Weeks after the pet food recall first started,
the FDA is pursuing a theory that the imported ingredients used in recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to boost their apparent protein content.
Testing has already revealed that two pet food
ingredients, rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten,
have been contaminated with melamine, a component of
plastic compounds and pesticides. As the list of
affected brands continues to grow past 100 the
theories and misinterpretations continue to increase
too. But while the FDA has received more than 12,000
reports of pets suffering from related illnesses,
only 16 deaths are confirmed as directly attributed
to the contamination. These deaths were confirmed
from analysis of urine containing melamine.
Reports of a third contaminated ingredient, corn
gluten, have yet to be confirmed by the FDA..
Wheat gluten is used for binding and serves as a protein source in some pet foods.
The U.S. is the world's biggest consumer of wheat gluten due to its widespread use as a meat alternative in pet
food and in many baked goods. Most wheat gluten
consumed in the U.S. is imported. Rice protein is a
cheaper alternative to soy or whey and is
protein-rich.
The U.S. government has banned the import of wheat gluten from China, suspecting a link between the melamine sometimes used in fertilizers in Asia and the wheat gluten imported from China.
And while China may refute the claims, melamine has been found in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from
China - the two contaminated pet food ingredients.
Reports of a third contaminated ingredient, corn
gluten, have yet to be confirmed by the FDA.
