CNN: Probe of tainted pet food eyes ingredient from China

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Probe of tainted pet food eyes ingredient from China

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/24/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html

POSTED: 1:39 p.m. EDT, March 24, 2007

* Authorities try to figure out how rat poison got into dog and cat food

* FDA says probe focuses on wheat gluten which might be contaminated

* Pet food maker confirms the gluten came from China

* At least 16 cats and dogs have died from eating contaminated food

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ALBANY, New York (AP) -- Pet owners were rechecking their cabinets

and threatening legal action after state officials said rat poison

was found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and

dogs.

 

Some pets that ate the recalled brands suffered kidney failure, and

it was unclear how many deaths would eventually be linked to the

" cuts and gravy " style food produced by Menu Foods, but scientists

said Friday they expected more would be announced.

 

The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation into the

pet deaths was focused on wheat gluten in the food. The gluten itself

would not cause kidney failure, but it could have been contaminated,

the FDA said.

 

Paul Henderson, chief executive of Menu Foods, confirmed Friday that

the wheat gluten was purchased from China.

 

Bob Rosenberg, senior vice president of government affairs for the

National Pest Management Association, said it would be unusual for

the wheat to be tainted.

 

" It would make no sense to spray a crop itself with rodenticide, "

Rosenberg said, adding that grain shippers typically put bait

stations around the perimeter of their storage facilities.

 

The substance in the food was identified as aminopterin, a cancer

drug that once was used to induce abortions in the United States and

is still used to kill rats in some other countries, state Agriculture

Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.

 

" Any amount of this product is too much in food, " Hooker said.

 

The federal government prohibits using aminopterin for killing

rodents in the U.S. State officials would not speculate on how the

poison got into the pet food, but said no criminal investigations had

been launched.

 

The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of dog

and cat food the company produced and sold throughout North America.

 

The company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog. However,

pet owners and veterinarians said the tally could actually be higher,

and other deaths were reported anecdotally around the country.

 

" Before they put this stuff in the bags, there should be some kind of

test, " said Jeff Kerner, whose Yorkshire terrier named Pebbles died

Thursday. " I can't just let it go. Even if they just change the law. "

 

The dog had eaten some of the food, Kerner said, and he was

contacting an attorney because he wanted to prevent another pet

tragedy.

 

There is no risk to pet owners from handling the food, officials said.

 

After Friday's announcement, Menu Foods advised retailers to remove

all of its brands from their shelves, a company spokesman said,

though the recall still applies only to the dog and cat foods

identified on its Web site since March 16. Those cover cans and

pouches of food packaged from December 3 through March 6.

 

" The recall has not been expanded, " Menu spokesman Sam Bornstein said Saturday.

 

Death toll expected to rise

 

Donald Smith, dean of the veterinary school at Cornell University,

said he expected the number of pet deaths to increase. " Based on what

we've heard the last couple days, 16 is a low number, " Smith said.

 

Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at

Cornell and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat

food samples provided by the manufacturer and found aminopterin in

two of them. The two labs are part of a network created after the

September 11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation's animals and food

supply safe.

 

Aminopterin is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of

malignant cells and suppresses the immune system. In dogs and cats,

the amount of aminopterin found -- 40 parts per million -- can cause

kidney failure, according to Bruce Akey, director of Cornell's

diagnostic center.

 

" It's there in substantial amounts, " Akey said.

 

Aminopterin is no longer marketed as a cancer drug, but is still used

in research, said Andre Rosowsky, a chemist with the Dana Farber

Cancer Institute in Boston.

 

Rosowsky speculated that the substance would not show up in pet food

" unless somebody put it there. "

 

Recalled food came from two different plants

 

Henderson said Menu Foods does not believe the food was tampered with

because the recalled food came from two different plants, one in

Kansas, one in New Jersey. Menu continues to produce food at the two

plants.

 

The company, already facing lawsuits, said Friday it is testing all

the ingredients that go into the food.

 

" We have a lot of work to do, and we are eager to get back to it, "

Henderson said. " This is a highly unusual substance. "

 

When asked whether there would be compensation for medical bills for

sick pets, Henderson said " to the extent that we identify that the

cause of any expenses incurred are related to the food, Menu will

take responsibility for that. "

 

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes,

descriptions and production dates was posted online by Menu Foods.

The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could

call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.

 

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