Pet Food Recall

WASHINGTON - A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.
"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.
The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6 throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.
Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site — early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.
The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co.
P&G announced Friday the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, P&G said.
Menu Foods' three U.S. and one Canadian factory produce more than 1 billion containers of wet pet food a year. The recall covers pet food made at company plants in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., Henderson said.
Henderson said the company received an undisclosed number of owner complaints of vomiting and kidney failure in dogs and cats after they had been fed its products. It has tested its products but not found a cause for the sickness.
"To date, the tests have not indicated any problems with the product," Henderson said.
The company alerted the
Food and Drug Administration, which already has inspectors in one of the two plants, Henderson said. The FDA was working to nail down brand names covered by the recall, agency spokesman Mike Herndon said.
Menu Foods is majority owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Ontario, Canada.
Henderson said the recall would cost the company the Canadian equivalent of $26 million to $34 million.


Here is the link to see affected products:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

Omg that is soo sad..pooor kitties

so is this for canada too??

Oh great, I just fed my dogs some chunks of meat in gravy... I hope it wasn't contaminated...

I hate it when stuff like this happens...

My dog has been eating out of the same feed bag for awhile now so I guess it's safe to say that she'll be ok. What a scary thing.
Lord, please watch over our four legged friends.

OH MY GOSH!!!!! Our 14 year old dog, Buddy was (parden the pun Savannah and Rob) sicker than a dog a week ago!!!! He was doing everything they mentioned.....he was vomiting, not eating, not drinking........just plain ol' SICK!!!! About the time I had decided to take him to the vet he started eating and drinking. He is much better now, but I wonder if it was the food?!?! Sheesh, people dropping dead because of pnut better and dog and cat food getting out little four legged friends...............

Wow Rhonda! This is so scary. I'm glad your dog started eating ... I hope he keeps getting better.

Wow, Rhonda.. I hope he is ok now. It just seems that everything lately is being recalled, things that the majority of us use on a daily basis.. *hugs* to Buddy

Glad to hear Buddy is doing good.

Thanks everyone.....Buddy was my "Cancer Buddy" when I was sick and seeing him SO sick like he was, was so hard to do. I felt so helpless, just didn't know what to do, never DREAMED it could be the food he was eating!!!

Yikes! I thought I had a can of the America's Choice Sliced Beef & Gravy, but the site I went to had dates to check on the bottom. Now, mind you, I just bought this can a week and a half ago, and the date on the bottom said, "Best By Oct. 04". Makes you wonder if Farmer Jack's ever checks the dates on their cans. Needless to say, I won't be feeding it to my cat anyhow.

Rhonda, I am so glad to hear that your dog is okay now. It does make you wonder if that could have been it.

These incidences (the pet food and the peanut butter), sure does make you realize how vulernable our food supply can be and how many can be affected by it.

Well Thats sad but at least i don't have to worry i don't have any Cats or Dogs

This is terrible!! I just feel horrible for all these pet owners! And you figure that if these people are feeding Iams or Eukanuba canned food they have pretty pampered pets, at least well-cared for. Our dogs are on Iams, but it's dry food, so I guess we're safe. Too bad this wasn't detected sooner...I wonder what they mean by 'undisclosed number'...coudn't they at least give an estimate? (or maybe I missed that). I hope Buddy is ok, Rhonda!

The problem has come to Canada too. At least one cat has died and it's housemate is sick. The food came from a plant in the States, even though we have a plant not to far from us.
I am thankful that I feed my dog dry foods, the recall is only for wet foods in cans and pouches.

AWWW,poor kitty...

:sad5: Well, they found out what the problem was... Read on

ALBANY, N.Y. - Rat poison was found in the pet food suspected of causing kidney failure that killed at least 16 cats and dogs, but scientists still don't know how it got there, state officials said Friday.
The toxin was identified as aminopterin, which is used to kill rats in some countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.
Aminopterin is not registered for killing rodents in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, though it is used as a cancer drug. State officials wouldn't speculate on how the toxin got into Menu Foods' now-recalled pet food but said no criminal investigations had been launched.
Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by Menu Foods and found Aminopterin in two of them. Hooker said they would test individual components of the pet food, as well. The early test results were released to give veterinarians a better idea of how to treat sick animals.
"Any amount of this product is too much in food," Hooker said.
Aminopterin, also used as a cancer drug, is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system.
In dogs and cats, it can cause kidney failure, according to Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation into the pet deaths was focusing on wheat gluten in the pet food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated, the FDA said.
Bob Rosenberg, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Pest Management Association, said he had never heard of the substance before Friday.
"It would make no sense to spray a crop itself with rodenticide," Rosenberg said, though he said grain shippers typically put bait stations around the perimeter of their storage facilities.
The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.
Menu Foods last week recalled "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food. The recall sparked concern among pet owners across North America. It includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.
The company, already facing lawsuits, planned a media teleconference for later Friday, a spokesman said. It is majority owned by Menu Foods Income Fund of Streetsville.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was posted online by Menu Foods and is available at http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.
A spokesman for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he was not aware of any criminal investigation involving the tainted food. FBI spokesman Paul Holstein in Albany said Friday he was not aware of any FBI involvement in the case.
"I don't know where we'll go from here," he said.
___
Associated Press writer Andrew Bridges in Washington contributed to this report.
___

In addition to the dry cat food that has now made it onto the recall list, today Nestle Purina Petcare Co. announced it is recalling some of it's wet dog food.

Here is the FDA news report from yesterday:

FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P07-57
March 30, 2007
Media Inquiries:
Michael Herndon
Catherine McDermott
301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA



Company Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry Food
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today notified Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., of Topeka, Kansas, that FDA testing has detected melamine and melamine byproducts in wheat gluten received by the company to make dry cat food. FDA is conducting an investigation into pet food products made with wheat gluten that contains melamine and their association with reports of injury and deaths in cats and dogs.

Because the cat food is sold exclusively through veterinarians, Hill's has notified veterinarians, and is voluntarily recalling the pet food containing the wheat gluten and will conduct its own testing.

Consumers who have any bags of Prescription Diet m/d Feline should discontinue use. They should speak with their veterinarian if their pet shows any signs of kidney/renal illness. Such signs include loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

"FDA recognizes that pets are very important to the American people and our sympathies go out to those who have lost their beloved pets," said Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration.

During two months in early 2007, Hill's Pet Nutrition manufactured Prescription Diet m/d Feline using wheat gluten from the same company that has supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods, Inc. Menu Foods, Inc. (menufoods.com/recall) has also voluntarily recalled products potentially contaminated with melamine. See http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html for more information on the pet food recall.

The Hill’s cat food now being recalled is labeled Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food. The products are:

4 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42770
10 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42790
The agency is continuing to work with Menu Foods, Inc., and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., to ensure the effectiveness of their recalls.

For more information, consumers may contact Hills Pet Nutrition at 1-800-445-5777 or visit www.HillsPet.com.

####

Here is what I read today:

WASHINGTON — The recall of wet and dry pet foods contaminated with a chemical found in plastics and pesticides expanded Saturday to include a new brand even as investigators were puzzled why the substance would kill dogs and cats.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. Purina said a limited amount of the food contained a contaminated wheat gluten from China.

Also Saturday, Del Monte Pet Products voluntarily recalled select pet treats sold under the Jerky Treats, Gravy Train Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels, as well as other dog snacks and wet dog foods sold under other private label brands.

The same U.S. supplier also provided wheat gluten, a protein source, to a Canadian company, Menu Foods, which this month recalled 60 million containers of wet dog and cat food it produces for sale under nearly 100 brand labels.

Menu Foods and the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the pet food industry, have refused to identify the company that supplied the contaminated wheat gluten.

Hill's Pet Nutrition said late Friday that its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food included the tainted wheat gluten. The FDA said the source was the same unidentified company. Hill's, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co., is so far the only company to recall any dry pet food.

Federal testing of some recalled pet foods and the wheat gluten used in their production turned up the chemical melamine. Melamine is used to make kitchenware and other plastics. It is both a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides, including cyromazine, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Melamine is toxic only in very high doses and has been shown in rats to produce bladder tumors, according to the EPA.

The federal pet food testing failed to confirm the presence of aminopterin, a cancer drug also used as rat poison, the FDA said. Cornell University scientists also found melamine in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating some of the recalled food.

Earlier, the New York State Food Laboratory identified aminopterin as the likely culprit in the pet food. But the FDA said it could not confirm that finding, nor have researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey when they looked at tissue samples taken from dead cats.

Experts at the University of Guelph in Canada detected aminopterin in some samples of the recalled pet food, but only in very small percentages.

"Biologically, that means nothing. It wouldn't do anything," said Grant Maxie, a veterinary pathologist at the university. "This is a puzzle."

The FDA was working to rule out the possibility that the contaminated wheat gluten could have made it into any human food.

Menu Foods announced the recall this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the company's products.

An FDA official allowed that it was not immediately clear whether the melamine was the culprit. The agency's investigation continues, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Menu Foods said the only certainty was that imported wheat gluten was the likely source of the deadly contamination, even if the actual contaminant remained in doubt.

"The important point today is that the source of the adulteration has been identified and removed from our system," said Paul Henderson, Menu Foods chief executive officer and president. Henderson suggested his company would pursue legal action against the supplier.

About 70 percent of the wheat gluten used in the United States for human and pet food is imported from the European Union and Asia, according to the Pet Food Institute, an industry group.

One veterinarian suggested the international sourcing of ingredients would force the U.S. "to come to grips with a reality we had not appreciated."

"When you change from getting an ingredient from the supplier down the road to a supplier from around the globe, maybe the methods and practices that were effective in one situation need to be changed," said Tony Buffington, a professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University.

Sundlof said the agency may change how it regulates the pet food industry.

"In this case, we're going to have to look at this after the dust settles and determine if there is something from a regulatory standpoint that we could have done differently to prevent this incident from occurring," he said.

And here is a link to the expanded list:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,260784,00.html

I sure hope this nightmare ends soon. I'm feeding the cats baby food right now and will go to the butcher and get some chicken this week. I'm afraid to give my cats anything with wheat gluten in it.

Cheryl

OMG, I have been giving my cats Pounce Meaty Morsels!! Is there any safe pet food/treats any more??? I also noticed that Purina is starting to recall some of it's products.. Both of my cats eat Purina dry food and one of them eats Fancy Feast canned food (which is a Purina product...) Does anyone know any homemade cat food recipies or know a place where I could find any??


"Also Saturday, Del Monte Pet Products voluntarily recalled select pet treats sold under the Jerky Treats, Gravy Train Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels, as well as other dog snacks and wet dog foods sold under other private label brands."

This is scary...

I'm scared to death to buy any cat/dog food at the store now. At the moment we are feeding the cats tuna fish and the dogs some table scraps.(they don't seem to mind)