Wal-Mart Tests Prove Positive of Melamine

Less than a month after Wal-Mart conducted an internal recall and pulled two pet products off the shelves for testing, the chemical substance melamine was found. After a massive recall was conducted in March, where millions of pet food products were taken off American store shelves because of similar concerns, the potential harm averted by Wal-Mart is immeasurable.

Back in July, a woman from Pennsylvania complained that her Chihuahua died because of complications from eating Bestro Trading chicken jerky. With the jerky the only change in diet the reasonable assumption has been that the chicken jerky made the dog sick and ultimately led to its untimely death. After hearing from complaining consumers, Wal-Mart took the bold step of conducting its on independent testing by removing products chicken jerky strips made by Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and chicken jerky from Bestro Trading Co. When they began their internal recall they made no public statements and refused to allow a customer to purchase the products. In fact, they placed a computerized block on the products muting the ability of a customer to scan the product at the register.

When the matter made it to the media recently, Wal-Mart admitted to the internal recall. At the same time, they were adamant about the need to allow their process of testing to be completed before anyone made any assumptions about the products. With the testing complete, Wal-Mart found that seventeen different sets of tests done on the chicken jerky products found melamine. Melamine is a contaminant that is the byproduct of several pesticides mixed together. According to Wal-Mart, the amount of melamine was minute, requiring more definitive testing. While it is not known what amount of melamine is needed to make an animal such a dog sick, the fact that melamine was found ratchets up the concerns the American Food and Drug Administration must have about the Bestro Trading Co. and the Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co.

After the national recall that happened this spring, where 150 pet food products were taken off store shelves after US inspectors found that wheat gluten derived from mainland China had been used to make the food was tainted with the melamine contaminate. Since that initial recall, toys, fish, toothpaste and other things have been recalled for similar safety concerns. In Wal-Mart's media statement about the findings, they advised consumers who had purchased Bestro chicken jerky with the UPC number of 0087784900006 and an item number of 839751 to move cautiously and return the product to Wal-Mart. All chicken jerky products made by both companies are eligible for full refunds from Wal-Mart, but especially those that have been tested.

The Pingyang Company has a history with the American Food and Drug Administration. Only two years ago, the FDA stopped shipments of some of the pet food treats from the company after tests found that traces of salmonella had been found. It is not known how the FDA will respond to Wal-Mart's findings. They are certain to bring some restrictions once they verify Wal-Mart's results and certify that melamine was found in the chicken jerky products.

Melamine is a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide. The practice of adding melamine scraps to pet food products has been widespread in China as a way of increasing the protein content of animal food. While it was long believed that melamine was non-toxic at low doses, the growing number of deaths has raised the fears of farmers and FDA officials. In April of this year, the FDA quarantined all vegetable proteins from China that were to be for either human or animal consumption.

With Wal-Mart averting greater risk to their consumers, their decision to conduct the internal recall must be lauded as a company working in the best interest of their consumers. With US Food and Drug Administration officials reviewing the findings, they must now develop a new policy towards Chinese regulatory agencies who certify foods as contaminant free before leaving the Chinese mainland. Otherwise, the US must make the bold move of refusing to receive imports from safety-vague China.