China protein feed manager: "Our products are very safe, for sure''

[kurth]

Suspect Additive Commonly Used in China
Monday April 30, 2007 9:16 PM
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
Associated Press Writer

BEIJING (AP) - In the United States, it is feared as a killer of cats and dogs and a potential threat to humans. Yet in China, the mildly toxic chemical melamine is commonly used in animal feed and is even praised by some customers, according to the managers of a feed company and one of the chemical's producers. ``Using the proper quantity of melamine will not harm the animals,'' said Wang Jianhui, manager of the Kaiyuan Protein Feed company in the northern city of Shijiazhuang. ``Our products are very safe, for sure,'' Wang added...

The contaminated gluten was traced to a trading company based in eastern Jiangsu province, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., and a firm in the nearby province of Shandong, Binzhou Futian Bio-technology Co. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has blocked wheat and rice gluten from both companies pending an investigation...

Xuzhou Anying managers have said they have no idea how the melamine got into the gluten, which they claim was acquired from other firms and sold to a third company which exported it to the United States. However, suspicions were raised when the company was found to have posted an online advertisement in March seeking to buy melamine.

Ji Denghui, manager of Sanming Dinghui Chemical Trading Co. in the eastern province of Fujian, said animal food companies are some of his best customers. ``A lot of animal food companies buy melamine from us to add in the animal feed,'' Ji said. ``This can lower the production cost and increase nitrogen levels.'' Ji played down the risk, saying that despite China's repeated food safety scares, the companies could be trusted to use melamine safely...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6598574,00.html

[LisaL]

1. It boggles the mind.