Lotte Koala - it's about time

FDA is recalling Lotte Koala cookies. I don't understand what took so long. So these cookies were definitely made in China and imported here, not manufactured here? 

Sweet Home Alabama

Finally.

It looks like the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has tested the Koala cookies and found that they contain melamine. You rock, Alabama.

According to the press release about the finding, the Department states:

The company that distributes the cookies, Lotte USA, has been conducting a market withdrawal for all flavors of the cookies, but has not conducted a full recall at this time. According to company officials, Alabama’s results were their first lab results that were positive for melamine.

A quick slide over to the Lotte USA website indicates that they really don't have much to say about the whole thing.

So I'll just ask again, why hasn't the FDA tested this product when other countries were reporting melamine in these Koala crackers a month ago? And isn't it interesting that Lotte USA is located in Battle Creek, Michigan? I wonder if the magic white powder delivery truck makes stops at other food companies operating in Battle Creek? Does the FDA know when shipment of wheat gluten, soy protein or milk ingredients leaves a port, bound for Battle Creek? You know BHT is also a white powder. I wonder where those other Battle Creek food companies get their BHT, corn, malt powder and vitamins from.

FDA - Updates to Q&A and Safety and Risk Assessment

The FDA has two new newly updated documents about melamine: The Interim Safety and Risk Assessment of Melamine and Its Analogues in Food for Humans dated Oct. 3rd (thanks for the 2.5 ppm rubbish) and the Questions And Answers about Melamine. These documents try to explain what the FDA has done and is doing to deal with the dry milk ingredients that contain melamine and come from China. 

My favorite part of the Q&A is: Q: Are there any reported illnesses in the US linked to melamine in Chinese food products? A: No. FDA is not aware of any.

Well I think it's all about timing. And what kinds of illnesses people may  have had a year or so ago that could have been related.

My son was sick last December with massive stomach pain. The doctor thought at first it might be appendicitis, I brought him home and monitored him. He missed school for two days. The pain was making him bend over and whine. Finally, the pain went away after a lot of crying AND after I fed him small amounts of simple, good food for two days. Prior to that - he'd been enjoying Lotte Koala cookies nearly every day as a snack. Quite possibly along with some Pocky. Maybe his stomach hurt from just eating junk food (oops, my bad) or something else completely (who knows). In any case, I'm not surprised there are no reported illnesses because there is not enough awareness at home and at the doctor's office. The medical community might not be thinking, "Has your son been eating imported food?" or "We should check for kidney stones" in our toddlers. I wasn't even thinking that, despite having known about the melamine-in-wheat-gluten pet food situation months earlier.