MORE ON POISONED PET FOOD:

Molly has a hard time keeping up with all the breaking news on this matter. Once more I refer you to the Pet Connection site which has endeavored to keep up with the matter day by day. Their latest report on their data base of "suspicious deaths" puts the number reported to them as 3,242. The editors of this site admit that they are becoming "tired" in their attempts to keep up, and they are also becoming frustrated by the attempts of many to interject domestic American politics into the discussion of this event. They are re-emphasizing their call for an organized national veterinary reporting system such as the state of Oregon has that would allow a more timely response to problems such as this.

On other fronts Sunshine Mills of Alabama has issued their own product recall. This is addition to any other product recalls already announced. this affects all Alpo Brand Prime Cuts in Gravy wet foods as well as a number of biscuits sold under the brand names of Nurture, Pet Life, Companion's, Stater Brothers, Ol' Roy, Champion and Perfect. The company has guaranteed a 100% reimbursement policy for returned product. See the link above for details.

The American FDA has also now received over 12,000 complaints over this matter. This is, astonishingly, more than the total number of complaints they have received in the past two years on all matters.

The American distributor of the contaminated Chinese wheat gluten has been identified as ChemNutra of Los Vegas. Their website identifies them as importers of Chinese food byproducts, mostly for the pet food and health food industries. The Review Journal of Los Vegas has done some investigative work on this company. Their article can be seen at http://www.lvrj.com/news/6859667.html . To say the least they find this outfit rather shady. The company's office in Los Vegas has only an address (and a locked door). No business name. The company has a business licence in Nevada but hasn't filed for incorporation in that state. It is presently incorporated in California and Delaware(tax laws I guess). The company claims a 12 year relationship with Chinese companies, but its earliest incorporation was in Delaware in 2003 (California 2005). The company has "surrendered" its incorporation to transact business in California. The company shipped product from the Xuzhou Anying company in China from Nov 9th, 2006 until March 8th, 2007 when it claimed to have learned from Menu Foods that its product was suspected as the source of the pet food contamination. Look to the Review Journal link above for more of their investigation of these people.

MOLLY NOTE: A thorough investigation of the general "health food" industry would reveal a wealth of similar shady operators. Even if the industry is increasingly being controlled by the major pharmaceutical corporations, believing its "radical" pretensions, these corporations outsource their suppliers to fly by night operators. What do they care ? It's just globalization at work.Molly also wants to call particular attention to the date that ChemNutra claims for its notification by Menu Foods ie March 8th !!!!. This is considerably earlier than the recall issued by Menu Foods of their products. I'm sure that this will figure prominently in the legalities that are beginning to build around this matter.Molly has a hard time distinguishing between the dishonesty of suppliers of the health food quackery industry and pet food manufacturers who make dishonest claims of unique benefits. The whole health food industry is crooked to the bone, and it seems the pet food industry is similar.

Stayed tuned to this blog for reports on the lawsuits and on the whole pet food industry.

Molly