The FDA report that chicken are being fed contaminated feed is causing concern among the people. The consumption of chicken is on the rise for the past few years. The FDA is quick to play down the fear saying that it does not have much human risk.
This concern came to light after some 38 chicken farms in Indiana was investigated into and it came to light that these farms fed the chicken for human consumption with the contaminated feed. Until the investigation more than 2 million people had fed on the chicken.FDA has not ordered the recall of the contaminated food as they feel it has minimum risk to humans. As of now no illness has been reported owing to the feed.
Last week most of the agricultural, meat and live-stocks products from China had been detained or recalled fearing contamination. It had been found that wheat gluten from china was contaminated this wheat gluten was added to almost all the pet food. Some pet food was found to have melamine and melamine like products in them.
This melamine is used in fertilizers in China and has made its way into the human food cycle. Unhygienic conditions too added to the food contamination. The foods have also been spiked with contamination purposely to make it look having more protein.
How long this kind of tainted food has been coming in from china nobody knows. The understaffed food inspection authority find it difficult to check each and every consignment that comes in. 'Clearly that is a concern if that has been going on for a long period of time,' said Dr. David Acheson, who had been appointed earlier in the day to the newly created position of FDA assistant commissioner for food protection. Two FDA investigators are in China and a third was en route working with the Chinese government's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to investigate the sources of the contaminated products.
Till date only 17 animals have been reported sick. The human risk is less due to the dilution of the contaminated food. By the time of human consumption the contamination has been diluted to an insignificant level.
Source-Medindia
BIN/B
