In March 2007, the Menu Foods Income Fund recalled millions of containers of pet food that were believed to be sickening and killing pets rapidly and by the thousands.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that the food contained melamine, which was traced to contaminated wheat gluten imported from China.  Menu’s products are sold under some 90 different brand names.

Now, pet owners are asking that criminal charges be brought against the pet food companies and, today, a federal judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments on a proposal to bring the amount pet food makers and distributors would pay to settle hundreds of lawsuits to $32 million.  Experts believe that the arguments will also be focusing on the legal status of pets. (more…)

Police in China have detained 22 people suspected of involvement in introducing the chemical melamine into the supply chain, state media announced today.

Melamine is used to make plastics, fertilizer, and fire retardants and is known to cause kidney stones and can lead to kidney failure.  Melamine-contaminated powdered milk has been blamed for the illnesses of some 54,000 children and the deaths of four infants. (more…)

According to a recent Associated Press report, “cookies from a major Japanese confectioner and Chinese-made baby cereal and crackers” are now included in the ongoing tainted milk scandal originating out of China.  Taiwan also reported three babies with kidney stones in the first cases likely linked to the scandal.  The AP also reports that the Hong Kong government announced it found traces of melamine in baby cereal and crackers made in mainland China:  Heinz DHA+AA vegetable formula baby cereal and Silang House steamed potato wasabi crackers.  Heinz, which is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company, ordered a recall of the baby cereal.

Melamine is used to make plastics, fertilizer, and fire retardants and is known to cause kidney stones and can lead to kidney failure.  Melamine-contaminated powdered milk has been blamed for the illnesses of some 54,000 children and the deaths of four infants.  “I think we will see some more cases, but not the high number like so far,” he said. “I think the recall and more thorough investigation and testing are now starting to eliminate some of these contaminated products from coming out to the public.” (more…)

QFCO, Inc. of Burlingame, California is recalling White Rabbit Candy because of possible melamine contamination.  The White Rabbit candies were distributed to California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state through wholesale distributors to retail stores.

The White Rabbit Creamy Candy is sold in eight- or 16-ounce packages; all other flavors, including Assorted—Chocolate, Coconut, and Coffee—Red Bean, Coffee, Corn, Lychee, Mango, and Strawberry are sold in seven-ounce packages.  All White Rabbit candy packaging contains a logo of a white rabbit on the front with the words “White Rabbit.”  The recall was implemented when it was discovered that the candies have been contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine.  Anyone who has purchased White Rabbit Candy is urged to return the candy to the place of purchase for a full refund or discard the candy in the trash.  Consumers with questions may contact the company at (650) 697-6633. (more…)

China’s food and product quality agency chief—Li Changjiang—was forced to resign yesterday amid the growing scandal over the country’s tainted milk supply.  Melamine-tainted milk  has sickened over 50,000 infants and killed at least three children, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.  A recent law requires removal of top officials who fail to fulfill their duties or cause severe accidents deemed avoidable.

Li Changjiang is the most senior government official to lose his job in the scandal.  His resignation was announced as that government widened its investigation into how melamine contaminated powdered baby formula and milk products made by some of the country’s biggest dairy companies.  The massive scandal is now China’s worst yet, exceeding last year’s scandals involving tainted pet food ingredients, toothpaste, seafood, and dangerous lead-contaminated toys.  Li was one of the officials in charge of monitoring the nation’s food and product safety and was a strong advocate for increased testing and inspections of Chinese products, defending the quality of Chinese goods and criticizing Western media and American businessmen, saying they exaggerated China’s product-quality problems. (more…)

Splenda, an artificial sweetener, has been tied to a host of ills by researchers at Duke University, The New York Times reported today.  According to an article published on  The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health website, Splenda contributes to obesity, destroys “good” intestinal bacteria and prevents prescription drugs from being absorbed.

Splenda is a no-calorie sweetener made by McNeil Nutritionals.  Splenda is 600 times as sweet as table sugar), twice as sweet as saccharin, and four times as sweet as aspartame.  Unlike other artificial sweeteners, Splenda remains stable under heat and can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life.  Since its U.S. introduction in 1999, Splenda has overtaken Equal in the $1.5 billion artificial sweetener market, holding a 62% market share. (more…)

Tainted baby formula from China was sold to other countries and the industrial chemical, melamine, responsible for three infants deaths and 6,000 infant injuries has also been found in ice cream.  The Associated Press is reporting that China’s latest product safety scandal has been expanded to include more foods; state media is reporting some formula produced by companies involved was exported and a nationwide inspection of the 175 Chinese baby milk powder companies revealed 22 had traces of melamine in their products.  Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles, and flame-retardants.

The mounting scandal is yet another embarrassing failure for China’s product safety system, which was overhauled to restore consumer confidence and preserve export markets after recalls and warnings over tainted toothpaste, faulty tires, pharmaceuticals, and other goods.  Now, the Associated Press reports that food distributer, Yashili, exported products to Bangladesh, Yemen, and Myanmar; in Hong Kong, food inspectors ordered a recall after melamine was found in ice cream made by Shanghai Yili AB Foods.   In 2004, fake baby formula killed 12 and sickened 200 in the second major, recent case involving baby formula.  Last year, thousands of American pets fell ill—many died—after eating melamine-tainted food imported from China.  Last October, nearly 70,000 Chinese-made toys were recalled in the United States over excessive lead issues.  In November, the popular toy, Aqua Dots, was tainted with a toxic chemical that metabolized into the date rape drug when swallowed.  And, in February, a Maryland candy distributor pulled Pokemon-brand metal-laden Valentine lollipops. (more…)

In response to yesterday’s news that melamine-tainted baby formula made in China might have made its way into the United States, China launched a nationwide investigation into all baby milk powders, saying manufacturers producing tainted powder “will face serious punishment.”  The tainted formula has sickened dozens of infants and is believed responsible for the death of one baby.

Initially, the China state news agency Zinhua was reporting that 14 babies had been hospitalized for kidney stones, an extremely rare problem in babies.  Soon after those reports surfaced, news broke that the contaminant was found in one brand of formula and that one baby’s death was likely linked to the tainted milk powder.  China state media said the investigation would look into determining if the tainted formula led to the baby’s death and caused kidney stones in dozens of other babies. (more…)

U.S. regulators are warning that melamine-tainted baby formula made in China may have been imported to the U.S.  Consumers are being warned by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to avoid all baby formula made in China.  The agency is concerned that even though no brand of Chinese baby formula has ever been approved for sale in the U.S., the product may be on sale at ethnic groceries, particularly in places like New York and San Francisco that have large populations of Chinese immigrants.

The problems with Chinese-made formula were first revealed when a  Chinese hospital reported that 14 infants had fallen ill and are suffering from kidney stones.  It seems as if the babies all drank the same brand of milk formula, are under 11 months of age, are from a rural area of northwest Gansu province, and have all been admitted to the hospital in the past two months.  Many are comparing this outbreak to the 2004 milk-powder tragedy that killed at least 13 babies. (more…)

The Washington-based consumer advocacy group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, has filed a lawsuit against MillerCoors over the marketing and formulation of its Sparks energy-alcohol drink.  The advocacy group says that the Sparks beverage contains “unapproved” additives.

The additives with which the group is most concerned include both caffeine and guarana.  The lawsuit asks the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to stop MillerCoors from selling Sparks.  MillersCoors is a collaboration of the Coors Brewing Company and the Miller Brewing Company.  MllerCoors previously handled marketing of the Sparks drink.  The advocacy group has also accused MillerCoors of appealing to young people through what it called Sparks’ “sweet citrusy taste.” (more…)