Fish, Wildlife and Parks is participating in a voluntary recall of hatchery fish food that may contain melamine, the same substance behind a massive national pet food recall.
The Canadian maker of the food notified FWP officials in early May that recent testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found a “very low level” of melamine in one batch of feed, some of which was sold to five FWP hatcheries. The feed manufacturer, Skretting Canada, voluntarily initiated a recall of all potentially contaminated feed and contacted each of the FWP hatcheries to initiate replacement of the fish food.
“Out hatchery managers got right on this as soon as we heard about this,” says Jim Peterson, FWP fish health coordinator.
The trout hatcheries involved – in Big Timber, Somers, Eureka, Anaconda and Lewistown – have fed some of the feed, but all remaining feed will be replaced by Skretting. The recall involves about 5,500 pounds.
“This feed amounts to a very, very small amount of fish feed used in our hatcheries and primarily involves ‘starter’ diets, which is fed to very young fish,” Peterson says. “Most of our fish food comes from a company in Utah.”
The starter feed, which contains wheat gluten from China, is high in protein, important for young fish. Melamine, used in plastics, fabrics, glues and flame retardants, has no food value but it can make food products appear more protein-rich, which is apparently what happened to the Chinese wheat gluten.
The federal FDA has stated they have not found any risk to fish or humans as a result of melamine in fish food.
Most of the young trout in Montana’s hatcheries are due to be stocked this year, and all appear healthy, Peterson says.
“We haven’t seen any evidence of health problems associated with the Skretting feed in the fish,” he says.
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