Safety of Imported Ingredients

In March, following reports of numerous deaths and renal illness in domestic dogs and cats, Menu Foods, Inc., Streetsville, Ontario, voluntarily recalled all “cuts and gravy” style dog and cat food produced at its facility in Emporia, KS, between Dec. 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. That recall was later amended to include “cuts and gravy” pet food products manufactured back to Nov. 8, 2006. As of this writing, voluntary recalls of pet food products have been conducted by Del Monte Pet Products, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Menu Foods, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, P&G Pet Care and Sunshine Mills.

FDA subsequently determined that imported wheat gluten used in the recalled products was contaminated with melamine, a substance used in plastics, countertops, glue, fire retardants and other products. An FDA statement reads: “The association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and melamine in the food they consumed is undeniable. Additionally, melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level. However, we are not yet fully certain that melamine is the causative agent.”

Wheat gluten is also used in food manufactured for human consumption, although FDA does not currently believe the contaminated ingredient is in the human food supply. Nevertheless, since some 70% of wheat gluten used in the United States for human and pet food is imported from the European Union and Asia, the issue of the safety of imported ingredients looms large.

“This should not be viewed as suddenly our food supply is unsafe, because I don’t believe that to be the case,” said Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, commissioner, FDA. “In fact, the opposite is true.”

All of the contaminated wheat gluten was traced to Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., Wangdian, China. As a result, FDA issued Import Alert #99-26, blocking imports of wheat gluten from the company. The alert also recommends 100% sampling of all wheat gluten from China and the Netherlands, which is identified as a country through which transshipping of Chinese products may occur.

Although FDA has been largely reactive in the case of the contaminated pet food, the agency takes a more proactive approach to ensuring the safety of the human food supply. Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, all imported products are required to meet the same standards as domestic goods. That is, imported foods must be pure, wholesome, safe to eat and produced under sanitary conditions. With the exception of meat and poultry products, which are regulated by USDA, all foods imported or offered for import into the United States are subject to examination by FDA.

Further, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), developed in response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, requires, in part, that FDA receive prior notice of food imported into the United States. FDA uses this information in advance of the arrival to review, evaluate and assess the information, and determine whether to inspect the imported food. In addition, domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the United States must register with FDA. Facility registration information will help FDA determine the location and source of a potential or actual bioterrorism event and permit the agency to quickly notify facilities that may be affected.