FDA: Pet Food Poison Not Yet Identified: The Uncertainty is Driving Some Consumers Away From Commerc

Mar 31, 11:27 AM

Current Headlines: By Rory Sweeney, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Mar. 31--A few weeks after the recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food, federal investigators haven't pinpointed the poison that caused the death of at least 14 animals or completely isolated the contaminated source, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials confirmed on Friday.

So far, only "cuts and gravy"-style food has been recalled, but officials are investigating whether tainted wheat gluten from China has been used to produce dry food as well, Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said at a news conference.

"It is possible," he said, that tainted food could be in circulation, but added, "my sense is that we've got most of it under control."

The uncertainty is driving some consumers away from commercially produced pet food.

"That's scary as hell," said Steve Finelli, a Dallas resident who believes his family's cat, Puddy, might have died from the tainted food.

Concerned about losing Taz, a 12-year-old German shepherd, the Finellis have been feeding the dog meat. They recently returned to Iams dry food, but when alerted to the potentially tainted dry food, he immediately decided to switch again.

"She seems fine, but at this point, we're going to go back to hamburgers and chicken," he said.

Cornell University investigators found melamine in samples of the tainted food and the urine and kidney of cats that died after being used to taste-test the tainted food, Sundlof said. Melamine is used to make plastic utensils and as a fertilizer in Asia,

"Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food in any level," Sundlof said, but cautioned the FDA is not certain it was the cause and doesn't know how it got in the food.

New York state investigators announced last week that aminopterin seemed to be the likely poison, but FDA and Cornell officials said on Friday none of the rat poison had been found in Cornell's investigation.

The wheat gluten, which is used to thicken foods and provide protein, was sold to a producer of dry food, but FDA officials wouldn't release the name of that company, saying it had not been determined whether the tainted supply was used.

FDA officials said all incoming Chinese wheat gluten is being inspected for melamine, and investigators are trying to track down recent shipments that have already been distributed stateside.

Sundlof said the FDA has received around 8,800 complaints from consumers in all 50 states, some of whom fed only dry food.

Other than Finelli, one person locally reported a dead cat thought to be poisoned by tainted food, said Cindy Stark, manager of the Luzerne County SPCA.She added that the office hasn't been deluged with questions about the recall, but has received from concerned citizens much more food than it needs. She said people who want to help should bring in towels, paper towels, bleach and cat litter.

"It's really helpful when plain, old supplies appear," she said.

Rory Sweeney, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7418.

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