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05/09/2007
China Detains 2 in Tainted Pet Food Case
SHANGHAI, China (AP) - China launched a food and drug safety crackdown on Wednesday, following an announcement that authorities detained managers from two companies linked to contaminated pet food that killed dogs and cats in North America.
State media, meanwhile, reported the country's disgraced former top drug regulator would go on trial this month on charges of taking bribes to approve untested medicine.
The ongoing revelations have shed a harsh light on China's notorious food and drug safety woes, sparking fears that exported products could contaminate food supplies abroad.
In a notice on its Web site, China's government body responsible for overseeing food safety said investigators had focused on individuals at two companies blamed for the melamine tainting, and said local police had already brought charges. It did not name those under investigation or give other details.
China's State Council, or Cabinet, said the nationwide crackdown would compel companies to adopt "standards used in food-importing countries ... and test products which will be used to make animal feed or food for humans."
That appeared to reflect concern over the impact of the scandals on China's exports of seafood, food additives and other such products, which compete strongly on price but which have been repeatedly singled out for contamination or low quality.
In one such recent case, Mississippi on Tuesday banned catfish from China after tests found ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, antibiotics which are banned for use in the United States.
Tainted drugs are also a serious problem. Recent reports have accused a Chinese company of selling diethylene glycol, a chemical cousin of antifreeze, that ended up in medicine that killed at least 51 people in Panama.
Zheng Xiaoyu, the former director of the State Food and Drug Administration, is accused of taking up to $780,000 in bribes to approve untested medicines, including an antibiotic that killed at least 10 patients.
Zheng was fired in 2005 and the official Xinhua News Agency said his trial will be held in mid-May.
The detained managers were identified as having worked for Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., both listed as having exported melamine-spiked rice protein and wheat gluten to the U.S.
U.S. inspectors said the tainted gluten was used to make pet food and caused the deaths of an unknown number of dogs and cats through liver failure.
More of this article can be found at:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1116&u_sid=10025765
NOTE FROM NATURES LOGIC:
We just want to remind you, the entire line of Nature’s Logic pet food is in no way affected by any of these pet food recalls. Our food is 100% gluten free, uses no ingredients from China, and includes only 1 grain called Millet - which is grown in the United States. Millet is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.
Nature’s Logic is the only line of pet food that derives all nutrients naturally - from whole food sources (i.e. meat, poultry, fruits, and vegetables).
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