ABC says rat poison is the suspected Menu Foods contaminant.
March 23, 2007— ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.
A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the U.S., was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.
A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, New York where scientists at the state's Food Laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.
The chemical is aminopterin.
What investigators can't say so far is whether this is the only contaminant in all of the recalled food.
There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.
The chemical is used in the United States for, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.
It is a terrible shame that a pet food plant smack dab in the middle of the State (Kansas) that produces more wheat than any other in North America would resort to purchasing wheat by-product(s) (gluten) from an off-shore supplier (China) where Food Safety and the control and use of Pesticides is not nearly as regulated an industry as it should be here in the United States.
The labs that have tentatively identified the "aminotropterin" adulterant were set up following 9-1-1. They are SUPPOSED to find illegal adulterants before the products reach our shore!
What if this same wheat had been used to make breakfast cereals for human consumption?
If the cause of the pet poisonings currently suspected to be a rodenticide is finally confirmed as such there should be an UPROAR over Food Safety and investigation into where and how each and every food staple in this country.
It was just three weeks ago that US was bargaining to ship fresh chickens to China for frozen processing and final shipment back to our domestic shelves. An onerous tip of the hat to try to open Chinese borders again to import shipments of US Beef. They closed their import borders to our Beef products in 2003 after the Mad Cow scare. And now we are buying their wheat?
Shame on the Politicians, Port inspection authorities, Regulators, etc that have ignored our own domestic security (food and oil).
Posted by: Cody's Dad | 23 March 2007 at 06:32 PM