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Is China's Food Production Poisoning Us?

House panel threatens to subpoena FDA
Thu May 24, 2007 11:32PM EDT


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Congressional committee on Thursday threatened to subpoena the Food and Drug Administration unless the agency responds to lawmakers' requests for documents about U.S. drug and food safety.

Rep. John Dingell, the Democratic chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, accused the FDA of dragging its feet in responding to his panel's oversight subcommittee.

If the FDA does not comply by June 1, Dingell said the panel would issue subpoenas to obtain the information.

The FDA said it was cooperating with lawmakers.
"FDA has been as responsive as possible to document requests from Chairman Dingell and other members of Congress," an FDA spokeswoman said. "We continue to focus our efforts on producing responsive material to our Oversight committee's requests as expeditiously as possible."

Since January, the committee has asked the FDA to provide documents about generic drug approvals, an outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter, post-market surveillance of the antibiotic Ketek, contamination of pet food with ingredients imported from China, and antibiotic resistance linked to wide use of drugs in farm animals.

"The delays and the quality of responses to the committee's requests concerning FDA are unacceptable," Dingell said in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt. Leavitt's department oversees the FDA.

Dingell also complained that in some instances, the FDA turned over redacted records to the committee without any prior consultations about the redactions.
 
Food watchdog blocks melamine-tainted gluten from entering Canada
Last Updated: Friday, May 25, 2007 | 3:59 PM ET
CBC News
Canada's food watchdog said Friday it has intercepted one shipment of corn gluten imported from China that tested positive for melamine and cyanuric acid.

Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, was found in more than 100 brands of contaminated pet food that were recalled from the marketplace in Canada and the United States in mid-March. The manufacturers had used tainted wheat flour imported from China.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has tested 32 samples of wheat, rice, soy and corn gluten and protein concentrates coming into the country from China. The federal agency is also testing imports that entered the country over the past year.

"Shipments are being tested for both melamine and cyanuric acid since, although neither substance is believed to be particularly toxic by itself, their potency appears to be increased when they are present together," the federal agency said in a statement.

One in every five samples is also screened for other substances.

China's food and drug safety record has come under scrutiny in recent months, with investigators suggesting that Chinese companies are using potentially harmful ingredients in their products.
 
Since January, the committee has asked the FDA to provide documents about generic drug approvals, an outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter, post-market surveillance of the antibiotic Ketek, contamination of pet food with ingredients imported from China, and antibiotic resistance linked to wide use of drugs in farm animals.

"The delays and the quality of responses to the committee's requests concerning FDA are unacceptable,"If the FDA does not comply by June 1, Dingell said the panel would issue subpoenas to obtain the information.
 
New Melamine Case
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 06/01/2007 - 10:33am.


U.S. Companies Recall Feed Agents

CHRIS TORRES
Staff Writer

Two U.S. feed companies have voluntarily recalled product this week after tests revealed varying levels of a potentially harmful chemical substance in the ingredients.

Uniscope, Inc., of Johnstown, Colo. and Tembec, Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, have voluntarily recalled pellet binding agents they say were made with the chemical substance melamine.

On May 18, Uniscope informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) they had found traces of the chemical compound in certain pellet binding products they make or contract to be made.

The products in question are Aquabond and Aqua-Tec II, which are used in fish feed, and Xtra-bond, which is used in livestock feed.

Melamine has not been approved in the U.S. as an additive to livestock feed or fish feed and it is believed to be potentially harmful to animals. It is the same chemical behind the nationwide pet food recall earlier this year, although most of that contaminated food has been linked to Chinese manufacturers.

While the agency said the levels of melamine in Xtra-bond are not high enough to warrant a recall of livestock feed products made from Xtra-bond, they warned against the use of fish feed made from Aquabond or Aqua-Tec II because of much higher levels of the chemical that were present.

The FDA is urging feed companies that may have added these products to their feed to recall product immediately.

According to reports, melamine is an effective binding compound that is used in products such as glue, fabrics and flame retardants.

The reasons why the companies used the chemical in the manufacturing of the binding products is unclear. The FDA reports Tembec was contracted by Uniscope to make the fish feed compound and that Uniscope made the livestock binding agent with ingredients provided by Tembec.
 
The Senate lead on food safety Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, his bill has been referred to the Senate agriculture committee, now chaired by Democrat Tom Harkin of Illinois.

Harkin has requested an audit of our food safety system. In a letter to the inspectors general of the two agencies responsible, he wrote: "Taken together, all of the recent recalls of human and pet food raise serious questions about protocols in place now at FDA that are supposed to prevent and respond to contamination of our nation's food and feed supply."

Harkin's letter asks for detailed responses to questions such as "How often are facilities that produce meat, poultry and food products inspected or audited? How does the frequency compare to 10 years ago? Are the number of inspections and audits that facilities receive adequate to ensure a safe food and feed supply? Do FDA and USDA have adequate funding required to improve the frequency of inspections?"

Our food supply is far more challenging to regulate than it was a generation ago, given the rapid rise in imported food, especially food from less developed countries. But rather than rising to the challenge, the U.S. has fallen behind in food safety, as in so much else that requires government oversight and adequate public investment.

Eventually, bipartisan legislation will emerge. It will still be up to the executive branch to administer food safety effectively and therefore we will need an administration in Washington that manages government agencies in the public interest.

You will hear both Republicans and Democrats urging improvements in food safety, especially after more frightening food scares.
 
Lawmakers ask Bush to consider ban on China food imports

By Ruth Mantell
Last Update: 2:22 PM ET Jun 6, 2007


WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Democratic members of a powerful House committee called for President Bush to consider banning all food imports from China until the Food and Drug Administration can prove they are safe. In a Tuesday letter to the FDA's commissioner, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote that they are concerned about the safety of fish and seafood from China, and cited examples of imports containing banned antibiotics, as well as contaminants such as salmonella. "It is quite disturbing to consider that China lacks effective controls to ensure that their exported foods are safe," according to the letter. The committee, which is investigating the U.S. food supply, requested information for 2001 to 2006 from FDA about items such as the number of Chinese food samples analyzed by private and FDA labs, and the amount found to have problems.
 
PORKER said:
Lawmakers ask Bush to consider ban on China food imports

By Ruth Mantell
Last Update: 2:22 PM ET Jun 6, 2007


WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Democratic members of a powerful House committee called for President Bush to consider banning all food imports from China until the Food and Drug Administration can prove they are safe. In a Tuesday letter to the FDA's commissioner, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote that they are concerned about the safety of fish and seafood from China, and cited examples of imports containing banned antibiotics, as well as contaminants such as salmonella. "It is quite disturbing to consider that China lacks effective controls to ensure that their exported foods are safe," according to the letter. The committee, which is investigating the U.S. food supply, requested information for 2001 to 2006 from FDA about items such as the number of Chinese food samples analyzed by private and FDA labs, and the amount found to have problems.
Click to expand...


This is a NO-BRAINER that should have happened a long time ago- without any request from Congress- except that the current administration has put the almighty Corporate buck over food safety long ago and could care less if a few peons are made ill or die.....
 
QUESTION, IS U.S.A. FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEM POISONING US ?



What Do We Feed to Food-Production Animals? A Review of Animal Feed
Ingredients and Their Potential Impacts on Human Health


Amy R. Sapkota,1,2 Lisa Y. Lefferts,1,3 Shawn McKenzie,1 and Polly Walker1
1Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Bloomberg School of Public
Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; 2Maryland Institute for
Applied Environmental Health, College of Health and Human Performance,
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA;
3Lisa Y. Lefferts Consulting, Nellysford, Virginia, USA


snip...



Table 1. Animal feed ingredients that are legally used in U.S. animal feeds



Animal


Rendered animal protein from Meat meal, meat meal tankage, meat and bone meal, poultry meal, animal the slaughter of food by-product meal, dried animal blood, blood meal, feather meal, egg-shell production animals and other meal, hydrolyzed whole poultry, hydrolyzed hair, bone marrow, and animal animals digest from dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals including deer and elk Animal waste Dried ruminant waste, dried swine waste, dried poultry litter, and undried processed animal waste products


snip...


Conclusions


Food-animal production in the United States has changed markedly in the past century, and these changes have paralleled major changes in animal feed formulations. While this industrialized system of food-animal production may result in increased production efficiencies, some of the changes in animal feeding practices may result in unintended adverse health consequences for consumers of animal-based food products. Currently, the use of animal feed ingredients,
including rendered animal products, animal waste, antibiotics, metals, and fats, could result in higher levels of bacteria, antibioticresistant bacteria, prions, arsenic, and dioxinlike compounds in animals and resulting animal-based food products intended for human consumption. Subsequent human health effects among consumers could include increases in bacterial infections (antibioticresistant and nonresistant) and increases in the risk of developing chronic (often fatal) diseases
such as vCJD. Nevertheless, in spite of the wide range of potential human health impacts that could result from animal feeding practices, there are little data collected at the federal or state level concerning the amounts of specific ingredients that are intentionally included in U.S. animal feed. In addition, almost no biological or chemical testing is conducted on complete U.S. animal feeds; insufficient testing is performed on retail meat products; and human health effects data are not appropriately linked to this information. These surveillance inadequacies make it difficult to conduct rigorous epidemiologic studies and risk assessments
that could identify the extent to which specific human health risks are ultimately associated with animal feeding practices. For example, as noted above, there are insufficient data to determine whether other human foodborne bacterial illnesses besides those caused by S. enterica serotype Agona are associated with animal feeding practices. Likewise, there are insufficient data to determine the percentage of antibiotic-resistant human bacterial infections that are attributed to the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed. Moreover, little research has been conducted to determine whether the use of organoarsenicals in animal feed, which can lead to elevated levels of arsenic in meat products (Lasky et al. 2004), contributes to increases in cancer risk. In order to address these research gaps, the following principal actions are necessary within the United States: a) implementation of a nationwide reporting system of the specific amounts and types of feed ingredients of concern to public health that are incorporated into animal feed, including antibiotics, arsenicals, rendered animal products, fats, and animal waste; b) funding and development of robust surveillance systems that monitor biological, chemical, and other etiologic agents throughout the animal-based food-production chain "from farm to fork" to human health outcomes; and c) increased communication and collaboration among feed professionals, food-animal producers, and veterinary and public health officials.


REFERENCES...snip...end


Sapkota et al.
668 VOLUME 115 | NUMBER 5 | May 2007 • Environmental Health Perspectives


http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1867957&blobtype=pdf



BANNED MAD COW PROTEIN IN COMMERCE

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19155


Subject: FATEPriDE KEY FINDINGS ORGANOPHOSPHATE NO RELATIONSHIP TO CAUSE TSE
Date: May 3, 2007 at 8:41 am PST

KEY FINDINGS


http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18913


TSS
 
The changes in animal feeding practices with unknown ingredients may result in unintended adverse health consequences for consumers and animals such as pets of animal-based food products. Thats how I see It Flounder , Ditto!
 
What's wrong with the companies who purchase these products from foreign companies taking some responsibility to make sure the product is tested and conforms to standards? But of course, its easier to pass the buck and blame someone else.

If the FDA cannot test it all, then the companies who purchase these "cheap" products should have to.
 
MoGal said:
What's wrong with the companies who purchase these products from foreign companies taking some responsibility to make sure the product is tested and conforms to standards? But of course, its easier to pass the buck and blame someone else.

If the FDA cannot test it all, then the companies who purchase these "cheap" products should have to.
Click to expand...

Corporations are all about profit. Period.

Does anyone really expect any public company to be "Ethical"?

Surely we don't expect them to go above and beyond what the letter of the law is??
 
Fallout from pet food continues
A Group that runs vet clinics reports 39,000 animals have been injured, or killed.
Rice protein a new worry?The stink from the tainted pet food crisis continues to waft across the land.


As many as 39,000 dogs and cats have been injured or killed by contaminated pet food, according to Banfield Pet Hospitals, which operates 615 veterinary clinics across the country.

From December 2006 to March, the hospital group told the Associated Press, it handled more than 1 million animal visits, with a 30 percent increase in cases of cats suffering from kidney disease. It did not give a breakout number for dogs, but the data suggest that three out of every 10,000 cats and dogs that ate the food developed kidney failure.

The melamine-contaminated ingredient also quickly made its way into farm feed, fish food and human food in the United States and was sold to other countries. The source turned out to be China.

The story continues to take new turns, with rude awakenings within our own borders.

The Blue Buffalo Co. recently accused its contract manufacturer, American Nutrition, of adding rice protein concentrate to its formulas unbeknown. That is to say, rice protein wasn't in the recipe, said the company at www.bluebuff.com.

``It should be noted that Blue canned dog and cat food products were not formulated or labeled to contain rice protein concentrate, and that the manufacturer, American Nutrition Inc., added (the concentrate) to these products without the Blue Buffalo Company's knowledge or consent.''
As a result, the company ``can not have any faith in the integrity or the accuracy of the ingredient labels of any of its products manufactured by American Nutrition'' and is withdrawing them from the market, even those that American Nutrition says do not contain rice protein.

Meanwhile, Naomi Keller of American Nutrition referred me to a news release on the company's Web site at www.americannutritioninc.com/PR4272007.asp. It denies any deliberate wrongdoing, while passionately defending rice protein as a healthy additive.

It also appears to blame consumers for wanting rice-based proteins, which it calls ``customer-driven formula specifications for nonsoy, noncorn and nonwheat ingredients.''

Duh.

Corn, wheat and soy are common causes of allergies in people and pets and are cheap fillers. Rice protein concentrate is more of the same, another way to increase the protein percentage on the label without providing actual meat.

Meanwhile, the FDA attempts to comfort: ``Government scientists have determined that there is very low risk to human health from consuming food from animals that ate tainted feed,'' the agency says. ``All tainted pet food, animal and fish feed, and vegetable proteins continue to be recalled and destroyed.

``The FDA and USDA continue their comprehensive investigation to protect the nation's food supply.''

We'll all sleep better now.

Another concern this season is the growing popularity of cocoa bean shell mulch, which is making its way into garden centers across the country. Like chocolate itself, the mulch is a powerful aromatic lure containing theobromine, which is harmful to dogs and can cause vomiting and tremors, according to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

The gravity of the threat is yet to be seen while popularity of the mulch continues to expand, but its mere presence calls for prudence on the part of owners.
 
A single case of mad cow disease in 2003 led China to ban all U.S. beef imports. This ban remains in place today, long after temporary bans put in place by other countries have been lifted. To put it another way, China plays hardball in its trade with the U.S., while we play tiddlywinks.

Putting the burden of proof on Beijing will, of course, unavoidably reveal certain truths about our Chinese trading "partners." Chief among these truths is the fact that corrupt and profit-driven Chinese officials are not only unwilling but fundamentally unable to ensure that all of their exports meet international standards.

Poisoned toothpaste, tainted wheat, and baby bibs laced with lead (another recent scare) are not just the products of individual Chinese factories, they are the products of the Chinese system.

U.S. officials are said to be concerned about "China's standards," and are pushing for more written codes and regulatory inspections. This would all be risible were America's health not at stake. The truth is that China has no standards worthy of the name. What it does have is a pervasive culture of corruption that makes it possible for virtually any offical, up to and including the head of China's FDA, to be bribed.
 
More food unfit for human consumption arriving, say officials

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 25, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


The U.S. is not the only Western nation with growing concerns about the safety of food and other products arriving in massive quantities from China.

Officials in Sweden say imported food from China is posing a risk to public health.


During the first five months of the year, Sweden's National Food Administration was made aware of 138 cases within the EU of food imported from China that was not fit for consumption. That's a marked increase over last year at the same time when the figure was 88.

Examples included food containing banned colorings, antibiotics, preservatives and pesticides. There were also cases of illegally imported, unclean or foul-smelling food, as well as products with high levels of heavy metals, poisonous mold and dioxins, reported Svenska Dagbladet.

The rise is said to highlight the disadvantages of food products being checked at the EU's outer borders. Tests for additives such as vitamins and minerals are rare.

"There's no doubt that food imports from China are a big problem," said Helena Storbjörk at the National Food Administration.

"We have good checks for animal imports from China, which are largely banned, and a far-reaching program of checks for a whole range of vegetables. Unfortunately there's a lot of illegal importing which avoids all the controls," she said.
Is China's Food Production Poisoning Us? YES it IS
 
China shuts 180 plants for using toxins in food
27.6.07 | 10:26 By TheMarker

The world has become worried about Chinese quality control and evidently, Beijing has its concerns too. China has closed 180 food factories after inspectors found industrial chemicals in products from candy to seafood, the China Daily reported today.

Nor did food manufacturers cavil at recycling old food, the paper says.

One toxin detected in the food products - intended for the Chinese market - was formaldehyde, famously used to preserve tissue, not nourish it, the China Daily reports.

Government inspectors also found prohibited dyes and industrial wax in candy, pickles, snacks and seafood, the paper said. Nor were a few miscreants at work, the administration admitted in a sharp reversal from its previous position that there were a few crooks, but the general industry was law-abiding.

Toxins have now been found in Chinese exports from toothpaste to dried fruit. Wheat and rice gluten used by the pet food industry was found to be spiked with the coal-production byproduct melamine, causing thousands of pet deaths in North America and around the world.

Melamine was used to falsely boost the readings of protein in the pet foods. It did achieve that aim, but also caused fatal kidney failure in thousands of cats and dogs as well.

Later melamine, apparently originating in recycled feed in which Chinese raw materials had been used, was found in pigs and chickens that had reached the human food chain. American officials hastened to postulate that the concentrations of the toxin on the carnivorous consumer's plate were apparently too low to cause them any harm.

Other products turned away by U.S. inspectors include toxic monkfish, frozen eel and juice made with unsafe color additives, AP adds.

Beijing said that most of the 180 plants it targeted were tiny outfits with few employees. But then China Daily put things into proportion when it reported that three-quarters of China's roughly 1 million food plants are small.

Striving to repair its tattered image, China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce claimed to have closed 152,000 unlicensed food manufacturers and retailers last year for making fake and low-quality products, AP reports.

Food isn't the only problem suffering from quality control in China, it would seem,look at the posioned tooth paste. Certain Chinese tires for trucks imported to the U.S. even were found to lack gum strips that keep the rubber intact but instead is killing unknowling drivers and passengers.
 
Toxic Toothpaste Scandal Grows
At the same time, China cracks down on suspect food producers

The toxic toothpaste labeled under mostly discount brand names was distributed far more widely than originally thought, according to a New York Times investigation.

The Times found that hundreds of thousands of tubes of the toothpaste were purchased by state agencies and distributed for several years to those living in prisons, mental institutions and other state facilities — including some hospitals serving the public. Originally, the toothpaste was said to have been sold only in a limited number of discount stores. (To read the Times story, click here.)

The news comes on the same day China announced it is cracking down on suspect food producers. It has closed 180 food manufacturing facilities this year for a litany of violations, many involving toxic ingredients being used as cheap substitutes for pricier safe versions.

That's what happened with toothpaste. Poisonous diethylene glycol, which is used to make antifreeze and other chemicals, was used in the pace of glycerine, a nontoxic staple in toothpastes. The American public became aware of the myriad problems with food and drug production in China after the recall this spring of pet foods that were made with melamine and a related industrial chemical, which had been added to wheat and rice flour, labeled as wheat gluten and added to dozens of brands.

The scandals show how complicated the American food system is. With approved but little policed manufacturers in 170 countries around the world, and an American inspection crew at the Food and Drug Administration that has admitted it's not up to the task of checking imports, the potential for more toxic food scares is — unfortunately — an almost certainty.

These scandals remind us of the value of eating locally grown foods as often as possible. When you know your farmer, you are the inspector, and you police your own food supply.
 
ADD TIRES AND FISH TO TAINTED CR@P FROM CHINA


U.S. company faces millions in fines for Chinese tire recall

Associated Press - June 28, 2007 4:04 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - The New Jersey company being ordered to recall as many as 450,000 faulty tires imported from China faces millions of dollars in fines if it fails to properly remedy the situation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Foreign Tire Sales that it is legally responsible for the recall and faces penalties of up to $6,000 per violation. It could be fined nearly 16 and a half million dollars for any series of related violations.

The government has given the company until July second to respond to Tuesday's letter.

An FTS attorney says the company can't afford the roughly $80 million in expenses associated with a full recall.

The government says that is not acceptable.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed



Government scrutinizes possibly tainted Chinese fish




Associated Press - June 28, 2007 3:53 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal health officials are examining five different kinds of Chinese seafood to make sure they are free of potentially dangerous antibiotics.

The Food and Drug Aministration says it will detain the seafood -- including catfish, shrimp and eel -- after repeated testing showed contamination in the farmed food.

It says there's no immediate health threat because only low levels of the drugs were found. But it says the drugs could cause harm if they were consumed over a long period.

In a rare direct comment on the matter, China says the safety of its products is "guaranteed."

Today's announcement is the latest in a series of recent problems with imported Chinese products. Federal regulators have also warned consumers about lead paint in toy trains, as well as defective tires and toothpaste made with a toxic ingredient more commonly found in antifreeze.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


=========================

hell, with free trade and our inspection system set up the way it is (or better yet, ISN"T), China will kill us all off and never even declare war on us. pretty smart. IF our elected criminals had any balls at all, they would ban every product china sends us for a very long time. ...TSS
 
SWISS CATCH CHINA WITH POISONED FEED

Animal Feed & Animal Nutrition News

Swiss pull false corn gluten from market
// 28 jun 2007

Official feed controllers of the Swiss research institute Agroscope Liebefeld in Posieux (ALP) stated that melamine contaminated corn gluten were imported in Switzerland from China.

Certain Chinese exporters had qualified cereal by-products mixed with urea as being corn gluten. Although urea is allowed in ruminant feeds, its derivates melamine and cyanuric acid, which were also found, are prohibited. ALP has blocked the questionable loads.

ALP officers took 63 corn gluten samples of which 11 samples did not contain corn gluten. These falsified products contained a mixture of grain by-products, mainly wheat, in which large amounts of urea were found.

Analysis of the samples revealed that up to 15% of urea was added to finally reach a raw protein content of 60% like it would be expected in a corn gluten sample.

Two other ingredients, melamine and cyanuric acid were found in four of the 11 samples. Both substances are not permitted in the animal feeding.

2,500 tonnes imports
The fraud concerns about 2,500 tonnes of corn gluten, which were imported during the last six months into Switzerland.

Following the investigations of ALP, and together with the feed trade, the doubtful loads were identified and blocked. Depending upon the found contents materials that were permitted have been relabelled for ruminant feeding or destroyed if they contained illegal products.

A large part of the commodities had already been fed to farm animals before they were discovered, but according to information of the European Feed safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Adiminstration (FDA) there is no danger for consumers.

China main supplier
Some 80% of all corn gluten originates from China. Corn gluten is a protein-rich raw material (approx. 60% raw protein), which is widely used in ruminant and poultry feeding.

In the past Switzerland imported these feedstuffs from the US. But GM-problems forced the Swiss to look for a new supplier, which became China. Annually 50,000 tonnes is imported.



 

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