Menu Foods recalled products in 2007 after melamine contamination caused widespread animal illness.
Menu Foods, a Canadian manufacturer, announced a large recall of wet pet food in March 2007 after cats and dogs developed kidney problems. Investigators found melamine and related compounds in wheat gluten used in some products. The adulterated ingredient had been imported from China and was present in food sold under many brand names.
Melamine is an industrial chemical that can make protein tests appear higher than they really are. In the affected pet food, it reacted with cyanuric acid and contributed to the formation of crystals that damaged animals’ kidneys. The episode led to reports of pet deaths and triggered recalls across North America.
Menu Foods is often mistaken for the consumer brands printed on the cans. Menu Foods was the manufacturer, while retailers and major pet-food companies supplied many of the labels. The scandal increased scrutiny of imported ingredients and pet-food safety controls.