I recall something similar -- an African nation in crisis turned away a huge shipment of food aid (corn?) because it might have been genetically modified.

Another time, grain (wheat) was rejected because it wasn't #1 grade intended for flour (and so fell into the category of feed grain, though it was perfectly safe to eat). This was a tragedy, because this ship happened to be in the area and could have been diverted, feeding people within days. It took a month for other aid to start arriving.

I don't intend to dump on Africans here, but rather to illustrate how pride and lack of knowledge can prevent people from making best use of resources at hand. I suspect that most Westerners would have the same reaction to being served 'cattle food' even in a crisis. Eating pet food, even if reasonably safe and nutritious, would be such a horrifying indignity that they'd rather starve.