Senator urges FDA to be proactive

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, a leading advocate of improving food safety has called for a hearing on the Food and Drug Administration's handling of the pet food scare.

Durbin said, "I want to hear how the FDA is going to work to resolve the current crisis and ensure this doesn't happen again."

The senator condemned the federal inspection process for both human and pet food stating that the FDA is like a fire department that is only called after the house has burned. He urged the FDA to be more proactive and set national standards and inspection rules for pet food manufacturing facilities.

He added that the agency needs to ensure that food makers report problems without any delay, inspectors visit manufacturing plants, and veterinarians and owners share information.

Durbin said, "What we see here is an indication of problems across the board with food safety — both human and pet.There are too many agencies, too many laws, too many committee chairmen and too many special interest groups, which results in a piecemeal and splintered approach to food safety."

The present pet food recall has been one of the largest in U.S. history. It was initiated by Menu Foods, the Canadian based wet pet food manufacturer on March 16. The company had announced the recall of over 60 million cans of dog and cat food after numerous cases kidney failures in cats and dogs were reported.

The first recall had covered a production period between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007. Thereafter the recall became bigger with more companies recalling their brands as a precautionary measure.

The recall was based on FDA melamine being found in wheat gluten, an ingredient used to thicken wet pet food. Sources stated that the wheat gluten came from a supplier in China. The FDA still does not know how melamine tainted the wheat gluten.

Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association accepted that there was scope of improvement with regard to regulations and inspection process. He however warned against overreacting to the recall as it was less than 1 1/2 percent of the pet food supply.

The most vital concern to surface from the current crisis is the need to prepare the veterinarians to report problems in a proper and timely manner and keep them abreast of the latest developments.