Two years ago China exported wheat and rice gluten ingredients to the United States. The ingredients contained melamine, a nitrogen-containing material. The use of Melamine was designed to increase the ingredients' apparent protein content in simple protein tests based on nitrogen content. The practice of adding melamine to food and feed ingredients also occurred in milk products, some of which were also imported from China in to the United States.
Many voices were raised, demanding that the Food and Drug Administration do something about the problem, but there was little that FDA could do. And that is backed up by a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. In a review of the situation, requested by Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the office said the Food and Drug Administration does not have the statutory authority to require companies to initiate pet food recalls or enforce the terms of a recall.
Harkin says this report is a stark reminder of the importance of enacting comprehensive food safety legislation. According to Harkin the report shows that the FDA did not follow its own procedures to ensure that all of the pet food and contaminated ingredients were recalled, and owners lost pets because of this. Harkin is working to enact legislation that would strengthen the FDA's authority in these situations.
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