Pet-food recall: Friday afternoon news scan
By Gina Spadafori
March 30, 2007
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We’ll be adding media reports to this post as we get them. Here’s the first, from the Washington Post (need a login?):
The Food and Drug Administration has identified contaminated wheat gluten from China as the likely cause of poisoned pet food that has sickened a number of dogs and cats, and the agency is investigating to determine whether dry pet foods have also been affected, officials said today.
In a news conference, Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said FDA and independent laboratories have found a chemical called melamine in pet food samples, imported wheat gluten and urine and tissue from diseased pets. He said melamine is used in fertilizer in Asia and in plastic products but is not registered as a fertilizer in the United States.
“Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level,” Sundlof said. Nor does it have any approved use in food for humans. He said the FDA is not aware that any of the contaminated wheat gluten went into human food, but said he could not confirm this “with 100 percent certainty.”
Sundlof and FDA investigative officials said a company that was found to have imported the contaminated wheat gluten manufactures dry pet food as well as “wet” or “moist” food similar to that previously identified as the source of the illnesses. However, they said, investigators have not yet determined whether any of the wheat gluten has been used in any dry pet food.
The officials declined to name the pet food company or the supplier pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Los Angeles Times (need a login?):
The FDA is attempting to determine if that company used any of the wheat gluten, imported from China, to make dry pet food, Sundlof said.
Wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, is also used in some human foods, but the FDA emphasized it had found no indication that the contaminated ingredient had been used in food for people.
The FDA said it would alert the public quickly if the melamine was found in any foods other than the recalled pet food.
Cornell University scientists also found melamine — used to produce plastic kitchen wares and used in Asia 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.
The New York Times (need a log-in?):
F.D.A officials have not yet released the name of the dry pet food company that received the contaminated wheat gluten, saying it was not clear if any of that gluten had yet been made into dog food.
“We are in the plant right now,” said Michael Rogers, director of the division of field investigations in the office of regulatory affairs for the F.D.A. “At this time, we’re not certain any dry food was made with that wheat gluten. As soon as we find out what dry food, if any, was manufactured, we will announce it publicly.”
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I certainly hope they will test the products in production and on the shelves to make certain that the poisoned wheat wasn’t used.
On another note, Thank you so much Gina for bringing the latest news here. Saves me so much time as I know you will post any thing relevant here. Appreciate so much your hard work and dedication.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
I use Nutro Natural Complete for Senior cats and I do not see any wheat in the ingrediants. Does anyone have any guesses on which company might have the tainted dry food? I did feed my cats the pouches of Nutro for serval weeks, as a treat. I had the exact pouches that were recalled, but my cats tested normal last Saturday for any damage.
Comment by Libby — March 30, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
Menu Foods put out a copy of their press release on their site, you might want to wait until your lunch has had a chance to digest before reading their info….but here are a few excerpts:
“One week ago, some of the dedicated researchers who had been investigating this matter reported the discovery of a single, toxic compound in our pet food. That, seemingly, cleared the way for us to address the problem, deal fairly with the pet-owners who had been injured, put our business back together, and move on.”
Notice the past tense…..
“Melamine has been found in the finished product that was the subject of recall and has not been found in other Menu Foods pet food outside of the recall. Menu Foods only manufactures wet pet food.”
How do they know, have they tested food outside of the recall list? I hadnt heard they had…
“The pet food that we have manufactured after March 6 is safe and healthy. How do we know this?
First, it contains no melamine. Secondly, it contains none of the suspect wheat gluten.
Thirdly, all of the testing that has been conducted, including the routine taste tests that were underway prior to the discovery of this problem, have demonstrated that those products not associated with the suspect wheat gluten performed very well and in a manner consistent with historic norms.”
OK Im about to lose my lunch…..
“Let me be clear on this - we have removed that problem from our system. Our recall is well underway and products produced today are being made with known, quality and tested raw materials.
As a result, I can say with complete confidence today – to consumers, to our customers, to governments – that Menu Foods continues to uphold the high standards for which we have been known since 1971.”
I cant believe FDA is even allowing them to say that everything is fine!! I thought FDA said they dont know the source so why are they allowing Menu Foods to even make these statements? OK where is some zealous attorney out there that can take these people on? This is totally absurd!
Comment by Sandi K — March 30, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
I have nothing to say now because I am going to blow soon because of this. They need to find out what is going on soon. I just read an article stating that melamine could be in the food for the cats and dogs that could be making them sick and or dying. I have a cat and my mother has a dog. They could not find aminoptermine in the food. Look deeper and find the problem. I don’t what my cat or dog to get sick. I read in an article that people want the people to test dry food to make sure it is ok. I read the article on yahoo news and also on Melamine .com web site. I am so mad about this. I went to my mother and told her we need to be careful about the food. I DON”T TRUST any food for the animals right now.
Comment by jill — March 30, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
Please boycott any company which uses Menu Foods. This is so wrong.
Comment by Joan — March 30, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
I WILL PRAY FOR EVERYONE THAT IS GOING THROUGH THIS.
Comment by jill — March 30, 2007 @ 3:16 pm
I can’t believe that the company is going to go name less because they think they could get sued.EXCUSS ME. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT COMPANY IT IS BECAUSE WHAT IF WE ARE FEEDING OUR AMIMALS THAT FOOD.WE NEED TO KNOW. We need to know what the dry food is so OUR ANIMALS WON’T GET SICK. I am going to ask some of you in the FDA and THE LABS do you have animals that are in your family?
Comment by jill — March 30, 2007 @ 3:39 pm
It’s called the “cover-up” and protect big business. The FDA is run by the governement and I’m sure this company has a good Lobby Group in their corner.
The scales of Justice have the dead pets on one side and MENU and the FDA on the other - guess whose winning?
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
“Wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, is also used in some human foods, but the FDA emphasized it had found no indication that the contaminated ingredient had been used in food for people…
The FDA said it would alert the public quickly if the melamine was found in any foods other than the recalled pet food.”
…and so I ask the FDA “And what is your idea of QUICKLY? And how and where will this testing be done?” I think we ought to have little testers for all human and pet food like there are for testing swimming pools, pregnancy, etc. Put a little eye dropperful on your goulash…
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
“Wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, is also used in some human foods, but the FDA emphasized it had found no indication that the contaminated ingredient had been used in food for people…
The FDA said it would alert the public quickly if the melamine was found in any foods other than the recalled pet food.”
…and so I ask the FDA “And what is your idea of QUICKLY? And how and where will this testing be done?” I think we ought to have little testers for all human and pet food like there are for testing swimming pools, pregnancy, etc. Put a little eye dropperful on your goulash…I just check my loaf of premium wheat bread—-and tossed it out—-it contains wheat gluten—-from where?
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
Ditto. My sentiments. I threw out all wheat gluten last weekend - and bought bread made from Rice Bran at the health food co-op. It doesn’t taste as good, or maybe I’m just not used to it, but while I eat it, I smile. It’s not poison.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
I DON’T KNOW WHY THE FDA WON’T TEST MY DRY IAMS MINI CHUNKS AND MY SAVORY BEEF BOTTLED GRAVY WHICH IS IAMS ALSO. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR WEEKS TO GET THIS TESTED. IF THEY WOULD HAVE ONLY TESTED MY FOOD MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND IT RIGHT OF WAY. MY PET DIED FEB 19TH AFTER EATING IAMS MININ CHUNKS AND IAMS SAVORY BEEF SAUCE GRAVY IN A BOTTLE THAT IS STILL OUT THERE ON THE SHELVES. I’V TRIED TO TELL THEM TO TEST MY FOODS MY DOG ATE. WHY DO THEY WAIT SO LONG? THERE WILL BE ALOT MORE PETS OUT THERE DYING FROM THERE FOODS IF THEY DON’T GET THERE ACT TOGETHER NOW.
Comment by Georgeann Heckman — March 30, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
We are soon to be a nation filled with tens of thousands of crying and suffering pets and their owners.
I just hope the fallout goes to the top and they all lose their jobs and retirement etc etc……… Menu and FDA and whoever else is responsible. And the very worst is that I believe many have known about this and stonewalled it.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
some posters are reporting FDA taking more interest in getting samples outside the recall range. suggest reporting if you have not already done so.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
OK, If Menu Foods Income Fund is so forth-comming why did they begin their press release on March 16 2007 with the heading:
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Sorry, I think Menu Foods Income Fund needs to be put out of business TODAY, or at the very least be banned from doing business in the U.S.A.. If they wish to hide their deeds and cause unneeded suffering then by all means shut them down now, and each o us can do it simply by refusing to buy any product(s) containing any of their ingredients.
Write your pet food company and tell them, if you use any Menu Food Income Product I will discontinue my patronage of your products.
Best Wishes,
Burton Stone
Comment by burton stone — March 30, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
First, let me answer some questions:
“However, they said, investigators have not yet determined whether any of the wheat gluten has been used in any dry pet food.”
Our cat Taeki died on 3/16 after eating dry Hills Prescription Diet m/d, the exact food recalled today (3/20) by Hill’s.
“The officials declined to name the pet food company or the supplier pending the outcome of the investigation.”
HILL’S PRESCRIPTION DIET FOOD
“The FDA is attempting to determine if that company used any of the wheat gluten, imported from China, to make dry pet food, Sundlof said.”
YES, they did, that’s why my precious cat died.
Comment by Paul R. — March 30, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
Perhaps there is a way to get to the bottom of this. A free meal for a few executives featuring a few high end sandwich spreads…To keep this fair they must be blindfolded so that, like our pets, they won’t know which of
95 premium brands they are receiving. Somehow I think the takers on this challenge would be scarcer than a cat’s tail near a rocking horse.
i
Comment by Dave — March 30, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
Meanwhile, now they are blaming the cats for being “more sensitive” to chemicals. This article is the biggest tailspin yet:
http://www.comcast.net/news/in.....24757.html
I am getting really angry! We cannot let this go on!
Menu Foods must be stopped!
Comment by Jaycee — March 31, 2007 @ 4:13 pm