I Got this reply from an email I sent Tammy Baldwin
Thank you for contacting me about the pet food recall that
occurred in March 2007. It is good to hear from you, and I
apologize for the delay in my response.
As you are aware, on March 15, 2007, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) learned that certain pet foods were causing
death and illness among cats and dogs. The FDA found
contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States
from China and used as ingredients in pet food. There were
voluntary pet food recalls in North America, Europe and South
Africa that came in response to reports of renal failure in pets.
Initially, the recalls were associated with the consumption of
mostly wet pet foods that had been made with wheat gluten from a
single Chinese company. Approximately one month after the
initial recall, contaminated rice protein from a different source in
China was also identified as being associated with kidney failure in
pets in the United States, while contaminated corn gluten was
associated with kidney failure with pets in South Africa.
By the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than
100 pet deaths amongst nearly 500 cases of kidney failure, and the
FDA has received reports of several thousand cats and dogs who
died after eating contaminated food. The FDA, however, was only
able to confirm a small number of these cases largely because there
is no centralized government records database of animal sickness
or death in the United States. As a result, many sources speculate
that the actual number of affected pets may never be known and
experts are concerned that the actual death toll could potentially
reach into the thousands
Additionally, a portion of the tainted pet food was used to produce
farm animal feed and fish feed. Concerns arose when the FDA
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered that some
animals that ate the tainted feed had been processed into human
food. However, government scientists determined that there is
very low risk to human health from consuming food from animals
that ate tainted feed.
Currently, pet food products do not require pre-market approval by
the FDA. While the FDA works to ensure that pet food ingredients
are safe, many ingredients such as meat, poultry, grains, and their
byproducts are considered safe "foods" and do not require pre-
market approval. Additionally, the FDA currently has no authority
to order food recalls, but must rely on the industry to voluntarily
pull products from store shelves.
You may be interested to know that H.R. 2108, the Human and Pet
Food Safety Act of 2007 was introduced on May 2, 2007 to
address the recent nationwide recalls and quarantines of tainted
pork, spinach, peanut butter and pet food. This bill:
* provides the FDA the authority for mandatory recalls of
contaminated or dangerous food;
* establishes an early warning and notification system for
human food as well as pet food products establishes
uniform federal standards and better labeling of pet food;
* improving FDA's ability to regulate imported food
products by directing the FDA to establish a certification
program with trading partners interested in exporting food
products to the United States; and
* requires companies to maintain records and make them
accessible to FDA as part of an investigation.
H.R. 2108 has been referred to the
House Energy and Commerce
Committeehttp://energycommerce.house.gov/index.shtml, of which I am a member.
Like you, I am concerned about the vulnerabilities to our nation's
pet food supply that the recent contamination and recall exposed. I
believe that we must take precautions to ensure that pets are
properly protected. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in
mind should H.R. 2108 or other measures seeking to increase pet
food safety come before me in Committee or on the House floor.
Again, thank you for sharing your views. Your opinion matters to
me. If I can be of service to you in any other way, please do not
hesitate to let me know. As a result of the anthrax incidents, all
mail sent to Congress is first irradiated. This process causes
significant delays. To ensure the fastest response, I encourage all
constituents who have access to the internet to contact me through
my website at
http://tammybaldwin.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Tammy Baldwin
Member of Congress
2446 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2906
10 E. Doty Street
Suite 405
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 258-9800
400 E. Grand Avenue
Suite 402
Beloit, WI 53511
Phone: (608) 362-2800
www.tammybaldwin.house.govI included the link to the Energy and Commerce Committee so people can contact them directly. They also have a list
http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/110fullmship.shtml so folks can see the members and contact your congressperson if they are a member.
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Just as I got my one cat used to Timberwolf Serengetti I find out it was made at Chenango Valley. Back to the drawing board.
