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South Africa Bans Gluten Products from China as Pet Poisonings Spread

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 23, 2007

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The pet food industry in South Africa will no longer accept any gluten products imported from China. That decision comes on the heels of Royal Canin SA's discovery of the chemical melamine in the ingredients.

Royal Canin SA said tests revealed the corn gluten -- used in dog and cat dry pet food products manufactured by Vets Choice and Royal Canin -- was tainted with melamine. That corn gluten came from China.

The company, which manufacturers Royal Canin premium dog and cat food and the cheaper brand Vets Choice, recalled the products last week because they'd caused kidney failure in dogs and cats, according to reports in The Namibian, an independent daily newspaper published in Windhoek, and allAfrica.com.

The South African Veterinary Association said 30 dogs that had eaten the tainted food have died across the country in the past two weeks. The Associated Press reported the pets died from renal failure.

In related news, Royal Canin USA recalled five brands of its Sensible Choice dry dog food and three brands of its Veterinary Diet food last Friday after learning the rice protein in the products was tainted with what the company calls "a melamine derivative."

The company also said it will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of its vegetable proteins. Royal Canin USA said there are no confirmed reports of illnesses linked to the foods, but as a precautionary measure recalled the following brands of its Sensible Choice pet foods:

• Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD;
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy DRY DOG FOOD;
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD;
• Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD;
• Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD

The company also recalled the following veterinary diet brands:

• Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™;
• Canine Skin Support SS21™;
• Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

"We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected," the company said on its Web site.

Pet owners with questions can call the company at 1-800-592-6687.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration say the ingredients imported from China -- and used in the more than 100 brands of recalled pet foods -- may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to boost their apparent protein content.

That's one theory the FDA is pursuing as it investigates how melamine contaminated at least two ingredients used to make the recalled pet foods in the United States: wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate.

There's also confirmation that the corn gluten used in some pet food in South Africa contained melamine.

Tests revealed melamine in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate -- imported from China -- used in the pet foods linked to scores of kidney illnesses and deaths in dogs and cats across the country.

"Melamine was found in all three of those it would certainly lend credibility to the theory that it may be intentional," Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian, told reporters last week. "That will be one of the theories we will pursue when we get into the plants in China."

Infected Hogs

Over the weekend, the FDA announced it has opened a criminal investigation after learning more than 100 hogs were given feed that contained melamine-tainted rice protein.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) said its testing had detected melamine in the urine from hogs at the American Hog Farm in Ceres, California.

The hogs were slaughtered in California's Central Valley.

Consumers who bought pork from the American Hog Farm between April 3 and April 18 are advised not to eat the meat.

California health officials, however, said there are no reports of illness in either people or the hogs. Authorities are trying to track down all the purchasers.

"The risk is minimal, but the investigation is very early on," said Kevin Reilly of the California Department of Health Services.

Sundlof said criminal charges are a possibility, although it is no yet known if there was any criminal intent.

The FDA also announced it's investigating the imported shipment of melamine-tainted rice protein concentrate used in pet foods.

To date, the FDA says it's established:
• That shipment of rice protein concentrate was imported and offloaded during the week of April 2, 2007 by the San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis, an importer and distributor of agricultural products. The rice protein came from Binzhou Futian Biological Technology in China;;
• The shipment consisted primarily of rice protein concentrate in white bags, but also included one pink bag that was labeled, in part, with the word "melamine;"
• On April 15, Wilbur-Ellis notified FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine about the suspect shipment. On April 16, the FDA launched a nationwide investigation that revealed eight import entries -- shipped from the Chinese firm -- since July 2006. FDA testing revealed melamine in both the white and pink bags;
• Wilbur-Ellis recalled all of the rice protein concentrate it had imported from that Chinese company.
• FDA investigators obtained records showing five pet food manufacturers -- in seven locations -- received the tainted rice protein. Investigators are currently inspecting those manufacturers and collecting additional samples;
• The FDA initiated inspections at Royal Canin USA and C.J. Foods and, as a result, both companies recalled certain products;
• FDA also confirmed the presence of melamine in some pet food products containing rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance Pet Foods recalled these foods as a result of that finding: Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods; Venison and Brown Rice dog treats; and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.

The FDA is now sampling all rice protein concentrate from China and continues to sample all wheat gluten imported from that country. The federal agency says it's ready to increase its surveillance of other products, if necessary.

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