April 20. 2007 3:16PM

Contaminated pet food kills 30 South African
dogs

BY CELEAN JACOBSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Pet food laced
with an industrial chemical traced to China has
killed 30 dogs in South Africa, the country's
veterinary association said Friday.

The latest confirmation came after the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration said imported
ingredients used in recalled pet food may have
been intentionally spiked with the chemical,
melamine, to boost their apparent protein
content. Melamine contaminated at least two
ingredients used to make more than 100
American brands of dog and cat foods.

In South Africa, a range of dog and cat dry pet
food products were recalled after they were
found to contain corn gluten contaminated
with melamine.

Petri Vogel from the South African Veterinary
Association said 30 dogs had died across the
country in the last two weeks after eating the
contaminated food. She said the animals had
died of renal failure.

"We are not expecting further deaths. The
problem is under control," she said.

Vogel said it was likely that there was a link
between the contaminated products in the
U.S. and South Africa.

The makers of Vets Choice and Royal Canin pet
foods in South Africa said Thursday that the
contaminated corn gluten was delivered to the
country by a third party supplier and originated
from China.

Last week the company recalled the products,
manufactured in its Johannesburg plant between
March 8 and April 11 and sold in South Africa and
Namibia, after investigating reports that pets were
falling ill.

It has said it will compensate pet owners for the
loss of their animals.

In the U.S., melamine has been found in both
wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported
from China.

The U.S. recalls began in March after the deaths
of 16 pets. U.S. officials have not provided updated
numbers of pet deaths or injuries due to the
contaminated pet food.

Chinese authorities have told the FDA that the
wheat gluten was an industrial product not meant
for pet food, Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief
veterinarian, said Thursday. Still, melamine can
skew test results to make a product appear more
protein-rich than it really is, he added. That raises
the possibility the contamination was deliberate.

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