WARNING TO PET OWNERS - 60 Mil Cont's of Pet Food Recalled

[klaasend]

60 Million Containers of Pet Food Recalled After Dog and Cat Deaths

Friday, March 16, 2007

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. (WMT) 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 -- www.menufoods.com/recall -- 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. Its 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.

[Mere]

List of dog foods:

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html


List of cat foods:


http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html

[Mere]

News from the company states that recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" type foods:

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/Press_Recall_03162007.pdf

[Mere]

Iams and Eukanuba have also issued recalls of their wet foods provided by Menu Foods....see their web sites...."news releases" for date and plant numbers.

[Mere]

One more....check out hillspet.com

[klaasend]

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html

Recalled Dog Product Information
    Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Key Food
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Publix
Roche Bros
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Bros
Total Pet, My True Friend
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

Recalled Cat Product Information
    Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Key Food
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet, My True Friend
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie

[LouiseVargas]

After the past 20 years of being a cat mama, I finally learned good food equals good health. Those cans and sacks of pet food in the grocery store, even the pet store, are slowly killing your pets.

I lost my Annabel to cancer, Nimrod to an abscessed tooth even though I had just taken him to have his teeth cleaned. Sarafina, Isis and Hurricane to lymphoma.

My Romeo is the last of my four. He will be 14 on March 28. He is eating the
Prescription Diet z/d late in life. He is an old man and one side of his black fur turned grey. And regarding my new Guinevere, I guard her mouth. She only eats z/d. http://www.gfah.com/Products/Z-D_Pet_Food.html

I buy a 10 lb. dry food sack from the vet for $48. I think of it as an investment in my cats' health. I know it's easy and more convenient and cheaper to buy pet food in the grocery store. But because I did that, I am paying off a $5K vet bill.

[yapperz1]

I worked for a vet for years. He said canned/wet food is not good for animals especially cats as it can lead to stones.
My dogs are on a special dry food.  Urinary S.O.
Needless to say my brats eat dry food  

[LouiseVargas]

Thanks for your post, honey Yap.

[Seamonkey]

I have always used purina products on my dogs through the years. I especially like thier lamb and rice formulas or veggie puppy formulas, I cross my fingers not to hear something bad about that brand. I only feed dry food, it is better for the furbabies teeefies. Besides they get enuough junk from us humans lol no need for can food.

 I would buy every now and then a pouch of this or that for them as a treat, but no more...not now I won't.

 First our human food is being messed with and now our loyal companions food supply..Hmmmm I think I feel another paranoid moment coming on lol.

[NM]

Hey Beautiful Monkeys.
Thank you all and especally SM for this info.

Here is more info from some of the links to specific food companys


canned and foil pouch ‘wet’ cat foods for Iams and Eukanuba
http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=PCA&articleID=300003
P&G Pet Care Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods’ Nationwide U.S. and Canadian Recall of Specific Canned and Small Foil Pouch ‘Wet’ Cat and Dog Foods
Dayton, OH (March 16, 2007) – In response to the recent Menu Foods, Inc. nationwide recall of wet pet foods, P&G Pet Care has announced a voluntary recall in the United States and Canada on specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch “wet” cat and dog food products manufactured by Menu Foods Inc. Emporia, Kansas plant with the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197. This voluntary recall is part of a larger product recall by Menu Foods Inc., a contract manufacturer that makes a small portion of canned and foil pouch ‘wet’ cat foods for Iams and Eukanuba as well as other non-P&G brands. There have been a small number of reported cases of cats from the US (none in Canada) becoming sick and developing signs of kidney failure. The signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy. P&G Pet Care has received no case reports involving dogs.
To read can product codes, refer to the bottom of the can. The first four numbers of the second line of numbers are the date code, and the following four numbers indicate the plant code. For example, if the second line begins with four numbers from 6339 to 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, then the can should be recalled. For foil pouches, the code numbers are located at the lower left hand corner on the back of the pouch. The date and plant codes appear in the third group of numbers, beginning an 11-digit sequence. See www.Iams.com and www.Eukanuba.com for illustrated details. Review the list of involved products here.
P&G Pet Care is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount in the mission of Iams and Eukanuba. Tests of some affected product have not revealed the cause of sickness, and testing will continue until a better understanding of the facts has been achieved. All other canned and small foil wet pouch products produced at other plants are not affected by this issue. Iams and Eukanuba “dry” products are not manufactured at Menu Foods and not affected by this issue. Iams and Eukanuba biscuits, treats and sauces are not affected by this issue.


http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/purina03_07.html
Purina to Voluntarily Withdraw Mighty Dog® 5.3 Ounce Pouch Products in Response to Menu Foods RecallContact:
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company
1-800-551-7392
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- St. Louis, Missouri, March 16, 2007 -- Nestlé Purina PetCare Company today announced that as a precautionary measure, it is voluntarily withdrawing its 5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007. This withdrawal is in response to the recall initiated earlier today by Menu Foods, a contract manufacturer that does limited business with Purina as well as with other pet food manufacturers. Only Mighty Dog 5.3 ounce pouch products are being withdrawn by Nestlé Purina, including those pouches contained in multi-packs. Importantly, no Mighty Dog canned products, or any other Purina products are affected by Menu's recall.
The Mighty Dog pouch products and pouches in multi-pack cartons have code dates of 6337 through 7073, followed by the plant code 1798. This information should be checked on the bottom or back panel of the individual pouches. Specifically, if the code following the "Use By" date begins with four numbers from 6337 to 7073 followed by the plant code 1798, then the pouch is included in this voluntary withdrawal.

Science Diet
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/hills03_07.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Topeka, KS (March 16, 2007) – In response to the recent Menu Foods, Inc. nationwide recall of wet pet foods, Hill's® Pet Nutrition, Inc. has announced a voluntary precautionary recall in the United States and Canada of a very small number of canned cat products that are co-manufactured by Menu.
Hill's is voluntarily recalling the following products:

1. Science Diet® Kitten Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 3 oz. and 5.5 oz.
2. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Beef 5.5 oz.
3. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.
4. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 5.5 oz.
5. Science Diet® Feline Senior Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

No other Hill's products are affected by this recall.
Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., is taking this precautionary step to protect the health and well being of your pets. Hill's has received no reported cases of illness. Consumers of other pet food brands manufactured by Menu Foods have reported a small number of cases of cats becoming ill with loss of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy which are potential signs of kidney failure.
This voluntary product recall involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from consumers. Consumers should stop using the affected products immediately. Consult with a veterinarian if any symptoms are present in your pet. All Science Diet products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled products. For more information, consumers can contact the company at 1-800-445-5777 or visit www.HillsPet.com for details.
Hill's is recalling the following product codes. Product codes can be found at the bottom of the can. Only relevant code numbers have been listed (‘X's indicate irrelevant numbers).
 
1. .   BESTBEFORE 09 2008
M06XXXXXX 4414   5. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4603     
2. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4416   6. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M25XXXXXX 4457     
3. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4415   7. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4414     
4. .   BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4601

[Anna]

FDA Testing Reveals Chemical in Pet Food  
 
Mar 30 11:08 AM US/Eastern
By ANDREW BRIDGES
Associated Press Writer
 
WASHINGTON (AP) - Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient. Cornell University scientists also have found the chemical, sometimes used as a fertilizer, in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food.

Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food earlier this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products. It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints.

The new finding comes a week after scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified a rat poison and cancer drug called aminopterin as the likely culprit in the pet food. The FDA said it could not confirm that finding.

New York officials have detected melamine as well, though it's not clear how that chemical would have poisoned pets. It's typically used to produce plastic kitchen wares, though it's apparently used as a fertilizer in Asia, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

New York remained confident in its aminopterin finding, said Patrick Hooker, commissioner of the New York state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Hooker added that neither aminopterin nor melamine should be in pet food, but that it was unclear why the latter substance would be poisonous to the cats in which it was found.

"While we have no doubt that melamine is present in the recalled pet food, there is not enough known data on the mammalian toxicity levels of melamine to conclude it could cause illness and deaths in cats. With little existing data, many questions still remain as to the connection between the illnesses and what has caused them," Hooker said.

The recall involved nearly 100 brands of "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food made by Menu Foods. The recall covered products carrying names of major brand-name and private-label products sold throughout North America.

The apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten also was shipped to an unnamed company that manufactures dry pet food. The FDA is attempting to determine if that product, imported from China, was used to make any pet food, Sundlof said. There is no risk to human food, he told reporters.

Menu Foods used wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, to thicken the gravy of its pet foods, FDA officials have said.

Menu Foods spokesman Sam Bornstein did not know whether company testing had found melamine in its products. The company planned a press conference later Friday.

 


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O6IGB80&show_article=1
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Anna]

Contaminated Cat Food Recalled by Maker

Mar 30, 6:14 PM (ET)

By ANDREW BRIDGES


WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal testing of recalled pet foods turned up a chemical used to make plastics but failed to confirm the presence of a cancer drug also used as rat poison. The recall expanded Friday to include the first dry pet food.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food involved in the original recall and in imported wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the company's wet-style products. 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.

Meanwhile, Hill's Pet Nutrition recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food. The food included wheat gluten from the same supplier that Menu Foods used. The recall didn't involve any other Prescription Diet or Science Diet products, said the company, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070330/D8O6OO602.html

[Anna]

Unfortunately, the price you pay or getting the food from a vet has little effect on its safety as the Hills DRY Prescription--one of them at least so far--has just been added to the list being recalled as contaminated.

I feed the raw BARF diet which can be found on the internet  2 to 3 times a week for mine and also cook meat for human consumption for them as well with rice in slow cooker.  Mine get a big variety of food and do well on it so far.

After my own experience with pet food recall last year, I have been extra cautious.

I am getting uneasy with this starting to recall the dry foods now as I always leave kibbles available for mine.

Is this some sort of cover up or what is going on that the FDA now says plastic but no rat poison?  How are vets supposed to know how to treat the sick ones.  I wonder how many have been effected by this so far.

Does anyone know where there is a total being kept?


.

[Tibrogargan]

A good website with lots of reading about Natural Rearing of animals:

www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com

Years ago when I had German Shepherd Dogs they were always fed and treated as per the wonderful pioneer in Natural Rearing, Juliette de Bairacli Levy.  She is well referenced on the above site.  And my Shepherds were very healthy and energetic!

[Frijole]

This site has the most comprehensive info I have seen on the pet food recall.  They also have a link to report deaths.  Interestingly the total is over 1000 vs the 16 or so you hear about on natl tv.  
 
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/category/2007-food-recall/

I don't trust the food cos. at ALL on their accounting of this story.  I am fearful that we will learn about more dry foods as this progresses.. time for a little regulation I'd say...

[justinsmama]

Milo eats Purina for cats with urinary tract health. He puked several days this week (none so far today). It worries me, what with all this going on. It may be that due to shedding, he is ingesting more fur, but then it may not be.

[IBE]

I am on emailing mailing lists of some pet foods

This one is from Update on Mighty Dog Pouch WithdrawalDate: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 06:29:08 EDT
From: Purina Petcentric <purinapetcare@updates.purina.com>
Subject: Update on Mighty Dog Pouch Withdrawal
An Update from Nestle Purina PetCare Company About the Menu
Foods Recall - March 23, 2007


We at Nestle Purina PetCare Company know the reports of pet food
recalls and withdrawals over the past week have been very
concerning and at times confusing for pet owners, who want to
ensure the safety of the food they are feeding their beloved pets.

We want to take this opportunity to reassure you that Mighty Dog
pouch products are the ONLY Purina(r) brand products affected by
Menu Foods' recall. Nestle Purina stands behind the high-quality
of our pet foods, and all Purina brand cat food products and all
other Purina brand dog food products, including Mighty Dog
canned products, can continue to be fed to your pets with
complete confidence.

On Friday, March 16, Nestle Purina PetCare issued its press
release announcing the voluntary withdrawal of our Mighty Dog(r)
brand pouch-packaged products that were produced by Menu Foods
from Dec. 3, 2006, through March 14, 2007. While we had no
indication of any product quality or safety issues specifically
related to our Mighty Dog pouch products at that time, we are
proactively withdrawing these products as a precautionary
measure, because the well-being of pets and the safety and
efficacy of our products are our top priorities.

Click below to view the Press Release:
http://updates.purina.com/T2RT0226561F2C186F91AC5B4D44F0

We also want to apologize for any difficulty you may have had in
reaching us by phone this week. While we have dedicated numerous
additional phone lines, people and other resources exclusively
for this purpose, we understand that the volume of calls still
has occasionally exceeded our system capacity.

We have prepared some Frequently Asked Questions that may be
helpful to your understanding of this situation, and we will
update these questions as more information becomes available. If
you have other questions or concerns, please continue to call
our Office of Consumer Affairs directly at 1-800-551-7392.

Click below to view the Frequently Asked Questions:
http://updates.purina.com/T2RT0226569FDC186F91AC5B4D44F0


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[IBE]

Here's an email I recd from IAMS

P&G Pet Care Update 3/30/2007
 
March 30, 2007

Dear Consumer:

As promised, we are continuing to keep you updated on the Menu Foods recall.

We know the Menu Foods recall has caused concern, frustration and anger among many pet lovers, including many of our own employees and their families. We want you to know that we care deeply, and we continue to take action on your behalf.

We want to comment on the new announcement today (Friday, March 30, 2007) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that they have found a substance called melamine in the wheat gluten of recalled products, and not the aminopterin, as earlier suspected by the New York Foods Laboratory.

We can reassure you:

First, there is no melamine or aminopterin in any of our Iams and Eukanuba dry pet foods on store shelves.

In fact, Iams and Eukanuba dry pet foods to DO NOT contain wheat gluten. Our dry dog and cat foods are made exclusively by P&G Pet Care and not by Menu Foods.

Pet owners can feel safe and confident in feeding all Iams and Eukanuba dry foods, as well as any wet foods that are not on the Menu Foods recall list. Click here to see the specific list of recalled wet pouch and canned products.
We want to review the key actions we’ve taken:

    * We immediately worked with retailers to remove from store shelves the small number of our wet pouch and canned products affected by the Menu Foods recall.

    * We immediately suspended production of all our foods manufactured at the affected Menu Foods Emporia, Kansas plant.

    * We have shared all of our data and continue to cooperate fully with FDA, which is leading this important investigation.

    * A task force of prominent North American veterinary health care experts, convened by Iams to review the recall, recently agreed: “Veterinarians and pet owners should feel safe recommending and feeding Iams and Eukanuba dry foods.”

We want to stress again that you can confidently feed all of your pets any of our dry foods, as well as the wet foods not affected by the Menu Foods recall. If you have any questions about the recalled products, please click here to see the specific list of recalled wet pouch and canned products.

P&G Pet Care is deeply committed to pet well-being and our top priority is to help you care for your dog and cat family members. We will continue to provide you with meaningful updates. If you have additional questions, not answered on our Web site FAQs, please call us at 1-800-882-1591.

 
P&G Pet Care
   
          
Copyright © 2007 The Iams Company. All rights reserved.

This message was sent to you from The Iams Company. Your privacy is important to us. By using the information contained in this site, you are bound to the terms in our Legal Statement.

To learn more about our Privacy Statement, click here.

To unsubscribe, click here. If you would prefer to unsubscribe through Postal Mail, please send your request (including your email address) to: The Iams Company Privacy, Attn: Iams® Pet Care & Nutrition Center, 7250 Poe Ave., Dayton, OH 45414.

[IBE]

Thank you Anna about the dry food info

I heard it from you two hours before it was on the Headline News Network!

Monkeys are great!!

Is the "Barf" diet for real  or just how I feel, along with intense anger with myself for not doing more to protest for and support "Buy American", anger with my government and all their (blank) imports.

My girlfriend buys a lot at COSTCO. We were talking about their soybeans last year and I kind of remember they were imported from China... maybe not.

I'd now, gladly pay shipping charges from an American farmer who would manufacture dog and cat food who could assure to me, confidence in every step of the process for the food

I buy tomatoes from a local Italian market who has its own ranch and when I ask.. are these yours before I buy... I know!

Robots make it and I'd pay the shipping!

Anna, Klaas, and all Good Monkeys Thanks!

PS HOrrible thought... it took the FDA a 1/2 month to find the cause

Does this make us worried about terrorism?? in the food chain?

I wonder how those in Congress who voted for trade with China feel about people loosing part of their family??? ie their pets!

I may have to go more organic... but let's even start to ask them where the contents come from!!!

It's like buying cookies from Nonesuche.. we know and have confidence in the maker.