FDA Finds Plastics Chemical in Pet Food

Apr 2, 2007 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON -- In the latest twist to the pet food recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in some samples of Menu Foods pet food. Used as a fertilizer in Asia and also in commercial uses such as plastic kitchen utensils, melamine was found in wheat gluten used in Menu‘s wet pet foods. The FDA said it is also investigating whether melamine-contaminated wheat gluten was shipped to a dry pet food manufacturer, which it declined to name. It is not known whether melamine caused the deaths of more than a dozen cats and dogs and the illnesses of others. However, officials said melamine should not be in pet food at any level. In response, Hill‘s Pet Nutrition voluntarily recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food from the market because wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. Menu Foods said it‘s confident that its “cuts and gravy” style pet food outside the recalled period is safe and healthy for consumption by North America‘s cats and dogs. “The pet food that we have manufactured after March 6 is safe and healthy,” said Paul Henderson, Menu‘s president and chief executive.