Pet Food Furor

2007 was the year of the recall: spinach, toys, and pet food. In the pet food situation, an intense investigation by the government and industry found that melamine, a foreign agent that can create the false appearance of increased levels of protein, had been introduced to raw ingredients imported from China. That the contamination was traced to China only fueled American insecurities. A National Pet Food Commission was created to manage the media covering the recall and to calm a tense national audience. Industry and government leaders worked in tandem around the clock to isolate the affected market segment and identify the bad actors, while the very creation of the Commission underscored how the industry itself was playing a leadership role in solving the problem.