Pet food mishap shows reason for COOL
Friday, April 13, 2007 8:58 AM CDT
Country of Origin Labeling passed several years ago but USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has yet to implement the law.
Now, it looks like the United States may accept this legislation. Unfortunately, that acceptance may come about because of what happened to some family pets.
Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, is an initiative of the 2002 farm bill. It requires country of origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable ag products and peanuts.
President Bush signed a public law on Jan. 27, 2004, that called for a delay in implementing COOL for all commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish until Sept. 30, 2006.
Then on Nov. 10, 2005, the President signed another public law delaying the implementation until Sept. 30, 2008.
Fast forward from 2005 to 2007. Public perception of COOL is changing and has become more acceptable.
Love and compassionate care for family dogs and cats are common themes across the United States now.
So the recent loss of some pets due to tainted food has worried many people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on March 31 that wheat gluten supplied to U.S. pet manufacturers from China contained melamine.
Gluten is a plant protein found in cereal grains. When flour is kneaded, gluten strands provide structure and elasticity that support baked goods. Gluten is used in a wide variety of products, including pet food. Melamine, a synthetic polymer, does not belong in food. Manufacturers use melamine to make floor tiles, kitchenware and fire retardant products. The polymer is a liquid when heated. It is poured into molds where it hardens.
It's hard to even imagine why or how melamine would get mixed into the Chinese wheat gluten.
The Food and Drug Administration has now blocked imports of the cheap wheat gluten from China, but not before the damage occurred. Some beloved pets have died, and manufacturers have called for massive and expensive recalls of dog and cat food.
The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently released a statement indicating why this pet food issue shows a need for a healthy, domestic food supply.
“NAWG has been closely monitoring the developments involving wheat gluten and recalled pet food products,” said NAWG President John Thaemert. “We grieve with the pet owners who have suffered a loss and understand the anxiety of people who are wondering how this could have happened and what they should feed their pets.
“Not only is this a truly unfortunate event, but it also highlights the problems that can result from depending on another country for something as fundamental as food.”
Food manufacturers have long held the belief that American consumers want the cheapest food available.
This mishap with pet food can serve as a wakeup call that using the cheapest food ingredients can actually become a costly mistake.
The wheat gluten that caused the deaths of the pets did not come from the United States.
Country of Origin Labeling is one way to assure that Americans have the opportunity to purchase food raised in the United States.
U.S. farmers have little reason to fear COOL.
As former Texas Congressman Charles Stenholm recently told producers at the National Pork Producers Council's annual meeting - “Far beyond any other country, United States' farmers produce the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, and the safest food supply at the lowest cost to the United States' consumer.”
We look forward to the implementation of COOL and the opportunity to purchase food and pet food produced by U.S. farmers.
Friday, April 13, 2007 8:58 AM CDT
Country of Origin Labeling passed several years ago but USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has yet to implement the law.
Now, it looks like the United States may accept this legislation. Unfortunately, that acceptance may come about because of what happened to some family pets.
Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, is an initiative of the 2002 farm bill. It requires country of origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable ag products and peanuts.
President Bush signed a public law on Jan. 27, 2004, that called for a delay in implementing COOL for all commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish until Sept. 30, 2006.
Then on Nov. 10, 2005, the President signed another public law delaying the implementation until Sept. 30, 2008.
Fast forward from 2005 to 2007. Public perception of COOL is changing and has become more acceptable.
Love and compassionate care for family dogs and cats are common themes across the United States now.
So the recent loss of some pets due to tainted food has worried many people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on March 31 that wheat gluten supplied to U.S. pet manufacturers from China contained melamine.
Gluten is a plant protein found in cereal grains. When flour is kneaded, gluten strands provide structure and elasticity that support baked goods. Gluten is used in a wide variety of products, including pet food. Melamine, a synthetic polymer, does not belong in food. Manufacturers use melamine to make floor tiles, kitchenware and fire retardant products. The polymer is a liquid when heated. It is poured into molds where it hardens.
It's hard to even imagine why or how melamine would get mixed into the Chinese wheat gluten.
The Food and Drug Administration has now blocked imports of the cheap wheat gluten from China, but not before the damage occurred. Some beloved pets have died, and manufacturers have called for massive and expensive recalls of dog and cat food.
The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently released a statement indicating why this pet food issue shows a need for a healthy, domestic food supply.
“NAWG has been closely monitoring the developments involving wheat gluten and recalled pet food products,” said NAWG President John Thaemert. “We grieve with the pet owners who have suffered a loss and understand the anxiety of people who are wondering how this could have happened and what they should feed their pets.
“Not only is this a truly unfortunate event, but it also highlights the problems that can result from depending on another country for something as fundamental as food.”
Food manufacturers have long held the belief that American consumers want the cheapest food available.
This mishap with pet food can serve as a wakeup call that using the cheapest food ingredients can actually become a costly mistake.
The wheat gluten that caused the deaths of the pets did not come from the United States.
Country of Origin Labeling is one way to assure that Americans have the opportunity to purchase food raised in the United States.
U.S. farmers have little reason to fear COOL.
As former Texas Congressman Charles Stenholm recently told producers at the National Pork Producers Council's annual meeting - “Far beyond any other country, United States' farmers produce the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, and the safest food supply at the lowest cost to the United States' consumer.”
We look forward to the implementation of COOL and the opportunity to purchase food and pet food produced by U.S. farmers.