PATEX
05-09-2007, 08:46 AM
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/05/08/pet-food-recall-fda-says-another-recall-may-be-coming/
Pet food recall: FDA says another recall may be coming
May 8, 2007
According to the FDA, there may be another pet food recall coming.
On April 23, Sens. Durbin and Cantwell wrote to the FDA, saying:
We have learned that in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine. We request the FDA identify this second importer as well as those manufacturers to which it may have sold the contaminated product. Again, we request the FDA closely track this shipment and immediately press the affected companies to recall any food containing the imported rice protein.
At the May 3 FDA media briefing, we were waiting to ask about the senators’ letter, and if there was indeed another company. We e-mailed the FDA the questions when we didn’t get to ask them at the media briefing, and were promised a response. After today’s media briefing, we got our FDA response. What we found out:
On May 4, a company called Cereal Byproducts issued a recall of rice protein concentrate it obtained from what it called a “local domestic importer.” The recall was announced on a website at www.riceproteinrecall.com, which was offline for an unknown period until just after we called the company:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Mt. Prospect, Illinois – May 4, 2007 – Cereal Byproducts Company is announcing today that the FDA has determined that there are melamine and/or melamine derivatives in the rice protein concentrate produced by a single source Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., and purchased through a local domestic importer. Cereal Byproducts shipped the recalled product to a total of three customers located in the Midwest between July 19, 2006 and March 14, 2007.
The FDA previously found melamine and/or melamine derivatives in Wilbur-Ellis Company’s rice protein concentrate, which was purchased from the same Chinese supplier as Cereal Byproducts. Cereal Byproducts proactively notified their customers of this finding, and thereafter both parties implemented their own voluntary recall of the contaminated products on or about April 19, 2007.
Although Cereal Byproducts has received no confirmed cases of pet deaths, it voluntarily chose to initiate the recall when Cereal Byproducts discovered there was a potential contamination of melamine or melamine type derivatives in the rice protein. We are confident that our customers have implemented on-going recalls and the remaining rice protein concentrate, not previously distributed to these customers, is located at a separate warehouse facility under quarantine.
Cereal Byproducts assures its customers that the safety and quality of the ingredients it supplies is a top priority. Since 1917 it has always been our goal is to ensure the safety and integrity of our products. Cereal Byproducts is working closely with the FDA to assist in its efforts to address the recent development affecting the pet food industry.
Customers with questions about this recall or any Cereal Byproducts Company product should visit the website at riceproteinrecall.com or visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov for more information.
Note the release says the concentrate was sold to three customers of Cereal Byproducts, only two of which have issued voluntary recalls of pet food products since that time.
The FDA’s Kimberly Rawlings today by phone confirmed that the third company may, at some unspecified time in the future, also recall some pet food products, saying, “Cereal Byproducts recalled the rice protein concentrate they sold to three firms. This recall may result in additional pet food being recalled.” She said she was unable to put any kind of timeframe on such a recall.
Neither FDA nor Cereal Byproducts would identify the third company, although Cereal Byproducts did say all three customers were “in the Midwest.”
Rawlings stressed that “based on our records, the Cereal Byproducts shipments of rice concentrates trace to Binzhou Futian Technology–the source already identified. There is no new importer or Chinese supplier of rice protein concentrate that we know of per the records we collected.”
She said that FDA was preparing a response to Sens. Durbin and Cantwell. Sen. Durbin’s office indicated it was in the process of setting up a meeting with FDA and the Chinese Embassy to investigate this issue in more depth.
The last set of pet food recalls was attributed to cross-contamination with wheat products containing melamine and similar chemical compounds in a Menu Foods plant. When asked if the Menu Foods recall was related to the FDA inspection of one of the company’s plants the previous week, the FDA’s Douglas Arbesfeld replied, “It is the same firm in Kansas, the corporate HQ, that initiated the recall to include the NJ facility. It would be a stretch to say that this action was a direct result of the current and ongoing inspection and interaction with firm. I would refer to them as related activities.”
Pet food recall: FDA says another recall may be coming
May 8, 2007
According to the FDA, there may be another pet food recall coming.
On April 23, Sens. Durbin and Cantwell wrote to the FDA, saying:
We have learned that in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine. We request the FDA identify this second importer as well as those manufacturers to which it may have sold the contaminated product. Again, we request the FDA closely track this shipment and immediately press the affected companies to recall any food containing the imported rice protein.
At the May 3 FDA media briefing, we were waiting to ask about the senators’ letter, and if there was indeed another company. We e-mailed the FDA the questions when we didn’t get to ask them at the media briefing, and were promised a response. After today’s media briefing, we got our FDA response. What we found out:
On May 4, a company called Cereal Byproducts issued a recall of rice protein concentrate it obtained from what it called a “local domestic importer.” The recall was announced on a website at www.riceproteinrecall.com, which was offline for an unknown period until just after we called the company:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Mt. Prospect, Illinois – May 4, 2007 – Cereal Byproducts Company is announcing today that the FDA has determined that there are melamine and/or melamine derivatives in the rice protein concentrate produced by a single source Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., and purchased through a local domestic importer. Cereal Byproducts shipped the recalled product to a total of three customers located in the Midwest between July 19, 2006 and March 14, 2007.
The FDA previously found melamine and/or melamine derivatives in Wilbur-Ellis Company’s rice protein concentrate, which was purchased from the same Chinese supplier as Cereal Byproducts. Cereal Byproducts proactively notified their customers of this finding, and thereafter both parties implemented their own voluntary recall of the contaminated products on or about April 19, 2007.
Although Cereal Byproducts has received no confirmed cases of pet deaths, it voluntarily chose to initiate the recall when Cereal Byproducts discovered there was a potential contamination of melamine or melamine type derivatives in the rice protein. We are confident that our customers have implemented on-going recalls and the remaining rice protein concentrate, not previously distributed to these customers, is located at a separate warehouse facility under quarantine.
Cereal Byproducts assures its customers that the safety and quality of the ingredients it supplies is a top priority. Since 1917 it has always been our goal is to ensure the safety and integrity of our products. Cereal Byproducts is working closely with the FDA to assist in its efforts to address the recent development affecting the pet food industry.
Customers with questions about this recall or any Cereal Byproducts Company product should visit the website at riceproteinrecall.com or visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov for more information.
Note the release says the concentrate was sold to three customers of Cereal Byproducts, only two of which have issued voluntary recalls of pet food products since that time.
The FDA’s Kimberly Rawlings today by phone confirmed that the third company may, at some unspecified time in the future, also recall some pet food products, saying, “Cereal Byproducts recalled the rice protein concentrate they sold to three firms. This recall may result in additional pet food being recalled.” She said she was unable to put any kind of timeframe on such a recall.
Neither FDA nor Cereal Byproducts would identify the third company, although Cereal Byproducts did say all three customers were “in the Midwest.”
Rawlings stressed that “based on our records, the Cereal Byproducts shipments of rice concentrates trace to Binzhou Futian Technology–the source already identified. There is no new importer or Chinese supplier of rice protein concentrate that we know of per the records we collected.”
She said that FDA was preparing a response to Sens. Durbin and Cantwell. Sen. Durbin’s office indicated it was in the process of setting up a meeting with FDA and the Chinese Embassy to investigate this issue in more depth.
The last set of pet food recalls was attributed to cross-contamination with wheat products containing melamine and similar chemical compounds in a Menu Foods plant. When asked if the Menu Foods recall was related to the FDA inspection of one of the company’s plants the previous week, the FDA’s Douglas Arbesfeld replied, “It is the same firm in Kansas, the corporate HQ, that initiated the recall to include the NJ facility. It would be a stretch to say that this action was a direct result of the current and ongoing inspection and interaction with firm. I would refer to them as related activities.”