CFIA on Lookout for Melamine

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So, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is now seizing shipments of vegetable proteins from China and testing them for melamine. Nothing like closing the barn door after the horse has already gotten out.

Also mentioned in the article:

The government doesn’t know if ingredients contaminated with melamine have made it into human food before.

It says that last July, the same Chinese company that supplied melamine-contaminated wheat gluten for pet food also shipped wheat gluten to a British Columbia feed mill, which turned it into food for fish farms that has since been consumed by people.

But the CFIA said it believes the risk to people is low, even if the fish had been contaminated.

Neal Foley of the Gastrocast has been asking the same question I’ve heard echoed a few other places… Why are countries like the US and Canada importing stuff like wheat gluten, when we have farmers cranking out tons and tons of wheat? Well, money, of course. Cheaper ingredients = more profit margin, and damn the quality. And until consumers stop making their buying decisions based soley on price and start thinking about quality and safety, I don’t see this changing any time soon.

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