Washington-Fertilizer was getting unwanted air play in the general media last week with reports that melamine fertilizer was found in wheat gluten used in making pet food, requiring major pet food recalls in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration identified the product as coming from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology in China. Melamine is generally known for its industrial uses, including plastics, not fertilizer. When used in fertilizer melamine is very slow release, with a nitrogen content of over 60 percent. The Fertilizer Institute’s Kathy Mathers said it is so slow release that it is not appropriate for annual crops, but is used more for slow growing crops such as in the forestry industry. Still, noted Mathers, this does not explain why it would be found in wheat gluten. Mathers said that despite the wide air play, TFI had only fielded calls from one major news outlet ?Çô USA Today. While FDA said melamine fertilizer is not licensed in the U.S., others said that is not necessarily true as licensing is done on a state-by-state basis. Regardless, industry sources could not recall it being used in the U.S. in recent times. The investigation continued last week.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain