China petfood manufacturers want fair treatment of products in US

After Petco and other US petfood retailers began to remove Chinese products from their stores, China’s petfood exporters have called for objective and fair treatment of its products.

In January, Petco said it had removed all Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores because of concerns over pet illnesses. In May, Petco and PetSmart said they want to ban the treats.
In response, the Pet Food Articles Inspection and Quarantine Branch of China Entry and Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association said that "there is no direct evidence of a correlation between the pet snacks manufactured in China and the disease and death of pets in USA."
"De-shelving with no reason will result in trade losses of the importers/exporters of the two countries and cause a misunderstanding by US consumers about pet snacks manufactured in China," the association said in a statement provided to China Daily.
The association said most Chinese enterprises do OEM for US brands, and raw, auxiliary materials and production technology are in accordance with the requests of US importers. The group says many Chinese petfood companies have been affected by the move.
"We wish the US retailers to treat pet snacks manufactured in China objectively and fairly, and US consumers not be misguided by groundless suspicions," it added.

Petco to stop sales of China-made dog and cat treats

Petco will stop carrying China-made dog and cat treats at its more than 1,300 store locations nationwide, including Unleashed by Petco stores and online at Petco.com, by the end of 2014.

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"We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in China, especially chicken jerky products, and we've heard their concerns," said Jim Myers, Petco CEO. "As a leader in the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we're eager to make this transition and to expand our assortment of safe and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the US. Very simply, we feel this decision is in the best interest of the pets we all love and, ultimately, for our business."
Since 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has periodically cautioned consumers about a potential link between reported illnesses in dogs and the consumption of jerky products made in China. However, the FDA has been unable to identify a direct link between the reported illnesses and the China-made treats, and has not recommended a recall of jerky products. 
"We've been following the FDA warnings and related customer concerns closely, and we've been actively reducing our China-made assortment and expanding our American-made offerings for several years now," said Myers. "We know the FDA hasn't yet identified a direct cause for the reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation outweighs the lack of actual proof. It has taken some time and careful thought to get to this point, but we're proud to make the change and we believe our customers will be pleased with it as well."
The final stage of the transition will begin in September and is expected to be complete by the end of 2014, marking the end of a multi-year process in which Petco has been working with vendors and suppliers to offer more safe and healthy alternatives to treats made in China. 
Pet parents looking for alternatives to China-made dog or cat treats will find a broad selection of USA-made products at Petco. The company also carries a number of safe and long lasting treats and chews from other regions of the world on its shelves, including New Zealand, Australia and South America.

China pet jerky treats now linked to three human illnesses

Pet jerky treats, mostly imported from China, are now linked to three human illnesses in addition to the more than 1,000 dog deaths and 4,800 dog illnesses reported, according to reports.

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Unfortunately, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it still can't identify a specific cause for the illnesses and deaths, in spite of seven years of testing and investigation. “The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky treats are not required for a balanced diet and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets,” said FDA.
The humans who consumed the treats included two toddlers who ingested them accidentally and an adult who may have been snacking on the questionable products, which include chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats, an FDA official said. One of the children was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection, and the other developed gastrointestinal illness and fever that mirrored the symptoms of dogs in the house that also ate the treats. The adult reported nausea and headache.
About 60% of the cases (which overall include 5,600 dogs and 24 cats) involve symptoms of gastrointestinal trouble and liver disease, 30% involve kidney disease and about 10% involve other complaints, including neurological and skin conditions, said the FDA. About 15% of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare disease that has been associated with the treats. The FDA plans to join with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a study similar to epidemiological traceback investigations used with people, comparing foods eaten by sick dogs with foods eaten by pets that did not get sick.

Jerky treat pet deaths still under investigation

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still investigating the illnesses and deaths of several hundred dogs that began in 2007 and are suspected to be the result of contaminated chicken jerky pet treats manufactured in China.

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The FDA continues to seek leads from veterinarians and pet owners-roughly 1,500 reports have some in since an appeal for information in the fall of 2013. "We are frustrated," said Martine Hartogensis, who oversees the FDA's ongoing investigation. "It's been a long, winding, twisting road . . . [But] we haven't given up." 
The FDA says it has tested more than 1,200 jerky treats, looking for Salmonella, mold, pesticides, toxic metals, outlawed antibiotics, nephrotoxins and other contaminants. Federal officials have inspected factories in China that manufacture chicken jerky products for U.S. companies and sought input from academics, state and university research labs, foreign governments and the petfood industry. In spite of all that, the cause of the illnesses has not yet been found.
According to the FDA, the illnesses overwhelmingly affect dogs but some cats have also been made ill. The majority of complaints involve chicken jerky but also include treats in which chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruit, sweet potatoes or yams. Officials said there's no clear pattern based on breed or geography-pets have been sickened in every state, as well as in countries such as Australia-and the problems don't seem specific to any particular brand or manufacturer.
The FDA said it is determined to find answers. "They want to solve it more than anything," said Hartogensis. "I'm confident we'll get there. It's a really complicated issue, but we've got a lot of great people working on it. And I think we're getting closer."

Food & Water Watch delivers petition on China pet treats

Food & Water Watch has delivered a petition on behalf of "animal parents" to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against pet treats and food made in China. It wants the agency to implement Section 211 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that would inform consumers about the dangers of these treats. Under that rule, grocery stores will have to post notices in conspicuous places telling consumers about contaminated food products, including petfood.

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Terry Safranek, a founding member of Animal Parents Against Pet Treats & Food Made in China (APAPTFMIC), said in a statement, "I lost my beloved dog Sampson in January 2012 to poisonous pet jerky treats made in China. 
Since 2007, FDA has reported that 600 dogs have died and over 4,600 have gotten sick and the common denominator is that all of these pets consumed imported jerky treats from China. While I appreciate the effort that the agency has made to look at this problem, China is still being permitted to export these products to the U.S. and we are no closer to finding out what is killing our pets. FDA should ban these products from coming into our country until we figure out what is going on. Short of that, FDA should implement this section of FSMA that would inform consumers of the dangers of these products."

Woman launches Change.org campaign against China chicken jerky dog treats

An Ohio, USA, woman launched a petition campaign on Change.org calling for the recall of Nestle Purina's Waggin' Train dog treats, claiming her Fox Terrier died after consuming the chicken jerky treats made in China. 
Terry Safranek's campaign on Change.org was launched after a Food and Drug Administration representative picked up a sample of the treats from her house for its ongoing investigation. So far, more than 600 cases of sickness and death in dogs linked to the chicken jerky treats have been reported to the administration. 
Safranek said: “Waggin' Train Wholesome Chicken Jerky treats were the last thing Sampson ate before he fell ill. I've since learned we're part of a known epidemic of hundreds of cases of illness and death attributed to these and other chicken jerky treats made in China. Nestle Purina needs to protect other families from what I went through by taking these treats off the shelves until they're proven safe.
“Nestle Purina has refused all accountability, instead placing blame on people like me who have lost their companions. If Nestle’s treats are safe, as they repeatedly claim, death and illness would never have been the end result for so many,” she said.

RECALL: FDA to investigate chicken jerky dog treats made in China

US Food and Drug Administration inspectors are being sent to manufacturing facilities in China that make chicken jerky dog treats to investigate a potential link between illnesses and deaths in dogs and the treats, according to MSNBC.  
The exact number of inspectors involved in the chicken jerky treat investigation and the plants that will be visited are unknown, and Food and Drug Administration officials declined to comment on the inspections. 
The inspections in China come after growing pressure from US pet owners, including Robin Pierre, a co-founder of “Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China," who says she has collected more than 7,000 signatures on a petition urging the Food and Drug Administration to take action.
"While I am happy that the FDA is in China investigating now, it never should have taken this long. Too many of our innocent and voiceless companions suffered horrific deaths...No animal should have ever had to die because of a 'treat'," she said.

Chicken jerky treats from China may sicken dogs, FDA warns

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners to be award of chicken jerky products from China that may be associated with reports of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs.

In its alert to dog owners, FDA says chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are only intended to be fed occasionally, in small quantities.

FDA advises consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to monitor them closely for any or all of the following Fanconi-like symptoms that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, pet owners should stop feeding the chicken jerky product and consult a veterinarian if signs are severe or last for more than 24 hours. Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports have involved dogs that have died, according to FDA.

FDA and several US animal health diagnostic laboratories are working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Response Network is available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not yet identified a contaminant. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with petfoods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints. 

Possible carcinogen found in Chinese products

Hydrolyzed leather protein, known as a possible carcinogen, was found in batches of dairy products in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, according to an article from The Epoch Times.
An anonymous letter was sent to authorities exposing the illegal practice to boost the apparent protein content of its product, according to the article, and was later confirmed by tests that the products contained the protein.
Morning Garden, the company who produces the dairy products, is a food manufacturing company based in Lanxi City.
Experts said that leather protein is similar to melamine but different in that leather protein is harder to detect because it is a real protein that is also toxic, according to the article.

Evidence destruction claim rejected in Menu Foods case

Allegations that Menu Foods destroyed evidence are the basis of motions in several court cases, according to an article on www.consumeraffairs.com.
Menu Foods settled a $24 million lawsuit last year that grew from the largest petfood recall in US history. The case was heard in New Jersey, and parties are still wrapping up various items on the docket, but now a Washington state litigant is charging that the company illegally destroyed thousands of samples of food, potentially leaving him without evidence to pursue his claim.
During discovery for the New Jersey suit, the defendants collected thousands of cases of petfood — both recalled and non-recalled — in their warehouse. In December 2007, the defendants claimed that preserving all of these samples was an unnecessary waste of time and money. The court agreed, and allowed the defendants to destroy all but 500 units of recalled petfood.
Donald Earl, a plaintiff in a Washington state suit, filed a motion objecting to the orders in January 2008. Earl’s suit involved “cake style” cat food, which does not contain gluten and was not implicated in the March 2007 recall.
Laboratory tests of Earl’s food showed that it was contaminated with acetaminophen and cyanuric acid, nitrogen-based chemicals often used to artificially boost a food’s apparent protein content. Neither chemical was discovered in the recalled food. Despite his allegations, the court dismissed Earl’s objection without comment in February 2008.
Earl also filed a motion in Washington state court, where his own suit was pending. That court rejected his claim in February 2008.
Undeterred, Earl filed a second objection and motion to intervene in January 2009.
In a two-page order issued in February, Judge Noel Hillman denied Earl’s motion to intervene, holding that Earl “has not demonstrated that he has an interest in the ‘unorganized inventory’ requiring that this Court vacate its prior orders regarding that inventory.”

Chinese government urged to formulate petfood regulations

In the wake of the recent deaths of more than 300 dogs due to aflatoxin-contaminated food, the Animal Protection Association of the Republic of China called for the government to formulate regulations to ensure the safety of petfood.
Huang Ching-jung, secretary-general of the association, says that tests on aflatoxin, melamine and pesticide should be part of the regulation. In response, Hsu Tien-lai, chief of the Council of Agriculture (COA) Animal Husbandry Department, replied that the council will draft a bill to be submitted to the Legislative Yuan to consider adopting.

WHO sets tolerable melamine levels

The tolerable daily intake for melamine is 0.2 mg per kg of body weight, a level set by international experts at a meeting organized by the World Health Organization.
The level is lower than previously suggested and is meant to help national authorities set safe limits in food for withdraw purposes if melamine is detected as the result of intentional contamination. This level represents the tolerable amount of unavoidable contaminant in food that may be ingested on a daily basis without appreciable health risk.
Melamine, a chemical compound, was the contaminant implicated in the 2007 petfood recalls.