ChemNutra is an American importer of ingredients for food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals based in Summerlin, Nevada[1] Self-described as "The China-Source Experts" they import their products from China and provide them to North American manufacturers. The chief executive officer is Stephen S. Miller and the president is Sally Qing Miller. [2]

Companies supplied by ChemNutra include Menu Foods and at least two other pet food manufacturers, as well as the pet food ingredient supplier The Scoular Co.[3][4]

Recall

On March 16, 2007 pet food manufacturer Menu Foods announced a recall of dog food sold under 53 brands, and cat food sold under 42 brands, after an unknown number of animals suffered kidney failure after eating it. On April 3 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) distributed a recall notice issued by ChemNutra for potentially-contaminated wheat gluten that had been imported from what the FDA alleges is one of its three Chinese suppliers, the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development.[4] Mao Lijun, the general manager of Xuzhou Anying Biologic, denies directly supplying ChemNutra with the wheat gluten, claiming that "We have never exported to the U.S." since they are a trading company.[3][5]

On February 6, 2008, a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri returned a 27 count criminal indictment against the owners of ChemNutra and in the case headed by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations that was investigating XAC and SSC.[6]

As of April 6, at least 471 cases of poisoning have been reported and 104 animals have died. The FDA reports that they have received over 12,000 complaints related to the poisoning.[3]

On April 5, the company recalled all 782 tonnes of wheat gluten it had imported from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development.[7]

The FDA served a search warrant on the company on April 27.[1]

By May 18, the company had hired two companies to help it deal with the public relations fall out from the contamination.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Edwards, John G. (2007-04-28). "FDA investigators serve warrant on ChemNutra". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  2. ↑ "ChemNutra - Quality Ingredients for Food, Feed & Pharma". Archived from the original on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  3. 1 2 3 "Senator calls FDA 'tragically slow' on pet food recall". CNN. 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  4. 1 2 Devon Blaine/Lisa Baker (2007-04-03). "ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall" (Press release). US FDA. Archived from the original on April 7, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  5. ↑ "FDA hosted Press Release: All Menu Foods Pet Food with ChemNutra Wheat Gluten Voluntarily Recalled". Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on 2007-04-10. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  6. ↑ "Charges Filed in Contaminated Pet Food Scheme". www.fda.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-06-08.
  7. ↑ "ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall, USA". Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  8. ↑ Ochman, BL. "ChemNutra Hires Two Crisis PR Firms and Starts 'Blog'". Archived from the original on 2007-05-20. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
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