Food and Drug Administration investigation sparked by the pet deaths and a recall of more than 100 brands of pet food made with the tainted ingredients. The ongoing revelations have shed a harsh light on China's notorious food and drug safety woes, sparking fears that exported products could contaminate food supplies abroad. The FDA discovered melamine, a chemical used in plastics, fertilizers and flame retardants, in the pet food and traced the contaminated foodstuff to the Chinese...

The task force would include food distributors and food manufacturers, the state veterinarian, representatives from the Department of Agriculture and one legislator. Our state needs to focus on food safety immediately, and any measures we can take as a state are so important because of the recent pet food recall and the many issues the Department of Agriculture and the state veterinarian must face, Smith said. More than 100 brands of contaminated pet food have been recalled since...

By JANE ZHANG/The Wall Street Journal Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 12:16:34 am CDT WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration, under heavy criticism for illnesses caused by contaminated vegetables, earlier this year came up with an ambitious, industry-endorsed plan calling for tough new regulations on the handling of fresh produce. By JANE ZHANG/The Wall Street Journal Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 12:16:34 am CDT WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration, under heavy criticism for illnesses caused...

If the quality isn t right, you can t feed animals enough forage to achieve production goals. Forage quality is defined as the extent to which a forage, whether pasture, hay or silage, has the ability to produce the desired animal response. In addition to forage quality, producers need to consider animals nutritional needs and match the quality to these needs. Because we have considerable variation in quality among the various forage species, choosing plant species is another important...

To respond to mounting criticism without a budget increase, the FDA has tried a band-aid approach: On May 1, the agency created a new food-safety oversight position, naming its chief medical officer, David Acheson, the agency's first assistant commissioner for food protection. To respond to mounting criticism without a budget increase, the FDA has tried a band-aid approach: On May 1, the agency created a new food-safety oversight position, naming its chief medical officer, David Acheson,...