3cat, I'm so sorry for  all you are going through. Wish I was closer, too.
[Hugs] to you and Hunter, and all your family.

 FDA Draws Fire Over Chemicals In Baby Formula (WATCH WHAT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN EAT)


Since 2000 the 'Rules Have Changed'. Industry and Campaign Contributors Vs 'The People/The Masses, they like to call us all in Washington DC...Cute term?
 
It is every man, woman and CHILD for themselves! INDUSTRY gets a FREE PASS. There are 'No Investigations' and "No Rules" whatsoever! Profit is the name of the game. Campaign Contributors will always get away with murder! illegals are being hired in the MILLIONS, while the Politicians 'PRETEND' we are watching the borders. Drugs are being 'Imported' and killing our young like never before! Ports and Borders being 'watched more closely?' Yeah, right!
 
Write your Senator's and Congress and DEMAND we get equal time and equal rights! They are killing us with 'Chemicals in our food'. To add chemicals in order to INCREASE VOLUME/WEIGHT is EVIL. The Chinese have done it for decades but, to allow this [edited] in to the United States and now to learn our manufacturers do it too, well, again another reason the people WILL rise up and hit the streets and fight back. We have no choice! They will not protect us as long as we continue sitting on the damn couch, eating cheeseburgers and pizza and saying NOTHING! How stupid are we as a nation to ALLOW such madness? Oil, Drug Companies, Insurance, Military, Energy conglomerates, and others are destroying us all and putting us in DEBT, and  like the CARLYLE GROUP who make profit with 'World Wars' and 'World Chaos' , they too must be stopped.
 
We are running out of time! People are dying and our way of life (Pre-2000) will be lost forever.
http://www.truthout.org/112908E

This is Malachite Green- It's in melamine

Malachite green
 
IUPAC name 4-[(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-phenyl-methyl]-N,N-dimethyl-aniline
Identifiers
CAS number 569-64-2
SMILES  [show]
[Cl-].CN(C)c1ccc(cc1)C(c2ccccc2)=C3C=CC(C=C3)=[N+](C)C
Properties
Molecular formula C23H25ClN2 (chloride)
Molar mass 364.911 g/mol (chloride)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references
Malachite green, also called aniline green, basic green 4, diamond green B, or victoria green B, IUPAC name:4-[(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-phenyl-methyl]-N,N-dimethyl-aniline is a toxic chemical primarily used as a dye. When diluted, it can be used as a topical antiseptic or to treat parasites, fungal infections, and bacterial infections in fish and fish eggs. It is also used as a bacteriological stain.

However, in 1992 in Canada, it was determined that there is a significant health risk to humans who eat fish contaminated with malachite green. The chemical was classified a Class II Health Hazard because it was found to be toxic to human cells and might cause liver tumor formation. However, due to its ease and low cost to manufacture, it is still used in certain countries with less restrictive laws for non-aquaculture purposes. In 2005 eels and fish imported from China and Taiwan were found in Hong Kong with traces of this chemical. Also, in 2006 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected malachite green in seafood imported into that country for human consumption by China, where the substance is also banned for use in aquaculture. In June 2007, the FDA blocked the importation of several varieties of seafood due to continued malachite green contamination.[1][2] The substance has been banned in the United States since 1983 in food-related applications.


 


Structures of malachite green and related compounds


Source: http://chemistry.tidalswan.com

The structures of compounds explain their chemical and biological properties, such as how well they might be absorbed in the body and how reactive they are. Malachite green is commonly known in a form called the chromatic form in which it is a green dye. However, as it is absorbed into the body, it is converted by body mechanisms into other forms that are equally important for us to consider. The first form is called the carbinol form, which is important because it spreads across cell membranes faster. When it is inside the cell, it is then metabolized into a form called leuco-malachite green. This form is known by researchers to be toxic in addition to the fact that it is retained in the body for a longer period than the chromatic form of malachite green.


[edit] Chromatic form of malachite green
Malachite green (first transition) (pH indicator)
below pH 0.2  above pH 1.8
0.2 ? 1.8
Malachite green (second transition) (pH indicator)
below pH 11.5  above pH 13.2
11.5 ? 13.2
Malachite green is used to dye materials like silk, leather, and paper. The chemical known as malachite green does not actually contain the mineral malachite — the name comes from the similarity of color.

Malachite green is also found to be especially active against the fungus Saprolegnia, which infects fish eggs in commercial aquaculture. It is also a very popular treatment against ichthyophthirius in freshwater aquaria. The principle metabolite, leuco-malachite green (LMG), is the main chemical found in fish treated with malachite green. This is due to its longer retention time inside fish muscle tissues.

The use of this substance has been banned in many countries as a suspected carcinogen. Lab tests revealed that rats fed malachite green at the concentration of 100 ppb for longer than 2 years showed signs of tumors.

Malachite green is known to be highly toxic to certain freshwater fish such as tetras, catfish and shark catfish. It is strongly recommended that half-dosage be observed in treating freshwater tanks with catfish, tetras, scaleless, and other bottom feeder fish.

Malachite green is used as a biological stain for microscopic analysis of cell and tissue samples. In the Gimenez staining method, basic fuchsin stains bacteria red or magenta, and malachite green is used as a blue-green counterstain. Malachite green can also directly stain endospores within cells; here a safranin counterstain is often used.

Malachite green can also be used as a saturable absorber in dye lasers, or as a pH indicator between pH 0.2 - 1.8. However this use is relatively rare.

Leuco-malachite green (LMG) is used as a detection method for latent blood in criminalistics. Hemoglobin catalyzes the reaction between LMG and hydrogen peroxide, converting the colorless LMG to the chromatic form of malachite green. Therefore, the appearance of a green color indicates the presence of blood.


 Toxicity of malachite green
When malachite green is used in aquatic animals, it will be metabolized to leuco-malachite green. The non-polar LMG has been found to retain in catfish muscle for a longer period of them, 10 days for LMG compared to 2.8 in MG. It has been determined that the half lives of the retention of malachite green and leuco-malachite green catfish muscle is 2.8 days.1

The study of the toxicity of malachite green in fish has been hard as it is heavily influenced by the water hardness, pH, temperature and amount of dissolved oxygen in water. Detailed studies have indicated that the toxicity of the chemical increases as the temperature increases or pH decreases. The effects of malachite green on fish eggs have also been tested and it has been shown that a twofold increase in the concentration of malachite green could lead up to 20 times the mortality rate in rainbow trout eggs[citation needed]. This shows that it may be extremely toxic for some species of fish and especially for fish eggs. Other effects such as carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, and reduced fertility have been reported to occur in rainbow trout. Overall, although malachite green is an extremely effective weapon against fungus and parasitic infections in fish, the chemical causes serious side effects in the fish as well.


Effects on humans
Malachite green and its major metabolite, leuco-malachite green has been reported to have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Culp SJ in her recent article published in Mutation Research mentions that rats fed malachite green experience “a dose-related increase in liver DNA adducts” along with lung adenomas. Leuco-malachite green causes an “increase in the number and severity of changes”. As leuco-malachite green is the primary metabolite of malachite green and is retained in fish muscle much longer, most intake of malachite green would be in the leuco form. During the experiment, rats were fed up to 543 ppm of leuco-malachite green, an extreme amount compared to the average 5 ppb discovered in fish. After a period of two years, an increase in lung adenomas in male rats was discovered but no incidences of liver tumors. This shows that although adducts are formed, they have “little mutagenic or carcinogenic consequence.” Therefore it could be concluded that malachite green caused carcinogenic symptoms but a direct link between malachite green and liver tumor could not be proved.[1]


 Method of mutagenic activity
Taken together, these data suggested that the N-demethylated metabolites of leuco-malachite green and malachite green could undergo metabolic activation in a manner similar to that observed with carcinogenic aromatic amines, i.e. oxidation to metabolites that react with DNA either directly or after esterification. However, the adduct has not been characterized, since existing in vitro mutagenicity assays and metabolic activation systems has been unsuccessful in activating leuco-malachite green or malachite green to DNA-damaging species.[citation needed]


Cases involving malachite green detected in fish
An investigation by the Hong Kong Government Labs (Hong Kong Health Department) in 2005 revealed freshwater fish, crabs and other aquaculture products in China had small traces of malachite green. Later, saltwater fish from China and Taiwan were also found to contain this toxin. However, Taiwan officials asserted this discovery to be unconfirmable, stating that malachite green has long been banned in Taiwan.[3][4] Hong Kong’s Food & Environmental Hygiene Department confirmed that 11 of 14 eel-based products tested from local supermarkets had high levels of malachite green. However, the concentration of malachite green found in seafood was extremely small, with the highest concentration in eels found to be 4,500 ?g/kg and 900 ?g/kg for freshwater fish.

This tells what sudan Red is -This is in Melamine


Sudan Red G
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Sudan I
 
IUPAC name amethoxybenzenazo-?-naphthol
Identifiers
CAS number 1229-55-6
EINECS number 214-968-9
Properties
Molecular formula C16H12N2O
Molar mass 248.28 g/mol
Melting point 225 °C
 
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references
Sudan Red G is a yellowish red lysochrome azo dye. It has the appearance of an odorless reddish-orange powder with melting point 225 °C. It is soluble in fats and used for coloring of fats, oils, and waxes, including the waxes used in turpentine-based polishes. It is also used in polystyrene, cellulose, and synthetic lacquers. It is insoluble in water. It is stable to temperatures of about 100-110 °C. It was used as a food dye. It is used in some temporary tattoos, where it can cause contact dermatitis. It is also used in hair dyes. It is a component of some newer formulas for red smoke signals and smoke-screens, together with Disperse Red 11.


[edit] Other Names
There are various names for Sudan Red G, including Brilliant Fat Scarlet R, C.I. Food Red 16, C.I. Solvent Red I, C.I. 12150, Ceres Red G, Fat Red BG, Fat Red G. Lacquer Red V2G, Oil Pink, Oil Scarlet 389, Oil Vermilion, Oil Red G, Oleal Red G, Plastoresin Red FR, Red GD, Resinol Red G, Silotras Red TG, Solvent Red 1, Sudan R, and amethoxybenzenazo-?-naphthol (MBN).


[edit] Toxicity & Safety Issues
According to European Food Safety Authority, Sudan Red G is considered genotoxic and/or carcinogenic



^ EFSA ::. Opinion of the Scientific Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) to review the toxicology of a number of dyes illegally present in food in the EU

Melamine Mucks Up Food Chain
by Barbara Murray, November 5th, 2008, 7:00 am
The discovery in China of melamine in eggs, as well as in baby formula, milk products, biscuits, and chocolate confirms what has been long suspected — that the deadly chemical is deeply embedded in the human food chain. And it’s not just melamine. Heavy metals such as lead and mercury, which can cause brain damage, as well as cadmium, a compound used in batteries, pesticides, and antibiotics, are all present in our food chain.

What is melamine anyway? Don’t they use it to make cheapo dishes? A by-product of the coal industry, melamine is a chemical compound with numerous industrial uses, including the production of plastics, dishware, kitchenware, commercial filters, laminates, adhesives, molding compounds (caulking), coatings, and flame retardants. Yum, just the thing to put in food.

China is one of the world’s largest industrial producers of melamine for the manufacturing of plastic, so the chemical is cheap and readily available. In the case of milk products, which get tested for levels of protein, the addition of melamine make it appear to contain the required amount of nitrogen (and therefore protein). But the nitrogen comes in the form of plastic.

China also uses carcinogenic chemicals as food-coloring agents or as preservatives. Long known to be mutagenic as well as carcinogenic, Sudan red and Malachite green, for instance, are added routinely to food made in China. The country also suffers from serious environmental contamination as well, caused by its indiscriminate use of pesticides and formaldehyde.

As a result of this most recent contamination, that of melamine, tens of thousands of Chinese children have fallen ill with kidney problems in recent months. At least four have died after being fed infant formula that was later found to have been mixed with melamine. And the problem will linger: Some of the children who have ingested this surfeit of melamine may need surgery or transplants in the future to avoid potentially deadly kidney failure.

Tests have found melamine in any number of Chinese-made products exported around the world, leading to large recalls and foodstuffs being pulled from retailers’ shelves. The discovery of melamine in eggs, apparently due to contaminated feed given to chickens, indicates the chemical appears to be far more present in the food chain than was first thought.

Companies, including the worldwide confectioner Cadbury and the biggest retailer of them all, Wal-Mart, have tightened supplier regulations and/or recalled products, some as a precaution, some because tests revealed the presence of melamine.  Who can blame them?

This is an intolerable situation. When will China stop poisoning the world?

ETWELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand will not be able to quickly rescue anyone who gets lost or hurt if clashes erupt between animal rights activists and Japanese whalers off the north Antarctic coast, the foreign minister said Saturday.

The whaling fleet left Japan earlier this month and is expected to focus its hunt for about 1,000 whales in the Ross Sea, where New Zealand is responsible for search-and-rescue missions under international law. Animal rights group Sea Shepherd has vowed to disrupt the hunt.

Last year, a Japanese crewman died in a fire on a ship, an anti-whaling vessel twice collided with a whaling ship, and two protesters spent several hours lost at sea in freezing conditions. New Zealand airlifted a Japanese whaler who fell gravely ill in its territorial waters.

If someone is hurt in a confrontation between whalers and protesters, they will have to depend on other ships in the area for help because New Zealand does not have the capacity to deploy vessels to the Ross Sea in anticipation of trouble, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said.

"New Zealand will not be able to deal quickly with incidents where someone is required to be rescued," McCully said.

Last year Australian customs vessels shadowed the Japanese whaling fleet as it hunted in Antarctic waters south of the country. Both nations have decided against that tack this season, McCully said.

In an interview with National Radio earlier Saturday, McCully appeared to shrug off his country's search-and-rescue responsibilities in the icy waters, saying New Zealand "cannot underwrite the welfare and safety of every individual who is in the Ross Sea."

But he told The AP that New Zealand will "always try to fulfill our obligations to rescue anyone in difficulty," although "that doesn't run to trying to locate vessels in anticipation of trouble."

In February 2007, the Japanese government asked New Zealand to help a crewman who fell gravely ill near the Ross Sea. A New Zealand rescue helicopter airlifted him to a hospital. Then-Conservation Minister Chris Carter said New Zealand had a humanitarian obligation to help when a life was at risk.

In the same month, a Japanese whaling ship and a vessel owned by animal rights group Sea Shepherd collided twice in Antarctic waters. Separately, two protesters were lost in sea mist and snow for several hours, and a Japanese whaler died in a fire aboard a whaling vessel. In the latter incident, the Japanese vessel declined an offer of assistance from a ship belonging to the environmental group Greenpeace.

I know that We all know and agree with this.


'Made in America' must make a comeback
     
 Charlotte, N.C. – One thing the financial crisis shows is that the United States is in trouble because Americans have stopped making stuff.

It used to be that we made a lot of stuff: televisions, clothes, washing machines, radios, typewriters, shoes, telephones, and furniture. And we also used to make the stuff out of which stuff was made: steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber, glass, and electrical components. Today that's largely made overseas. They send us their stuff and we send them our money.

It also used to be that Americans liked to make stuff. Think of all the things Thomas Edison invented. Or consider Henry Ford, who made the car affordable, perfected the assembly line, and paid workers a decent wage. Countless others, such as my grandfather, worked as toolmakers and machinists because they liked to work with their hands. Today we rely on people around the world to do that innovation for us.

To be sure, outsourcing has some benefits, but the danger in abrogating our desire to make things is that, in doing so, we forget what made America great. It wasn't manipulating money; it was hard work and persistence. It wasn't "flipping houses"; it was having a dream and being patient and self-sacrificing to achieve that dream. It wasn't speculative gambling; it was belief in a line of labor that rewarded honest risk. Forgetting that contributes to America's deterioration.

Nowadays, young people want to work in the financial industry (at least until recently). While money managers may be worthy occupations – we do need capital to meet payroll and buy the goods and machinery used to make stuff – focusing solely on such jobs removes us from the mainstream of making useful things, which, in turn, provide jobs and help to make everyday life more enjoyable and productive.

This is where we have to start questioning what's at stake. Are we truly satisfied with letting someone else make everything we need? If so, when the time comes for repair and maintenance, who will do the work?

Young people today are not encouraged to work with their hands. It's thought to be demeaning. But working with your hands to create something new is energizing and rewarding. It boosts self-esteem. Even better, it helps you see how something can be improved. Let's not forget that Ford and the Wright brothers were mechanics before they became innovators. They saw first hand how things worked so they could make them work better.

Historically, young people were encouraged to learn a trade. This not only taught them the value of hard work, it also gave them a sense of self-reliance and community. The farmer could not only plow the ground, he could also fix the plow and help his neighbors.

Today's schools must help teach our young people the value of manual labor and help us take advantage of the greatest place to be for innovation. A Japanese neighbor visiting a US factory told me once that he envied Americans because they did not accept cultural limitations in improving the way something is made. He said that you could never go against the grain like that in Japan.

The US just can't afford to squander this perfect climate for jobs and progress by not placing value in innovation or the act of working with one's hands.

This current financial mess brings with it a lot of challenges: energy, housing, crumbling infrastructure – to name just three. But the "can-do spirit" is still alive in America.

We just need to encourage it in our young people. We can begin by testing students for a mechanical aptitude. Those who show promise should be encouraged by a coalition of schools and industry to work on real-world projects. That step alone will help place the value back in making stuff and pave the way to return to innovation at a time when we need it most.

• Paul Sedan is an artist in North Carolina. His day job is in carpentry.

Tesla,
Your problems are as bad as mine, just different circumstances. But We both feel the same way.
But you are right, we have to go on and at least We have our family and friends. and of course, our lives.
Waiting for the ins. man to come out was hard for us, because they were so busy and my DH had to just wait for them.
But somehow, someway, We will make it. I know in My heart that We are good, kind people. So something good has to come out of all this horror.
Hang in there, i'm right there with you.
[HUGS]

So, does anyone on here eat anything Kraft?

Orange Fuzball, I'm with you- the heck with the whole thing. No more black Fri.
and yes, Mary blonde, imagine the poor family. He lost his life to something that doesn't even make any sense at all. Wal Mart will have some excuse.

We probably ate something with this in it.


Ant aphrodisiac conman executed

     BEIJING (Reuters) – China has executed the leader of a bogus scheme for breeding ants to make aphrodisiacs that conned investors out of 3 billion yuan ($439 million), the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Wang Zhendong was executed on Wednesday in the northeastern province of Liaoning, Xinhua cited an unnamed local official as saying.

The fictitious ant-breeding project that Wang fronted features prominently in posters and other government educational materials warning of the risks of pyramid schemes and other investment schemes that sound too good to be true.

Wang promised investors in the fictitious project returns of 35 to 60 percent, Xinhua said. The ants were to be used for making liquor, herbal remedies and aphrodisiacs.

One investor committed suicide after realizing he had been duped, while many others suffered from depression, Xinhua said.

I'm sorry if this has already been posted.

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators set a safety threshold Friday for the industrial chemical melamine that is greater than the amount of contamination found so far in U.S.-made infant formula.

Food and Drug Administration officials set a threshold of 1 part per million of melamine in formula, provided a related chemical isn't present. They insisted the formulas are safe.

The setting of the standard comes days after The Associated Press reported that FDA tests had found traces of melamine in the infant formula of one major U.S. manufacturer and cyanuric acid, a chemical relative, in the formula of a second major maker. The contaminated samples, which both measured at levels below the new standard, had been analyzed several weeks ago.

The FDA had stated in early October that it was unable to set a safety contamination level for melamine in infant formula.

Though Dr. Stephen Sundlof, FDA's director of food safety, said Friday that there had been no new scientific studies since October that would give regulators more safety data, he said the agency was confident in setting the 1 part per million level for either of the chemicals alone. He emphasized that neither of the two tainted samples had both contaminants.

He had no ready explanation for why the level wasn't set earlier.

Sundlof said the lack of dual contamination was key because studies so far show dangerous health effects only when both chemicals are present.

The agency still will not set a safety level for melamine if cyanuric acid is also present, he said.

Both the new safety level and the amount of the chemical found in U.S.-made infant formula are far below the amounts of melamine added to infant formula in China that have been blamed for killing at least three babies and making thousands ill.

"The levels were so low ... that they do not cause a health risk to infants," Sundlof said. "Parents using infant formula should continue using U.S.-manufactured infant formula. Switching away from one of these infant formulas to alternate diets or homemade formulas could result in infants not receiving the complete nutrition required for proper growth and development."

Reacting to news of the contaminated formulas, members of Congress, a national consumer group and the Illinois attorney general have demanded a national recall, something the FDA said made no sense because it had no evidence suggesting that the formula would be dangerous for babies at the levels of contamination found.

After saying it made an error in its data, the FDA on Wednesday produced these results: Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron had two positive tests for melamine on one sample; Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron had three positive tests on one sample for cyanuric acid.

Separately, a third major formula maker, Abbott Laboratories, told the AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula.

Those three formula makers manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

The FDA said it had analyzed 74 samples and was continuing to examine 13 more.

The agency had left the impression of a zero tolerance on Oct. 3 when it stated: "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns."

The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally. The U.S. government quietly began testing domestically produced infant formula in September, soon after problems with melamine-spiked formula surfaced in China.

Melamine can legally be used in some food packaging, and can rub off into food from there. It's also part of a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment.

There is a gap between the concentration that the FDA detected in formula and the agency's estimate of how much melamine could contaminate food from the manufacturing process. The expected contamination from processing — 15 parts per billion — is about one-tenth the amount that the agency has detected in infant formula. FDA officials have not responded to questions from the AP this week about how that gap might be explained.

The agency said it is continuing research on animals to see the effects of ingesting both melamine and cyanuric acid.

What in the world takes so long to get the word out? thank god for Itchmo.


Dry dog and cat food recalled 
 
Last Edited: Friday, 28 Nov 2008, 7:26 PM EST 
Created: Friday, 28 Nov 2008, 7:26 PM EST 


FOX 43 has a consumer alert involving your furry friends.

Mars Petcare extended its recall for dry cat and dog food products sold in Virginia and North Carolina.

They're recalling all dry dog food and Special Kitty Gourmet Blend because of possible salmonella.

The food was sold at BJ's Wholesale Club and Wal-mart.
 

I'm still thinking of you, and all that's happened. hope you're doing a little better today.
We didn't have any thanksgiving dinner yesterday, either. The first time ever. My girls were working, and it just didn't seem like thanksgiving. but i still gave thanks to all my family and friends. [And especially to Itchmo] for the day. And for the life of my pets, thank goodness.

I keep forgetting to mention- you know we grow a lot of peanuts here, and when they are harvested, the peanut "hay" is what they feed the cows, and maybe the hogs. I know everyone feeds it to the cows and some feed it to horses. i never fed it to My horses. But when they eat peanut hay, they are eating the whole pesticide. And then We eat them. There We go again.