Business briefs

LOS ANGELES — The fate of the Los Angeles Times remained uncertain Monday after Tribune Co., its corporate parent, announced an $8.2 billion deal with Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell to take the company private.

The deal scuttled a competing bid by Los Angeles moguls Eli Broad and Ron Burkle designed in part to return the acclaimed paper to local control.

Tribune’s ownership of the Times has been rocky. Disputes between the Chicago-based corporation and leaders at the Times have led to the dismissal of two publishers and two editors.

Times staff members have been bracing for the possibility of further cuts as Tribune seeks to improve profits.

Employees were somewhat relieved that the six-month bidding process had ended but remained unsure about what to expect in the months ahead.

"There is a sense of relief. Finally there is some resolution,” Times reporter Mark Z. Barabak said. "Whether it proves to be good or bad we will not know for some time.”

FDA blocks wheat gluten from Chinese company in pet food investigation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is blocking imports of wheat gluten from a company in China, acting after an investigation implicated the contaminated ingredient in the recent pet-food deaths of cats and dogs.

The Food and Drug Administration took action against wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in Wangdien, China, after the U.S. recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food made with the chemically contaminated ingredient. The pet food, tainted with the chemical melamine, apparently has resulted in kidney failure in an unknown number of animals across the country.

Wheat gluten from China has been suspected in the outbreak since the first of multiple recalls was announced in mid-March. Even more pet food could be recalled in the next few days, though there probably has been no contamination of human food, FDA officials said Monday.

The FDA reported last week that it had found melamine in samples of the vegetable protein source used in the recalled wet and dry pet foods and treats, as well as in cats that died after eating contaminated food.