In the beginning, FDA announced that wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China were contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds. It was later discovered that the ingredients were mislabeled and actually contained wheat flour that was contaminated with the melamine and its compounds. The product was imported by Wilbur-Ellis, an importer and distributor of agricultural products, who began importing product from China in August 2006 but did not become aware of the contamination until April 2007. Chinese officials have reportedly detained the persons involved in the contamination, the plants have been closed, and the equipment confiscated. It has been suggested that the melamine was added to the vegetable products to increase nitrogen levels, which shows up as protein on crude chemical analysis.
As a result of this situation, currently all vegetable protein products imported or transshipped from China into the United States must be tested for melamine, cyanuric acid, or other melamine-derived compounds. Also, sampling assignments are underway at U.S. ports on pet food and animal feed, including fish feed, arriving from China that specifically could contain melamine or its compounds. U.S. officials returned from China in mid-May after investigating several sites in China that were linked to the contaminated product and will report their findings to the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs.
Poultry, Swine, and Fish Feed Part of Investigation
The investigation widened when it was discovered that by-products of contaminated pet food that contained low levels of melamine were distributed to farms in a limited number of states and added to a small percentage of feed consumed by swine, poultry, and fish. When exposure levels are much higher, as was the case with cats and dogs, the melamine and its compounds appear to cause the formation of crystals in the kidney systems, resulting in kidney damage or failure. Melamine is known to be excreted in animal urine.
USDA reports that approximately 56,000 swine consumed the feed in question in California, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Kansas, Utah, and Illinois. After testing confirmed that melamine and its compounds do not accumulate in pork and is filtered out of the body by the kidneys, and that the swine in question was safe for human consumption, the USDA allowed the animals held on farms to be released and approved for processing. Approximately 100 million swine are processed each year in the United States.
With regards to poultry, approximately 30 broiler poultry farms and eight breeder poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it. All of the broilers, approximately 2.7 million, are believed to have been processed prior to the discovery. Testing on the remaining birds confirmed that meat from poultry fed rations supplemented with pet food scraps containing melamine is safe for human consumption. USDA officials stated that melamine does not accumulate in poultry and is eliminated by the body quickly.
As the investigation continued, FDA learned that a portion of the mislabeled wheat gluten from the Chinese firm was sent to Canada where it was used to manufacture fish feed in British Columbia. The feed was immediately recalled, including that which was exported to two commercial fisheries and 196 fish hatcheries in the United States. The Canadian authorities are aware of the findings. As of press time, two U.S. fish farms – one each in Washington and Hawaii – had been identified as receiving the contaminated fish feed. Both farms have tested their fish privately and by FDA officials, which have proved to be negative for melamine. As with the swine and poultry situation, FDA believes there is no risk to humans. The feed sent to the hatcheries has been recalled and combined with the tiny size of the fish, FDA believes there is no public health concern.
Manufacturers have Legal Responsibility
The FDA reminded food and feed manufacturers of their legal responsibility to ensure that all ingredients used in their products are safe. 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.
FDA issued a “protein ingredient surveillance assignment” on May 1, 2007, allowing the agency, in conjunction with state regulatory authorities, to inspect various food and feed facilities to collect and test for melamine in a variety of protein ingredients and finished products containing such ingredients, to include wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, and rice protein concentrate. The assignment may expand in size and scope to include additional types of protein concentrates and finished products, but FDA did not specify which ones.
Rendered Products are Safe
This incident has raised concerns about the safety of pet food, and by extension, meat and poultry by-products. The National Renderers Association (NRA) released a statement that reiterated how the rendering industry has very effective ways to ensure product quality and safety – process controls that are proven throughout industries worldwide to be more effective than continuous end-product testing.
The NRA stated that it is important to put the unfortunate pet food contamination in perspective – melamine and/or cyanuric acid were illegally added to wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China and not to rendered products. More than 95 percent of pet food grade rendered products are made from portions of USDA inspected and approved carcasses. A small percentage of materials come from animals that die in transit to market or on farms. These animals had been raised for human food in safe conditions and fed wholesome feeds, and renderers use various forms of certification to ensure such animal mortalities did not die from exposure to pesticides or other recognized toxic materials. Renderers cook these materials to kill bacterial and viral pathogens yielding wholesome proteins and fats.
Nearly all renderers have quality and safety control systems in place via formal programs such as the Rendering Industry Code of Practice, hazard analysis and critical control point programs, Safe Feed/Safe Food, or good manufacturing practices. In these programs, a concerted effort is made to foresee any hazard likely to occur and to build prevention of risk into manufacturing. Testing of protein meals is used to check the system, not to check every load made. Renderers routinely test batches of rendered fats for commonly used pesticides and contaminants before they are released for feed use. Widespread testing of rendered ingredients for the presence of melamine is not necessary, cost efficient, or practical. In addition, commercial labs are not yet able to test for the presence of cyanuric acid.
This type of risk management is much more flexible and able to anticipate problems than a rigid testing program for one or a few specific possible contaminants. Renderers are dedicated to capturing value from food by-products and producing pet, livestock, and fish feeds that are safe and nutritious. The melamine incident in pet food triggered an industry-wide re-evaluation of hazards. Every effort is made to ensure that contamination does not occur in the rendering process and that incoming material meets safety criteria.
Newsline - June 2007 Render