China Admits to Using Melamine in Pet Food

China has finally I admitted to the use of melamine in some of its food exports.  It sure took them long to enough.  The Chinese authorities admitted that some of their ingredients used to make pet food did in fact contain the chemical melamine.

For years the FDA has been finding melamine in dog food and cat food that has been linked to illnesses in pets.  Something which I’ve previously posted about and you can look through my archives to learn more on.

As you may already know, melamine is an industrial chemical.  It was originally designed for plastics, fertilizers and fire retardants. However, it’s been a more recently absconded by morally concerned companies or individuals to fool at DNA and requirements on a protein levels in our food products.

Melamine has a high nitrogen content and makes it appear as if food has a higher protein level when tested.  For companies selling products like baby formula and animal feed, melamine can be and use a way for them to stretch the food product by adding filler or watering it down without worrying about when maintaining the same protein levels.  This is a very bad because not only does it mess with nutrient levels, it is also poisonous. 

This chemical can cause kidney problems, including stones and kidney failure, especially in the younger and older and pets who can’t tolerate the same amounts of the chemical as people.  So it is particularly terrible that this chemical is used in baby formula and pet food.  Sometimes Cyanuric acid is combined with melamine, especially in wheat gluten added to pet food.  This combination of chemicals has proven fatal when ingested by some and can cause cystic growths when in the kidneys. 

Ideally though, we have some admission of fault.  However the Chinese authorities still claim the melamine does not hurt pets.  Here’s a statement that from, Beijing’s ministry of foreign affairs stating, ‘There is no clear evidence showing that melamine is the direct cause of the poisoning or death of the pets … China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. side … to find out the real cause leading to the pet deaths in order to protect the health of the pets of the two countries.’

Not much but it’s a start. 

Source: http://www.porkmag.com/directories.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=6811