Netadsla’s Weblog

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) — A U.S. company, ChemNutra Inc., and two Chinese businesses were charged by a federal grand jury in connection with the import of tainted pet food ingredients that may have killed thousands of cats and dogs last year.

Top executives from the companies were also indicted. The U.S. accused them of importing 800 metric tons of wheat gluten poisoned with melamine, an unsafe food additive. The shipments were mislabeled to avoid inspection in China, prosecutors said.

“In today’s global economy, crimes that occur halfway around the world can seriously impact our lives,” U.S. Attorney John Wood of Kansas City, Missouri, said today in a statement. “Millions of pet owners remember the anxiety of last year’s pet food recall.”

Last March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was alerted to the deaths of 14 cats and dogs that appeared to suffer from kidney failure after eating. Ultimately, manufacturers recalled more than 150 brands of dog and cat food. The pet deaths contributed to U.S. consumers’ fears about the safety of Chinese- made products during a year in which toys and toothpaste made in that country also were recalled.

Consumer reports received by the FDA suggested that about 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating contaminated pet food, the Justice Department said.