POISONED PET FOOD AND TAINTED TOOTHPASTE TOO:

ETHYLENE GLYCOL VERSUS PROPYLENE GLYCOL:

There is a product on the market that advertises itself as "safe" for animals, being as antifreeze toxicity is a major cause of death amongst domestic pets in North America. Because of its sweet taste it is also an occasional cause of poisoning and even death amongst children. The basic difference is that "animal friendly" antifreeze uses propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol as the major component. Propylene glycol has a slightly higher freezing point and a slightly lower boiling point than ethylene glycol, and thus it is not as ideal as a motor vehicle additive. Yet, the safety factor of the different compounds is such that many European countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Denmark either restrict or ban the use of ethylene glycol in antifreeze. In the USA various jurisdictions demand the addition of a "bittering agent" to ethylene glycol based antifreeze, and many producers have instituted the use of warning labels, child proof containers (useless as far as Molly can see) and consumer propaganda campaigns.

Molly has recently come upon an interesting online paper from the University of Michigan written from a chemistry economic point of view. The title is 'Case Study: Comparison of Ethylene Glycol Versus Propylene Glycol-Based Antifreeze Solutions'. What the paper demonstrates is the 'complexity" of different chemical processes and their associated economic and environmental "cost". The paper takes a "life cycle" approach to the chemical engineering problems looking at not just the cost (economic/environmental) of production but also that of use, byproducts and disposal. The whole point of the paper is to argue against the idea propagated by the likes of Union Carbide who say that the use of chemicals such as propylene glycol as totally more inefficient both economically and environmentally. If you go through the paper carefully you will see that the actual pluses and minuses can fall on different sides depending upon what parameter you are looking at.

Molly is all in favour of replacing ethylene glycol, the compound that has been added to the tainted toothpaste from China, with the less toxic propylene glycol for antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. If the economic and environmental cost is higher- so be it. Factor the environmental cost into the final product cost as a "charged externality" rather than an "uncharged externality".

What Molly would like to point out here is that this tiny little matter of the position of one carbon side chain on a molecule ends up with an extremely complex situation, as can be seen from reading the paper. Molly can only wish that "social reformers" of either the left or right could see that the "solutions" they propose for "social problems" have complexities that are 5 or six orders of magnitude greater than what is discussed in the paper cited. Neither good true believer social workers from the left or moral crusaders from the right can ever admit that their proposals can have (always do have) unforeseen undesirable consequences. Both sides are under the magical thinking delusion that the illusionary purity of their motives guarantees the purity of the results. The way that political discourse is conducted is to the complexities discussed in this paper about two compounds as the grunting of neanderthals is to discussions of quantum mechanics. No recourse to private languages of post modernism or dialectics can hide this crudity. They merely bring the word "liar" upper in the mind of an independent observer.

The idea of a "scientific socialism" is a far away dream despite the pretensions of a dieing modern religion to same. The best that can be said is today that a "humble socialism" is the best alternative, one that recognizes its limitations. Many pronouncements of the left- let alone the even more mendacious right- should be seen in this light. 100% confidence in things that are 1/100th of a percent certain !!!! The more dramatic the pronouncement the less likely it is to be true.

LATEST ON RECALLED PET FOODS:

Since she last posted Molly has learned a little bit more about the situation about recalled pet foods. first of all the Pet Connection site, a good resource for breaking news now has 2,900 suspicious deaths listed. The most recent news is that the American FDA has issued a "detention without examination" order of wheat gluten from the Chinese company Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. . A spokesman for the Chinese company, based in Peixian, China, Mao Liju, has denied his company's responsibility but says that they "are investigating" the possibility of contamination of their product by melamine. Deny first, investigate later- Molly. Ellen Morrison of the FDA stated that all samples of wheat gluten from this supplier have tested positive for melamine.

It should also be noted that spokesmen for the Del Monte Company who have withdrawn some products voluntarily say that the wheat gluten was supplied as a "food grade" additive, grade that is considered fit for human consumption. This increases the possibility that some of this product has entered the human food chain.

Finally, the Petsit USA site has provided a list of pet foods that are not on the recall list. Concerned owners are urged to consult this site and other sites previously mentioned on this blog to determine that NEW items haven't been listed by companies other than Menu Foods.

Molly

UPDATE ON RECALLED PET FOODS:

Since Molly last wrote on this subject there have been further developments in the pet food recall case. The first is that some other companies not on the Menu Foods list have begun to voluntarily withdraw some of their products. These include Purina products such as Alpo Prime Cuts and the Del Monte line of pet treats and foods including Jerky Treats, Gravy Train Beef Sticks, Pounce Meaty Morsels, Dollar General and Happy Tails. Stay tuned to the above corporate websites for any future recalls. Another useful site is the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association page that has a continuing update on recalled foods.

Also, the last time Molly visited the Pet Connection site (about 6:00 pm on April 1) they had 2,800 reports of suspicious deaths reported to them. The Oregon VMA had a listing of 32 deaths in that state reported by Oregon veterinarians.

More later.

Molly

UPDATE ON POISONED PET FOOD:

As of March 28th the Pet Connection site has now reported 2,300 cases reported to their data base, a climb from 1,459 on March 24th when Molly last reported. There a a few other items to report. The Animal Medical Center of New York has posted a pdf printout for veterinarians as to the diagnosis of 'Food Related Acute Renal Failure'. The American Veterinary Medical Association has also established a page of resources pertaining to this recall, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has issued a press release advising caution as to the presently "presumed cause" of the problem ie aminopterin. The Aspca notes that the connection has not been definitely proven, and that other effects of aminopterin such as intestinal damage and leukopenia have yet to be reported in the case histories.

Also, if you are interested in previous pet food recalls in the USA the FDA site provides a list of them at http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petfoods.htm . A rather interesting selection.

Finally, a little quote from the Pet connection site:

"But there are a couple of other reasons why even before the recall, we at Pet Connection didn't recommend foods, and in hindsight, one of those looks pretty sensible. We have absolutely no way of checking out any company's claim regarding any (!!!! Molly) food."

Molly has always been aware of the presence of "relabelling" in the pet food industry, of how many types of pet food actually come from "the same vat" and differ only by labels, but until this recall she was unaware of the full extent of the practice. Also, as a long term opponent of the "food cultism" rampant in North American society (the delusion that one can make a significant difference in anyone's health-animal or human- by going beyond simple common sense prescriptions that often boil down to "eat less") she has had more than a little scepticism about some pet food claims, particularly when cult words such as "natural" are attached to them. What Molly was unaware of before this event was the way that some so-called "premium" line such as Iams, Eukenuba and Nutro were actually little different from the recycled tires and ground glass foods peddled at Wal-Mart. Live and learn I guess. Once more this emphasizes my long term suspicion that there is no such thing as a "better" dog or cat food, just as no cult diet works with humans. My opinion as to "don't ever switch if nothing is going wrong" is now graven in stone.

Molly

MORE ON POISONED PET FOOD:

The latest news from the American Food and Drug Administration, and scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center, along with the New York State Food Laboratory, is that the toxic component in the pet foods from Menu Foods that have killed several animals in the USA and Canada is a compound known as aminopterin. So far the deaths of 15 cats and two dogs have been confirmed by the company. Readers interested in following the continuing story should consult the FDA and Diagnostic Center websites rather than depending solely on the mass media. The FDA site contains statements from Nestle Purina, Hill's Pet Nutrition and P&G Pet Care (owners of the Iams and Eukanuba lines). P&G stands for Procter and Gamble. Amazing how integrated a lot of this stuff is. The Diagnostic Center site contains recommendations for both the pet owning public and the veterinary community. In the case of the former it tells you what to look out for as well as a general overview of renal failure. For veterinarians the Cornell site gives advise on diagnostic procedures. Other good places to follow the developing story include the Animal Medical Center of NYC, and the Pet Connection unofficial pet death registry . Both these sites give a story that says that the number of cat and dog deaths is much higher than has been so far admitted by the company. The latter lists 1,459 possible cases at the time Molly visited their website. The numbers climb by the hour.

Aminopterin is a 4-amino analog of folic acid and a synthetic derivative of the natural product pterin. It inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase by competing with folate for the binding site blocking tetrahydrofolate synthesis. by doing this it interferes with DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. At one time aminopterin was used as an abortifactant and later as a chemotherapy agent in cancer treatment. The first use went out of favour because of an association with birth defects such as neural tube defects. In chemotherapy its use was replaced by that of methotrexate, less potent but also less toxic. The LD 50 of aminopterin in rats is 2.5 mg/kg. Aminopterin is only used as a research drug in North America today where it is being re-investigated for use in leukemia. It is, however, used as a rodenticide (rat poison) in other countries such as China. Most information on treatment of aminopterin ingestion is rather old as the drug hasn't been in common use in Canada or the USA for some time. First aid recommendations include administration of activated charcoal or saline cathartic. Sorbitol has also been suggested to promote excretion. The use of 30 mg of folate daily(in rats- obviously higher doses for other animals) has been suggested as an antidote for recent aminopterin ingestion. All of this is probably futile where renal failure has already occurred.

The probable source of the contamination, according to the latest news, is wheat gluten imported from China. This product is made by washing dough made with wheat flour with water until the starch is rinsed away. The product was originally developed in China where it is known as "seitan" (pronounced SAY-tahn). It is an alternative to soy products such as tofu (ICCCH- Molly) because of its texture which more closely resembles that of meat. Its original use was as a meat substitute for Chinese vegetarians such as some Buddhists. The texture is probably why it was initially considered as an additive in pet foods. For its use in pet foods Molly advises that the reader consult the Royal Canin article on the matter at http://www.royalcanin.us/articles/wheatgluten.html . Gluten is actually a highly digestible source of protein even for animals such as cats. Where the use of this product has previously been associated with problems in animals it has generally been in association with Irish Setters who have an intolerance (NOT allergy !!) to gliadin found in wheat, barley, oats, etc.. This is somewhat similar to celiac sprue in humans. (Molly note: Molly has occasionally come across animals who seem to have a similar problem, though I must admit that they have never been fully diagnosed, ie a "gluten intolerance". They are very occasional, never Irish setters-Molly sees very few of those- and often require the owners "cooking for the pet". Quite OK if you like the cat or dog enough and have the time. Some people do indeed love their pets enough). Wheat gluten is actually an excellent source, perhaps the best, of the amino acid glutamine.

Gluten is actually very much underproduced in North America - for those who are wondering why a wheat product is being imported from China. There are presently only three major US producers of gluten, MGP Ingredients of Kansas, Manildra, also of Kansas, and Archer Daniels of Illinois. Over 50% of the US supply of gluten is actually imported, some from China but also some quantities from the EU. MGP Ingredients has stated that they have done business with Menu Foods in the past, but that it has been 18 months since they made any shipments as they have curtailed production in the last two years due to inability to compete with cheaper imports. The company has also moved increasingly into the biofuels industry in the recent past.

MOLLY ASIDE: The ethanol industry has been implicated in a number of problems recently of which the rising cost of basic foodstuffs in Mexico and other Central American countries is the most prominent. There is considerable dispute about whether ethanol production is energy efficient without government subsidy, let alone whether it is "carbon efficient". The general principle would be, in Molly's opinion, that government subsidies that distort the market should be withheld if at all possible and that the most desirable form of ethanol production would be localized and small scale. Several initiatives are underway here in Manitoba around the latter matter. The growth of "biofuels" in popularity has raised commodity prices considerably in the past few years, something that can easily be applauded from a farming perspective but may have other, wider implications. The pet food problem may be one of them, though it pales in importance to the cost of corn in Mexico where corn is the food of the poor. While sugar cane is the primary feedstock in Brazil's highly successful biofuels initiative corn is the basic ingredient of the American program. What this means in terms of prices can be seen from what Molly has gleaned from a comparison of commodity prices at one brokerage firm here in Canada. The price of corn has risen from a final average in 2004/2005 of 101.73 (prices in Can $ per tonne) to the present price of 183.13 as of March 16th, 2007. Because of this effect the price of feed wheat has risen in tandem from 103.09 to 181.00 as acreage is diverted to corn production in the USA. The price of human consumption grade wheat such as # 1 of various varieties has risen nowhere near as dramatically, and prices of such have been such that Chinese competition can overtake the American and Canadian supplies for speciality products such as gluten. Most of China's wheat is produced on the North China Plain in three provinces, Henan, Shandong and Hebei where it is often dependent on irrigation for successful crops. Premium prices are paid in China for high gluten wheat, and government policy has been successful in lowering China's dependence on imported wheat, though less so in establishing reliable grading systems. anyways, back to the main thread...

Aminopterin is used as a rodenticide in China. China is a major exporter of gluten to other East Asian countries such as Japan and Vietnam. Before the recent increase in wheat prices gluten was only available in North America in Asian food markets, health foods stores and other outlets that catered to cults diets. It has been popular, despite the prevalence of celiac sprue, in cult diets such as macrobiotics and has been a common ingredient in vegetarian fare served at "fashion food" restaurants in various countries.

Final Molly Note: Molly would not be surprised if human cases were diagnosed in the near future amongst that segment of the population given to food faddism. It's possible that various agencies are looking as we speak. Keep tuned for this.

PET FOOD RECALL:

The press, from highbrow to lowbrow to nobrow has been full of stories about the major pet food recall announced by Menu Foods some days ago. Molly has taken to carrying around the list of recalled foods with her at all times so that she can respond to the numerous phone calls from concerned pet owners and can snoop through the cupboards of clients whom she actually visits. people who are interested in accessing the complete list can visit the Menu Foods website listed above (at least until they have to declare bankruptcy). The basic story is that only canned and "packet" foods are affected. No dry pet foods are included, and canned foods that come in "solid slabs" rather than "chunks" are also not affected.

A class action suit has been launched from Ontario, and some Manitoba owners may participate. Molly doesn't have enough information to comment on the legalities of this case given that the cause is still basically unknown (how gluten relates to renal failure escapes me) and how the company responded to initial reports is also still unknown. Molly can remember the last such case which affected the Royal Canin line of prescription diets about a year ago. In that case the company responded with due diligence and discovered the cause rapidly. Molly has little doubt that Royal Canin has better quality control than an outfit such as Menu Foods.The problem was corrected, and all four of Molly's cats presently eat the Royal Canin S/O diet as part of their feeding. The cause was a formulation error (maybe one more reason to not depend on computers as if they were infallible) which added an excess of vitamin D to the foods. As Molly sometimes takes great pleasure in emphasizing to health food nuts natural products are not non-toxic. Some of them are the most toxic substances on Earth. When trying to make this point about vitamins Molly uses the following language (I'll try and transcribe the tone of voice and inflection):

"Vitamin A is the MOST POISONOUS vitamin. Vitamin D is the SECOND most poisonous vitamin"

Molly varies her inflection so as to try and bypass what amounts to a religious belief that "natural" (and hence vitamins) is "good" while "artificial" (usually subsumed under the very strange term of "chemical"- as if everything in the world wasn't a chemical) is "bad". I probably have about as much success in this as I would in arguing against the curative effects of Holy Water (let's not get into homeopathy now). The word "poisonous" is used to try and bypass this religious mindset rather than the word "toxic" that is more common when discussing these sort of problems "in-house".

What struck Molly most forcibly while this stuff was happening was the extent of the list. For years now I've joked about how the pet food industry gets its foods from the same plant, puts different labels on it and charges different prices depending upon nothing greater than the advertising budget. What I didn't realize was the extent of this practice. While looking over the 93 !!!!! items listed on the recall list I noticed that some foods that I had always recommended as "high quality", such as Eukanuba and Iams, were coming from the same plant as the "ground-up rubber tires" foods sold at Wal-Mart. Looks like I was fooled. I was really shocked to see a Science Diet item (Science Diet Feline Savoury Chunks) on the list, as I always assumed that Hills was big enough to be vertically integrated throughout its entire process. Welcome to the age of "outsourcing" Molly.

But some things are far from "new". Over 35 years ago when Molly was a chemist she had a friend who was another chemist- but from Jordan. When this guy first got his degree he originally tried to find a job in Algeria shortly after they had forced the French to withdraw from the country. Like all good "liberation ideologues" they had to "prove themselves" and produce whatever the colonial power had produced. He applied for a job in a "toothpaste factory" and was given a tour of the facilities. There was a main vat from which the whole production emanated. it came down the line and was divided by sluice gates into various streams. In each stream a dye was added to give colour or a flavour was added to give taste. As he told it, the guy looked at it, took the free lunch and taxi fare and thought..."Oh fuck, this is exactly what Algeria needs...25 "different" types of toothpaste that are really the same toothpaste. " I can see the new ruling class growing in Venezuela doing exactly the same thing in the near future, and my main disappointment is how far the process has advanced here in an industry that I thought I knew much more about than I obviously do know.

Anyways, for those who are interested in knowing a little bit more about pet foods I recommend the CVMA site and its Pet Food Certification program and for a broader overview of the whole matter- without cultism , an important point- an individual site called the Dog Food Project. This latter site is a wealth of information, including a layman's guide to reading and judging pet food labels. The author is a veterinary technician with a previous degree in nutrition, and her site is one of the best that I have seen on this matter.

Molly