USDA and FDA: Likeliness of Illness from Eating Pork Very Low
The agencies are still taking precautionary measures to quarantine any hogs that ate the feed.
Compiled by staff
Published: Apr 30, 2007
FDA and USDA say no illnesses have been associated with pork products from swine that ate contaminated feed, and the likelihood of such illness is very low. FDA is not issuing a recall of products from contaminated animals, but swine that have eaten the contaminated product will not be allowed to enter the food supply.
About 6,000 hogs on eight operations have been quarantined from the food supply, and USDA has offered to compensate producers who euthanize swine that ate the contaminated feed.
FDA determined that a shipment of rice protein imported from China was contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds. The rice protein was used in the production of pet food and a byproduct was used to produce animal feed.
Among the factors FDA and USDA used to determine that the risk to humans is very low is the dilution of the contaminating melamine and melamine-related compounds from the original rice protein concentrate as it moves through the food system. Also, neither agency has found any evidence of harm to the swine that ate the contaminated product.
As of April 26, sites in the following states are believed to have received and used contaminated product: California, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.
For further information, visit FDA.gov.
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