3 companies indicted in pet food case

[Kevin]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two Chinese businesses and a U.S. company were indicted Wednesday in the tainted pet food incidents that killed dozens of animals last year and raised worries about products made in China.


Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co., and Las Vegas-based ChemNutra Inc. were charged in two separate but related indictments. The U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City said the tainted food led to the death and serious illness of pets in the U.S. last year.

One of the indictments charges Xuzhou Anying Biologic, located in China's Jiangsu Province, and Suzhou Textiles, in Suzhou, China, with 13 counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce.

ChemNutra and company owners Sally Quing Miller, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller were charged with 13 counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, 13 counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The indictments allege that Suzhou Textiles, an export broker, mislabeled 800 metric tons of wheat gluten tainted with the toxic chemical melamine to avoid inspection in China. Xuzhou then did not properly declare the contaminated product it shipped to the U.S. as a material to be used in food, the indictment says.

It also says the shipment was falsely declared to the Chinese government in a way that would avoid a mandatory inspection of the company's plants.

According to the indictment, ChemNutra picked up the melamine-tainted product at a port of entry in Kansas City, then sold it to makers of various brands of pet foods. The indictment alleges that the melamine was added to make the gluten meet the required standard for protein content specified in the contract between Suzhou and ChemNutra.

"Millions of pet owners remember the anxiety of last year's pet food recall. These indictments are the product of an investigation that began in the wake of that recall," U.S. Attorney John Wood said in a news release announcing the indictments.

ChemNutra did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The indictment also names Xuzhou Anying Biologic owner and manager, Mao Linzhun, and Suzhou Textiles' President Chen Zhen Hao.

[T.W.]

Well at least it is a start, but there should be alot more names and companies on that list. I don't believe the pet food manufacturers were so innocent in this. To think that they can change and add key ingredients to the food, and not have to alter the ingredients list on the bag for 6 months is a crime in it's self!!!!!!! The only good side was that people truly learned what garbage they were feeding their pets, so sad so many had to die. I'll never feed my dogs canned food again, they get a high quality dry, and I make them chicken and rice or ground turkey etc, for their canned, and they get plain yogurt every day added to it.

[huntress]

I read The whole dog journal and I only feed foods that pass their strict criteria and now they have upped the annti and require dog food companies to disclose the location of the plant its made in or it will not make the cut. I love it is a No Ad magazine and my dog food has always been in the top ten dry and its NOT expensive and its sold everywhere except grocery stores. Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers soul!!

[T.W.]

Huntress, that is what my dogs eat, the lite version, it is a great food. I think the price is quite fair, and my guys love it!!