Tainted pet food reaches human fare

[babylonsister]

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/21/tainted_pet_food_reaches_human_fare/

Tainted pet food reaches human fare
Officials doubt a health risk, but 1,500 hogs are quarantined as sold carcasses sought

By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff | April 21, 2007

WASHINGTON -- An industrial chemical linked to kidney failure in dogs and cats has found its way into the human food supply chain. California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals' feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine .

In addition, 26 hogs were sold and slaughtered at an unnamed processing plant in northern California . Federal authorities quarantined those unprocessed carcasses at that plant, but state officials expect to identify more California processing plants that purchased the hogs.

American Hog Farm, a specialty slaughterhouse in Ceres, Calif., sells whole hogs suitable for backyard barbecues to celebrate weddings, retirements, graduations, and other festive events.

A man who answered the phone at American Hog Farm and who identified himself as one of its owners said yesterday it is premature to comment since the federal investigation continues.

So little is known about melamine that it remains unclear why hogs that ate tainted food survived, merely excreting the chemical in urine, while cats and dogs died from kidney failure. For now, the risk to humans who ate the pork is thought to be minimal, said Dr. Kevin Reilly of the California Department of Health Services.

more...

[BrklynLiberal]

1. "For now....." Famous last words.

[StarryNite]

2. "is thought..."

two more of those famous last words.

[Raine]

10. "not believed"

two more.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. we stopped eating pork about 2 months ago because my Roomie started reacting

to something in it. His mouth got sore and guts had a fit.

I'm not saying it's related to this recall, just that I am very glad we haven't eaten any lately. :scared:

[HockeyMom]

4. Might not the size of the animal

have something to do with it? More cats than dogs died from the pet food. Isn't a hog even bigger that most breeds of dogs?

[femmedem]

14. Humans are pretty big. And one woman already got sick from eating the tainted pet food.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=1527772d-a1c2-42b8-a069-c8e8ee6aff26&k=8618

[icymist]

5. Minimal?! They're quarantining hogs meant for human consuption...

for a minimal risk? Something fishy here.

[emilyg]

6. minimal?

won't be minimal to people that get sick.

[undergroundpanther]

7. Everything is contaminated...

And we are the test subjects..
Based on data from the US Food and Drug Administration, this article provides a brief overview of POPs residues in common foods in the United States food supply. The analysis focuses on 12 chemical compounds now targeted for an international phase out under the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The available information indicates that POPs residues are present in virtually all categories of foods, including baked goods, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, and dairy products. Residues of five or more persistent toxic chemicals in a single food item are not unusual, with the most commonly found POPs being the pesticides DDT (and its metabolites, such as DDE) and dieldrin. Estimated daily doses of dieldrin alone exceed US Environmental Protection Agency and US Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Control reference dose for children. Given the widespread occurrence of POPs in the food supply and the serious health risks associated with even extremely small levels of exposure, prevention of further food contamination must be a national health policy priority in every country
http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/56/11/813
http://www.infowars.com/articles/science/gm_cr

[pnwmom]

12. Oh, barf!

:puke:

:puke:

:puke:

:puke:

[riverdeep]

8. You don't want to see how hot dogs are made

Well, maybe we should.

[Shallah Kali]

9. Suspect Wheat Gluten Also Sold to Rendering Plants - stuff that is often turned into pet food!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2816249&mesg_id=2816892

[orleans]

11. argh! guess i should stop giving my dog bites of ham...and

stop buying it for the rest of the family as well.

hello? congress?? what'cha gonna do??

this is getting unfucking real.

[Pachamama]

13. Wheat Gluten, Rice Gluten, Corn Gluten - all fed to animals - and then if those animals are eaten by

us, should any of this be surprising to us????

Many here on the DU have been talking about the reality that not only could this happen, but that the various contaminated glutens have entered the human food supplies....

Just a matter of time, and we will be hearing even more....