“This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.”
As thousands of dog owners report severe illness and death related to Chinese chicken jerky dog treats, Chinese government officials are refusing to allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pull samples and run laboratory tests on their products.
NBC News reported that FDA officials visited four separate chicken jerky manufacturing plants in China last month, expecting to pull samples for FDA and independent testing on US soil. But, Chinese officials are stipulating that samples can only be retrieved if they are tested by Chinese-run testing facilities, not brought back to the United States.
Investigators were sent for several days to each of four plants: Gambol Pet Products Co. Ltd.; Shandong Honva Food Co. Ltd.; and Shandong Petswell Food Co. Ltd., all in Liaocheng, China, and Jinan Uniwell Pet Food Co. Ltd. in Jinan, China. The plants visited in July all manufacture the chicken jerky treats sold by Nestle Purina PetCare Co., including the popular Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands.
Dennis L. Doupnik, an FDA investigator who visited the manufacturing facilities, wrote in his inspection report that “no samples were collected during this inspection” as a result of the Chinese requirements.
In addition, the reports showed that the Chinese plants conducted either no laboratory tests or only sporadic tests of the raw materials, including meat used in treats fed to many of the 78.2 million pet dogs in the U.S.
The FDA found no significant violations and issued no citations, but warned plant owners about problems that included broken supports on metal screens, a torn gasket door on a mixer and failure to file proper paperwork to list actual treat manufacturers instead of shippers or brokers in FDA records.
Doupnik also added, “I was informed that FDA would not be allowed to ship any samples outside of China for testing in an FDA laboratory due to the issue of national sovereignty among other reasons.”
“It’s hard to believe the FDA would send a team of inspectors over to China without first getting a guarantee that they could bring samples back,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who has been tracking the jerky problem. “They’re doing nothing of consequence. The FDA’s tone-deaf on this one.”
Kucinich believes that the plants’ refusal to allow sampling should be enough for the FDA to issue a recall and halt all imports of these products. The Dogington Post agrees completely.
Despite the factories’ refusal to allow sampling, no FDA alerts or import refusals have been issued. But, Tamara N. Ward, an FDA spokeswoman, says that the FDA have increased surveillance of chicken jerky products entering the U.S.
In other words, the FDA is not one step closer to determining the cause of some 2,000 reports of illness and death in US dogs that were fed the dangerous chicken jerky treats.
Barbara Miller
says:I’m wondering whether this applies only to chicken jerky, or whether the Waggin Train duck jerky is also affected?????? Anyone know for sure?????
Brandy Arnold
says:Barbara, no official claims have been made against the duck jerky, but candidly, we’ve heard a few stories. Sweet potato treats that are processed in the same manner as the chicken treats have been causing problems (and prompted FDA investigations). To be safe, I would avoid any meat product coming from China until this ordeal is settled. It takes some effort to find them, but USA-made treats are available. Our dogs are worth the extra effort!
Peg Pruitt
says:In answer to Gina’s question as to why we allow China to sell these products here – China is manufacturing them, not selling them here. That honor belongs to Nestle-Purina Pet Care. Guess who stands to lose a fortune if these treats are banned here? I cannot help but wonder how much influence was exerted on the FDA by the companies with a vested interest in making a fortune off our pets.
Stuart
says:Simple solution – pull a random pack from each incoming shipment before it’s distributed to stores. If it’s contaminated, condemn the shipment, no compensation (let the importer take it up with the manufacturer, much fairer than leaving it to the individual pet owner when it’s the importer who profits bringing this rubbish into your country, and the pet owners who lose).
Gina
says:I agree with Nancy why do we allow them to sell their products here in the USA when we / you know it is bad for our animals ? I can’t believe the world has come to this – you have to read every label on everything you buy. I started making my own dog treats ( beef jerky ) and my dog loves it. I also found it to be just as cheap.
Nancy Andersen
says:So why doesn’t the FDA go to any store that sells these products and pull bags off the shelf and test them here?
Why do they even allow them to be shipped here if China refuses to to give samples for testing???
My Chihuahua was given a small sample of chicken jerkey at a pet store and she spent the next day vomiting. I no longer let her have treats in a store. I buy no pet foods or treats made in China.
My response exactly “””””WHY””” is the poision still allowed into USA. Just because it’s our DOGS. I called the compamy @ my $ 40.00 check was in the mail in one week.
AMERICA WAKE UP, LEAD PAINT FOR CHILDREN, SUB-QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR AMERICANS !!!!
Brandy Arnold
says:They’ve been testing packaged samples here in the states and have been unable to find anything. They now need to start sampling raw materials, and the Chinese gov’t won’t allow it.