Pork anyone? Care for a side of melamine?

Whoa! They fed pigs in this country with the recalled pet food?

California's State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton considers the health risks to be minimal. Hey, Doc! Have a plate and wash it down with cloned milk.

Who the f*ck is in charge?

Pork News
Calif. food safety officials follow tainted hog trail

By Tom Johnston on 4/23/2007 for Meatingplace.com

Four meat vendors received hogs tainted with melamine from a Ceres, Calif., farm, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said.

USDA said it seized all product from American Hog Farm that had been sent to a federally inspected facility, preventing it from entering the commercial food pipeline, CDFA said in media reports.

Of three state-inspected facilities, one received animals from American Hog Farm since April 3, the period in question, but none of them had been exposed to melamine-contaminated feed. Meanwhile, CDFA found and quarantined all exposed animals at a second facility before they could be sold.

The third vendor, Bar None of Half Moon Bay, Calif., received hogs that may have been exposed to contaminated feed. CDFA said Bar None bought 42 pigs this month from the farm that may have eaten the feed.

Meantime, CDFA is focusing efforts on contacting customers of American Hog Farm and Bar None to recommend that the pigs in question not be consumed, but, if already eaten, State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton considers the health risks to be minimal.

On April 18, FDA notified CFDA that American Hog Farm received melamine-contaminated feed. (See Calif. hog farm quarantined after discovery of industrial chemical, Meatingplace.com, April 20, 2007.)

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Calif. hog farm quarantined after discovery of industrial chemical

By Tom Johnston on 4/20/2007 for Meatingplace.com

California authorities quarantined a Stanislaus County hog farm after an industrial chemical tied to a broad pet-food recall was discovered in pig urine.

The state's Department of Food and Agriculture said it was conducting more testing to determine if the chemical, melamine, entered the meat produced by American Hog Farm, the Associated Press reported.

"Although all animals appear healthy, we are taking this action out of an abundance of caution," State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer said. "It is unknown if the chemical will be detected in meat."

Authorities theorize that the melamine derived from rice protein concentrate imported from China by a Lathrop, Calif.-based Diamond Pet Foods facility, which makes products under the Natural Balance brand. Diamond also sold salvage pet food to the farm for pig feed.

Pacoima, Calif.-based Natural Balance on Monday issued a limited recall of its venison and brown rice canned and bagged dog foods, venison and brown rice dog treats and venison and green pea dry cat food.

Melamine, used in several industrial processes such as making plastics, has tainted more than 100 brands of dog and cat food and been blamed for causing health problems in dozens of dogs and cats.

Investigators were also scanning the farm's sales records to determine which customers may be affected by the quarantine, CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle told AP, noting that it generally doesn't supply meat to commercial outlets.

Officials urged anyone who bought pigs from American Hog Farm since April 3 refrain from eating the product until further notice. Thus far, "evidence suggests a minimal health risk to persons who may have consumed pork" from the farm, State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton said.

So, let me see if I got this straight. Melamine laced rice, corn and wheat gluten killed pets who ate the food that was perhaps contaminated on purpose yet evidence suggests a minimal health risk to anyone who might have consumed pork who ate the same food. The must think we are stupid.

Soylent green, anyone?