Melamine in pigs.... risk to humans? LINK

[Blackhatjack]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/221299/humans_face_risk_of_illness_from_contaminated.html

IS this why the FDA is so quiet in giving updates?

If it is in pigs, how can it not be in the human food chain?

[Blackhatjack]

1. Excerpt from link....

EXCERPT

"The Pittsburgh Tribune Review and the FDA reported today that humans may be at risk of eating food contaminated with melamine. Pigs on farms in California that were fed byproducts and leftover foods purchased from pet food companies may have ingested the melamine tainted foods before they were slaughtered and the pork products subsequently sold for human consumption. The urine of some pigs at the 1,500-animal American Hog Farm in Ceres, Calif., tested positive for melamine. The farm has been quarantined while the FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture investigate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site said, "When ingested (by humans) in large amounts, the substance may have effects on the kidneys, resulting in tissue lesions."

[supernova]

2. Ugh. or in people who choose pig valves

for heart valve replacement. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

[Blackhatjack]

3. Why is the FDA being so quiet about a problem they obviously have to solve?

Is it because of the possible public panic if the truth were known?

[kestrel91316]

9. Because they are still investigating. Still tracing what was done with the

recalled food, etc.

They are NOT the news media. It is not their job to spend all day, every day, yelling and screaming. They are compiling data and writing reports and having meetings and such. As they should.

People seriously need to get over their infantile demands for instant gratification/immediate solutions. FDA has a duty to be THOROUGH and ACCURATE and NOT SCARE PEOPLE NEEDLESSLY.

:rant:

[Blackhatjack]

11. Sorry, but their past history belies the false impression you give ....

Go back and pull any news accounts of e coli outbreaks, or other outbreaks and there was never the slowness in reporting to the public that has gone on here.

Your criticism and characterization of 'infantile demands for instant gratification/immediate solutions' is quite unfounded. Or did you overlook the fact that the FDA was made aware of the problem in February of this year?

If you work for the FDA I could understand your need to not only defend them but attack anyone that asks hard questions of them. However, if you do not, it would seem you are taking an unsupported position to attack others with legitimate questions.

[Double T]

4. Funding to the FDA has been cut by bushco so the corporate food........

producers are free to operate as they please.

Please read: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/1/192253/9381

If 'WE' wait until the end of bush's term in office to do something, 'WE' all may be dead from food contamination and poisoning.

[Blackhatjack]

6. Yep and the driving force was increasing corporate profits...n/t

[Blackhatjack]

5. Melamine in wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate, and corn gluten...

You go to the websites of these suppliers and you realize that these food products are NOT sold for animal consumption exclusively.

The chances that the food products made their way into the human food chain is very high.

Look at the brands of pet food which do not contain one of these ingredients. It is a very short list.

WHat is more scary is look at the products sold for human consumption and identify these food products.

[vickitulsa]

7. Can you quickly tell me more about what melamine is?

I'll do the research but am kinda busy right now and want to have an idea of what we're talking about.

What *I* remember by that name was the durable hard plastic stuff they made "Melmac" out of -- for dishes, ya know! I grew up eating off of Melmac, but of course I doubt it "bled" into the foodstuffs on the plates, right? Right??

Maybe THAT's why I had sickly bouts at times in spite of being VERY active and athletic, and had all those sleep disorders (Mom had to come find me in the mornings, scared her half to death), and the restless legs (even as a child!), and the unexplained severe stomach pain....

God only knows what sorts of foul, dangerous crap we all have ingested and absorbed and breathed for these last several decades in particular!

I heard an "expert," whose name and creds I have forgotten unfortunately, not long ago mention that our FOOD SUPPLY is so far from being adequately inspected and regulated -- and of course could hardly be "guarded" -- that it may be the weakest and most unmanageably insecure link in the entire "security chain" or panoply or grid, whatever they call it. Certainly is "food for thought" (sorry!) but gets very little attention until an outbreak of illness or known contamination.

I've sure wondered why we haven't been outright poisoned en masse long before now. I'll bet this becomes an ever-more-worrisome issue in the months and years to come....

[kestrel91316]

10. Google is your friend:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine

[kestrel91316]

8. The California pig farm that is involved in the melamine debacle does not

sell to the commercial trade, ie grocery stores. They sell to individuals, who want whole pigs for pig roasts at weddings, family barbecues, parties, etc. They sold about 100 pigs that might have had melamine contamination to individuals.

People who buy pork at grocery stores don't need to worry about this pig farm's issue.

[Blackhatjack]

12. I believe human consumption of pigs with melamine in them is 'entering the food chain'

... and if you believe that this one farm is an aberration, you are kidding yourself.

Wait six months, and let's revisit this issue. These companies that sold the offending food additives did not sell just to pet food manufacturers. Check their websites.