Friday, March 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it detected melamine in recalled pet food products. In addition FDA indicated that the substance had been detected in wheat gluten, an ingredient that had been used in the recalled pet food. Below is information about wheat gluten and the substance melamine.

Why is wheat gluten imported for use in pet foods?
About 70 percent of the wheat gluten used in the United States for human and pet food is imported from the European Union and from Asia. Because wheat is the primary source of starch in those countries, food manufacturers there are able to extract it more easily and cost-effectively. By contrast, corn is the primary source of starch in the United States, where we can make it in this country at lower prices than overseas. The U.S. market doesn’t produce enough wheat gluten to meet the demands of the food industry.

What other ingredients are imported for use in pet foods?
Many pet food ingredients are imported from overseas because U.S. commodity producers cannot meet the demand for the products by manufacturers. Imported ingredients include high-quality commodities such as fish meal, lamb meal, vitamins and minerals. It’s important to note that pet food is often more highly regulated and controlled that food that is approved for human consumption. Corn used for human food is tested for aflatoxin, but corn for pet food is also tested for fumonisin or other contaminants. Our cats and dogs are more sensitive to many things than we are. Other ingredients follow the same pattern, with many more standards for uniformity and safety than in most food grade ingredients.

What is wheat gluten?
Wheat gluten is a product extracted from wheat that is most popular in China, where it was first developed, as well as in the cuisines of other East and Southeast Asia nations, it is commonly found on the menus of restaurants catering primarily to Buddhist customers who do not eat meat, but who nonetheless enjoy eating meatless versions of meat dishes.

Why use wheat gluten in pet foods?
Wheat gluten possesses outstanding binding properties that are very important to both wet and in-gravy pet foods. Wheat gluten is a rich source of protein for animals and is very economical. It is also used for the same reasons in food approved for human consumption.

Is there a grade of wheat gluten used just in pet food?
No. Wheat gluten is produced to the same specification regardless of whether it is to be used in human food or pet food.

How did Melamine get into pet foods?
FDA announced that it identified melamine in wheat gluten imported from China. As the FDA has indicated, a derivative of melamine is used in fertilizer in Asia, but not in the United States. The industry is working with state and federal regulators to determine how this contaminant entered into a segment of raw materials used in some pet food, but we don’t yet have a definitive answer to that question.