05/10/07 Industry emphasizes safety of U.S. wheat products

Farm and Ranch May 10, 2007 As it turns out the tainted pet food and livestock feed in the U.S. was not caused by Chinese wheat gluten or Chinese rice protein concentrates contaminated by melamine. Acheson: "We have now determined that even though it was labeled as gluten, we all thought it was gluten, it was used as gluten, it wasn't. It was mislabeled and was actually wheat flour." Lower protein Chinese wheat flour made to look high protein and sell for higher protein prices by adding melamine to it. That's the latest from the Food and Drug Administration's Dr. David Acheson. Acheson: "It doesn't impact the human side of this. We do not believe that any of these ingredients have gone directly into the human food chain. None of that has changed." When the tainted pet food story first broke the National Association of Wheat Growers began working to assure consumers that American wheat and wheat products are safe, affordable and wholesome. Because of that NAWG president John Thaemert says the issue wasn't discussed much at that recent Wheat Summit II. Thaemert: "We have such strong regulation and safety structures in place in this country that is not really an issue. It was brought up that this was something that really shines a light and a bright light and a positive light on the U.S. food chain." The U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it has expanded testing of protein products coming in from all countries, not just China, although they don't think there is a problem. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.