Is Contaminated Wheat Gluten in Human Foods?
Saturday April 7, 2007
It's possible the melamine-contaminated wheat gluten that resulted in pet food recalls also made its way into human food. The majority of the tainted wheat gluten went to facilities that make pet food, but some of the product may have ended up in plants that make food for both human and animal consumption.
Wheat gluten is used as a thickening agent in human foods. Even if it turns out melamine-contaminated gluten was used in foods, it's unlikely the contaminant would pose a health risk. The melamine primarily was dangerous to cats, because that species is highly susceptible to toxins and because pets tend to eat a very narrow range of foods. People enjoy a more diverse diet and are physiologically better adapted to process the melamine.
As for why the melamine was in the wheat gluten in the first place, in my opinion, it either has to have been an intentional 'ingredient' or else a weird accident. There is no reason for melamine and gluten to have been in the same area, nor would melamine, sometimes used as an agricultural fertilizer, be found on harvested grain. One theory is the melamine was added to boost the protein content of the wheat gluten, thereby increasing its value.
What to Do if You Used Recalled Pet Food | Food Additives List
Wheat gluten is used as a thickening agent in human foods. Even if it turns out melamine-contaminated gluten was used in foods, it's unlikely the contaminant would pose a health risk. The melamine primarily was dangerous to cats, because that species is highly susceptible to toxins and because pets tend to eat a very narrow range of foods. People enjoy a more diverse diet and are physiologically better adapted to process the melamine.
As for why the melamine was in the wheat gluten in the first place, in my opinion, it either has to have been an intentional 'ingredient' or else a weird accident. There is no reason for melamine and gluten to have been in the same area, nor would melamine, sometimes used as an agricultural fertilizer, be found on harvested grain. One theory is the melamine was added to boost the protein content of the wheat gluten, thereby increasing its value.
What to Do if You Used Recalled Pet Food | Food Additives List
Comments
Yours is one of what appears to be a limited number of articles mentioning that wheat gluten is used in many human foods such as commercial bread. The company in China advertises a “Vital Wheat Gluten” product for human consumption. It would be nice to hear conclusively that the FDA has determined that no companies producing products for human consumption have used the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology company as a supplier of wheat gluten destined for use in these products. In this circumstance I worry that no news is not necessarily good news.
ONe reason wheat gluten and melamine may be in the same area is that they are used together in the manufacture of certain plastics. Check the web!
The wheat gluten was intentionally contaminated by the Chinese manufacturer according to the latest FDA findings. Melamine falsely boosts protien value of wheat gluten and hence commands a higher price for the sleazebag seller. (The wheat gluten was 6.6% melamine!) Last I heard, there were other unidentified crystals in the gluten. FDA still not sure if melamine is the sole cause of illnesses in pets. The Chinese company was found to be soliciting scrap melamine on trading sites on the web as late as March. They knew what they were doing. The FDA is just not staffed adequately to deal with the ethics (lack of) of some of our trading partners. We will need to either beef up FDA staffing (cost to us) or limit trade with some of our less ethical trading partners to ensure food safety in the future.
Pet deaths are possibly the result of genetically engineered wheat and rice…
I cannot say enough bad things about genetic engineering… neither can a lot of other people around the world and in the USA… here are some web sites to visit and learn from…
Pet food contaminated by genetic manipulation?
http://www.organicconsumers.or…..e_4776.cfm
37 to hundreds of Americans and Canadians known killed, thousands more permanently harmed, by toxins associated with genetic engineering in ONE product… Europeans spared by more thorough testing…
http://www.nemsn.org/
http://www.eosinophilia-myalgia.net/
Damaging Effects of GMOs
http://www.mercola.com/2005/jun/11/gmo_effects.htm
http://www.psrast.org/importantnews.htm#suppr
For kids – explanation of genetic engineering-
http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/i…..story.html
For Adults – Simple to technical explanations of genetic engineering and the consequences of its misuse…
http://www.psrast.org/intro3.htm
Arpad potatoes rats … then us… GMO-free Ireland
http://www.gmfreeireland.org/potato/
Monsanto Aventis and Bayer! OH MY!!!
http://www.mercola.com/2006/ja…..health.htm
GM debate in Austrailia – Same shenanigans “down under” as in the states by their “regulatory agencies” and bio-tech companies–
http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/…..sp?ID=1890
FDA sued over gene altered food policy
http://www.biointegrity.org/Lawsuit.html
Get smart about what’s in your food
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm
Safe Food that is not GMO (genetically modified organism)
http://www.truefoodnow.org/shoppersguide/
Genetic tampering with Taco Bell taco shells
http://www.biotech-info.net/after_TB.html
Who found the Taco Bell contamination? These guys…
http://www.gefoodalert.org/
Two family farmers (out of thousands) attacked by Monsanto
http://nelsonfarm.net/
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/
In case you have doubts … Mainstream Media Investigation
http://www.sacbee.com/static/l…..s/biotech/
Comment by Michael Polidori — April 23, 2007 @ 7:52 pm