -- all of whom are big wheat gluten fans -- refer back to a March 23 date and say that the FDA says they are in the clear.
What has happened since March 23? Expanded recalls, more companies involved, and a complete ban on all wheat from the Chinese broker and ChemNutra. And yesterday's API says that 39,000 pets have been sicked or killed.
Hello, if the FDA didn't TEST your food, don't tell us they CERTIFIED it.
I was wondering if anyone has come across this theory- check out the article by Dr. Michael W. Fox at organicconsumers.org - "Largest pet food recall ever: A genetic engineered food disaster"
In light of the lack of info. out there on pet food still safe I would like to suggest Dog Lovers Gold and Cat Lovers Gold. It has no corn wheat or soy. the chicken lamb and brown rice are USDA Grade A and are free of hormones. It has Never suffered a recall. For more info check out www.dogloversgold.com
I hope this will help at least one pet