Hogs that possibly ate tainted feed believed to be in food supply

By ANDREW BRIDGES | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • Published April 27, 2007

WASHINGTON - Several hundred of the 6,000 hogs that might have eaten contaminated pet food are believed to have entered the food supply for humans, the government said Thursday.

No more than 345 hogs, from farms in three states, that possibly ate tainted feed are involved, according to the Agriculture Department. It appears the large majority of the hogs that might have been exposed are still on the farms where they are being raised, spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said.

Salvaged pet food from companies known or suspected of using tainted ingredients was shipped to hog farms in seven states for use as feed. A poultry feed mill in an eighth state, Missouri, also received possibly contaminated pet food scraps left over from production. The fate of the feed made from that waste was not immediately known.

The pet food sent to the farms later was discovered to have included either of two ingredients imported from China that were tainted by an industrial chemical, melamine.

Since mid-March, pet food companies have recalled more than 100 brands of dog and cat food and treats; more recalls were announced Thursday. An unknown number of cats and dogs have fallen ill or died after eating products made with contaminated wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate.

The risk to human health posed by the chemical is considered very low. The Agriculture Department on Thursday released the following state-by-state breakdown of its investigation into farms thought to have received the contaminated pet food for use as hog feed. The farms were not identified.

- CALIFORNIA: State officials are working to contact the purchasers of 50 whole hogs raised on a single farm.

- NEW YORK: A breeder farm's 125 to 140 swine are under quarantine pending the results of urine and manure tests. None of the hogs went to slaughter.

- SOUTH CAROLINA: Urine tests done on some of the 800 hogs now quarantined at a farm have tested positive for low levels of melamine. None went to slaughter. According to the state veterinarian, none of the suspect feed was fed to the hogs. Federal tests on the feed have come up negative.