Time To Test Egg Quality (And What About Results of FSIS 97-08?)

Lately I've been wondering why there hasn't been any talk about testing more products for melamine, including eggs. I know some testing is currently underway for meat, meat products like hot dogs and milk products, but why not eggs? When I spoke to Norco farms a few months ago, a spokesperson assured me that there was no melamine in the feed used to feed the animals that producs the eggs labeled "organic" however, he was pretty certain there was melamine in the feed fed to the birds that produced the eggs that receive no organic designation. There was concern in China over tainted eggs. The feed used here in the U.S., and around the world, is known to contain melamine - it's a binding agent. Why isn't anyone testing eggs for melamine contamination and if they are, what is the status of such testing?

FDA Announces "Countrywide Import Alert"

The FDA announced today that they will be blocking imports of Chinese dairy products, and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients. This countrywide alert is welcomed news.

It is also good news that the "additional information" the FDA received about the scope of the melamine contamination will compel them to examine non-dairy items as well. While testing of food and feed that contains dairy from China has been the most recent focus, non-dairy ingredients from China such as wheat products, rice protein and vegetable proteins were found to be contaminated with melamine last year (pet food) and recent reports from Hong Kong indicate that Chinese animal feed (hen, fish) have been found to contain melamine as recently as last week. This indicates that the "scope" of the contamination goes beyond dairy. And beyond China. Hopefully the FDA is aware of this and will consider a wider alert that leads to better food safety and more informed consumers. Below is the update from the FDA website, Melamine section:

Update on FDA’s Investigation
November 13, 2008: As part of its ongoing strategy to address the present problem with melamine contamination of consumer products exported from the People’s Republic of China, FDA has expanded its import controls on Chinese dairy products, and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients. Since Oct. 10, 2008, FDA has had an import alert in place for specific products found contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds. FDA has collected additional information on the scope of the melamine contamination problem in China, and determined a countrywide import alert is warranted.
This action will help ensure that only Chinese dairy products and food and feed products manufactured in China that contain dairy ingredients are not contaminated with melamine and melamine-related compounds reach U.S. consumers. No adverse health effects have been reported in the United States from contamination with melamine of dairy products or dairy containing products. But melamine is not approved for direct addition to human or animal foods and no manufacturer is allowed to deliberately add it to any food for U.S. consumers.
As part of ongoing activities, FDA will also examine a range of protein-containing products beyond just dairy and dairy-containing products for contamination with melamine and melamine-related compounds. FDA will continue to take appropriate regulatory action if these efforts uncover additional contamination.

FDA’s Warnings/Advisories
The FDA is advising consumers not to consume the following products because of possible melamine contamination:
Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits New!
Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies
YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink
YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink
Blue Cat Flavored Drinks
White Rabbit Candies
Mr. Brown Mandehling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)
Infant formula manufactured in China

Is It Real or Is It Melamine?

Hong Kong is reporting that fish feed they've imported from China has been found to be contaminated with melamine. Hong Kong officials (whoever they are) are saying that the resulting Melafish are probably safe for human consumption because humans are not "directly eating the melamine". Um, no thanks. I like my seafood to be 100% seafood - not part plastic.

Melamine Is Everywhere

Melamine that had been deliberately added to wheat, animal feed, milk and eggs has caused the massive contamination of much of the world's food supply. An Associated Press article out today is reporting that the U.S. Grains Council's technical director in Beijing, Jason Yan, believes that "traders can make a lot of profit" by adding melamine. Has Yan known about food producers adding melamine or was it just discovered? How long has Yan known? In addition to testing of food for melamine in all corners of the globe, there needs to be an investigation to determine whether or not organizations and agencies such as the Grain Council, or FDA, have known about and disregarded contaminated imported food or raw ingredients from China, or contaminated ingredients from any origin. In the case of China, will the U.S. start disclosing what contaminated items are being imported and will we finally see a ban?

Another Egg Producer

Another egg producer found to have melamine in their eggs. I am going to start to make a list. Look for it soon. In the meantime, if you have pets, consumers need to find out if the melamine tainted feed used in China to feed chickens (who then produce contaminated eggs) is being shipped around the world for use in pet food, or for human consumption. And further, if the contaminated eggs, in any form, are being shipped around the world for pet or human consumption.

China, We Have A Problem

More on tainted eggs originating from China.

Test Our Eggs, Please

We need to test the quality of the eggs produced around the U.S. to help ensure the good health of residents. Especially since eggs produced in China and tested in Hong Kong have been found to contain high levels of melamine. This implies that perhaps melamine has contaminated many more products originating from China than previously thought.

I recently spoke with someone at Organic Valley about their eggs (no melamine in their feed, he assured me) and adding melamine to animal feed for chickens. The OV rep said it was very smart to be inquiring about who uses melamine in their animal feed here in the U.S.  

As far as imports are concerned: so we don't import any milk from China... Well, do we import eggs? If so, where are they sold or used? 

More Animal Feed Tainted With Melamine

Dogs raised for their fur in China are found to have died from kidney failure after eating melamine-laced animal feed. Gillian Wong of the Associated Press reports from Beijing that the feed, and the stones in the animals kidneys, were tested after over 1,500 dogs died.

Melamine Will Fix It

This article (on page two) does a good job of summing up how some food producers feel compelled to add melamine over and over, from farm to manufacture, to their products.  

animal feed redeux or never ending story...

A Reuters Press Digest (10/15/08) of South Korean newspapers claims that the Agriculture Ministry has found melamine in additives for chicken feed in South Korea.