According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report, pet treats that were mostly imported from China were linked to more than 1,000 deaths in dogs and illness in some 5,600 others – along with sickness in 24 cats and at least three people.
Unfortunately, for a product to be labeled “Made in the USA,” regulations require only that the product be “all or virtually all” made in that country.
From the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Complying with the Made in USA Standard document:
“What is the standard for a product to be called Made in USA without qualification?
For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S. The term “United States,” as referred to in the Enforcement Policy Statement, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and possessions.”
So, even though a company states they manufacture a dog food in a U.S. or Canadian facility, there’s no way to know for sure if the ingredients weren’t sourced from a foreign producer.
Your Pet Food Comes from China, and it’s Killing your Pets
China has cornered the market on producing vitamins, supplements and even many of the inert ingredients that our pharmaceuticals are made with. According to TruthAboutPetFood.com:
“… it seems that no one in the pet food industry is very willing to talk much about Chinese imports. Try calling or emailing several pet food manufacturers and ask them the country of origin of all ingredients. Many will just happen to forget to mention vitamins and minerals are sourced from China.”
Phorate: One of the most poisonous pesticides known to man
In 2010 the FDA issued an Import Refusal Report, and later issued an Import Alert, for sweet potato dog treats imported from a company in China (whose main business is, oddly, is in rubber and plastic raw materials) were contaminated with a highly toxic pesticide known as phorate.
The following are some of the symptoms of toxic poisoning:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Anorexia
- Depression
- Seizures
- Muscle tremors
- Hypersalivation
- Constricted pupils
- Increased heart rate
- Lack of coordination (i.e., trouble walking)
- Respiratory failure (e.g., trouble breathing)
I just want people to know that our pets are consuming nutrients that come from supplements which are sourced from China. Even though the food your pets consume is MADE in the USA, it doesn’t mean that the ingredients are from the USA.
References:
Phorate EXTOXNET (Cornell)
Pesticide Action Network (PAN)
Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR)
Credits:Anya V, source
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