Melamine Found in Pig Urine-Hog Farm Under Quarantine

Wow.

WOW.

This is neverending.

THIS is why I'm buying a small farm as soon as I can...and god, I hope I'm able to do it in the next few months. I want to produce all of my own meat, so *I* will have control over whether or not my meat is tainted with friggin' melamine. [8|] And grow, most of my own veggies, too.
 
I hate industrialized farming. Hatehatehate. I buy most of what I can from farmer's markets...I really feel for city people who don't have the luxury.[&o]

[linkhttp://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_503671.html]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_503671.html[/link];

Researchers also have identified three other contaminants in the urine and kidneys of animals sickened or killed after eating the recalled foods, including cyanuric acid, a chemical commonly used in pool chlorination, three researchers told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Cyanuric acid is what most likely sickened pets, one researcher said.

Yesterday, the urine of some pigs at the 1,500-animal American Hog Farm in Ceres, Calif., tested positive for melamine, although all appeared healthy, Lungren said. About half a dozen pigs were put down and researchers at the University of California-Davis are testing their kidneys, tissues, blood and other body parts for melamine contamination, she said.

The contaminated feed was bought April 3 and 13 as salvage pet food from Diamond Pet Foods Inc., which received contaminated rice protein concentrate used in some recalled Natural Balance after melamine was found in an ingredient, rice protein concentrate.

Researchers in at least three labs found cyanuric acid, amilorine and amiloride -- all by-products of melamine -- in the crystals of animals' urine, tissues and kidneys, according to Dr. Brent Hoff, a veterinarian and clinical toxicologist and pathologist, at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada; Richard Goldstein, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and a kidney specialist, and Dr. Thomas Mullaney, acting director of Michigan State University's Center for Population and Animal Health.

Finding cyanuric acid is the more significant finding, Hoff, Goldstein and Mullaney said, although they are not yet certain how toxic it is to animals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site said, "When ingested (by humans) in large amounts, the substance may have effects on the kidneys, resulting in tissue lesions."

Because cyanuric acid was used in pool chlorination, more scientific studies have been done on that chemical than on melamine, amilorine and amiloride, Goldstein said. However, tests in dogs and rats found it is safe, he said.


  Salvage pet food?; What else are they feeding to hogs, and did Diamond know there was melamine in the food when they sold it to the hog farmers?
   

What else are they feeding to hogs

Believe me, you definately don't want to know. Or rather, we should know but don't because producers know that no one would ever eat meat again if we were informed about what's actually in it and what the animals are fed.

ORIGINAL: jessies_mom
Salvage pet food?; What else are they feeding to hogs, and did Diamond know there was melamine in the food when they sold it to the hog farmers?
  

Yes.  The FDA had already said (this week I believe.. the quote is floating around the board somewhere) that they knew the contaminated food was being used for pig feed.

Livestock is often fed grain with artificially elevated protein levels, but it is usually just ruminants (they can break it down) and the enhancer is urea not melamine.  Also, just because they are being fed contaminated food doesn't necessarily mean it get's into the muscle tissue.  That's what the kidneys and liver are for; get the poisons out of the blood stream.  It's when the poisons themselves shut the liver or kidneys down that you have problems.  Now people who enjoy kidneys or liver, that may be a different story.

Salvage pet food?; What else are they feeding to hogs

I have NO idea what in the heck they were thinking if they put food that was *known* to be tainted into hog feed, but otherwise I am not at all averse to the "recycling" that goes on with animal feed. There is TONS of human food that is fed to animals that would otherwise end up in landfills. The feed that is fed to start baby pigs at the farm my sister works for has expired bakery goods in it. She says the feed room smells like a Krispy Kreme when they deliver it. Anyone seen the "Dirty Jobs" episode at a hog farm in Vegas? That guy fed leftovers from the Vegas buffets. Farms near candy factories feed cattle expired candy bars that are chopped into their silage. When I grew up, grandma had two buckets in the kitchen. Meat scraps and bones for the cats & dogs and veggie scraps for the chickens and pigs. Nothing that was edible was thrown away. Recycling is much more than paper, glass and plastic.

jenhuedepohl, I agree. I have a bucket under my sink that I fill with food scraps to supplement my chicken's diets with...and it is NASTY some of the stuff that goes in there- expired milk, rotten meat and veggies, you name it. The chickens LOVE it, and it's a great way to recycle our food waste. Our healthier/cleaner leftovers all go to the dogs/rats. 
 
But as you said yourself, feeding them pet food that was known to be tainted? THAT's taking things way too far. Humane issues aside, how could they possibly think it wouldn't affect the meat!?

feeding them pet food that was known to be tainted

contaminated feed was bought April 3 and 13

NB did't recall till April 16

http://www.eatwild.com/

Just another plug for the local family farmer. []

ORIGINAL: brookcove

http://www.eatwild.com/

Just another plug for the local family farmer. []

AMEN.

Here's some more information about Diamond's relationship with the hog farm; [linkhttp://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/21/tainted_pet_food_reaches_human_fare/]http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/04/21/tainted_pet_food_reaches_human_fare/[/link];
 
Diamond Pet Foods of California has an exclusive contract with American Hog Farm to sell pet food that spilled onto the floor during production or spilled from split bags during shipping, making it unsuitable for sale. Those shipments included Natural Balance pet food that later tested positive for melamine. 
"The arrangement was for the farm to pick up 25,000 pounds of salvage food from the pet food manufacturer every 10 days or so. The farm mixed that with other salvage resources" to make the pig feed, said Steve Lyle , a California Department of Food and Agriculture spokesman

[linkhttp://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg3.htm]http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg3.htm[/link]
 
Solid Gold uses Diamond to make their dry food. One of the Diamond plants is in Lathrop, CA and Meta, MO.  I am wondering if they are one of the other two companies that have not come forward about the rice protein concentrate???

Sherri--

From the Solid Gold website:  [linkhttp://www.solidgoldhealth.com/news/]http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/news/[/link]