FDA Announces U.S. Source of Melamine-Contaminated Fish, Cattle, Sheep and Goat Feeds in Latest Recall

Tom McPheron
Phone: 847-285-6781
Cell: 773-494-5419
e-mail: tmcpheron@avma.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 30, 2007

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.

— The FDA announced today that a U.S. company—Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, Ohio—has been identified as producing a melamine-contaminated ingredient used in domestic livestock feed as well as in domestic and exported fish feed. This is a separate contamination from the nationwide pet food recall that began March 16, in which the melamine-contaminated ingredient was imported from Chinese manufactures.

Tembec has used the contaminated ingredient as a binding agent in two of its commercial fish feeds, AquaBond and Aqua-Tec II, intended for domestic use as well as for export. The company also shipped the contaminated binding ingredient to Uniscope, Inc. of Johnstown, Colo., for use in domestic livestock feed, Xtra-Bond, for cattle, goats and sheep.

The FDA has advised that the contaminated fish feeds be recalled, but has not advised that the contaminated livestock feeds be recalled because they contain lower levels of melamine and melamine-related compounds, and therefore the FDA does not believe the livestock feeds pose a threat to human health. For more information, see the press release on the FDA web site at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01643.html, and visit the AVMA web site at www.avma.org for updates and information about this and other pet food and livestock recalls.

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