[ RadSafe ] " Canadian pet food company blames Australian cat deaths on irradiation "

[Franta, Jaroslav]

UNRESTRICTED | ILLIMITÉ

Has anyone seen additional details about this ?

Sounds rather dubious to me.

Thnx

Jaro
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http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=ca763f4a-96de-4e4a-b2df-c16e29df2104
Canadian pet food company blames Australian cat deaths on irradiation
TIFFANY CRAWFORD, Canwest News Service, 28 Nov. 2008

A Canadian company at the centre of a pet food scare in Australia is blaming the Australian government for an outbreak linked to a brand of its cat chow that has caused five cats to die and sickened dozens more.

Champion Petfoods, a family-run pet food company based in Edmonton, said yesterday it was pulling out of the Australian market after an independent study on its Orijen brand of cat food placed the blame on dangerous levels of irradiation.

At least five animals that developed paralysis have been euthanized, and veterinarians at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital in Sydney say more than 40 have been treated for symptoms of neurological disorders, including numb limbs.

"It is with our own pets in mind that we extend our deepest empathy to the Australian families affected by this regrettable circumstance," Champion Petfoods said in a statement.

"While we will no longer sell any of our pet foods in Australia, we remain committed to ongoing research into this case with the hope our findings can be used to better inform the international community on the potential effects of irradiation."

Champion recalled the product in Australia as a precautionary measure on Nov. 20.

While the same brand of cat food is sold in Canada and is exported to 50 countries, Champion said only Australia demands the chow be irradiated because the food is not cooked at the same high temperatures as other imported pet food.

Irradiation is a method of preserving food by dosing it with a type of radiation - cobalt 60 gamma rays - to reduce microbial hazards, in this case in imported pet foods containing fresh meats.

Irradiation of human food is considered safe at relatively low levels.
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