New Tainted Ingredient Prompts Widened Pet Food Recall

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So far, the FDA has not said how many cats and dogs have become sick or died from contaminated food. To date, Sundlof said, the agency has received more than 15,000 calls on sick or dead pets.

The FDA continues to sample all wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate coming into the United States from China, Sundlof said. "Additional products will be added as we receive information," he said.

The contaminated rice protein concentrate has also made its way into hog feed, Sundlof noted, adding that the extent of the problem isn't known.

It's also not known if hogs fed the contaminated food have made it into the human food chain, he said.

"We do understand that one of the companies that was manufacturing pet food had some pet food that was unfit for pets and it made its way into some hog feed," Sundlof said. "We are following up on that."

The Associated Press on Friday reported that California state agriculture officials had placed American Hog Farm in Ceres under quarantine after melamine was found in pig urine there.

Officials are investigating American Hog Farm's sales records to determine who may be affected by the quarantine, said Steve Lyle, a spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The farm operates as a "custom slaughterhouse," which means it supplies meat only to those who want a whole pig, the AP reported.

The FDA believes that the pet food product contamination might have been intentional. Melamine can make it appear that the protein content of the wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate is higher than it actually is.

"We are aware that melamine can increase protein content," Sundlof said. "It's still a theory, but it seems to be a plausible one. The motivation would be economic in that you can take a product that is low in protein and would not qualify for the designation as protein supplement and make it appear that it has a high protein content so it can be sold at a higher price."

He noted that in the shipment of rice protein concentrate to Wilbur-Ellis, one bag was pink and was stenciled with the word "melamine."