Melamine hit Africa too

June 5, 2007

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2007:

CAPE TOWN--At least 30 and possibly as many as 65 dogs died

after eating melamine-contaminated pet food in Cape Town, South

Africa, veterinary pathologist Fred Reyers told Helen Bamford of the

Cape Argus in April 2007.

Little noticed beyond Cape Town, the South African cases

followed much the same trajectory as the high-profile melamine pet

food contamination crisis in the U.S.

" Royal Canin, which makes its own brands as well as Vets

Choice, said in a statement that corn gluten contaminated with

melamine was delivered to South Africa by a third party supplier and

originated from China, " Bamford wrote.

The dog deaths occurred in two clusters. The first cluster

of 35 deaths, in February 2007, occurred before anyone was looking

at melamine as a possible cause.

" At the time, " wrote Bamford, " the pet-food maker Aquanutro,

whose products were marketed by Woolworths, said some of the food

had been contaminated by ethylene glycol, used in anti-freeze.

Reyers is unconvinced, because only traces of ethylene glycol were

found during lab tests. "

Royal Canin managing director Gregory Watine pledged on April

18, 2007 to compensate pet keepers who lost their animals.

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

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