Animal deaths linked to lethal toxin illegal in the U.S.
The Associated Press
Updated: 12:28 p.m. CT March 23, 2007
ALBANY, N.Y. - Tests turned up rat poison in the pet food suspected of causing kidney failure in dogs and cats across the country and killing at least 16, state officials and scientists announced Friday.
The toxin was identified as aminopterin, which is used to kill rats in some countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said. Aminopterin is not registered for killing rodents in the United States, though it is used as a cancer drug, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
State officials did not say how they believe Aminopterin got into the now-recalled pet food, though they said no criminal investigations had been launched.
The poison may have been used on wheat imported from China, NBC News correspondent Tom Costello told MSNBC TV.
The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the pet food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated, the FDA said.
The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.
They're pretty sure the poison was on wheat imported from China where they use a rat poison illegal here in the United States.
know how this could be avoided?!?!
USE FRIGGIN' WHEAT HARVESTED HERE IN THE UNITED FRICKIN' STATES!!!!
Does EVERYTHING have to come from China, Taiwan or some other damn foreign country!
It's too late to ever turn it around now, but we would have been smart if LONG ago we'd made it a law that if you sell your product in the US you have to use US ingredients and US labor!
If not entirely we should AT LEAST make it a law that 80% or something around there comes from local sources.
He ONLY buys American, but last time I talked to him he was telling me how he has gone as much as six months without something while trying to find an American made version, only to find there simply is none.
