May 3, 2007
US-FDA: Melamine-contained pork unlikely to cause human illness
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have affirmed that pork products contained with melamine have not caused any reported health risks in humans.
For this reason, FDA will not recall food products from contaminated animals but only disbar animals that have consumed tainted feed to enter human food chain.
About 6,000 pigs on eight farms have been quarantined from the food supply, and the USDA has offered to compensate producers who will slaughter hogs that ate the contaminated feed.
The FDA has discovered that a shipment of rice protein imported from China contains melamine and melamine-related compounds. The protein was used for producing pet food and its by-product was used for pig feed.
In addition, neither FDA nor USDA has found any evidence of affliction to the swine that ate the contaminated product.
As of last week, some farms in the following states are believed to have received contaminated products: California, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.
