What Exactly Is The Pet Food Crisis? (Part 1)

If you have been paying attention to the news recently, you’ve seen the serious health crisis plaguing the nation’s pets in early 2007: poisoned pet food that is making pets sick and dying.

Soon after eating the tainted food, the animals have been getting sick. These pets are having serious problems, such as lethargy, kidney failure, vomiting, and even death in some cases. Although so far few animals have died (less than two dozen) the scare has affected many dog and cat owners.

Originally, people suspected that the toxin was part of rat poison in the food supply, namely aminopterin. Aminopterin is a chemical used primarily for chemotherapy. While New York officials found this, the FDA never confirmed the matter.

Currently, the view is that there was a quality control issue with the wheat supplied by a food distributor. The poisonous chemical in the wheat gluten, melamine, is also used in pesticides throughout Asia, as well as in plastics.

Gluten is the protein part of starches such as found in flour. It is similar to gelatin, and is valuable in food in that it adopts the flavor and texture of the food it is in. It also adds volume to food, and may resemble meat by taking on its texture and flavor as well. It can also add elasticity and chewiness to foods, plus works as a binder, filler, and gravy thickener.

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