China is carrying out a nationwide inspection on the quality of
its wheat gluten after the United States claimed that the pet food
at the origin of a number of cat and dog deaths used tainted wheat
imported from China.
"Sampling and examination are under way," said Xia Wenjun, an
official with the press office of the General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on Friday.
The probing targets melamine, a chemical used to make plastic
and discovered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the
pet food recalled by Ontario-based pet food maker Menu Foods
following a rash of animal sickness and deaths.
"We will announce the results as soon as the investigation is
completed," Xia said.
The administration in charge of quality inspection and
quarantine of imports and exports carried out tests Monday
targeting aminopterin, a rat poison previously suspected of causing
the deaths but later cleared by FDA tests.
Xia said that the administration would stay in touch with the US
Embassy to China and take further measures based on developments in
the United States.
She made no comment on Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology
Development Co. which was identified by the US government as the
supplier of contaminated gluten.
The company situated in eastern China's Jiangsu Province insisted they had never
exported wheat gluten to the United States.
All imports traced to Xuzhou Anying will be held in custody at
US customs until investigations are completed, according to the
FDA.
Menu Foods commenced a North American recall in mid-March after
an unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and some
died after eating their contaminated pet food.
(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2007)