WASHINGTON -- Federal officials told Congress yesterday that some contaminated pet food probably remains on store shelves and warned retailers to make sure they've removed all recalled products.
The Food and Drug Administration said it has identified nearly all of the dog and cat food containing tainted wheat gluten that needs to be recalled, but senators urged the agency to strengthen its efforts to prevent a future scare.
"We know that there is not 100 percent of products off the shelves," Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said at a Senate hearing.
The recall, which began last month with certain wet pet foods and has expanded to include some dry products and 100 brands, has enraged pet owners and ignited criticism of the nation's food-safety system.
About 400 spot-checks at stores across the country prompted the FDA's latest warning. The inspections are part of a federal and state investigation into the deaths of at least 16 animals that ate Menu Foods products.
Investigators say they still don't know whether the chemical melamine imported from China and found in the pet foods caused the kidney problems that sickened animals, according to the FDA.
Sundlof told senators in the two-hour hearing that investigators hope to focus on the cause as soon as they finish identifying all of the tainted products.
"We believe that the recall has been very effective in preventing further illness and death in pets, and we believe that we've gotten the vast, vast majority off of the market," he said.
In a move sought by confused pet owners, the FDA released a single list naming all of the recalled brands. It can be found online at www.fda.gov/ora/fed_state/recalls/Recall.xls.
Despite the progress, some senators questioned the adequacy of the FDA's response and wondered whether the food-safety system needed an overhaul, especially in light of other recent outbreaks.
"What is the connection between E. coli on spinach and contaminated pet food? Unfortunately, it's the same broken food-safety system," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, who called for consolidating food safety, now the province of 15 different agencies, into a single federal department.
Dr. Claudia A. Kirk, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine, testified that government needs to improve its tracking of ingredients and detection of safety issues.
