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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: June 2007

Melamine hit Africa too

 

CAPE TOWN--At least 30 and possibly as many as 65 dogs died after eating melamine-contaminated pet food in Cape Town, South Africa, veterinary pathologist Fred Reyers told Helen Bamford of the Cape Argus in April 2007.

Little noticed beyond Cape Town, the South African cases followed much the same trajectory as the high-profile melamine pet food contamination crisis in the U.S.

"Royal Canin, which makes its own brands as well as Vets Choice, said in a statement that corn gluten contaminated with melamine was delivered to South Africa by a third party supplier and originated from China," Bamford wrote.

The dog deaths occurred in two clusters. The first cluster of 35 deaths, in February 2007, occurred before anyone was looking at melamine as a possible cause.

"At the time," wrote Bamford, "the pet-food maker Aquanutro, whose products were marketed by Woolworths, said some of the food had been contaminated by ethylene glycol, used in anti-freeze. Reyers is unconvinced, because only traces of ethylene glycol were found during lab tests."

Royal Canin managing director Gregory Watine pledged on April 18, 2007 to compensate pet keepers who lost their animals.