Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.
Skip to Main ContentThe payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.
Re-activate
In response to the 2007 melamine-contaminated pet food episode believed to have been the cause of death of hundreds of U.S. dogs and cats, a new web-based information exchange system went online this week to help federal and state health officials report and share incidents involving pet food-related illnesses or product defects.
The Food and Drug Administration says one difficulty it and its state regulatory partners faced during the melamine incident was the timely sharing of information between that agency and the states, and among the states themselves.
The Pet Event Tracking Network, dubbed PETnet, should help prevent that problem in the future. The new system is a joint effort by the FDA and the Partnership for Food Protection (PFP), which was established by FDA in 2008 in response to a large number of outbreaks of human food-borne illnesses.
The system will be accessible to PETNet members, who are government officials responsible for the regulation of pet food products and the investigation of disease outbreaks in companion animals. Members will enter "events" associated with pet food products into the system. The information will be immediately available to all other PETNet members.
PETNet is currently made up of over 200 representatives from 4 federal agencies, all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
The 2007 outbreak of pet deaths was eventually linked to wheat gluten from China used in the manufacture of millions of bags and cans of pet food. The deaths were caused primarily by kidney failure and the food suspected of containing the melamine was recalled.
For more information from Consumer Reports on melamine and contaminated pet food click here.
—Bob Williams
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience.
Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop
