Melamine, Pet Food Poisoning, and Anti Chinese (science)

[greatcalgarian]

The Chinese have been accused of mal-practice. Is it true? Read part of Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pe..._feed_additive

Non-protein nitrogen as legitimate and illegitimate feed additive
Ruminant animals can obtain protein from at least some forms of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) through fermentation by their rumen bacteria, hence NPN is often added to their diet to supplement protein.[120] Nonruminants such as cats, dogs and pigs (and humans) cannot utilize NPN. NPN are given to ruminants in the form of pelleted urea, ammonium phosphate and/or biuret.[121] Sometimes slightly polymerized special urea-formaldehyde resin or a mixture of urea and formaldehyde (both are also known as formaldehyde-treated urea) is used in place of urea, because the former provides a better control on the nitrogen release. This practice is carried out in China and other countries, such as Finland [122], India[123] and France.[124]

Cyanuric acid has also been used as NPN. For example, Archer Daniels Midland manufactures a NPN supplement for cattle, which contains biuret, triuret, cyanuric acid and urea.[125] FDA permits a certain amount of cyanuric acid to be present in some additives used in animal feed and drinking water.[126]

Melamine use as NPN for cattle was described in a 1958 patent.[127] In 1978, however, a study concluded that melamine "may not be an acceptable nonprotein N source for ruminants"，because its hydrolysis in cattle is slower and less complete than other nitrogen sources such as cottonseed meal and urea.[128]

In China, it is known that ground urea-formaldehyde resin is a common adulterant in feed for non-ruminants.[129][130] Domestically it is often sold under the euphemism "protein essence" (蛋白精) and is described as "one kind of new proteinnitrogen feed additive".[131] However, urea-formaldehyde resin itself has been suggested as appropriate for use in feed for some non-ruminants in at least one UN FAO report, suggesting its use as a binder in feed pellets in aquaculture.[132]

There is at least one report of inexpensively priced rice protein concentrate (feed grade) containing non-protein nitrogen being marketed for use in non-ruminants dating back to 2005. In a news item on its website, Jiangyin Hetai Industrial Co., Ltd. warned its customers of low-priced "PSEUDO rice protein" for sale in the market by another unnamed supplier, noting that the contaminant could be detected by analyzing the isoelectric point.[133] It is not clear from that report whether the contaminant in that case was melamine or some other non-protein nitrogen source or whether any contaminated rice protein concentrate made it into the food supply at that time.

On Apr 18, an ad was posted on the trading website Alibaba.com selling "Esb protein powder" in Xuzhou Anying's name.[134][135] The product is said to be protein in nature and suitable for livestock and poultry feed, yet claims a crude protein content of 160-300%. It also mentions in passing the product makes use of "NPN" which is an acronym for non-protein nitrogen. Similar ads were placed on other websites, some dated as early as Oct 31 2005.[136] Products with similar descriptions were also sold as "EM bacterium active protein forage" by Shandong Binzhou Xinpeng Biosciences Company [137] and "HP protein powder" by Shandong Jinan Together Biologic Technology Development Company. [138]