Melamine in Animal Feed
In March 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration reported finding white granular melamine in the pet food that was imported from a single source in China, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology. The melamine, in crystalline form causes kidney stones in infected animals. Vegetable protein imported from China was later implicated in the deaths and illness of thousands of cats and dogs.
The New York Times reported an amazing story in April, 2007 about the addition of "melamine scrap" into fish and livestock feed so the manufacturer can overstate the protein content. The newspaper claimed the practice of melamine additives was an "open secret" in many parts of mainland China. The melamine scrap was being produced by at least one plant that processes coal into melamine. Soon after that report, the Times wrote that despite the widely reported ban on melamine use in vegetable proteins in mainland China, there were still some chemical manufacturers selling it for use in animal feed and in products for human consumption The U.S. suppliers were found to be in Ohio and Colorado.
