It has emerged that no less than 2.5 million birds were fed contaminated pet food containing the chemical melamine in recent months.
The pet food scandal which has been ongoing for months with almost daily updates has taken yet another twist. The Chinese sold food contains the chemical melamine, believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least 16 pets in North America. The plastic derivative, which is not approved for consumption, may kill pets by forming crystal structures on their kidneys when added with a secondary chemical also found in some pet foods.
It has emerged that the chemical's use is very common practice in China as it is used as a cheap substitute for protein. It's use masks real protein levels by raising their actual content levels in pet food, raising their value
It may be that dozens of other producers have unknowingly used the tainted feed on chickens destined for human consumption. According to federal health officials, a producer in Indiana fed the chickens scraps laced with the chemical to at least 2.5 million of his chickens. They were later sold for human consumption in what is appearing to be a more wide-spread scenario than at first believed. Some pigs are believed to have also been fed the feed.
Health officials have stressed that they are doubtful the tainted meat is harmful to humans but the American Food and Drug Administration(FDA) urges caution while continuing its investigation.
Our sense is that the investigation will lead to additional farms where contaminated feed may have been fed to either animals or poultry,said Kenneth Petersen of the Agriculture Department Food Safety and Inspection Service.
