100,000 Tons of Rotting Meat, Some 40 Years Old, Seized in China

The latest stomach-turning food scandal out of China should have dog owners looking a little more closely at their pet’s food. That “made in the USA” label is meaningless if the manufacturer is sourcing the ingredients from China.

Since June 1, Chinese authorities have seized roughly 100,000 tons of rotting beef, pork, chicken wings, feet, and duck necks, some of which had been frozen since the 1970’s – more than 40 years – from smugglers all across China. The decades-old meat was seized in wholesale meat markets, in the back of box trucks, and sold to retailers, supermarkets, and restaurants around the country.

There’s little doubt that rotten, decades-old meat made it’s way into pet food facilities.

Some of the meat had been frozen, thawed during transport in non-refrigerated trucks to save costs, and re-frozen multiple times over the course of many years.

While the original source of the meat is unknown, reports say cheap meat was bought abroad and in neighboring countries, imported into Hong Kong and on to Vietnam before reaching mainland China.

Chinese food scandals are nothing new and despite happening on the other side of the globe, should seriously concern American pet parents. Most recently, chicken, duck, and sweet potato jerky dog treats imported from China have been proven to cause illness and death in American dogs.

There’s a reason American manufacturers – even some who label their products as being made in the USA – source ingredients from China.

And, there’s a reason those ingredients are so cheap.

Made in the USA isn’t good enough. Research your dog’s food. Where are the ingredients sourced?