Melamine tests widened
U.S. health officials will test more food additives for melamine, a substance found in pet food linked to the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs.
Tests will be expanded to imports of six food additives, including soy protein, rice bran and corn gluten, Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a news conference. The FDA is already testing wheat gluten and rice protein for the substance.
Melamine, used to make plastic kitchen utensils and fertilizers, was found in pet food made by companies such as Canada’s Menu Foods after reports of kidney failure in dogs and cats. The company has recalled more than 60 million cans and pouches of wet food sold under numerous brands.
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