Seventy-six tons of dairy products laced with melamine were seized in China last month (June 2010). The melamine nightmare continues.
Reports from China are alluding that this melamine discovery is left over from the 2008 melamine tainted milk horror which killed six babies and sickened 300,000 children. From an article on CBSNews.com “It is crucial to account for the amount that was contaminated back in 2008 and make sure it is being destroyed or disposed of safely,” said Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, a World Health Organization senior scientist on food safety based in Beijing. “As long as part of it is still not accounted for, or destroyed properly, we will unfortunately see these types of things happening again.” http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20010219-10391704.html
An article from Wisconsin Ag Connection states “Inspectors in Gansu Province first discovered contaminated samples of milk powder brought to them for testing by a worker at the Dongyuan Dairy Factory in adjacent Qinghai Province. Qinghai officials later found that 64 tons of raw dairy products and 12 tons of finished goods were tainted with melamine, some at up to 559 times the legal maximum.
Both the factory owner, Liu Zhanfeng, 54, and the production manager, Wang Haifeng, 37, were taken into police custody, Xinhua reported. Officials said most of the contaminated material was destined for Zhejiang Province, near Shanghai.” http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-national.php?Id=1374&yr=2010
A National Toxicology Program report on Melamine states there is a “clear need for updated risk assessment” of melamine. Under the Food/feed contamination category the report tells us there is “literature evidence for previous nephrotoxicity outbreak in pets in Asia in 2004” and “Literature data shows widespread contamination of fish and meat meal with melamine in Italy in the period 1979-1987.” http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/files/9MelamineGGCosta.pdf
China has had the opportunity to properly dispose of melamine tainted products and properly control food related industries at risk of melamine tainting since 1979…and they obviously haven’t. The assumption that this new melamine find (76 tons) is leftover from 2008 is giving far more credit to China than is due.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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