Chickens Now Contaminated by Melamine
Some 3 million broiler chickens from 30 farms in Indiana have eaten feed containing melamine–the industrial chemical that gained notoriety in March as a toxic pet-food contaminant–and entered the human food system, government officials announced today. The Food and Drug Administration has decided not to issue recalls of the contaminated chicken, noting that the chemical is not thought to be harmful to people and is highly diluted. The news comes several days after the FDA said it had quarantined 6,000 affected hogs as a precaution, even though it isn't clear yet that the meat had been contaminated. The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports that it has contacted 22 people who purchased pork suspected of contamination, most of whom have eaten the meat without any ill effect.
Scientists aren't sure about the potential health risks for humans, since very little research exists on the potential impact of the chemical, which seems to have caused liver failure in at least 16 cats and sickened thousands of other pets. "We're still trying to understand this stuff," says Martin Cole, director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology, a research consortium composed of scientists from academia, the FDA, and industry.
Cole acknowledges that it's possible the toxicity in pets may be a result of interactions with cyanuric acid, a chemical related to melamine found in some of the animals who got sick. The pet-food scare began March 16 when Menu Foods Inc. announced a voluntary recall of certain wet cat foods. Since then, over 100 pet-food products made by 11 manufacturers have been recalled.
Consumers who are concerned about the possibility of eating chicken or pork should be aware that the FDA believes that any risk of harm is minuscule and says that no additional melamine-laced products are now entering the food supply. Those who are wondering what to feed their pets should check the recall list posted on the FDA website or the website of the American Veterinary Medical Association for updates. The American Veterinary Medical Association reminds pet owners that only 1 percent of commercially available pet foods have been affected.
Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. and imported by Wilbur-Ellis. It's possible that other melamine-spiked vegetable proteins have been used in other products such as pizzas, protein bars, and baby formula, and the FDA is continuing to investigate this possibility. In the meantime, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has called for a total ban on grains from China.
"We have a problem. The FDA, which has control over about 80 percent of our food supply, is able to inspect only 1 percent of it. Our system is out of date, and it's broken," says Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.