Why Are The Pet Food Recalls Important To The Bigger Food Safety Picture?
2007-04-27 10:50:26 Source of Article: http://www.ccnmag.com/news.php?id=5129 The incidents of pet food contaminated with melamine contained in wheat gluten imported from China have now spread into pig feed. Dr. Gary Weaver, DVM, Director of the Program on Agriculture and Animal Health Policy for the University of Maryland’s Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy (CFNAP), explains why contaminations are likely to continue and what should be done to improve U.S. oversight of imported animal and human food ingredients. KEY POINTS: Uncontrolled distribution of low-quality, imported food ingredients is a great threat to US public health. The US has very little direct, hands-on control over our pet food industry. Incidents like the recent events probably will continue to happen until the US effectively overhauls our food safety programs. FDA appears to be some 30 years behind as they use pre-global economy border food inspection strategies in our new global economy world of mass
