I knew it would come to this...  :(

Read the alert below that just came from Itchmo. Please pass it on to other pet people.

Unless you KNOW the source of grain in your foods -- pet or human? -- proceed with caution. Chances are, if you feed dry pet food, that it contains one of these ingredients. That grain protein/gluten may or may not have been imported from China.

Chinese supplier(s) are accused of lacing grain glutens with melamine so they test at a higher protein level and, therefore, are more "valuable". Chinese companies may not value pets, or food safety, the way we do. Importers and food manufacturers are obviously not testing their "human grade" products carefully.

Are these imported products also in human foods? Our prepared foods may be at risk, too. 

For what its worth, cats cannot digest grain proteins. These ingredients do increase the listed percentage of protein on the product labels, but the cats can't use them. Cats need high MEAT protein. Dogs are a different story.

 

...Pam

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For the full details, go to:

http://www.itchmo.com/read/melamine-in-corn-gluten-linked-to-south-african-il...

This has been a difficult decision as corn gluten contamination has not

hit North America. But based on patterns of development and expansion

of recall in the US, Itchmo is issuing a warning to pet parents out of

abundance of caution.

We stress that NO US OR CANADIAN CONNECTION HAS BEEN REPORTED.

BREAKING NEWS: Melamine in Corn Gluten Linked to South African Pet

Illnesses

April 19th, 2007

The 29 cases of renal failure in South Africa has been linked to

melamine in corn gluten used in pet food. Corn gluten is used extensively in

the US.

    Tests have confirmed that Vets Choice and Royal Canin dog and cat

dry pet-food products contained corn gluten contaminated with melamine,

says the manufacturer.

    The contaminated corn gluten was delivered to Royal Canin by a

South African third-party supplier and appears to have originated from

China.

We were tracking cases of the South African pet deaths before and have

heard rumors of corn gluten contamination.

At this point, we believe that all corn gluten should be considered at

risk for contamination and should be tested by every pet food

manufacturer and the FDA.

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