Prepare to be Shocked...

The FDA is lying. It seems there could be health consequences of eating melamine-tainted food, including the pork, chicken and fish that entered our food supply. How do I know? I looked it up on the Internets (actually, at PubMed, the government's own medical research database).

As far as I can tell, there have been only a handful of animal studies done on the effects of consuming melamine. In every case, the animals developed bladder and/or kidney problems, including bladder stones, enlarged bladders, and tumors.

But here's the real problem -- in a study from 1985, researchers called the melamine connection to the formation of bladder stones and related problems an example of the threshold effect, and added that "there is strong evidence linking bladder stones with the induction of tumors...." This same study also found that the youngest animals were the most susceptible to developing these problems. Here are the researchers’ conclusions:

"A decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the levels of MA [melamine] allowed to occur in the food chain indicates that data regarding thresholds, even in the case of urolithiasis [stone formation], are not being utilized in the risk assessment process."

I could be wrong, but that seems to say that for the past twenty-plus years, the EPA has chosen to ignore evidence that melamine damages the bladder and kidneys, and, based on the results of the animal study, that children would be particularly at risk. Plus, let's not forget that tens of thousands of companion animals have been sickened and killed by the same food the pigs, chickens and fish ate.

It seems to me we should avoid chicken and pork for at least a few months. But as the FDA's newly appointed "food czar," David Acheson, told a Congressional committee today, the agency would need "proof of human illness" before it would issue a ban on imported fish. Apparently, it's too much of a stretch to believe that food poisoned with industrial waste might make humans sick, too.

As for farmed fish, melamine is just one more reason to stay away, given the chemicals that have been found in tested samples. To get the considerable health benefits of fish without the risks, buy fish oil that has been molecularly distilled to remove the toxins.

Food Safety? What Food Safety?

Many thanks to "Anonymous" for the link to a recent Sacramento Union piece on tainted food. Some excellent points in this article. First, as Anonymous points out, the contamination was intentional. That's right -- the melamine was added to the wheat gluten (and very likely other ingredients, as well) on purpose. Why? To make it appear to have a higher protein content so the manufacturers could charge more.

Second, finding out whether or not foods you or your family eat contain any of these tainted ingredients is going to be difficult, if not impossible, as the columnist who wrote this piece found. His quest for straight answers produced results that would be hilarious under other circumstances.

Third, here's how Menu Foods, the company that produced the pet foods -- and which, by the way, is based in Canada, reportedly to avoid paying corporate income taxes -- responded to reports of sickened and dead pets.

"... Menu Foods told the FDA that they began receiving reports of dogs and cats being sickened and dying on Feb. 20. They claim to have started testing their products a week later on Feb. 27. Menu fed suspect food to “40-50” dogs and cats. 7 of the animals died. In what he calls a “horrible coincidence” Menu Foods Chief Financial Officer, Mark Weins, sold 45 percent of his stock in the company on Feb. 26 and 27. The first public announcement and initial recall was made on March 16."

How shabby is that?? First, they wait a FULL WEEK to even begin testing the food. Then they test it on "40 to 50" animals, with seven dying, and still don't tell the public until March 16?? Plus, the "horrible coincidence" of the company's CFO dumping nearly half of his stock in the company -- does he seriously think anyone is going to believe that was a coincidence? Please.

This is nothing short of an atrocity. But it's the last few paragraphs that should make everyone's hair stand on end.

"A Final Footnote

On April 12, the FDA highlighted the largely honor-system style enforcement of U.S. food safety by announcing that contaminated pet food still appeared on hundreds of store shelves.

Two of Menu Foods’ largest customers are household names and manufacture hundreds of products including, probably, a large percentage of the items in your grocery cart. They are Proctor & Gamble and Swiss-based international conglomerate Nestle.

Nestle announced on April 12, 2007 the acquisition of Gerber Products. Gerber represents 79 percent of the US baby food market."

It's Not Just Pet Food Anymore

Tainted pet food may seem to be a bit off-topic for a blog devoted to helping Baby Boomers stay healthy. But read on and you'll see that a) it's not just pet food that's being poisoned (as I noted in the previous post) -- it's food we eat every day, and b) the contamination has been going on for some time. Bottom line -- even people who are doing everything they can to stay healthy are likely to feel the effects of this BIG TIME!

From this morning's reading, here are a series of links for anyone interested in following the story:

From a diary at one of my favorite blogs -- dailykos.com -- breaking news on Congress holding hearings and sending investigators to the West Coast to pursue reports of widespread melamine contamination. Plus, an excellent round-up of related news on this enormous scandal.

From the current issue of USA Today, a story on the FDA finally -- FINALLY! -- taking action to limit Chinese imports. Plus, check out this sidebar on commonly used ingredients that could be contaminated. What's the likelihood that all of us have consumed at least one of these ingredients? Something like 99.9%?

And finally, at MSNBC, a piece about nearly 40 chicken farms in Indiana where tainted food was fed to chickens that were sold for human consumption. More area farms are likely to be added to the list, as well.

The point here is not to frighten people, but to make everyone aware of how widespread this contamination is. Clearly, the "self-regulation" this administration endorsed is not working. We need -- and should demand -- stringent controls on food and individual ingredients, whether they come from abroad or not. Write, call, fax and/or email your representatives in Congress. (Go to Congress Merge to find names and contact information.) Tell them you want strict oversight of our food supply and an FDA with the resources it needs to be fully functional. It's bad enough that thousands of innocent dogs and cats had to die to make us all aware of this issue. How many children are being sickened by these products? What about people with chronic illnesses and the elderly -- surely they shouldn't be eating food that's not fit for animals. Actually, none of us should. So let's do something about it.