Melamine, not rat poison, found in Canadian pet food: US officials

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Melamine, a substance used in fertilizer in Asia, but not rat poison, has been found in Canadian pet food blamed for killing cats and dogs across North America, US officials and experts said Friday.

Melamine, also used in the manufacture of plastics, was found in samples of pet food manufactured by Menu Foods and tested in Food and Drug Administration laboratories, said FDA official Stephen Sundlof at a news conference.

Melamine also was found in wheat gluten imported from China and used in the Menu Foods products, he said.

Cornell University scientists detected melamine in the urine or the kidneys of dead cats that participated in the original taste testing study, he said.

"Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food...