Pet Food Recall: First Dog & Cat Food, Now Possible Human Food Recall?

As pet owners panic and consider how they should react to a wide and ever changing pet food recall that now includes dog food, cat food and both dog and cat treats some are considering if the recall may move towards human food.  In a Washington Post article it is noted that the Food and Drug Administration expanded its investigation this weekend to a dry pet-food maker, and a Hill's recalled one variety of dry cat food, as the mystery of what has sickened and killed an untold number of cats and dogs deepened.

Pet Food Recall: First Dog & Cat Food, Now Possible Human Food Recall?

The toxin melamine, not the previously suspected chemical used in rat poison, was found in pet food samples, in imported wheat gluten and in the urine and tissue of ill pets, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. He said melamine is used in fertilizer in Asia and in plastic products but is not registered as a fertilizer in the United States.

Sundlof said melamine is "an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level," but he warned that the FDA is not fully certain that the chemical caused pet illnesses.  He also added that wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, is also used in some human foods. Sundlof said the FDA is not aware that any of the contaminated gluten went into human food but said he could not confirm this "with 100 percent certainty."

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David Goldstein writes at the Huffington Post that Del Monte, who has also issued recalls for both dog and cat treats issued a voluntary recall Saturday for several products under the Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Pounce, Ol' Roy, Dollar General and Happy Trails brands.
He writes: "Wheat gluten is sold in both "food grade" and "feed grade" varieties. Either may be used in pet food, but only "food grade" gluten may be used in the manufacture of products meant for human consumption. Published reports have thus far focused on tainted pet food, but if the gluten in question entered the human food supply through a major food products supplier and processor, it could potentially contaminate thousands of products and hundreds of millions of units nationwide."

He adds:  Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours.

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Continuing: Public statements have indicated that the contaminated gluten was distributed by a single U.S. company, but since the FDA refuses to name the supplier, it is not yet known if this company also supplies human food manufacturers. It is also not yet known if Xuzhou Anying sells direct to food manufacturers in the U.S. or abroad.

While cats seem particularly susceptible to the effects of melamine poisoning, there is little research on the substance's human toxicity. Unless and until the FDA determines otherwise, one cannot help but wonder if our sick and dying cats are merely the canary in the coal mine alerting us to a broader contamination of the human food supply.

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While this may be a bit ahead of the curve, and many will think it may spark panic, it is a question that should be asked when an FDA official is admitting they are not certain that human food is not tainted.