Has anyone seen this story? Unknown number? This was posted like an hour ago.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18405363/


More than 100 brands of pet food have been recalled since March 16 because they were contaminated with melamine. An unknown number of dogs and cats have been sickened or died after eating chemical-laced pet food.

Thanks Mike.

Bixlo, I use the dog food, and the exp date and lot codes are on the back of the bag, right near the top.

And this food is not the ONLY ones who use that particular language.

I doubt that Davis. Proprietary was a term used with the natural flavorings. They might switch the brown rice for white rice like you guys were saying, which is bad enough. I just wonder alot lately what really goes into stuff(even junk I eat!), thats why I question the whole natural flavor thing, as benign as it may be.

I have 2 boxes of Nutro Ultra puppy biscuits. They have corn gluten meal in them. I know its not a recalled item, but I cant feed it. I dont trust no gluten in the food.

Well if you say chemicals in the cat food is ok, then so be it. I know it contains a reduction of chicken, and it is supposed to be very similar to creating a chicken stock in my own kitchen, but what is added to it? And why? Why does it need natural flavoring? And are the components of natural flavoring safe for kittens in long term use? If they get sick, can it be traced to natural flavoring chemical compounds? Do they test this stuff on animals? If so where? CalNAt? The flavor company? Is it humane? Caylynn, you are a biologist, can you answer that? Nobody from CalNat is replying. I dont think.

The rice thing is weird. Probably not harmful, though. What concerns me is anything they list as proprietary, and how often are those ingredients subject to change. I read the ingredients list, but really, they could put anything under natural flavors. And if there is a high demand for brown rice in the markets for humans, how often are your cats going to eat white rice in this food?

Excerpt from
http://www.rense.com/general7/whyy.htm


A natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial one. When almond flavor -- benzaldehyde -- is derived from natural sources, such as peach and apricot pits, it contains traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. Benzaldehyde derived by mixing oil of clove and amyl acetate does not contain any cyanide. Nevertheless, it is legally considered an artificial flavor and sells at a much lower price. Natural and artificial flavors are now manufactured at the same chemical plants, places that few people would associate with Mother Nature.

Didnt melamine comply with the FDA? I dont trust nobody anymore.

Mike, whatare the natural flavorings listed in the ingredients? How do you come to have natural flavorings?

That is what seems tricky. Look at what I found about benzaldehyde, commonly used as an almond flavoring;

Uses
While it is commonly employed as a commercial food flavourant (almond flavour) or industrial solvent, benzaldehyde is used chiefly in the synthesis of other organic compounds, ranging from pharmaceuticals to plastic additives. It is also an important intermediate for the processing of perfume and flavouring compounds and in the preparation of certain aniline dyes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaldehyde

It seems that it is used to make plastics as well?

I guess what bothers me is the use of the word "Chemical", I am not a chemist, I dont know what this is all about even though I may have ate/drank it all my life.




Flavor creation
Most food and beverage companies do not create their own flavors but instead employ the services of a flavor company. Food and beverage companies may require flavors for new products, product line extensions (e.g., low fat versions of existing products) or due to changes in formula or processing for existing products.

The flavor creation is done by a specially trained scientist called a "flavorist." The flavorist's job combines extensive scientific knowledge of the chemical palette with artistic creativity to develop new and distinctive flavors. The flavor creation begins when the flavorist receives a brief from the client. In the brief the client will attempt to communicate exactly what type of flavor they seek, in what application it will be used, and any special requirements (e.g., must be all natural). The communication barrier can be quite difficult to overcome since most people aren't experienced at describing flavors. The flavorist will use his or her knowledge of the available chemical ingredients to create a formula and compound it on an electronic balance. The flavor will then be submitted to the client for testing. Several iterations, with feedback from the client, may be needed before the right flavor is found.

Additional work may also be done by the flavor company. For example, the flavor company may conduct sensory taste tests to test consumer acceptance of a flavor before it is sent to the client or to further investigate the "sensory space." The flavor company may also employ application specialists who work to ensure the flavor will work in the application for which it is intended. This may require special flavor delivery technologies that are used to protect the flavor during processing or cooking so that the flavor is only released when eaten by the end consumer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavor

What are the "natural flavors" listed in the ingredient panel? And why are their exact compositions proprietary? Anyone from CalNat??

Does that mean they use brown rice and white rice? Or just one if the other is unavailable?