Additive that tainted U.S. pet food is commonly used in China

F--ing chinese have been adding this to food for a long time
ZHANGQIU, China: American food safety regulators trying to figure out
how an industrial chemical called melamine contaminated so much pet food
in the United States might come to this heavily polluted city in
Shandong Province in the northern part of the country.

Here at the Shandong Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory, huge boiler
vats are turning coal into melamine, which is used to create plastics
and fertilizer.

But the leftover melamine scrap, small acorn-sized chunks of white rock,
is then being sold to local entrepreneurs, who say they secretly mix a
powdered form of the scrap into animal feed to artificially enhance the
protein level.

The melamine powder has been dubbed "fake protein" and is used to
deceive those who raise animals into thinking they are buying feed that
provides higher nutrition value.

"It just saves money," says a manager at an animal feed factory here.
"Melamine scrap is added to animal feed to boost the protein level."

rest of article at

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/food.php

On Apr 29, 11:35 am, q wrote:
F--ing chinese have been adding this to food for a long time
ZHANGQIU, China: American food safety regulators trying to figure out
how an industrial chemical called melamine contaminated so much pet food
in the United States might come to this heavily polluted city in
Shandong Province in the northern part of the country.

Here at the Shandong Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory, huge boiler
vats are turning coal into melamine, which is used to create plastics
and fertilizer.

But the leftover melamine scrap, small acorn-sized chunks of white rock,
is then being sold to local entrepreneurs, who say they secretly mix a
powdered form of the scrap into animal feed to artificially enhance the
protein level.

The melamine powder has been dubbed "fake protein" and is used to
deceive those who raise animals into thinking they are buying feed that
provides higher nutrition value.

"It just saves money," says a manager at an animal feed factory here.
"Melamine scrap is added to animal feed to boost the protein level."

rest of article at

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/food.php

Gah. I just don't know how to respond to this. One thought that keeps
creeping up is an
article I read once about how cats are raised on tethers in (some
parts of) China, for
the purpose of harvesting their fur.
Based on the assumption of that allegedly true article, I'd think they
don't much
care about *what* they feed cats.
Maybe an unfair blanket statement, since I'm sure there are *some*
residents of
the country with cats as beloved pets.
But what the *h*ll* were US manufacturers thinking, using that
imported stuff in the
first place.
I'm angry about this on so many levels it's impossible to separate
them all.
Sherry

On Apr 29, 12:24 pm, Sherry wrote:
On Apr 29, 11:35 am, q wrote:



F--ing chinese have been adding this to food for a long time
ZHANGQIU, China: American food safety regulators trying to figure out
how an industrial chemical called melamine contaminated so much pet food
in the United States might come to this heavily polluted city in
Shandong Province in the northern part of the country.

Here at the Shandong Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory, huge boiler
vats are turning coal into melamine, which is used to create plastics
and fertilizer.

But the leftover melamine scrap, small acorn-sized chunks of white rock,
is then being sold to local entrepreneurs, who say they secretly mix a
powdered form of the scrap into animal feed to artificially enhance the
protein level.

The melamine powder has been dubbed "fake protein" and is used to
deceive those who raise animals into thinking they are buying feed that
provides higher nutrition value.

"It just saves money," says a manager at an animal feed factory here.
"Melamine scrap is added to animal feed to boost the protein level."

rest of article at

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/food.php

Gah. I just don't know how to respond to this. One thought that keeps
creeping up is an
article I read once about how cats are raised on tethers in (some
parts of) China, for
the purpose of harvesting their fur.
Based on the assumption of that allegedly true article, I'd think they
don't much
care about *what* they feed cats.
Maybe an unfair blanket statement, since I'm sure there are *some*
residents of
the country with cats as beloved pets.
But what the *h*ll* were US manufacturers thinking, using that
imported stuff in the
first place.

Just like the Chinese = More easy profit!



I'm angry about this on so many levels it's impossible to separate
them all.
Sherry

On Apr 29, 2:24 pm, Sherry wrote:

I'm angry about this on so many levels it's impossible to separate
them all.
Sherry

I feel like you do.

ha! I assume food makers - suppliers will stop buying these "fillers"
from the Chinese.

The cat is out of the bag now.. oh yeah..
it's also going to induce more investigations.
we'll say.. "if they are doing this! what else have they tricked us
with"

I bet more frauds get uncovered. I hope so.. if there's more.

Here is one where the Chinese guy admits it and says it's not a bad
thing. So typical.

One pet food manufacturer who spoke on condition of anonymity said ""If
you add it in small quantities, it won't hurt the animals," and that he
has been mixing melamine in his product for years.

See whole article at:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ne_to_pet.html


Reminds me of when the Chinese were caught putting fake "UL" labels on
electrical appliances they were shipping to the US. People's houses had
burned down due to these cheap appliances. When they bought them they
thought they had been tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) but they
hadn't. Heck, that costs money; easier to put a fake label on.

Not a damn thing the US can do. Because of our politicians on both
sides of the aisle and outsourcing, China now holds $1 Trillion (with a
"T") in US Treasury bonds. All they have to do is start selling those
and our economy would go down the toilet.

At least in the 80's when we bought stuff from Japan they didn't try to
poison us.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:41:20 -0700, q wrote:

Not a damn thing the US can do. Because of our politicians on both
sides of the aisle and outsourcing, China now holds $1 Trillion (with a
"T") in US Treasury bonds. All they have to do is start selling those
and our economy would go down the toilet.

There's a grain of truth in that, but only a grain. Interest rates would
spike until somebody else bought the debt.

There is no reason why the U.S. can't ban Chinese food/feed additives
until such time as a regulatory system is in place to assure quality.
Everyone, including the Chinese, will benefit. Even the feed producers
will benefit, because the bad ones won't be pressuring the margins of the
ones that are trying to run an honest business.

Charlie

On Apr 30, 3:16 pm, Charlie Wilkes
wrote:
On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:41:20 -0700, q wrote:

Not a damn thing the US can do. Because of our politicians on both
sides of the aisle and outsourcing, China now holds $1 Trillion (with a
"T") in US Treasury bonds. All they have to do is start selling those
and our economy would go down the toilet.

There's a grain of truth in that, but only a grain. Interest rates would
spike until somebody else bought the debt.

China's economy is an export one to the US mainly! By dumping the
notes they would ruin their economy also!



There is no reason why the U.S. can't ban Chinese food/feed additives
until such time as a regulatory system is in place to assure quality.
Everyone, including the Chinese, will benefit. Even the feed producers
will benefit, because the bad ones won't be pressuring the margins of the
ones that are trying to run an honest business.

Charlie

Both parties, Dems & Pubs are dirty. Doesn't matter
anymore if a politician is Republican or Democrat.

BOTH parties are filled with crooks and cheats who are
out to line their own pockets with taxpayer money.

Federal bureaucrats have been stealing from the national
treasury for years and calling it the "Federal Civil Service
System."


Wake up America!