DogExplorer.com News – State officials in New York have detected a substance used both as a rat poison and anti-cancer drug, Aminopterin, in samples of suspect pet food.
No explanation was given as to how the poison entered the food or when in the process the dog and cat foods became contaminated. Neither State nor Federal law enforcement agencies have indicated any criminal investigations are planned.
According to Wikipedia, Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid) is a 4-amino analog of folic acid. It is a substance with properties that suppress the immune system (lower anti infection system strength in the body) and is commonly used in chemotherapy.
In the same article, Wikipedia claims ABC News has reported wheat from China may have been contaminated with Aminopterin (used there as a rat poison) and wheat byproducts (wheat gluten) from those shipments may have been used in the production of the dog food and cat food suspected in the deaths of the nearly 1,000 pets in the United States.
A statement issued by the New York Department of Agriculture confirms that scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory “