Pet Food Testing

[Therese]

I've recently learned of a company that will do testing on pet food. They can test for various levels of legitimate ingredients as well as aflatoxins and melamine.

Midwest Labs is an independent testing laboratory that you can send your pet food to directly to have it tested. You do not need to go through a vet or the FDA with these folks.

Midwest Labs

I've not had any food tested there myself so I can't tell you anything from first hand experience. Perhaps if someone here has any food tested through them you could come back and let us know about your experience.

I've been assured Midwest Labs does not do any testing on animals.

[TAZ]

This may be another resource for testing.....note that requests must be made by your vet:

Toxicologists at UC Davis' California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System are stepping up their offer to test other, unrecalled foods to ensure all problems are found.

"There aren't that many labs that are doing this kind of testing right now. It's our obligation to follow up," said Bob Poppenga, a UC Davis professor of veterinary clinical toxicology.

The lab is encouraging veterinarians to contact it through its Web site, http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/, to arrange testing of food eaten by pets hit with acute kidney failure.

At first, said Poppenga, lab toxicologists had offered to test unrecalled foods in an effort to reassure owners that something else may have caused the kidney failures.

Now that the lab has had a direct role in expanding the recall, its experts are hoping to help get to the bottom of what's safe and what isn't.

"We're committed to helping each vet and owner," said toxicology professor Birgit Puschner. She added that she doesn't expect the lab to be overwhelmed by the workload as long as pet owners seeking tests make arrangements through their vets.

Link: http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/153049.html (may require registration - easy, free, quick)

[Tracy]

On Itchmo.com on the homepage you will see an ad for Accutrace Testing.  They are doing tests on pet food samples for near their cost and testing for melamine, heavy metals, they know their stuff.  There is a 1-800 number to call.

[TECH MAN]

GC-MS Method for Screening and Confirmation of Melamine and Related Analogs
                                             Version 2  May 7, 2007

So you are aware, the FDA updated the testing methodology on Monday, May 7th 2007. Any "test results" you have paid for prior to this are inaccurate and inconclusive. Please follow the facts and updates.


                                                                       

[Cindy Nevarez]

What?

Can you explain or provide us a link?

[willyagogo]

Hi TECH MAN!....

Welcome.....

I think that I can say with a fair amount of certainty, that most of us on here ARE up to date and are aware of new developments on a day-to-day basis.

Are you pertaining to the fact that it has been wheat flour (not wheat gluten or RPC) all along? Thought this is the case....I haven't seen anything regarding ALL tests being inaccurate...yet....

I agree with Cindy...and would love for you to explain further or provide a link that explains in more detail...the contents of your last post.

I thank you in advance!.....

[Tommyboy]

Here is a link to the May 7 revision.




http://www.fda.gov/cvm/GCMSscreen.htm

[Tommyboy]

Here is a link to the April 25th revision.


http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MelamineAnalogs.htm

[Cindy Nevarez]

Thanks Tommyboy.

And this is exactly why you go to an independent lab for your testing.

[Truth B known]

Cindy,
I think u are misssing the point. I think the FDA sets up the procedures that all must follow, other wise the results are invalid and non conclusive? Anyone can achieve desired results.

[Cindy Nevarez]

Actually the point that I do understand (after Tommyboy posted the 2 different criteria) is that the criteria for the test is continually "updated" in order to make it so that tests done with "old" criteria are invalid so if the "invalid" conclusions are used in a lawsuit, the lawsuit would not be won.

Furthermore, people would be reluctant to keep getting new tests after the criteria is updated, especially if the tests are expensive, which I'm certain they are.

Not to mention that by making the conclusions invalid, the FDA is "correct" when they say the food killed so few animals.

[willyagogo]

Midwest Labs is an independent testing laboratory that you can send your pet food to directly to have it tested. You do not need to go through a vet or the FDA with these folks.

Truth B......

Actually, I believe that you may be missing the point.......

As far as "anyone can achieve desired results".......would that include the FDA also? It would seem that since this whole thing began, they have "desired" nothing but to screw-over pet-owners that want an answer!

Cindy....you go girl! ....

[Truth B known]

Sorry, I keep forgetting willy, this isn't a place to share informative and factual informatioin yet your personal playground to comment negatively on every post. I would have thought you would have stayed out of the "informative" side of the site, and stayed in the fear based gossip.

[willyagogo]

Truth....

I wasn't gossiping or being negative..and as far as sharing information, I thought that quoting Therese was sharing info that I read early in this thread.

I was not being arguementative so please don't misrepresent me in that way.

I thank you in advance.

[Cindy Nevarez]

Where Oh Where do you get that idea?