FDA orders hold on Chinese wheat gluten shipments
According to various news reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered a ban late Monday on future imports of wheat gluten from a Chinese company.
Since mid-March, federal agencies have been trying to determine the cause of death in cats and dogs after eating certain brands of pet food.
The FDA linked the pet fatalities to contaminated wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. in China. The wheat gluten contained melamine, a chemical used in fertilizers and plastics.
“In an alert to import inspectors, the FDA told personnel to detain wheat gluten from the Chinese company until it has provided results of an investigation into melamine contamination and other information,” Reuters reported.