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Importer Recalls Rice Protein Used in Pet Food

China Blocking U.S. Food Inspectors, Senator Complaints

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 19, 2007
One of the key links in the chain of North American pet food poisonings -- importer Wilbur-Ellis -- has recalled the rice protein concentrate it imported from China after the FDA detected melamine in the product.

Rice protein concentrate Source: Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, Ltd. Web site

The company said it shipped the ingredient to five U.S. pet-food manufactures. But only one of those companies, Natural Balance, has recalled its pet food.

Natural Balance said tests revealed melamine in some of its venison-based foods, and suspected the rice protein because it was the only new ingredient in the food.

Wilbur-Ellis has not identified the other four manufacturers, but said they're located in Utah, New York, Kansas and Missouri.

The company's CEO, John Thacher, told USA Today that it first detected melamine in one of 146 one-ton bags of rice protein concentrate on April 11. He said the company immediately quarantined the shipment, which arrived in Portland, Ore. on April 4, and didn't find melamine in any of the other bags it tested.

The company said it first discovered the melamine in one of the bags that was pink -- while all the other bags were white -- and had the word "melamine" stenciled on the outside.

Wilbur-Ellis said it asked its supplier why a rice protein concentrate showed up in a bag marked melamine, and was told the ingredient was put in a wrong -- but new -- bag after its original bag broke during loading, according to USA Today.

Wilbur-Ellis said it has stopped importing rice protein concentrate from this Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology.

Earlier today, it was reported that the Chinese government has blocked requests from the Food and Drug Administration to inspect the facilities suspected of producing contaminated products that triggered a massive pet food recall in the United States.

More about the Pet Food Recall ...

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