VZCZCXRO1470
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #5950/01 2542344
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 112344Z SEP 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1713
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 005950 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP/PD FOR NIDA EMMONS 
HHS FOR OGHA/STEIGER AND PASS TO FDA/LUMPKIN 
USDA FOR FSIS/RAYMOND 
USDA FOR FAS OA/YOST, OCRA/ALEXANDER, OSTA/BRANT AND SHNITZLER 
COMMERCE FOR ITA/HIJIKATA AND CINO 
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR NHTSA ABRAHAM/KRATZKE 
STATE PASS CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION RICH O'BRIEN/INTL 
PROGRAMS 
STATE PASS USTR CHINA OFFICE/TIM WINELAND 
STATE PASS OMB/INT'L AFFAIRS 
STATE PASS HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL 
STATE PASS IMPORT SAFETY WORKING GROUP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD TBIO ECON PREL HHS CH
SUBJECT: WAL-MART PULLS CHICKEN JERKY PET FOOD STRIPS FROM SHELVES 
DUE TO ALLEGED MELAMINE CONTAMINATION 
 
REF: Beijing 4808 
 
BEIJING 00005950  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Embassy APHIS Attache and HHS Health Attache were 
informed separately on August 30 by the General Administration for 
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of Wal-Mart's 
recent decision to remove chicken jerky pet 
food strips manufactured by two Chinese firms from sale in their 
stores.  FDA conducted testing of chicken jerky products following 
receipt of consumer complaints of illness/death of pets beginning 
July 1 to August 30, 2007.  FDA testing to date has not/not found 
any significant levels of contamination that would account for the 
illness reported in the 62 complaints received and investigated. 
AQSIQ officials, in a meeting with Health Attache September 4, 
indicated that they also had not found any melamine in samples of 
chicken jerky collected from manufacturing firms in China. 
Furthermore, AQSIQ officials requested additional information about 
the methodology and testing done by Wal-Mart leading to the removal 
and indicated they wished Wal-Mart would restock the product, 
claiming the prior action was 
destroying the business reputation of the firms involved. End 
Summary. 
 
REPORTS OF MELAMINE CONTAMINATION 
IN CHICKEN PET FOOD PRODUCTS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) AQSIQ officials at the end of a regularly scheduled August 
30 meeting asked APHIS Attache for more information about the recent 
Wal-Mart decision to withdraw chicken jerky products manufactured by 
two Chinese firms, Import Pinyang Pet Product Co. 
and Shanghai Bestro Trading Company.  APHIS Attache referred the 
officials to the HHS Health Attache, who has responsibility within 
the U.S. Embassy for food safety and had worked with AQSIQ officials 
before on melamine contamination during the previous plant 
protein-melamine problems in the spring of 2007. 
 
¶3. (SBU) AQSIQ faxed a letter to the Health Attache materials 
regarding Wal-Mart's decision to remove chicken jerky from their 
shelves.  This fax also contained copies of two news stories, one 
from the International Herald Tribune, dated August 22, 2007 and 
titled, "Chicken Jerky Strips for Dogs Still Being Tested by FDA"; 
and another posted August 23, 2007 on News for Cats, Dogs & Owners 
and titled, "No Melamine found in Chicken Jerky Strip Dog Treats by 
Indiana State Chemist." In turn, HHS Attached passed 
this information to both FDA headquarters officials asking for 
results of their testing and to the Public Relations Officer for 
Wal-Mart China, similarly seeking more detailed information. 
 
U.S. FDA TESTING RESULTS 
------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) FDA reported back that they had been receiving consumer 
complaints of illness/death beginning on or around July 1 up to 
August 30 related to chicken pet treats from China.  The products 
were several different brands with the only common element being 
they contained chicken and are manufactured in China.  To date, FDA 
indicated they had received 62 complaints that related to various 
chicken jerky and chicken pet treats.  FDA's Center for Veterinary 
Medicine continues to review veterinary medical records of ill 
animals and continues to conduct analysis of product both for 
chemical and microbial contamination.  To date, 
there has been no finding of significant levels of contamination 
that would account for the illnesses reported.  FDA reported that 
they continue to investigate these findings. FDA also stated that 
they were aware that Wal-Mart was conducting private laboratory 
testing of product and removing product from sale. 
 
 
BEIJING 00005950  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
CHINESE AQSIQ AND CIQ TESTING RESULTS 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Health Attache in a September 3 meeting requested by AQSIQ 
shared the FDA testing esults.  AQSIQ Department for Supervision on 
nimal and Plant Quarantine Animal Quarantine Division Deputy 
Director Peng Zhisheng said that his office had become aware of this 
alleged melamine contamination issue through 
a web search identifying that an export firm in Shanghai had been 
subjected to a "pull and hold" order by Wal-Mart.  AQSIQ and the 
local CIQ conducted tests on chicken pet food products from these 
firms without finding any traces of melamine.  Explaining further 
with specific timelines and results, Peng indicated that they were 
aware that a consumer was suing Wal-Mart after a dog's death 
following the consumption of chicken jerky in late-July. (Peng did 
not indicate where this happened). The Shanghai CIQ (provincial 
counterpart to AQSIQ) continues to conduct an investigation into 
this allegation by testing products from the firms in question.  On 
August 24 the Shanghai CIQ tested 12 
samples taken without advance notice from these firms; results 
showed no evidence of melamine present. 
 
¶6. (SBU) AQSIQ officials expressed an understanding of both FDA's 
and their own CIQ testing results that no melamine contamination of 
these pet food chicken jerky products was identified and thus 
Wal-Mart's results were not confirmed by either side's testing. Peng 
expressed his positive support for the U.S. government's 
responsiveness in sharing information from the FDA about this issue, 
recollecting a similar interaction during the previous collaboration 
with FDA on the wheat-gluten and rice protein contamination 
investigations earlier in 2007.  They pressed for continued use of a 
scientific approach to food and pet food safety and indicated their 
wish to reinstate products from these firms back on the shelves of 
Wal-Mart. He expressed a similar 
understanding that Wal-Mart took these actions to protect customers 
health and safety, but felt this action had a negative impact on 
trade. 
 
WAL-MART TEST RESULTS AND ACTIONS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Wal-Mart removed chicken jerky from their shelves on August 
20 following reports of the death of a pet and the owner's lawsuit. 
On August 22, Wal-Mart announced that they had found melamine 
contamination (20ppm) in 1 of 17 samples tested. This 
positive result led to the issuance of a "pull and hold" order for 
these chicken jerky pet food products that later was upgraded to a 
"pull and return" order after trace elements of melamine were found. 
In a September 3 email communication with HHS Attache, 
Wal-Mart China Public Relations Director expressed satisfaction in 
receiving the FDA results indicating that "they would look into it 
further" and promised to share their lab results with the Embassy 
and AQSIQ. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Test results from Silliker Inc., Food Safety & Quality 
Solutions Laboratory in Illinois show that Bestro's Roasted Chicken 
Strips were tested in 4 separate batches on August 16 and August 20. 
 All shipments were received by the laboratory from 
Wal-Mart facilities in Bentonville, Arkansas shipped on July 27. One 
of the batches, tested on August 20, has confirmation of melamine 
contamination at 20 ppm, while the other three batches tested on 10 
August show less than 10 ppm. Tests on all batches appear to have 
been done using the FDA GC-MS protocol in Silliker's Barcelona, 
Spain laboratory. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
BEIJING 00005950  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) This incident demonstrates how much the relationship 
between AQSIQ officials and the HHS has evolved since the 
March/April 2007 melamine contamination of wheat gluten and rice 
protein that led to the massive pet food recalls in the United 
States.  In this case, information was shared locally with the 
Embassy and with Washington seeking more specifics from all parties 
and done in a cordial collaborative fashion looking to understand 
the data using scientific approaches.  While there was some media 
reporting of this incident, both articles indicated the inability to 
find more melamine contamination in other samples taken from the 
stores in Indiana or from the plant in Shanghai.  Interestingly and 
different from other food safety 
discussion held with U.S. government officials in other settings, 
AQSIQ is seeking further media reporting, this time hoping to get 
more coverage of the negative tests results from both the American 
and Chinese authorities responsible for regulating these 
pet food products.  Their goal was clearly to get the products back 
on the shelves for sale in Wal-Mart by ending the "pull and hold" 
orders.  AQSIQ's Peng Zhisheng expressed an understanding that this 
was really a business decision made by Wal-Mart to 
protect the safety and health of its customers and not a regulatory 
recall decision.  He also indicated to Health Attache an 
understanding that U.S. FDA officials could not compel Wal-Mart to 
put product back on sale.  AQSIQ reiterated that the actions taken 
by Wal-Mart had hurt the manufacturers' sales and trade; thus AQSIQ 
was seeking a way to assist these companies in rebuilding their 
reputation by having their products declared free of contamination. 
Finally, AQSIQ expressed appreciation to the Health Attache for 
FDA's responsiveness, rapid turn around 
and openness in sharing information on this chicken jerky incident. 
Peng stated that this episode "demonstrated collaborative and 
scientific approaches to resolve difficult issues," and was a sign 
of increased collaborative engagements between U.S. and Chinese 
officials. 
 
RANDT