The pet food scandal threatens to turn into a human food scandal, since the Chinese supplier had labeled its wheat gluten "human grade." The great mystery: Who imported the stuff? All major news stories have kept mum about the American corporation which functioned as the middleman between China and Menu Foods, the Canadian pet food company.
We do not have a massive number of firms engaged in such trade. According to this Bloomberg article, two of those firms -- MGP Ingredients and Manildra Group -- deny involvement.
The only other major U.S. producer of gluten is Archer- Daniels-Midland Co., Steve Pickman, MGP Ingredients vice president for corporate relations, said in a telephone interview. The ingredients may have come from outside the U.S. because about half of the U.S. supply is now imported, he said.(Emphasis added.) It may well be a coincidence that ADM sold off its bakery division quite recently. Cynics will argue that ADM, thought its contributions to politicians of both parties, has purchased a certain amount of -- well, "protection" may be too strong a word; let us say "good will in Washington." See here; see also this report, "Archer Daniels Midland: A Case Study In Corporate Welfare". A check from ADM literally helped to finance the Watergate break-in, although that was surely not the intended purpose. ADM has also been named in a little-known court case accusing the company (and Nestle) of employing child slave labor in Africa. (Coincidentally, Nestle is also the company behind Alpo, involved in the recall.)
A receptionist at Archer-Daniels Midland, of Decatur, Illinois, said no one was available to comment.
Please note that I am NOT claiming that ADM is responsible for importing the wheat gluten. But I do advise you to keep an eye on the "whodunnit" angle.
And now this: Unrelated to the wheat gluten scandal, we learn today that various pet treats have been recalled due to salmonella poisoning.
3 comments:
Hey-- that double dipping campaign move helped Dwayne Andreas make mountains of dough in the "Food Aid" racket for years... and sure that was good biz for the boyz in the Decatur hood--- but Joeseph, ADM doesn't really want to be in the food biz anymore... there's too much gold in that corn if they go into the PLA plastic biocomposites biobased solvents and of course the ethanol boondoggle.... that's why they hired Patricia Woertz to be the new CEO-- she's Chevron, just like that Condi Rice tanker.... maybe this was their out? ....all i know is that I'm staying far away from any hippie veggie seitan restaurants from now on....
Interesting that Kos killed the diary. I don't recall the diarist; I wonder if s/he got a reason for retraction...
So, how long before we learn this gluten is really in the human food supply?
The original DKos diary, I'm told, was deleted by its author after the comments devolved to too much wild speculation.
Just want to clarify...
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