Pet Food Recall- if you have a pet Pay Attention!

[kitkatz]

I read about it in the paper but this is more information on the pet food recall.  The links will take you to the list of foods that have been recalled!

Recall of Pet Foods Manufactured by Menu Foods, Inc.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been informed that Menu Foods, Inc., a private-label pet food manufacturer based in Streetsville, Ontario, Canada, is recalling all its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food produced at its facility in Emporia, Kansas between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The products are sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints received by the manufacturer and by tasting trials conducted by the manufacturer. There has been a small number of reported instances of cats and dogs in the United States that developed kidney failure after eating the affected product. Ten deaths, one dog and nine cats, have reported at this time. The firm has undertaken extensive testing of the pet food products in question, but to date has been unable to find the source of the problem.

The products are packaged in cans and pouches under numerous brand names and are marketed nationwide by many pet food retailers including Ahold USA Inc., Kroger Company, Safeway, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., PetSmart, Inc., and Pet Valu, Inc.

Menu Foods, Inc. has identified the potentially contaminated products on the Internet at www.menufoods. com/recall. Consumers who have any of these products should immediately stop feeding them to their pets. Dogs or cats who have consumed the suspect feed and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should consult with their veterinarian. Menu Foods, Inc. is notifying retailers by telephone and mail and is arranging for the return of all recalled products.

FDA is conducting an investigation and working with Menu Foods, Inc. to ensure the effectiveness of the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-866-895-2708. Consumers who wish to report adverse actions or other problems can go to http://www.fda. gov/opacom/ backgrounders/ complain. html to contact the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.

####

Menu Foods, Inc. Press Release

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company Press Release

Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Press Release

P&G Pet Care Press Release (Consumers who have purchased IAMS or Eukanuba pet food who have questions should check the IAMS web site. Consumers who have purchased other pet food distributed by Menu should contact Menu.)

Hope this helps!

[Sluff]

Thanks I use Iams but the dry type so I think we are safe.

Thanks for posting this.

[okarol]

Updated

This is a list of products NOT involved in the Menu Foods Cat food recall. These brands are not a part of Menu Foods Company.


    * 9Lives
    * Cat Chow
    * Chicken Soup Pet Foods
    * Deli-Cat
    * Fancy Feast
    * Felix (Purina)
    * Friskies
    * Gourmet (Purina)
    * Meow Mix
    * Mon Petit
    * Nature's Valley
    * Old Mother Hubbard
    * ONE (Purina)
    * Pet Promise
    * Pounce
    * Purina® Kit 'N Kaboodle® brand Cat Food
    * Precise
    * Pro Plan
    * Purina
    * Purina Pro Plan
    * Sheba
    * Trilogy Cat Food
    * Whiskas
    * Wellness

More info and links: http://hubpages.com/hub/Cat_Food_Safe_To_Feed_After_The_Cat_Food_Recall

[kitkatz]

I will be moving this to the pet link post once everyone has had a chance to read it.






kitkatz,moderator

[goofynina]

Thank you for the 411 Kit and Okarol,  isnt it awesome that not only are we looking out for each other, we are looking out for each others pets as well,  DAMN THIS SITE IS AWESOME    

[Hawkeye]

Here is a great article for information regarding this recall.  There is one thing that really bothers me about this that I didn't know before.  Please note the bolded and underlined section in the story.

Pet Death Toll Rises in Tainted Food Recall By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
Tue Mar 20, 7:02 PM ET
 
TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- The official pet death toll inched up Tuesday as U.S. health officials continued to look for the contamination source that spurred a massive recall of moist dog and cat food involving some of the top brand names.  According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so far there have been 14 dogs and cats that died within a few days of consuming the pet food made by a Canadian company.  The toll included nine cats in the manufacturer's quarterly taste test that involved up to 50 animals, along with four pet dogs and one pet cat, according to the FDA's lead veterinarian. However, he added, the toll is expected to rise.  "We are reviewing the manufacturing process of [the] food," Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said during a press conference. "We are still looking at the wheat gluten and other ingredients."  Sundlof said the FDA continues to receive a large volume of calls at its consumer complaint lines. The number of calls has not yet been tabulated or evaluated, he said, but "we know that some of them are complaints of deaths."  The cause of the pet deaths has not been determined, although all those that died developed kidney failure after eating the affected product, the FDA said.  The pet food manufacturer, Ontario-based Menu Foods Inc., had suggested the illnesses might be linked to their use of a new supplier of wheat gluten, a protein used in the foods. FDA officials said they weren't sure if wheat gluten is responsible or which company supplied the wheat gluten.  In addition, the agency isn't sure that only pet food was contaminated. "Right now, we don't think people are at risk," Sundlof had said at a Monday teleconference.  Menu Foods announced the recall over the weekend for 60 million packages of moist pet food made at a plant in Emporia, Kan., and another in New Jersey between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.  The FDA is responsible for checking pet food plants, Sundlof said Tuesday. "It is very much the same as how we regulate human food plants," he said. "Inspections are based on how risky we think the plant is based on previous inspection."  David Elder, director of the Office of Enforcement at the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs, added, "The first time the FDA had been in the Kansas plant was in follow-up to these consumer complaints. The New Jersey plant was inspected last year under FDA's Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy [mad cow] program."  The recalled pet food was sold in sealed packets in the United States, Canada and Mexico under 50 brand names of dog food and 40 brand names of cat food.  The brands include Iams, Science Diet, America's Choice, Preferred Pets, Eukanuba, and Nutriplan. The stores that sold them include Ahold USA Inc., Kroger Co., Safeway, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., PetSmart Inc. and Pet Valu Inc. A full list can be seen at the Menu Foods Web site at www.menufoods.com/recall.  Dogs or cats that have eaten the suspect food and show signs of kidney failure should be taken to a veterinarian. According to the FDA, kidney failure in animals is characterized by loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.  The agency is also requesting that people with sick or deceased pets who believe their pet might have consumed one of the implicated products contact a state complaint coordinator. A list of coordinators can be found at the FDA Web site http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.  The FDA and the Humane Society advise consumers who have any of these products to stop feeding them to their pets.

Menu Foods has a consumer recall hotline at 1-866-895-2708.
The company has announced that it will compensate the owners of pets that died.

For more information on pet food, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

[okarol]

Apr 3, 2007 2:31 pm US/Pacific

Recipes For Homemade Pet Food

(AP) LOS ANGELES "Real Food for Cats: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Feline Gastronome" is offering some homemade pet food recipes for the safety of you pets.

Bow-Wow Brownies:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup of whole wheat flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup carob chips
1/4 cup of carob powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend oil and honey in a bowl.
Mix in remaining ingredients.
Pour into greased 15-by-10-inch baking sheet.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.

From: "Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome"

Theme Recipe For Cats:
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/3 cup dry rice (brown or white)
2 teaspoons corn oil
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
2/3 cup ground meat
1 tablespoon bonemeal
2 tablespoons cooked liver

Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Add rice, corn oil, salt and simmer for 20 minutes.
Dredge meat with the bonemeal.
Add meat and liver to the rice mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Cool and serve. Leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen.

From: "Real Food for Cats: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Feline Gastronome"

Don't Feed Fido These:
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these foods are not safe for pets:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate (bakers, semi-sweet, milk chocolate)
- Coffee (ground, beans, chocolate-covered espresso beans)
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions and onion powder
- Garlic and garlic powder
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Macadamia nuts
- Raisins and grapes
- Avocado
- Hops (used in home brewing)
- Fatty foods
- Bones
- Milk
- Raw eggs
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Products containing the sweetener xylitol

[Sluff]

Thanks for the information Karol. The other day my dog who has never done this before jumped up to the counter and stole a raw steak about 1lb worth of chuck steak and ate it.  I don't know about him but my stomach hurt imagining how that was going to come out. he didn't chew it very well because we were trying to get it away from him so he ate it quick.

[George Jung]

I recently hear om the news of a woman who is now claiming to have been affected.  She is claiming to have eaten some of her pets food (I think to "get her pet " to eat) and now is sick.  Nevermind...here it is.

 
Concerned about pet food recall, woman tests product and gets sick
After reading several of the articles on the Menus pet food recall, I just had to post this one. A woman living in Ottawa, Ontario was worried that her dog wasn't eating. She decided to try and trick the dog by eating some of the food.

Now she is sick and is experiencing loss of appetite, vomiting and is foaming at the mouth. The woman says the food she was feeding her dog was the same as the Menu pet food that is being recalled.

Loblaws President's Choice brand, as well as the house brands for Dominion, Sobeys and other supermarket chains are subject to recall in Canada as well. This is an interesting twist to the story, I understand what the woman was trying to do but perhaps rather than trying to fool her dog she may have considered that the dog had rejected the food because the food was no good.Source: cbc.ca

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/149588/Woman_blames_dog_food_for_illness

[nextnoel]

 A woman living in Ottawa, Ontario was worried that her dog wasn't eating. She decided to try and trick the dog by eating some of the food.

Now she is sick and is experiencing loss of appetite, vomiting and is foaming at the mouth. The woman says the food she was feeding her dog was the same as the Menu pet food that is being recalled.

Was this by any chance on April Fool'ls Day?  If not, I think the woman was "sick" long before this incident took place!

[lola]

We used Iams dry dog food and in January i contacted them because her hair startded falling out and was told at Petco to switch her ASAP they had been hearing this about other dogs since they(IAMS) changed there recipe, well they(IAMS) basically acted like they didnt care. I'm soooo glad we switched even though they say it's only wet food affected. Now her hair is growing back and she looks better.

[BigSky]

Thanks for the information Karol. The other day my dog who has never done this before jumped up to the counter and stole a raw steak about 1lb worth of chuck steak and ate it.  I don't know about him but my stomach hurt imagining how that was going to come out. he didn't chew it very well because we were trying to get it away from him so he ate it quick.

I was up on the Rez once and there are alot of starved dogs up there.  Anyway my buddy had some pork ribs and threw the bones out to one of the dogs and the dog ate about five of them whole.   They definitely couldn't be nice coming out.


The bad thing about this pet food recall is they say the owners will not get much for the deaths of their animals.  IMO the companies should be nailed to the wall because it was their greed that lead them to buy inferior product from China to make their food thus making a bigger profit and as such they should pay for it.

[nextnoel]

IMO the companies should be nailed to the wall because it was their greed that lead them to buy inferior product from China to make their food thus making a bigger profit and as such they should pay for it.

I know it won't happen, but I would LOVE to see a bunch of the people responsible for this mess go to jail.

[goofynina]

IMO the companies should be nailed to the wall because it was their greed that lead them to buy inferior product from China to make their food thus making a bigger profit and as such they should pay for it.

I know it won't happen, but I would LOVE to see a bunch of the people responsible for this mess go to jail.

You know NextNoel, if we dont see them go to jail, at least we know they will be going to HELL!!! 

[goofynina]

This is an interesting twist to the story, I understand what the woman was trying to do but perhaps rather than trying to fool her dog she may have considered that the dog had rejected the food because the food was no good.

I like your way of thinking George!! 

[nextnoel]

You know NextNoel, if we dont see them go to jail, at least we know they will be going to HELL!!! 

Thanks for reminding me - I feel better already!

[okarol]

Dog biscuits added to pet food recall
Manufacturer includes broader range of production dates, FDA reports

The Associated Press
Updated: 3:10 p.m. PT April 5, 2007

WASHINGTON - The recall of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical expanded Thursday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company and sold by Wal-Mart under the Ol’Roy brand.

The Food and Drug Administration said the manufacturer, Sunshine Mills Inc., is recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten. Testing has revealed the wheat gluten, a protein source, was contaminated with melamine, used to make plastics and other industrial products.

Also Thursday, Menu Foods, a major manufacturer of brand- and private-label wet pet foods expanded its original recall to include a broader range of dates and varieties. Menu Foods was the first of at least six companies to recall the now more than 100 brands of pet foods and treats made with the contaminated ingredient.

The recall now covers “cuts and gravy”-style products made between Nov. 8 and March 6, Menu Foods said. Previously, it applied only to products made beginning Dec. 3. In addition, Menu Foods said it was expanding the recall to include more varieties, but no new brands.

The FDA knows of no other pet product companies planning recalls, agency officials told reporters.

“Other than that, I think, you know, the public should feel secure in purchasing pet foods that are not subject to the recall,” Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, told reporters.

Sunshine, of Red Bay, Ala., sells pet foods and treats under its own brands as well as private labels sold by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Kmart, Longs Drug Stores Corp. and Stater Bros. Markets. The recall included specific brands like Wal-Mart’s Ol’Roy, as well as a portion of Sunshine’s own Nurture, Lassie and Pet Life dog biscuit brands.

Previously, Menu Foods had recalled some wet-style dog foods it made for sale under the Stater Bros. and Ol’Roy brands as well.

Sunshine said there have been no reports of dog illnesses or deaths in connection with the recalled dog biscuits, which contain 1 percent or less wheat gluten by weight.

Plastics chemical suspected
The FDA continues to focus on melamine as the suspected contaminant of the pet products, though Sundlof said it could be a marker for the presence of another, not yet known substance. Melamine previously was not believed to be toxic.

The recall is one of the largest pet food recalls in history, Sundlof said. The FDA has received more than 12,000 complaints but has confirmed only about 15 pet deaths. Anecdotal reports suggest the tally is in the hundreds or low thousands.

Sunshine Mills said it would post a complete list of the recalled dog biscuits on its Web site.

The FDA last week blocked wheat gluten imports from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in the eastern city of Xuzhou, saying they contained melamine. A Las Vegas importer, ChemNutra Inc., this week recalled all wheat gluten it had bought from the supplier and in turn distributed to pet food manufacturers.

Xuzhou Anying has said it is investigating the claims.

Also Thursday, the FDA warned consumers not to give American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews to their pets. The FDA said salmonella could contaminate the dog treats, made and distributed by T.W. Enterprises of Ferndale, Wash.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17967533/wid/11915773?GT1=9303

[Sluff]

Thanks Karol for this informative information.

[nextnoel]

“Other than that, I think, you know, the public should feel secure in purchasing pet foods that are not subject to the recall,” Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, told reporters.

This is sort of like, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

[Hawkeye]

This is a link to the Food And Drug Administrations website area devoted to nothing put this petfood recall.  You can find info about all the brands and products here.  There is lots of great info.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

[Sluff]

Thanks for the link Hawkeye. 

[goofynina]

Oh man, i didnt realize just how many products there were that are contaminated. WTF are those people thinkin?  PISSES THE HELL OUT ME DAMMIT!!!!