Pet food toxin also found in pig feed
Melamine, the cause of the pet food contamination has been found in pig feed at American Hog Farm in Ceres, Calofornia. Officials believe the melamine came from rice protein concentrate imported from China by Diamond Pet Food, which sold salvage pet food to the farm for pig feed.
under quarantine after melamine was found in pig urine. Additional testing is under
way to determine whether the chemical was present in the meat produced by the
farm, the state Department of Food and Agriculture said.
“Although all
animals appear healthy, we are taking this action out of an abundance of
caution,” State Veterinarian Richard Breitmeyer said in a statement. “It is
unknown if the chemical will be detected in meat.”
Custom
slaughterhouse
Officials were investigating American Hog Farm’s sales
records to determine who may be affected by the quarantine, said Steve Lyle, a
spokesman for the California
Department of Food and Agriculture. The 1,500-animal farm operates as a
“custom slaughterhouse,” which means it generally does not supply meat to
commercial outlets. “Mostly it is not so-called mainstream pork. This is an
operation that sells to folks who come in and want a whole pig,” said Lyle
said.
Minimal health risk
Officials urged those who purchased
pigs from American Hog Farm since April 3 to not consume the product until
further notice. Dr. Mark Horton, state public health officer, said so far
“evidence suggests a minimal health risk to persons who may have consumed pork”
from the farm.
Related websites:
FDA
Diamond Pet Food
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