04.23.07

Cantwell Presses FDA to Reveal All Companies That Received Contaminated Pet Food Ingredients

Senator calls for immediate testing of pet food following expanded recall due to contaminated rice protein

WASHINGTON, DC - Monday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reveal the two remaining companies that received contaminated rice protein from importer Wilbur-Ellis, Inc. but still haven't identified themselves. The senators also learned that a second, unknown U.S. distributor received a shipment of potentially contaminated rice protein. The senators urged the FDA to identify this second distributor as well as any companies receiving contaminated product from this second shipment. Cantwell is calling on the FDA to push for immediate recall of all potentially contaminated pet food and initiate testing to keep contaminated ingredients out of homes.

"Without more information, there's no way for pet owners to be certain the food they're buying is safe," said Cantwell. "Two-thirds of Americans and more than 70 percent of Washingtonians own either a cat or a dog. The FDA knows the names of the companies that received these shipments. Keeping this information from the public is unfair to the millions of Americans trying to prevent their pets from becoming sick."

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, Cantwell and Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and the FDA, asked the agency to:

  • release the names of all pet food manufacturers who received shipments of contaminated ingredients -release the name of the second importer known to have received contaminated rice protein
  • push manufactures to trace and recall all pet food made using potentially contaminated ingredients
  • begin comprehensive testing of potentially contaminated pet food -inspect all suspect pet food ingredients imported from China and other countries
  • work with the Chinese government and other governments to improve their inspection of pet food manufacturing facilities

"...our food supply has been put at risk by contaminated ingredients that originated overseas and were never inspected by the FDA," the senators wrote. "In addition to identifying those companies who were recipients of the contaminated rice protein and have yet to do the right thing by identifying themselves, we request that the FDA begin comprehensive testing and sampling. ...The FDA's strategy thus far of waiting for companies to self-report contamination and make the individual decision to remove contaminated food in their own time frame has served to increase the number of animals sick and dying and magnify this sad situation."

The senators' letter follows a broadened pet food recall, reports that pet food ingredients were purposefully contaminated for economic purposes, and news that the human food supply may be at risk from tainted pet food sold as hog feed. Melamine, a chemical used to make plastic and fertilizer and the agent responsible for contaminating the pet food, increases apparent protein content but has no nutritional value and can be extremely harmful to animals.

The pet food recall began on March 16, with the reports of sick pets dating back to February 20. On March 30, the FDA identified melamine as the most likely cause of the contamination, traced the contaminated ingredients to China, and restricted wheat gluten imports from China. Over the past week, melamine has been found in shipments of rice protein and corn gluten from China.

[The full text of Cantwell and Durbin's letter follows below]

April 23, 2007

Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.

Dear Commissioner:

We are writing today in light of the recent expansion in the pet food recall. Over the past week, shipments of imported rice protein and corn gluten have been discovered to be contaminated with melamine. In addition, we have learned that the human food supply may be at risk from tainted pet food sold to a hog feeding operation in California.

Once again, our food supply has been put at risk by contaminated ingredients that originated overseas and were never inspected by the FDA. In addition to identifying those companies who were recipients of the contaminated rice protein and have yet to do the right thing by identifying themselves, we request that the FDA begin comprehensive testing and sampling of both rice protein and corn gluten, similar to the testing and sampling performed on wheat gluten. The FDA must assure Congress and the American people that the shipments of rice protein known to be contaminated with melamine imported by Wilbur Ellis and the second unknown importer are the only shipments of contaminated rice protein to reach the United States and that no contaminated corn gluten has reached the United States. Should any additional contaminated rice protein or corn gluten be found, the FDA should take immediate action to identify those companies receiving the contaminated products and press for removal of any contaminated food from the market. Additionally, we request that the FDA conduct comprehensive testing on all pet food about which it has received complaints regarding symptoms of kidney failure in dogs or cats. The FDA's strategy thus far of waiting for companies to self-report contamination and make the individual decision to remove contaminated food in their own time frame has served to increase the number of animals sick and dying and magnify this sad situation.

Repeatedly, American pet owners have been told that products not on the recall list are safe for their pets, only to discover that the recall has expanded and that their pets may still be vulnerable. In order to prevent further contaminated food from reaching our shelves, we are requesting the following of the Food and Drug Administration:

  1. Wilbur-Ellis Co., the San Francisco-based company that imported the shipment of contaminated rice protein has said that the shipment was distributed to five pet food manufacturers. Three of those manufacturers have revealed themselves and recalled food, the other two have not. Given the strong possibility that these two pet food manufacturers also received contaminated rice protein and that they have failed to implement voluntary recalls, we believe the FDA should release the names of these manufacturers and require them to trace and recall any pet food made with the potentially contaminated rice protein. If FDA is unable to reveal this information, we ask for a detailed legal explanation.
  2. We have learned that in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine. We request the FDA identify this second importer as well as those manufacturers to which it may have sold the contaminated product. Again, we request the FDA closely track this shipment and immediately press the affected companies to recall any food containing the imported rice protein.
  3. The FDA has engaged in significant testing and sampling of wheat gluten. Given we now know contaminated shipments of both rice protein concentrate and corn gluten have also been exported from China, we ask the FDA to begin comprehensive testing and sampling of rice protein concentrate and corn gluten immediately.
  4. We have seen this recall expand dramatically, both in terms of the number of brands and different products recalled, and in the number of ingredients contaminated. In light of the strong possibility that these protein sources were purposefully contaminated for economic purposes, we are concerned about the safety of other imported pet food ingredients and the possibility of them being contaminated. Accordingly, we ask the FDA to proactively respond by:
    1.  Identifying and inspecting all suspect pet food ingredients imported by the U.S. from China and other countries;
    2. Studying the feasibility of testing protein-based pet food ingredients imported from China and other countries for melamine;
    3. Taking steps to work with the Chinese Government and other foreign governments to inspect their facilities and provide technical assistance to improve their food safety standards.

Approximately 63% of Americans own a cat or a dog. The FDA owes the American public their best effort to prevent contaminated food from getting to store shelves and to remove contaminated food that is already on shelves before more pets die. We look forward to the Food and Drug Administration's prompt and complete response to this letter.

Sincerely,

United States Senator Maria Cantwell
United States Senator Richard Durbin