U.S. Quarantines 6,000 Hogs Fed Tainted Pet Food

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In a new recall added on Thursday, Chenango Valley Pet Foods, of Shelburne, N.Y., announced it was recalling a variety of shipments of dry pet foods, including selected packets of: Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food; Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Cat Food; Lick Your Chops Lamb Meal, Rice & Egg Cat Food, and Bulk Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food.

In addition to melamine, the FDA has now found cyanuric acid in the rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten used in much of the pet food recalled over the past few weeks.

Like melamine, cyanuric acid is a chemical that can be used to boost the apparent protein content of foods. It is most often used as a stabilizer in outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs.

"The combination of melamine and cyanuric acid is of concern to human and animal health," Elder said. "Melamine, at detected levels, is not a human health concern."

The USDA will compensate hog farmers affected by the tainted pet food, Kenneth Peterson, an assistant administrator for field operations at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, said during the teleconference.

"The pork and pork products from these animals will be destroyed," Peterson said. Each year, more than 105 million hogs are slaughtered in the United States, the AP noted.

Elder also announced that the FDA has been granted visas to go to China to look for the sources of the contamination.

On Thursday, China banned melamine from its food products, but rejected the charge that that the substance caused the pet deaths, the AP reported.

China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that there was no evidence to support the FDA's claim but that it would cooperate with the United States to find out what actually killed the animals.

"At present, there is no clear evidence showing that melamine is the direct cause of the poisoning or death of the pets," the statement said. "China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. side ... to find out the real cause leading to the pet deaths in order to protect the health of the pets of the two countries."

More information

For more information on pet food, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.