Bill Ayers speaks out! An In These Times exclusive.

Poisoning Pets with Industrial Food

Lacking transparency, industry relies on alchemy of pet food to turn its waste into profits

By Terry J. Allen

In New York City’s East Village, a string of Indian restaurants stretches side by side for a block along Sixth Street. The running joke is that tucked behind the row is one kitchen that dishes up the same food for all the restaurants. But while that model makes for urban myth on Sixth Street, it is nearer to corporate reality… return to article

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    Page 1 of 1 pages

    Terry Allen says,

    “The problem with pet food—whether it’s ground steak or chopped rectum, sawdust or grain filler—is that with FDA approval...”

    But… we are ignoring the biggest problem here — the FDA itself.

    The “approval” she mentions is largely implicit. I recently read the FDA inspects only ONE PERCENT of the pet food. Within the past year the FDA did a self test and gave itself only a 33 percent grade!  We’re talking HUMAN food here!

    Now I am not one who believes the government should be deeply involved in our individual lives, however, while we’ve been busy passing seat belt and airbag laws, and putting on warning labels and idiot proofing RX bottles, we’ve also been cutting staff at regulatory agencies like the FDA.

    Another result of the FDA test — When they were questioned by FDA agents the majority of foreign companies supplying human food didn’t have anyone who spoke English. That didn’t stop the importation.

    The latest in this debacle is the importing of our prescriptions — which includes Chinese backed counterfeits from factories in Africa.

    Similar “confidentiality agreements” which “precluded revealing the names” are also preventing law enforcement from getting info on the Virginia Tech Massacre shooter, even AFTER HE KILLED 32 PEOPLE!

    “The system broke down,” said Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) according to the April 6 Washington Post. “It’s not just about contaminated food killing pets, it’s a system that failed.”

    Durbin is a very vocal advocate of “feel-good” legislation in my home state. He personifies “the system.”

    This is PC inspired, feel-good stuff which has come back to haunt us. These companies may knowingly be doing us a disservice, it may be only that they do know they are vulnerable in our litigation happy society.

    Let’s get real about privacy/responsibility/profits/ security.

    United States Posted by whattheheck on Apr 24, 2007 at 7:34 AM

    Whattheheck, thanks for your comments.
    I have to agree with blondemike that you
    are far and away one of the most intelligent
    posters here. A refreshing contrast to the
    leftist dim bulbs who spout the same old,
    same old under multiple names.  We
    had Sarbanes here in Maryland who used
    Enron to put forth more draconian anti-
    business legislation. I am spacing on his
    replacement but I’m sure it’s another lefty.
    Baltimore County is blue collar Reagan
    Dems but the city is 80% black and votes
    robotically. Then Montgomery next to DC
    is home to govt workers and PG next door
    is 80% black. You can guess how they vote.

    United States Posted by bostonblackie on Apr 24, 2007 at 10:08 AM

    bostonblackie & mike,

    Thanks to both of you for the complimentary comments.

    It’s nice to hear, but I can’t get too puffed up since the intellectual competition here has been pretty weak lately.

    (Just kidding — don’t anyone get all buzzed off.)

    United States Posted by whattheheck on Apr 24, 2007 at 11:33 AM

    Even overlooking the idiocy of the opposition
    here, your posts have been outstanding for
    their thoughtfulness, WTH. So it’s NOT a
    left-handed compliment.

    United States Posted by bostonblackie on Apr 24, 2007 at 3:10 PM

    Mikey
    You are a strange old geezer. Do you switch up personas at will or is it a subconcious break that the id is not aware of. 

    Pet food..16 billion dollars........Thats insane. Its an animal. It eats crap and drinks from the toilet....People have more money than good sense..

    United States Posted by texasindependent on Apr 25, 2007 at 10:37 AM

    Not “Mike” but pets are fine. Have two pugs.
    At least they know how to use a toilet, unlike
    greasers. By the way, we are animals too.
    In the case of Mexicans not a highly developed
    animal.

    United States Posted by bostonblackie on Apr 25, 2007 at 12:57 PM

    Sir

    While I agree with your comments this statment betrays bias and ignorance of the situation.

    “Adding to the bad taste is that Menu Foods is an income trust, a kind of Canadian tax dodge, sometimes equated with Ponzi schemes. It will be interesting to see how readily that financial structure regurgitates the millions in potential damages.”

    While an Income Trust is a ‘tax efficient structure’ it is perfectly legal, and, in fact, similar to a structure which has been around for years in the US and Canada. Income from an income trust is not taxed at the corporate level but distributions (like dividends) are fully taxed at the individual level. Nobody with any knowledge of the facts would compare them to a Ponzi scheme.

    As I understand it, one thing which differentiates Canadian Income Trusts from traditional corporations is that the Trust’s liabilities actually fall to the unit holders, unlike corporations where owner’s liabilities are limited to their ownership. In theory, the damages in an income trust could be higher because of this, not lower.

    In any event, this shot, as a sign of ignorance, lessens your commentary.

    In case you are wondering, I have no relationship with Menu Foods, am not an investor in the company, nor have I ever invested in an Income Trust. I have 3 cats, 2 dogs, a dozen pet rabbits, a pet turkey and a pet chicken, so I do care.

    One root issue, is accepting food ingredients from a wild west environment like China. Those who supplied the poison will never be held accountable.

    Canada Posted by mingy on May 1, 2007 at 3:03 PM
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