FDA proposes rules to make animal food safer

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) - Amid incidents of pets dying from dog treats, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing long-awaited rules to make pet food and animal feed safer.

The rules stem from a sweeping food safety law passed by Congress almost three years ago. Like rules proposed earlier this year for human food, they would focus on preventing contamination before it begins.

The announcement comes as the FDA says it hasn't yet determined a cause of almost 600 dog deaths believed to be linked to pet jerky treats imported from China. The agency has been trying for six years to determine what exactly is causing those illnesses.

The proposed rules would require those who sell pet food and animal feed in the United States - including importers - to follow certain sanitation practices and have detailed food safety plans. All of the manufacturers would have to put individual procedures in place to prevent their food from becoming contaminated.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131025/DA9LB8HG1.html

[mbperrin]

1. About time.

NOW perhaps the foods we feed our friends will be safe for them.

[Volaris]

2. I think this is one of the VERY few areas where I must admit I don't get it...

(and it has to be because I'm not a pet owner, it's the only explanation)

I want to know why the FDA is not proposing and enforcing rules to make PEOPLE food safer. Its not that I don't care about the good health of the family pet, its that I care MORE about the good health of the family, FIRST. THEN, we can worry about what going into Fido's tummy.

[BrotherIvan]

3. My pets are a part of my family

And I care very much about their health and welfare. That said, I don't feed them commercial food for that very reason. The pet food industry is sleazy from top to bottom. It takes research and work, but in the end, we save money as well as feeding the healthiest possible, species appropriate diet.

[newfie11]

5. Yep

I feed homemade raw food.
Have 4 Newfies,1 Pom, and 3 cats. All doing great. Never will
I go to commercial dog/cat food.

[BrotherIvan]

10. I'm so jealous--Newfoundlands!

I love big dogs and have been dying to have one for ages! You are doing them a great favor, because large breeds especially suffer so much from the lack of protein in commercial foods. Health to your family!

[newfie11]

11. Thanks Brother

[Miranda4peace]

7. People can choose not to eat processed food and make sure they cook food fully=safe human food!

Animals are totally dependent on people to make sure they have the safest food available.

[davidpdx]

4. Korea needs to do the same

I'm going to drop a line to the KFDA urging them to start putting stronger restrictions on Chinese animal products.

My wife orders our cat food via a vendor on the internet. We use Royal Canine because it is one of the best. They often send us complimentary stuff like toys, snacks, etc. This last time we got a big box of this food that my wife said was chicken flavored cat food. I had thought she bought it, but didn't realize it was something the seller gave us. Anyway it turns out she didn't read the box and had been feeding this stuff to our cats. The shit was made in China. We noticed they were throwing up and we stopped feeding it to them. I scolded my wife and said she needs to be more careful about those things as she's the one that buys and handles the cat food. We agreed that she will tell them not to send any more of that crap to us.

[CountAllVotes]

8. So much for Royal Canine!

Wow, that is a shocker to me!

I'm feeding my older cat Spot's Stew right now. She seems to be doing well on it. It is the grain free type.

Now I've got two little kittens (as of yesterday). I picked up a few cans of food at KMART yesterday as there is no other store nearby much.

I'll have to look into this matter further as I'd heard about the toxic dog treats but knew nothing about food from China = Royal Canine! Yikes indeed!

[davidpdx]

12. No, Royal Canine is French and it is a great brand

The free crap was from China and I don't know the name of it.. I still have no idea why they would give us this box of free food except that it was cheap. I'd say it was about the size of box if it had six reams of paper.

[madrchsod]

6. so pet food gets fda `s attention but....

china will import chicken into the usa without fda inspection?

[CountAllVotes]

9. It is in egg rolls at Safeway

They sell a brand of egg rolls there (chicken egg rolls they are).

I read the ingredients and noted that it said MADE IN CHINA on the bag.

I took these back to Safeway and advised them they'd be doing far better to avoid having such products being sold for human consumption in their store.

God knows how much I dislike Safeway!

Greedy greedy, all of them!!!