U.S. Firm Charged in Tainted Pet Food Case

Feb. 6, 2008— -- A U.S. food importing company, its owners and two Chinese businesses were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Kansas for their roles in allegedly manufacturing and importing a tainted pet food ingredient that may have killed thousands of cats and dogs.

The U.S. company, called ChemNutra and run by husband and wife Stephen and Sally Miller, imported and distributed wheat gluten, a protein-rich ingredient commonly used in pet food. The gluten contained melamine, a poisonous chemical that is used to create plastics, cleaning products, countertops, glues, inks and fertilizers, the indictment states.

The indictments allege that more than 800 metric tons of tainted gluten was exported from China to the United States between November 2006 and February 2007. ChemNutra and the Millers received the melamine-tainted product and sold it to their customers, who used it to manufacture various brands of pet food, according to the indictment.

Melamine was allegedly added to make it appear that the wheat gluten had more protein than it really contained, the authorities said.

"Chem Nutra and Sally and Stephen Miller deny the allegations in the strongest of terms and look forward to proving their innocence at trial," said spokesman Steve Stern. "They had neither the intent to defraud of knowledge of wrongdoing."

The allegedly tainted products led to a massive pet food recall last year. Though it is not clear how many pets died from the tainted food, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that about 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs were killed.

"Millions of pet owners remember the anxiety of last year's pet food recall," U.S. attorney John Wood said in a statement. "We take seriously our responsibility to uphold the health and safety standards that protect America's food supply."

Authorities claim that the products were falsely labeled in China so that they would not be inspected. Based on her training and experience, Sally Miller knew the gluten had not been inspected but didn't warn their customers, according to the indictment.

Chinese companies Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. and Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products and two of their executives face 13 felony charges related to sending the allegedly tainted food to the United States.