Sludge Watch ==> Letter from Center for Food Safety re Pet Food Quality Standards

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

One concern of mine is : where did all that melamine contaminated pet food 
go?
Did it become hog feed, cattle feed, fish meal?

If so...what regulatory body oversees the impoundment and destruction of 
contaminated food and feed supplies?  Where did it go?

Who inspects pet food and animal feed to make sure the feed doesn't contain 
melamine or cyanide compounds?  How did this massive wave of contamination 
make it into the food chain?
.........................................................



Letter to food manufacturers regarding legal responsibilities for the safety 
of food ingredients
09.may.07
Food and Drug Administration
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/protltr.html

Dear Food Manufacturers:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking this opportunity to 
remind food manufacturers of their legal responsibility to ensure that all 
ingredients used in their products are safe for human consumption. In view 
of the recent recalls of various pet foods due to the presence of wheat 
gluten and rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine, and 
information revealing that some of this contaminated pet food may have been 
mixed with feed for pigs and poultry meant for human consumption, 
manufacturers are encouraged to make sure they have procedures in place that 
ensure the safety of the ingredients in their products, as well as the 
safety of the packaging and processing supplies they use. Manufacturers 
should also verify that their suppliers have such procedures in place. 
Advice on how to ensure that food ingredients and food products are safe for 
human consumption can be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alert.html.
FDA issued a protein ingredient surveillance assignment on May 1, 2007. As 
part of this assignment, FDA, in conjunction with state regulatory 
authorities, will be performing inspections of various food and feed 
facilities and collecting and testing for the presence of melamine a variety 
of protein ingredients, and finished products containing such ingredients, 
commonly found in the U.S. food and feed supplies. FDA has initiated this 
assignment to help ensure the safety of the U.S. food and feed supplies. The 
assignment will supplement melamine testing already conducted by FDA. The 
protein concentrates being tested include wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn 
meal, soy protein, and rice protein concentrate. Over the next few weeks, 
the assignment may expand in size and scope to include additional types of 
protein concentrates and finished products.
During inspections of manufacturing facilities conducted as part of this 
assignment, FDA will reiterate to the food and feed industry the importance 
of assuring the safety and security of their ingredients and products by 
knowing their manufacturing and packaging operators, ingredient suppliers, 
contract manufacturers and sources for all incoming materials. FDA will 
collect samples primarily during inspections of domestic food manufacturers 
or, in the case of imports, at the point of entry. The samples will be 
analyzed at a variety of laboratories that are part of the Food Emergency 
Response Network (FERN).
Manufacturers are responsible for taking their own measures to ensure the 
safety of their products. Manufacturers should not wait for possible FDA 
testing of their materials as manufacturers bear the responsibility of 
ensuring only safe products are put on the market. For those companies 
interested in performing their own tests for melamine, the methodology used 
by the FERN laboratories can be found at 
www.fda.gov/cvm/MelaminePresence.htm.

Sincerely,
Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Director
Center for Veterinary Medicine