Pet food recall widens
Thu Apr
19
Wilbur-Ellis Co. said on Thursday it
was voluntarily recalling all lots of a rice protein concentrate its feed
division had shipped to pet-food
manufacturers.
Wilbur-Ellis said the
recall was because of a risk that rice protein concentrate may have been
contaminated by melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that
can lead to illness or fatalities if consumed.
The announcement is the latest in a widening recall
of dog and cat food products across the United States since mid-March. More than
100 brands of pet food have been recalled after reports of cases of pets
developing kidney failure.
The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration has received more than 14,000 reports of pet illnesses
so far. Officials have confirmed just 16 deaths but believe the actual number
could be higher.
Wilbur-Ellis' said it
obtained rice protein from a single source in China and shipped it to five U.S.
pet-food manufacturers, in Utah, New York, Kansas and two in
Missouri.
The company said it had told
the FDA on Sunday that a single bag in a recent shipment of rice protein
concentrate from its Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co.
Ltd., had tested positive for
melamine.
Wilbur-Ellis said it separated
that bag and quarantined the entire shipment for further testing and no further
deliveries of rice protein concentrate had been made
since.
The company also said a pet food
distributor issued a voluntary recall of its pet food on Monday, believing the
source of contamination to be rice protein concentrate supplied by
it.
Wilbur-Ellis said it is urging all
pet food manufacturers using rice protein concentrate supplied by it to recall
any pet food that may be on supermarket shelves.
Posted: Thursday - April 19, 2007 at 06:45 AM
