Are whole grains safe?

From the Washington Post (page 2):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

At ChemNutra, company spokesman Steve Stern said, "we ordered food-grade gluten and the invoice said 'food grade,' but what we got was feed grade."

Food-grade gluten must be at least 75 percent protein, a level that the gluten ChemNutra bought from China did not contain. It tested that high, though, because it was spiked with the chemical melamine, which gives falsely elevated protein readings. Given the Chinese supplier's food-grade assurances, and a certificate saying the company was complying with U.S. regulations, ChemNutra had no reason to worry, Stern said.

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So.... I'm thinking that this might imply that whole grains (brown rice, white rice, ground corn, etc) are safe? Melamine was intentionally added to gluten to boost its protein level to meet the requirements. I doubt that there are any such protein requirements on whole grains. I find that most of the premium foods out there, if they are not completely grainless, usually have at least some kind of whole rice in them (ie: Felidae). This would at least be a little bit of positive news. Hopefully I'm not proven wrong...

Any thoughts?

WELL since the MELAMINE was USED TO FERTILIZE... I would say the WHOLE grain would have been affected... this was also echoed by my vet and the holistic vet .... Hence the reason I am finding a NO grain food ... and will be tring MUCH HARDER to get my youngest to eat homemade or raw ...

Originally Posted by sharky

WELL since the MELAMINE was USED TO FERTILIZE... I would say the WHOLE grain would have been affected... this was also echoed by my vet and the holistic vet .... Hence the reason I am finding a NO grain food ... and will be tring MUCH HARDER to get my youngest to eat homemade or raw ...

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Do you have a link that specifically mentions that melamine as a fertilizer is the culprit?. It's so hard to tell when they add in the melamine... is it used as fertilizer or is it added to the gluten mixes? Or is it both?

From IHT article:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/...ess/30food.php

Here at the Shandong Mingshui Great Chemical Group factory, huge boiler vats are turning coal into melamine, which is then used to create plastics and fertilizer.

But the leftover melamine scrap, golf ball-size chunks of white rock, is sometimes being sold to local agricultural entrepreneurs, who say they mix a powdered form of the scrap into animal feed to deceive those who raise animals into thinking they are buying feed that is high in protein.

(...)

Friday here in Zhangqiu, a fast-growing industrial city southeast of Beijing, two animal feed producers explained in great detail how they purchase low-grade wheat, corn, soybean or other proteins and then mix in small portions of nitrogen-rich melamine scrap, whose chemical properties help the feed register an inflated protein level.

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Originally Posted by sharky

WELL since the MELAMINE was USED TO FERTILIZE... I would say the WHOLE grain would have been affected... this was also echoed by my vet and the holistic vet .... Hence the reason I am finding a NO grain food ... and will be tring MUCH HARDER to get my youngest to eat homemade or raw ...

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*nodding*

This is a HUGE distinction and changes the entire issue. (the whole grain being fertilized) Another worry

My cats have pretty easily transitioned to low grain (whole only) and some no grain foods. I should be able to make the entire switch....

That death toll # is horrific (reported at 4100+) but what is more horrific is that I believe that is on the low side. Can't possibly factor animals that are fed as colonies....or all the shelters.... I cannot imagine where it will end with weekly expanded recalls. God it makes me so sick and angry.

Just when we think we have a grip, some semblance of control....

Do you have a link that specifically mentions that melamine as a fertilizer is the culprit?. It's so hard to tell when they add in the melamine... is it used as fertilizer or is it added to the gluten mixes? Or is it both?

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ALthough I could have sworn I saw something about exact fertilizing info, I have also seen that report and others that are 'cloudy' in origins. I don't know if we can get actual facts with regard to when/how/who/ and for what purpose.

I think it's an issue that overlapped itself over time making actual 'investigation' more difficult.

I am going to guess both ... but it worries me more...

Originally Posted by wmarcello

From the Washington Post (page 2):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews



So.... I'm thinking that this might imply that whole grains (brown rice, white rice, ground corn, etc) are safe? Melamine was intentionally added to gluten to boost its protein level to meet the requirements. I doubt that there are any such protein requirements on whole grains. I find that most of the premium foods out there, if they are not completely grainless, usually have at least some kind of whole rice in them (ie: Felidae). This would at least be a little bit of positive news. Hopefully I'm not proven wrong...

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

While the fertilizer angle is possible, I tend to believe that would result in trace amounts...not high concentrations.

I am "more" comfortable with whole grains because of that.

Ground corn wouldn't be on my list of "whole" grains.

With that said, I am serving very, very few grains at the moment....like 1 meal out of 5 at the most.