Pet Treats and Processed Chicken from China: Concerns for American Consumers and Pets

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China will discuss food regulations in China and the United States for pet foods.

Recently major pet stores have announced they would stop selling dog and cat treats made in China following the deaths of 1,000 dogs linked to pet treats from China. Chickens raised in the United States may now be shipped to China for processing before being sold in the United States. Researchers are also exploring the connection between the domestic outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus with China. These developments have highlighted concerns over the effectiveness of China’s food safety regulation, the effectiveness of U.S. government regulation of imported foods from China, and the overall safety of such foods. Moreover, they raise questions about whether current labels are adequate in helping American consumers determine when foods or its constituent components come from China.