Pet food recall: We’re not in Kansas anymore
By Gina Spadafori
April 2, 2007
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- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
David Goldstein of the Huffington Post in a (so-far) mostly overlooked post wrote:
Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten used in several of its recalled pet food products was supplied as a “food grade” additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten might have entered the human food supply.
“Yes, it is food grade,” Del Monte spokesperson Melissa Murphy-Brown wrote in reply to an e-mail query.
Del Monte issued a voluntary recall Saturday for several products under the Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Pounce, Ol’ Roy, Dollar General and Happy Trails brands.Wheat gluten is sold in both “food grade” and “feed grade” varieties. Either may be used in pet food, but only “food grade” gluten may be used in the manufacture of products meant for human consumption. Published reports have thus far focused on tainted pet food, but if the gluten in question entered the human food supply through a major food products supplier and processor, it could potentially contaminate thousands of products and hundreds of millions of units nationwide.
Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this “with 100 percent certainty.” Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours.
Here’s the rest (tip of the hat to itchmo).
Background: PetConnection reader Joy Drawdy, digging deep into the FDA site, found the import alert that seems to identify Chinese manufacturer source of the contaminated wheat gluten. Both were posted here, and then USA Today broke the story.
The alert is dated the same day as the FDA press conference at which the agency said it could not name the source of the tainted wheat gluten, nor the companies that got it.
Again, we have to ask: Isn’t the FDA supposed to be protecting us?
As I wrote yesterday, this is no longer a matter of a pet-food recall, but rather one of the safety of the entire food chain. Let’s get all this out in the open, find out what happened and fix the system.
Update: The Sacramento Bee has the story, too, which includes information the the University of California, Davis, has yet to rule out the possibility of other foreign substances beyond those previously indentified:
The UC Davis lab is one of a half-dozen specialized laboratories around the country that have played key roles in the ongoing detective work, [Steven] Hansen [, a veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] said.
“UC Davis has been very active. They’re certainly one of the leaders on this,” he said.
At the Davis lab, chemists and toxicologists extracted key components from the food, then put the extract through machines that turn it into a gas or a liquid, bombard it with electrons and sift it to identify its chemical makeup.
Since 2004, [Birgit] Puschner[, a University of California, Davis professor of clinical veterinary toxicology] said, the Homeland Security Department has given the lab about $800,000 for two liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry machines, which analyze components that can’t be broken down into gases.
[...]
In the pet food case, scientists at the lab have analyzed eight food samples from several households with affected pets, including some submitted before the recall was announced.
All eight contained melamine, but none had aminopterin, a rat poison earlier found in samples analyzed by a New York lab.
With specialists nationwide continuing to discuss their findings, “right now, the overall opinion is that there is a strong link between melamine and the outbreak, but we haven’t stopped looking for other compounds,” Puschner said.
Here’s the rest. (Disclosure: Reporter Carrie Peyton Dahlberg and I have been friends since we worked together at The Bee.)
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Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
Um, ok, I will be purging my kitchen today.
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 8:08 am
Doug ~
Go for it. My 87 year old mother nearly died in February from food poisoning or at least that is all the doctors can suspect.
We went to specialists and even did stool samples on her to try and figure out what was wrong. She is a STRONG European woman and I had never seen her so sick. She often did not dress for the day or even get out of bed.
I went over to visit often and kept her pumped up with probiotics and lotsa fresh water and other homeopathic things.
I AM FURIOUS. I almost lost her. I adore her. Thank God for her fight and strong genes. I had never seen her so miserable and her GI tract was totally messed up. Diarrhea, cramps, cycling body temps, it was HORRIBLE.
I can only wonder how widespread this is, especially in the senior population. How many died of GI problems that lead to death. Her diarrhea was hideous for weeks…..WEEKS.
As I look back at all of the tests she received they had no idea.
Now I am sure that is what happened to her.
Comment by Evy — April 2, 2007 @ 8:17 am
I’ve been feeling nauseated after eating wheat bread — so I haven’t had a sandwich in about a week.
Comment by Kat — April 2, 2007 @ 8:20 am
This is headline news - akin to a terrorist attack and how come the major media outlets aren’t on top of this. Reminds me of the FBI learning that foreigners were learning to fly planes but not land them.
Come on - everyone needs to know out there so they can protect themselves don’t they? Am I being an alarmist for nothing?
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 8:21 am
>
You know, I was thinking all day yesterday that we needed someone brave at the FDA to speak up as a whistleblower, but these companies must know who they got their shipments from. Why are Menu Foods, Del Monte, Purina, and the Science Diet folks all silent on it, too? Are they trying to keep it hush-hush to try to get damages from the supplier by hiding their name in exchange for restitution? If the FDA won’t talk, I think that one of these companies needs to speak up to show that they’re willing to be open with the public. Companies that come clean are companies who consumers are more likely to trust as the truth about all of this comes to light.
Comment by CatLady — April 2, 2007 @ 8:23 am
Good article on this (Canadian, of course):
http://www.canada.com/topics/n.....mp;k=87542
Says Xuzhou bought batches from many suppliers, then sold the lot to a company called Suzhou Textile Import and Export - now called Suzhou Hengrun, apparently, though its website doesn’t say anything about dealing in food products.
Its website also says it has clients all over the world. Wonder who they’re selling to here….
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 8:23 am
All in the name of money. Its really quite disgusting.
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 8:24 am
And Gina, I noticed how early you’re up when you were posting into yesterday evening. Thank you so much for all of the hours you’re putting into this.
Comment by CatLady — April 2, 2007 @ 8:25 am
Imagine that, scores of distributors involved. If there is a U.S. distributor also and even if there isn’t, you’ve got to wonder what idiot would by raw materials for food from a TEXTILE distributor. Criminal negligence, the price was right and into food production it went.
Comment by Sandro — April 2, 2007 @ 8:28 am
Since Del Monte used “food grade” wheat gluten in the pet food, hopefully, they will step-up-to-the-plate & pull the human food — if used in that processing.
I guess we won’t know until Friday —-
Comment by Kat — April 2, 2007 @ 8:30 am
And just think, this Friday is a holiday weekend (for most), so even the regular weekend reporters won’t be on - it will be the real skeleton crew everywhere.
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 8:31 am
on itchmo web page dingo bones are being recalled because of salmonella[i spelled it wrong] yet on dingo brand web page nada about it
Comment by MARY ANN — April 2, 2007 @ 8:41 am
Another blogger, Steve Janke, apparently has a bone to pick about this, too, though less about pets than about China. Still, his ideas are interesting…
http://stevejanke.com/archives/220396.php
He makes reference to a 2002 article that says one nationalized trader is (or at least was) the sole export agent for Chinese grain - COFCO. The article is here: http://english.people.com.cn/2.....7345.shtml (Don’t know if that’s still true, since China has privatized quite a bit in the last few years.)
Still, if Janke’s right, it means the answers about where the wheat came from and what’s wrong with it may need to come through the Chinese gov’t. And that ain’t good.
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 8:42 am
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 8:31 am
A bad week for The Pet Food Industry. It is Easter, lots of vacations, and I can imagine there are a lot of busy signals on the phone lines of key players and their media contacts.
This weeks agenda?
Cover Up - Damage Control - Crisis Management
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 8:45 am
Good Morning,
It is particularly troubling to read about the FDA’s, the major pet food manufacturer’s, and the investigator’s preoccupation or near obsession with “wheat gluten,” as being the primary toxin-containing host ingredient. As a result, it is allowing companies like Hill’s with the complicity of their vets and hospitals to avoid examining or recalling their so-called corn-gluten based products.
Ignoring the very likely and probable possibility that these companies and/or their co-manufacturing partners such as Menu Foods could have been routinely interchanging the two products without the FDA’s or each other’s knowledge, is contributing to the further illnesses and deaths of scores of cats and dogs.
The fact remains that there is irrefutable evidence from hundreds if not thousands of pet owners who have used Hill’s Prescription Diet, corn-gluten-based wet and dry products who have and continue to report a host of kidney failure symptoms and deaths identical to those experienced by pet owners who have used their wheat-gluten based Science Diet products.
It is time for the FDA, Hill’s, Menu Foods, and the rest of the manufacturer’s to come clean and broaden not only the scope of their investigations, but recall any and all products regardless of whether they CLAIM to be wheat or corn-based glutens, wet or dry, dog or cat, in which the suspected toxins were added within the three month timeframes suspected.
Let’s stop the exclusive obsession with tainted wheat gluten from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company Ltd. and acknowledge the distinct possibility that the wheat and corn glutens could be one of the same. Certainly, the symptoms of renal failure and death have been in our dogs and cats!
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 8:45 am
“The U.S. FDA notice issued Friday said all wheat gluten traced to Xuzhou Anying would be held at customs until the company released results of its investigation, took corrective measures and proved that five consecutive shipments had been cleared of contamination.”
This is from the above canada.com article. Does this mean the FDA is leaving the investigation to the company (Xuzhou Anying) that had the poisoned wheat? the FDA are absolute fools! of course, Xuzhou is going to clear and minimize their fault. And, this does not take into account who will get paid “under the table” to falsify. Absolute fools! this is why this country is going down the drain.
Comment by Gary — April 2, 2007 @ 8:47 am
Actually it’s not the Dingo bones, it’s just the Chicken Jerky treats and if you go to http://www.eightinonepet.com there are two links about the recall.
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 8:51 am
We know some major media are monitoring this website. So are some folks from the pet food companies associated with this debacle. We can assume that some FDA employees are also.
The time is now over for “disinformation”. We need full disclosure on all levels as this situation now is escalating well beyond pet food. If any of you have relevant information please speak up. The moderater of this post, Gina Spadafori, has rock-solid credentials and speaks the truth.
Comment by Laurie — April 2, 2007 @ 8:54 am
Comment by Gary — April 2, 2007 @ 8:47 am
Astounding isn’t it? Maybe if we are lucky with this shipment of product being quarantined and examined and scrutinized, they are waiting to see what kind of lies and bullsh*_ Xuzhou is going to try to feed them on their reports.
Probably, “So Sorry! We Good! Mean no Harm! Like Buy Taurine? No Reaction! Wholesome!”
The fact remains that U.S. Corporations-Pet Foods and maybe more allowed this poison to be put into their food.
Criminal Negligence.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 8:56 am
I was just thinking about a post I read yesterday (I think) about a prospective news story that appeared to only have wanted to be done to get Wal-Mart into trouble. You know, maybe that’s not our point, but maybe that’s a good way to get people to listen. If the news doesn’t want to listen to us, then use what they want to get our voices heard. I’m getting worried that this whole thing is starting to go away (except for us) and the news is going elsewhere. (Apparently CNN finds it more important to tell people about James Doohan’s remains going to space next month than the very real problem that remains right NOW). I know I haven’t posted before, but I’ve been reading a lot on here and we have 2 cats and 1 dog and the cats have been on Nutro Natural Choice pouches for about 2 1/2 years now (1 pouch per day as a treat). We are just watching them closely and have since stopped feeding them wet food period (much to the dismay of the 3 year old). Anyway, enough ranting for now and I look forward to the continue posting.
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Comment by Laurie — April 2, 2007 @ 8:54 am
You better believe it they are. Round the clock.
Good morning fellas. How’s your week going?
A shame this whole fiasco could have been prevented before it even started isn’t it?
It takes a hell of a lot longer to get out of mess then it does to get into one. Thats a given.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:00 am
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 8:56 am
Obviously, Homeland Security is hype.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:00 am
Well if there are any pet food companies reading these comments, let me just mention I’m a breeder and I own 8 dogs. I will not be buying another bag of kibble, can of food or so much as a single biscuit until I see *radical* changes have taken place. The pet food companies have deceived me for a long time but this tragedy has shed some light on their practices.
Comment by slt — April 2, 2007 @ 9:04 am
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Pets don’t need treats. Except occasionally. Getting them into the habit of expecting treats is not a good idea. They need to eat a wholesome as possible diet. A treat is a treat. In fact it is important that their digestive systems have time between meals. Regular scheduled meal times are best. Let them eat till they are done, then take away the plate till next mealtime. Free feeding leads to bad habits. It’s your choice though to do what you want.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:06 am
“Let’s stop the exclusive obsession with tainted wheat gluten from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company Ltd. and acknowledge the distinct possibility that the wheat and corn glutens could be one of the same.”
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 8:45 am
Don,
I think we all acknowledge that this one shipment of wheat ain’t the whole story - we’ve been discussing corn, too - but it IS a place to start digging into that story. Names get dropped, fingers get pointed, and suddenly the bigger picture opens up - if we’re lucky anyway.
That’s why we’re all interested in the wheat gluten aspect. Because vague accusations of corporate wrongdoing won’t compel anyone to change, but concrete evidence of it might.
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Steve,
Thanks for the response. Our cats are eating Royal Canin Oral Health as their main diet and were getting half a pouch each in the morning to increase their moisture intake as they’re both males and the increased moisture may help to prevent urinary problems. I do have one question in regards to free vs. scheduled feeding. Does scheduled feeding not lead to overeating? Just a thought.
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 9:12 am
Laura,
The FDA and investigators have been focused on the wheat-gluten now for well over a week. First it was rat poison and now it is melamine - but always confined to just the wheat gluten.
The fact is that I lost my cat who ate Hill’s Prescription wet and dry Feline c/d and k/d all purchased between 12/12/06 and 2/20/07.
I think we should be beyond the point of “starting to dig” into the story particularly given the identical symptoms my cat had on the P.D. as those that were on the S.D.
The fact that Hill’s has been told this by me and I know many others, and continue to do nothing about their P.D. brands is not finger pointing - it is downright criminal on their part.
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 9:18 am
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 9:09 am
This shipment was not the one that tainted the food in the first place. Who can prove they are the company that supplied the original batch(s)? I think the records of shipments through Customs over the last six months to a year would be the way to go, no?
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:21 am
Does scheduled feeding not lead to overeating? Just a thought. Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 9:12 am
Sean good question. Our cat eats on the following schedule. These approximate times. 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 5:30 PM, and 10:00 PM. The morning meal is usually a big one. Lunch is light. Dinner is Light. 10:OO PM is light or sometimes large.
We feed her wet because she has lost teeth. She’s a cat that was rescued from a nasty shelter mill.
The main thing issue here is if they get into the habit of snacking or free feeding in between these meal times, they start putting on weight. Their digestive system begins working overtime. They are not getting maximal nutritional benefit and their systems are trying to process more food then they can handle. It is complicated stuff but this is the basics.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:22 am
Also, if the supplier from China does not know where this poisoned wheat gluten came from, which producer in some other area, then this same producer could very well be selling it to other Wheat Gluten exporters - so nothing is safe right now that has this wheat gluten in it. And maybe even all gluten anything is to be avoided for the time being until we know more. Still I don’t know if this poison is put on the wheat during harvest or at the time of the WG processing.
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:23 am
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 9:18 am
And…who knows…it could be a mutation of BSE that we’ve been dealing with. It all needs to be examined thoroughly and this takes time. Hopefully, not too much.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:23 am
Don, I’m so sorry for your loss.
Try to be patient with all this, though…it *will* take a while to unravel, although there are enough smart people here I think they’ll get to the bottom of it.
The real challenge, I think, will be keeping this story going after the news cycle dies down, and it isn’t in the headlines anymore.
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 9:24 am
Doug..my 78 year old mother experienced the exact same symptoms as your grandmother. She almost died from some mysterious illness the doctors could never identify for certain.
My mother shops a lot at Walmart…can it be a lower grade of product is pumped into foods sold at discount stores and pet shops?
Comment by Surfsista — April 2, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:23 am
If this Chinese distributor is only one in a chain of three…and the grower is somewhere out in boondocks…and they throw it all into one big silo…
I still say we should look right here in our own country if Jim’s post from yesterday is accurate about the loose controls right here in the U.S. production.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:28 am
Yes, Nadine, I agree about the shipping records…for all grains coming out of China through other countries into the US. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, especially if the Chinese gov’t is involved in the export part.
But if we can prove that they sent us one tainted shipment, that’s leverage for investigators to look for more…and it’s backup for us consumers who want sourcing, testing, and other changes in this utterly unregulated industry.
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 9:29 am
I’m with ya slt. . .I’ve had several e-mails from “pet” people wanting to know what to feed their dogs. All responsible breeders are being bombarded with questions. We can have a big impact on how the dust settles in this. Companies beware!
Steve, I totally agree that free feeding is bad. That can lead to obesity, and picky eating. With dogs, you should feed them in a crate, and only give them a few minutes to eat. Of course, with this crap going on, we all need to pay special attention to our pets, and know that they are creatures of habit and love routine. Changing their diets and routine is stressful to them. They also sense and know when we are upset.
As far as treats, I have show dogs, and am training daily as well as grooming. No, I don’t use processed treats for this. I boil chicken, or use cheese, etc. However, I totally agree that throwing milk bones, etc. at your pet thruout the day will lead to obesity. Dogs also benefit greatly from chew bones that remove tartar from their teeth. Not many pet owners I know take the time to brush their dogs teeth, so giving a tartar removing bone or treat is far better than doing nothing.
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 9:30 am
I hadn’t thought of it like that Steve. When I used to work for Royal Canin, the way it was described to us was that the average healthy indoor cat eats 11-18 meals/day where a meal may only be 1 mouthful. Using your schedule as reference, scheduled feeding would force the cat to eat perhaps more at 8:00am than it feels it needs, knowing there is no more food until 12:00 pm. That’s the only reason why we have chosen to free feed. After working in the pet industry for years, I guess this debate will go on for as long as the debate about whether the FDA actually cares about anything but their pockets.
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Well maybe you are right Nadine. I’d like some answers and I’m sure so would the FDA. What is happening? If we think it is from China, and that seems what they believe, it is easy to avoid China, right?
I don’t even know if this poison, so to speak, is something put on the wheat or is added during the processing process. Makes a difference. If it is during the crop growing cycle, then wouldn’t it be a general wheat problem and not just a Gluten issue?
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:32 am
There are also rumors the F.D.A. is about to give the go ahead to the pharmaceutical companies to grow plants with Human DNA. Saw this on another board and in fact I recall now observing this development over the past few years. The problem is how does the average person maintain track of all these developments when they are never mainstream news items or proactive?
We have the right to know what we are putting into our bodies. There is nothing radical or weird about that right to know. It is responsible citizenship.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:33 am
Linda,
You got it. Not just wheat, either, but rice, corn, who knows what. The hard part is avoiding China, since most of what they export goes through countries before it gets here. We don’t even know where OUR food came from, let alone our pets.
And I don’t think we better count on the current FDA to fix it, either. After all the licensing and pharmaceutical debacles of the past 7 years, it’s pretty clear they’re not on the side of the consumer. Like, ever.
Comment by Laura — April 2, 2007 @ 9:39 am
WHAT IS THE HURRY HERE? DID HIS CUSTOMER GET A BAD BATCH THAT MUST BE REPLACED?
Limaz Inc.
Need to purchase Vital Wheat Gluten immediately!
[Canada]
Posted Date: January 18, 2007 Expiry Date: February 17, 2007
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Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:42 am
Comment by Sean — April 2, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Sean I disagree completely with your former employer. Increasing appetite is not sound nutrition. I also have an issue with ingredients being put into foods that are scientifically proven to be appetitive stimulants.
Secondly every living thing has it’s own unique system and requirements. Human beings as well as pets are not churned out of factory assembly lines like automobiles or television sets.
It’s a fine art finding the right system. So find what works best for you and your pet.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:44 am
Good Morning. I found the International Herald Tribune story most interesting.
Internationl Herald Tribune story on China US pet food recall
If national journalists are here looking here for updates one thing that I know is frustrating is themassive under-reporting of the numbers of dead pets.
The media are only taking confirmed numbers from the companies or FDA. Those two have every reason to under-report. Now of course the media wants to be accurate, I endorse that but they also need to not ignore the raw information. They can do as IHT did and at least point out the thousands of self reported deaths here.
So media folks here are some phrases that will at least allow you to comment on the scope of the problem.
Other Ways to Push this To The Top
The media love numbers. And photos.
I’d like to recommend that those of you who have lost pets to this tainted food problem offer the press photos of you with your pets.(Maybe Pet Connection could coordinate.)
And if you have final shots with them after they have passed on, that will have a bigger impact. I know it is painful, but tugging on heartstrings to move a story into a more important place in the media might be necessary. And if that is what it takes to move silly Donald Trump stories off the top of the news, I think your pets would understand.
I read so much pain here I want other people to know about it and then it could lead to more effective action once more people are aware how big this is.
Comment by spocko — April 2, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Just I note I did find some Gluten Free Flour - they make it and can be ordered over the web too.
I don’t like food additives - and these days I’m like them less and less.
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Nadine. . .Wooooo….that’s a lot of wheat gluten they are looking for! Looks like you may be on to something.
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 9:50 am
Stephen F. Sundlof, CVM Director, has stated that “meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day.” He claims the FDA has no authority to require labels for clones. Only a few clones survive to birth and most have birth deformities and shortened lives. How can he assure us that anything is safe! Is Mr. Sundlof endorsing feeding undisclosed, unlabeled genetically grotesque clone accidents to our beloved pets while we run out for a McClone?
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 2, 2007 @ 9:52 am
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Please share your information of where to buy the gluten-free flour.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 9:53 am
Sean I was a representative for a major producer of consumer products with global reach. Not the food industry though. Big time stuff. Anyway I desired to be more then that. Most of my free time during my employment over all those years was spent researching and knowing what my company was doing, how we did it, and learning everything possible there was to know about our products, how they were made, the competition, and on and on. Anyway to make a long story short us reps used to be required to attend marketing seminars in house. We mostly took what our marketing evangelists preached with a grain of salt because we already knew we knew 100 times more about our stuff and our company then they did, and what they were basically teaching us was how to hype the product rather then being an all around expert on every facet of our company. Thats probably a similar situation to what you experienced with your former employer.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 9:55 am
Nadine: Here it is one place: http://www.glutenfree-supermar.....blend.aspx
There are several. I did a google search for Gluten Free Flour and was surprised to find so many. Next trip to the Natural Food Co-op, I’m checking to see if I can buy it locally. But the ones I listed you can order over the web. Also, Tom Sawyer Gluten Free flour on their site.
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 9:59 am
Here’s another one Nadine:
http://www.glutenfreeflour.com/
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 9:50 am
I find the urgent request highly suspicious and I hope someone can follow through on this! 500 MT of wheat gluten would fall in line with a company producing 95 pet food labels. The bakery down the street isn’t looking for this much.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Hello everyone,
First of all, I want to thank all the contributors to this website. I was only introduced to it when the pet food recalls began. All of you are the backbone that seems to be lacking in our system at this time. Thank you for standing up and speaking out with the truth.
I have two minature pinschers. One of them is diabetic, and I am very careful with her diet. She came very close to death several times before she was diagnosed, and we began to give her insulin. Now she has been doing well for a year, and both of my babies are on Hill’s ID Perscription Diet. I am praying it will not be recalled.
It is overwhelming to see that so many have lost their beloved pets…our most vunerable and beloved family members…through no fault of their own. We seem to be sitting ducks right now, along with our precious cats and dogs. I would give my life for either one of my dogs, so I might as well be in the same boat.
I do believe that humans are at risk. I went through my shelves looking for products, which contained wheat gluten. I found bread and Campbell’s cream of chicken and mushroom soup. Easter is coming up, and I always prepare my broccoli casserole, which contains this soup. I do not eat bread, but my husband takes a sandwich to work daily.
This event signals to me the downfall of the American system. This event has been caused by outsourcing and global trade. The American people sat back while all of this happened. We have been sorely betrayed at a profound level.
I realize that nothing seems to be safe now. However, I did want to add that I give my dogs baby carrots for snacks. I began giving those when my baby became diabetic. The vet told me she would do much better with the carrots as snacks.
Thank all of you again. My heart goes out to all of you with deceased and sick pets. God bless you, and God bless them. They will always be with you.
Please…everyone…we cannot let this die. We must push and shove, and we must work together to fight against this type of system abuse.
Sincerely,
Pam Williams
712 Creekside Drive
Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Comment by Pam Williams — April 2, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Linda,
Thank you for that. I’m even worried about local natural food sources now.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Good Morning,
This has the sickening shades of Katrina all over it.
I think we need a human who has been sickened by a food product and verifiable testing of that product to get anywhere. Our entire country thrives on scare tactics and this could perceived as one more that will fade into the sunset just like all the others.
It’s really totally up to us now, isn’t it? There is no “they,” just us. We need to organize, at least somewhat, so energy isn’t wasted in redunduncies.
I’m in for the long haul and will do anything that needs doing, besides or in addition to being a wiseass.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Comment by Pam Williams — April 2, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Sitting ducks, dogs, cats, people is right! When the real numbers are counted and the word is out that this affects the safety of the human population, then the American spirit will prevail. We can thank Gina for putting together this blog.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Comment by Pam Williams — April 2, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Pam there are people from all walks of life here, all concerned pet owners and citizens like yourself. What makes this site unique is everyone who has come here has set aside any differences in opinions and lifestyles and of course politics to find a common cause and help address this problem.
Lots of venting, anger, frustration, but the one thing in common we all have is unity.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Nadine, it definatley looks like you’re on to something!
BTW, I have for the past couple years been feeding my dogs Purina pet treats. Why haven’t they recalled ALL of them? And, they’re favorite, Meaty Bone, from Del Monte isn’t recalled either, yet, Meaty Bone has Cracked Wheat and Wheat Flour in them…
I’m just not understanding how these companies can be so cold-hearted as to let their tainted products remain on store shelves another minute knowing that more pets will die from their indecision.
I had heard of this a couple years ago. And, I know I emailed a representative from Fremont, CA telling her that I would vote for her ANYTIME she was up for office, regarding the status of pets.
Here’s an interesting article that many of you should check into for the status in your area:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/02.....index.html
Comment by Jamie — April 2, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Lois, I’m with you. Even if this gluten has not affected the human food supply (yet), it is seriously alarming to know how easily it could be done. For those who are not pet lovers, and those do exist, when it affects their lives, they’ll pay attention. For those of us now seeing the pain and suffering of our precious pet companions, I think we’ve been given a mission. May we all have the strength to push on. It’s going to be a big task.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Epiphany!!! Is there corn gluten in corn starch? Not to sound like a moron…does anyone know?!!!!!! Don? ANyone?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Is this coincidence or not? I am finding that the few media sources that are even reporting the Del Monte additional recall (that occured Sat & still not widely known) are not putting Del Monte in the title or top of the article. MANY of them are additing it as an update to existing articles that were spread this weekend about cats being more vulnerable than dogs. You have to wonder - is this because people associate Del Monte with people food more than the wood Menu, Hills or Purina?
Additionally, if you start searching business reports and stock annual reports there is alot of mention through 2005 & 2006 of US comapnies (just google food grade wheat gluten - loads comes up) that suffered major losses in the areas of wheat gluten. Is this because suppliers were buying cheaper shoddy wheat gluten overseas even back then? More things to ponder….
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Steve, I nominate you as our official writer. You have the gift of putting things so succinctly. Unity is so true. It seems to me that the bloggers here have the maturity necessary to put differences aside for the MUCH bigger picture. I applaud the intelligence, persistence, creativity and the unrewarded genius that exists in this blog!
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Corn Starch ingredients:
http://www.argostarch.com/faq.asp
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:23 am
There seems to be some confusion about gluten. Many grains contain gluten naturally. Gluten-free flour is flour from grains that don’t have naturally occurring gluten, such as rice.
The gluten that’s getting the most attention was extracted from wheat. If it’s not adulterated, it’s a natural food that makes bread chewy, thickens gravy, and so on. The problem here isn’t gluten itself, it’s the fact that we don’t know where our food comes from and what it might be tainted with.
Comment by Cathy — April 2, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Hi Lois,
What is cornstarch made of and what exactly is it?
Cornstarch (called corn flour in Britain) is made from corn. First the corn kernels are soaked and the outer covering is removed. The embryo - the center of the kernel that would become a new corn plant if the kernel were planted - is also removed.
What’s left - mainly starch - is dried and ground up into a very fine powder. Starch is a long-chained carbohydrate that is produced by green plants through the process of photosynthesis. Other grains, like wheat and rice, and tubers such as potatoes, also store large amounts of starch that the plant uses for food.
Don
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 10:26 am
Comment by Cathy — April 2, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Cathy, I totally agree.
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:28 am
OK, No More Processed Dog Bones!!!!!Just too risky. For pets who are used to processed dog bones and other “treats” the following are good, safe alternatives during this trying time: Small squares of low sodium cheese or a cooked meatball of ground turkey or beef. These dogballs can be made in big batches and cooked ahead and frozen in a container. Just thaw out a few each night and they’ll be ready for a treat after the morning and evening dog walkies the next day. Obviously, we are trying to avoid grain since we don’t know where any of it came from, so no filler of any kind should be used in the dogballs…just pure meat. I was planning to bake up some home made “bones” but have decided not to. I am just not going to feed them anything with flour right now.
Many cats like tiny pieces of cheese as well.
Comment by elizabeth — April 2, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Wheat gluten Origin?
Maybe we should look into Mexico! Right around the border.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:31 am
Thanks, Linda. No gluten.
However, we, on rare occasions feed our oldest male, Henry Oswald Orson Many Names, baby food because he is incredibly picky even moreso since the previous poisoning incident I spoke of yesterday. We always used Beechnut because it was only meat. But Beechnut has become more and more difficult to source. So, against my better judgement, we bought some Gerber’s which has corn starch in it.
My husband mentioned yesterday, as he is the one who ususally gives it to him, that immediately upon eating it, he starts to jump around and scratch (Henry, not my husband) like he is being bitten by fleas. I asked how long this has been going on. He said the last few jars. I said don’t feed him that anymore. I will find Beechnut somewhere.
I still have the jars. Could this just be a corn reaction because there is no corn in any of his other foods or does sound like some wacko corn?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 10:32 am
Comment by elizabeth — April 2, 2007 @ 10:30 am
You can buy Gluten Free Flour. See previous comments on this thread.
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:33 am
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Thank you Nadine I’m flattered. There is nothing complicated about Truth. And it’s on our side.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Here are some cold hard facts that can’t be disputed. An acme style company called Menu Foods which produces “wet” products for hundreds of brands initiated a recall. This after sourcing raw material from China which had consumers reporting pet illness and death. The FDA has since found a chemical compound not approved for food production in the raw material and says it (melamine) could be seen with the naked eye.
What’s wrong with this picture? It seems obvious that NONE of the pet food manufacturers inspected their raw material. Pet illness and death is what prompted the recalls. Up to this very moment, manufacturers are still announcing new recalls which means they continued using the poisonous raw material since the first alert was issued.
I’ve been scanning pet food company releases since Menu first spilled the beans. What really fires me up is that most if not all of them went into spin mode about how THEY care, THEY have safe products, THEY have quality control, THEY source raw materials from quality suppliers etc…etc. Well, why are THEY now caught in the recall cycle?
Comment by Sandro — April 2, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Addtl. info on “gluten.”
Gluten is present in the following grains: wheat (including spelt and triticale), barley, and rye (including triticale) and almost any foods made therefrom; although oats are not themselves dangerous they are universally contaminated to some degree with wheat and must be, at best, a suspect ingredient. Gluten may be present in many unexpected places. Fermented, undistilled alcoholic beverages made from these grains do contain gluten, as may such seemingly innocuous products as cold cuts, soy sauce, or hard candies. Additionally, many ingredients that are commonly found in processed foods, such as modified food starch, can be made from wheat and therefore contain gluten.
Another place you will find gluten, though not obvious, is in the production of many foods that do not contain wheat or substances in their ingredients. One common example of this are foods that do not contain gluten in their recipe, but the conveyor belts where the food is processed is dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Many “energy bars” fit this description.
There is no other way to know if this is the case by reading the label; you must call the vendor to be sure.
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 10:38 am
I posted this last night on a different blog segment on this website — about China’s soil contamination:
It’s possible that they grew the wheat near in a plastics run-off site…. along side a plant that mfgrs pesticides.
http://www.chinadialogue.net/a.....pollution-
http://english.gov.cn/2006-07/.....339294.htm
Comment by Kat — April 2, 2007 @ 10:42 am
What’s wrong with this picture? It seems obvious that NONE of the pet food manufacturers inspected their raw material. Comment by Sandro — April 2, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Exactly. The point still is that Menu and others failed to test and inspect this ingredient upon arrival at their facilities. If they had done so they would have rejected the toxic-poisonous ingredient-substance.
Thats so obvious it’s ludicrous. If I was an employee of any of these companies I would be long gone by now just on principle. I would have turned in my resignation, cleared out my desk, and walked out.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 10:49 am
Don - you are so right. Make your own from the Gluten Free Flour - I’m ordering some today!
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 10:32 am
You will, of course, post when your husband, not Henry, begins to jump around and scratch…because I would suspect when that happens, we’re all in trouble. :)
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Such wonderful information here. You guys are GREAT! I do feel as if I’ve been transported tot he “X-Files.”
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 10:49 am
Hey, the sheep mentality: “We just follow the rules here.”
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Look, maybe I’m just being dense here, but I saw the same article about Xuzhou Anying denying that they’d manufactured the gluten in question. If, as they say, they bought gluten from numerous provinces, wouldn’t that explain a great deal?
They buy from smaller suppliers and then “bundle” the product for export. So…one run of pet food contains aminopterin, another melanine, etc. depending upon which batch of gluten was used. Other contaminants may still emerge from the various labs currently conducting tests.
Comment by Eva — April 2, 2007 @ 10:53 am
What’s wrong with the FDA. Do they need glasses too?
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:54 am
Eva, EXACTLY!
Comment by Linda — April 2, 2007 @ 10:55 am
Hey, the sheep mentality: “We just follow the rules here.” Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Another obsolete and decaying philosophy of living that has no future. Yes, there needs to be guidelines to have an orderly society but I have no further comment on the concept of blind obedience. It’s to late when you suddenly discover you’ve been following the wrong people who you thought knew everything.
Comment by Steve — April 2, 2007 @ 11:02 am
I’ve been fixated on the subject of melamine and hope someone can provide answers. [I’m aware of the current controversy regarding whether it is toxic or not.]
Does anyone have a copy of the 1953 lab test in which they subjected dogs to melamine at extremely high parts per million [ppm] and supposedly observed no toxicity?
My questions re test is 1953:
1. How many hours elapsed after the melamine was ingested before they performed the necropsy?
2. What the ingested melamine found throughout the body?
3. What did each of the animals weigh?
My questions re test in 2007:
4. [Same question 1 above.]
5. [Same question 3 above.]
6. Is the chemical composition of melamine the same today as it was in 1953?
7. At what point does melamine become toxic?
8. Does Melamine increase in toxicity when combined with other chemicals? Which ones?
Thanks!
Comment by Lynn — April 2, 2007 @ 11:06 am
http://www.alibaba.com/catalog.....tarch.html
Check this out! I thought I already posted it but don’t see it.
How upset do you think people would be if baby food is contaminated?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 11:15 am
test
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Is this site being monitored? Big Brother like?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 2, 2007 @ 11:27 am
It is frightening to read all of the info on Wheat Gluten! To me it seems so obvious that the truth is not being told and ever week a little more comes out. I’ve said all along that if nobody can figure out what contaminated the pet food then how would they know which ones were to be recalled and which ones are safe. The FDA, Menu Foods and everyone involved in the investigation have done a horrible job not to mention it seems as though they have moved at a snail’s pace to tie all of the pieces together. The truth of the matter is they don’t have a clue…they’re guessing; first rat poison and now another chemical. You gotta wonder if their latest reports are even close to being true. And as if it’s not enough for pet owners to have to worry about what they are putting in their pets’ bowls we now have to watch what we’re putting on our family member’s plates!
Comment by Donna — April 2, 2007 @ 11:27 am
when i order ding bones i use their web site http://www.dingobrand.com alot of people order online and there is nada on dingo ‘s web page maybe on 8-1 there is ,but nothing on dingo’s
Comment by MARY ANN — April 2, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Again, please don’t over-focus on gluten. Gluten itself is not a problem unless you have trouble digesting it, as I do. The sites that list products containing gluten as “dangerous” are for people with celiac disease and other conditions that make gluten bad for them.
Gluten is not the problem. The problem is that agribusiness goes for the cheapest source possible, regardless of quality or safety, and the FDA doesn’t protect us. The tainted food could just as easily have been another grain or a meat by-product or even the potatoes at your local grocery store.
Comment by Cathy — April 2, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Guess I’d better post this over on this blog — it’s bigger —
RE: Hodgson Mill, Effingham, IL, 800-347-0105
http://www.hodgsonmill.com/cgi-bin/page_viewer.cgi
I sent 2 emails to Hodgson Mill, Inc yesterday & got no response. So, I just called them to find out who their source is for Vital Wheat Gluten.
She says it’s a source in the U.S. I asked where did the supplier get their wheat gluten? She said they would know in 3-4 weeks. I asked her “Why that long???!!! Can’t you just pick up the phone & call to ask where they got it & they will tell you — in a matter of minutes???”
She stated they won’t tell them where their source is. I told her, then I wouldn’t be buying from them. If they won’t tell you — you don’t buy!!!
I told her their website is misleading & their boxes are misleading. They state they are a family operation with their own stone grinding mill, since 1882.
I told her they are misleading the consumers, HEB, SunHarvest Foods, Whole Foods & everyone else who trusts them, in the health food industry.
I also told her that Del Monte bought food grade wheat gluten from a US supplier & now have a recall on their hands.
I have been using THEIR product in my home-made pet food recently. STUPID ME!!!
Oh, boy!!!
Kat
I just contacted HEB, SunHarvest & Whole Foods about my concern with Hodgson Mill’s response. Sounds like they are hiding something.
Comment by Kat — April 2, 2007 @ 11:38 am
there is nothing on dingo’s site about recall of their chic n jerky treats
Comment by MARY ANN — April 2, 2007 @ 11:40 am
I have contacted Hill’s more than once regarding Feline Prescription c/d. All I receive is email stating which products have been recalled. I have had 2 phone calls from the FDA but as of yet no one has picked up the food for testing. Has anyone heard from the FDA regarding their complaint? Or has anyone heard from Hill’s?
Comment by Janice — April 2, 2007 @ 11:47 am
OK. . .the World is sending their waste & garbage to China, and we want to buy more of their food produts?
http://article.wn.com/view/200.....oss_China/
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 11:47 am
For what it’s worth, I just called Del Monte and spoke to someone in the “product specialist” division. I asked, “Can you state, categorically, that the wheat gluten ivolved in your pet food recall has not been used in your human food products?” She replied, “Absolutely, it was not used.”
Comment by Eva — April 2, 2007 @ 11:55 am
By Kat:
“I posted this last night on a different blog segment on this website — about China’s soil contamination:
It’s possible that they grew the wheat near in a plastics run-off site…. along side a plant that mfgrs pesticides.”
There was a horrific chemical spill into a river in China a year or so ago. How much of this poison river water was used to irrigate crops?
Comment by Gary — April 2, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Hmm. . .keep reading on that link I sent, there’s more articles. Sounds like China is the World’s manufacturer and dump site for all those plastic bags we all go thru. Paper or plastic!?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chin.....93,00.html
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
I found wheat and gluten free stuff at our local Raleys this weekend. Haven’t bought any of it, since it is expensive, but maybe I should. It is in the health food section.
Comment by Darlene — April 2, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
As of 8 PM EDT the FDA still hadn’t put the voluntary recall for DelMonte on their website. I just checked and it’s finally up there - with a March 31 date. They SURE as heck didn’t notify stores March 31 as none had any information on April 1. Not all stores carried these products, but Albertson’s has Happy Tails and they knew nothing.
Comment by CathyA — April 2, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
Yes, the FDA contacted my sister last week regarding the death of our cat, which they thought was just ill. He died in Feb. of kidney failure after eating some of the recalled Special Kitty packages. Be patient, we didn’t expect a call from them but they did call back, they have over 8,800 calls to return. They did ask a lot of questions about the dry food he ate as well.
Comment by Darlene — April 2, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
Comment by Darlene — April 2, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
Yes, Raley’s is where I shop, also, and they are well supplied with good stuff.
….if it is, in fact, the wheat gluten. That’s the scary part.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
Okay, all you sleuths, lets see if you can find anything through these three sites:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmnpubs/allrep.htm
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_...../index.asp
Comment by Jamie — April 2, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Comment by Jackie — April 2, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Yesterday I posted my concern about the packaging of our foods and asked if anyone knew where the bags were coming from. I looked at the interior of the three dog food bags that I am saving. They are all plastic-lined, one having adhesive holding the inside to the outside. Plastic linings, coatings, thin sheetings are made from melamine. So are adhesives. Another possibility?
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Comment by Eva:
For what it’s worth, I just called Del Monte and spoke to someone in the “product specialist” division. I asked, “Can you state, categorically, that the wheat gluten ivolved in your pet food recall has not been used in your human food products?” She replied, “Absolutely, it was not used.”
>> Eva, I’m positive, anyone who answers the phone at Del Monte has been told to give a canned reply by the lawyers. It cannot be believed whatsoever.
Comment by Gary — April 2, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
SUGGESTION: These comments sections are becoming so long that it’s impossible to scan them for NEW and USEFUL INFORMATION. So any news media that may have been reading the comments section is probably as frustrated as I am trying to find INFORMATION here. It takes a couple of hours to read through all the new comments, and the news media doesn’t have that time. So my suggestion is to please limit comments to useful information, rather than chit-chat or anectdotal stories.
It’s too bad there couldn’t be TWO comment sections, one for NEWS and INFO and one for chit-chat. I know people who have sick or dead pets have a need to post and talk about it. I’m guilty of posting useless comments myself. But I’m worried that this website, which has been a previously-valuable source of info, and which is just now starting to be used by the mainstream media, will start to be ignored because it’s too cumbersome to FIND the NEW and USEFUL INFO buried within 200 random and chit-chatty comments.
Just a suggestion.
Comment by Sarah — April 2, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Don-I am so sorry for the loss you are experiencing. Feline C/d is prescribed for lower urinary tract disease and struvite crystals; k/d is for kidney failure and heart disease. Talk to your vet; ask to see your cat’s blood and urinalysis workup before either of the foods was prescribed. Ask your vet to explain what the diagnosis was then and to explain to you why she treated the disease the way she did. These two foods are prescribed because the pet has existing disease. While I am so sorry that your pet died, while on these foods, if I were you I would look at the foods that you cat was eating before the c/d or k/d was prescribed as a possible contributory agent to her disease.
Comment by Shawn — April 2, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
Sarah-If I see anything that looks like an interesting possibility I copy it and forward it to a local reporter that seems to working on the story here in town. I have also emailed her with questions that I think should be looked into etc. She always replies back. And I tell her where I got the information, PetConnection! So I imagine that now the staff is keeping up pretty closely with what is said here. I have been gone all day so I am just catching up this afternoon. I agree there is a lot of chit chat, but I think it is amazing how much information and support each of us can provide here.
Comment by Shawn — April 2, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
Kat-This may sound stupid but what do they need to buy wheat gluten for if they are grinding their own wheat….like it says on the website? Where do they get “their” wheat? What do they use gluten for, to boost the protein? These manufacturers really need to get a grip on the practice of buying from the cheapest supplier and relying on them blindly. I would have a contract that lays out exactly the product that I am looking to buy and the conditions under which it was to be produced/grown that I required. If the supplier couldn’t sign that contract forget him. If they signed the contract and screwed me over they would regret it for sure. I can’t tell which happened in this recall situation. Either way there was no testing prior to manufacturing that picked the toxin up which is negligence in my book.
Comment by Shawn — April 2, 2007 @ 1:12 pm
Shawn,
I think we would all agree that no one other than ourselves know our pets as well as we do. I have had cats and dogs all my life and I can tell you that NEVER had I experienced such a sudden deterioration in an animals health.
My cat had been on the c/d for nearly two years for struvite crystals and was fine. My point is that when I purchased the last case of wet c/d on 12/12/06, his health which had been excellent, began to deteriorate rapidly - loss of weight and strength, lethargic, vomited a clear frothy liquid, consumed excessive amounts of water, urinated frequently, licked his lips, his fur became matted, his stools were diarreha, etc. etc. - all classic signs of renal faliure. On 1/25/07 I purchased a bag of 20 oz. dry c/d since I had run out and was accustomed to mixing the two as recommended by our vet. When things became worse, I tok him to our vet on 2/20/07 and a complete CBC and chemistry profile was performed. 2/3 of his kidneys had failed and the vet placed him on a combination of wet and dry k/d. His condition worsened and he was euthanized on 3/6/07.
Having struvite crystals is NOT a disease. It is a conditon that often occurs in neutered males as they grow older and can easily be kept under control using untainted prescription formula pet food like we had been doing up until he was fed one or all of the tainted bataches.
If I am mistaken, then why is it that Hill’s refuses to test the remaining wet and dry food I have from these latest purchases? Why is it that they refuse to answer my simple inquiries as to whether or not my latest purchases were co-manufactured with Menu Foods?
All of the indications are there that this cat was poisoned. My vet was following Hill’s party line up until a few days ago when they decided to recall the P.D. m/d dry after adamantly denying for dayss that any Prescription Diet brands were involved. Furthermore he was at a complete loss to explain the suddeness of it all!
I don’t think we all need to be vets in order to be honest with what we know and see in our own pets. After all, Hill’s isn’t buying our silence.
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
Steve wrote: “The point still is that Menu and others failed to test and inspect this ingredient upon arrival at their facilities. If they had done so they would have rejected the toxic-poisonous ingredient-substance.”
I don’t think that’s necessarily a valid statement. Perhaps they INTENTIONALLY used the melamine-added gluten… perhaps they thought the melamine was an inert (non-toxic) filler that would add bulk to the finished product without causing any harm. Perhaps they tried this new “recipe” on purpose in an effort to see if they could produce the same product at a cheaper cost if they used melamine as a filler.
(This falls into the category of a useless, chit-chatty post that I shouldn’t have made, but I just want people to realize this may not have been a case of poor quality control, it may have been a case of intentional ingredient change without realizing the toxic consequences. However, once they DID realize the toxic consequences, then they obviously took their time in acting responsibly.)
Comment by Sarah — April 2, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
One bit of positive news is that the tainted gluten did not come from Salinas, CA where much of our country’s lettuce and spinach comes from nor did it come from where Taco Bell’s gets its green peppers.
The point is that the FDA is completely ill-equipped to protect either the animal or human food chain domestically or internationally and we along with our pets are as they say, “Ripe for the picking.”
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
I don’t think it came from the peanut butter plants either. Don has a very valid point. Over the last few months it has proven time and time again that anything could happen to our food dupply and no one would know until it was too late.
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
Comment by Sarah — April 2, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
No one’s post is useless. Sharing ideas is important. I have been wondering about the additive myself for some time, particularly since Menu Foods was in a testing mode. Bulk up the food if wheat gluten prices were inflated…they don’t have to list it if below a certain percentage, correct?
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Ring the gong for Geng Xiujuan, Xuzhou Anying’s sales manager. He’s claiming that the company based in the eastern province of Jiangsu had not manufactured the gluten but had instead bought it from companies in neighbouring provinces.
Perhaps someone should inform the most honorable Geng that in this country, if ACDelco ships bad batteries to Ford, consumers complain to the Mother Ford who is expected to acknowledge and take responsibility for the problem.
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Sarah and Nadine, I read somewhere in an earlier post that Menu Foods was trying out new recipes. I think that was in a press statement by Menu Foods Income Fund close to the first recall date.
If that is the case, it stands to reason maybe a new type or enhanced wheat gluten product was peddled without scrutiny to/and by big business who bought it hook, line and sinker.
Comment by DeeAnn — April 2, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
A quick Google search shows that the town of Peixian, the site of the Xuzhou Anying company, is actually China’s leading center for the industrial slaughter of dogs for human consumption, Fanxiangtao Dog Meat Manufactory, which slaughters and packs about 300 000 dogs per year.
Dog Meat corporate site: http://www.fankuai.com (in Chinese)
Pictures of dog production in area: http://www.aapn.org/peixian.html
Comment by Harry — April 2, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
Today & here is the first time I have read or heard of suspicions of other Hill’s p.d.’s. My cat ate dry feline w/d from 1996 until 3/11/07, the ay he died from acute kidney failure. This was the 1st day of his life he failed to use his litterbox, but instead just a foot from the box. He was a diabetic, hence the need for the w/d, purchased 2-28-07. However, we do know our own pets best, & Sidney went down hill virtually overnight. Over a weekend to be more precise. He may have been a little down the week prior, but no significant signs of serious deterioration until 2-3 days before the end. I am a former paralegal & currently work @ a pet ER. The latter because I love love love animals. I uderstand all of this legal posturing going on by the pet food industry, I also understand animals, mine and others. I have contacted Hill’s and despite, my kind offereing of information without blame or anger, they were aloof & rude & since I kept my food stored in a sealed container after it was opened & did not keep their worthless bag with a lot #, then tough! They will not even recognize it as a complaint. “They don’t know what my cat ate.” I have the records from the vet where that same food was purchased from 1996 until 2/28/07. The cat was indoors only & did not get treats, except for the occasional spoonful of tunafish.
I strongly believe Hill’s has a much bigger problem. I spoke with them Friday am and they said NO DRY foods were involved, but the FDA had to be breathing down their neck at that very moment, since the m/d recall came out Friday night.
Since my cat died prior to any pet food was recalled, it was not suspect at the time, no bloodwork was done or necessary, it was obvious, he was in pain & distress and a humane decision was made. He was cremated immediately, because it pained me to think of him being kept in our freezer @ work throught the night without his “mommy”.
I doubt if we ever get to the real truth behind all of this. What is what isnt contaminated? and with what contaminant? from what ingredient? They may not know themselves and they do not want to know. They want it to all go away. They don’t want to name, blame or do anything else with their wheat-gluten supllier, they just want to be quiet & hope the massive deaths stop & we all give up & go away. I am still almost nauseated thinking that I fed him to death. I hope people have the perseverance needed to hold this industry accountable for their actions and the results of these actions, for the negative impact they have had on so many lives.
Comment by Jenny — April 2, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
OK, Harry I am nauseated at those links as well. UGH! I have 2 greys & have seen some nasty pathetic treatment & destroying of greyhounds in many areas of the world, but to come face to face w/ 101 dalmations & friends barking & being boxed up for dinner is leaving me speechless. It is not that I did not know that domestic animals are eaten in other countries, it was just so disheartening to see it.
Comment by Jenny — April 2, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Jenny,
You are right on the mark as far as Hill’s Prescription Diet products are concerned. The fact that they have refused to respond to my simple questions regarding their Prescription Diet brands, as far as I’m concerned, can ONLY be due to the fact that these products are tainted as well and they SIMPLY DON’T CARE!
They don’t care to respond, they don’t care to test the unopened cans, or the bag of k/d I have, and they don’t care to provide a simple yes or no as to whether their wet or dry c/d or k/d was co-manufactured with Menu Foods.
GUILTY AS CHARGED! ( and I do hope that they are monitoring this site) I hope their lawyers are watching closely their market share as they provide management with advice.
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Just one comment on the people answering the phones at 1800#’s - remember - basic call centers like this are largely outsourced in this country. When you call them and they tell you it is ok to serve that food, that is what they have been told to tell you. It is a script in front of them. Just like its a script when you call for computer support. And a script when you call any other company for customer service. The bottom line is, all they can say to you on the phone is what the paper in front of them says. They most likely don’t know jack…
Comment by Doug — April 2, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
“Michael Rogers, director of the FDA’s division of field investigations, says it has over 400 investigators actively focused on the pet food recall.”
Does this mean staff just got a heads-up memo?
If there are 400 investigators active on this JUST FOR PET FOOD, how many investigators does it take to turn a lightbulb? I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that the crisis just started at the FDA today. It’s about time that we heard they are doing something.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
Comment by DeeAnn — April 2, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
I made reference to that thought earlier in a post.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 2, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
How much money has our government spent on preparing for the avian flu pandemic, while our best friends over in Asia have come up with a better and more effective idea for us and our pets?
Maybe the FDA and the CDC should put their heads together and export Taco Bell’s burritos to their chickens.
Then again maybe our government should show some intelligence and ban any further food imports from China to the U.S. immediatley until a full , impartial, investigation is made!
Comment by Don — April 2, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Don—This might be helpful. It includes a lot of information on FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) and treatment protocols. A cat that is put on the prescription diets you mentioned would likely be diagnosed with FLUTD. But sometimes diet alone is not enough. Check out the protocol for periodic veterinary followup care in the crystal section. It would tell the vet whether crystal formation was being controlled by the diet.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/.....130617.htm
Comment by Shawn — April 2, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
Was the wheat gluten in the pet food human grade as per an email sent to del monte foods and answered yes. Fact.
Vets are confused as the to deaths especially dogs. Sinse dogs were tested to higher doses of melaimie with no side effects. Fact.
Public drinking water is Loaded with chemicals. Fact.
Now tell me I’m wrong about thinking in this way:
I wonder if the chemicals in the water are harmless and the melaimie is not deadly in the doses in the pet food. Until it is mixed with a harmless chemical in the drinking water. Then we see the results we are seeing.
Comment by M — April 2, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
I heard from Hodgson Mill by email several times Monday (I was gone the last 1/2 of the day). Marsha Carpenter says:
Thank you for your email. Hodgson Mill has written confirmation from our supplier that our supply chain is clean. Our supplier is US based.
Marsha Carpenter
Consumer Relations
Hodgson Mill, Inc.
1100 Stevens Avenue
Effingham, IL 62401
800-525-0177 ext. 239
http://www.hodgsonmill.com
And, in response to Shawn:
I do not know WHY they say they do their own milling — and don’t. That is a big concern of mine too. It is misleading & I’ve told them that several times today.
They sell various flour products, wheat gluten & pancake mixes to the health food stores, mainly.
Comment by Kat — April 3, 2007 @ 12:17 am
Shawn,
I would welcome my vet and Hill’s to prove me wrong with respect to the cause of my cat’s death. I know what I observed and there was absolutely no blockage whatsoever in his urinary tract which is always consistent with having crystals regardless of what type they are.
Assuming however I am completely incorrect, given that it is too late for my vet to perform a post mortem, why wouldn’t Hill’s rule out their own culpability by having the left over wet and dry can of the c/d and k/d purchased between 12/12/06 and 2/20/07 given that he displayed the identical symptoms to kidney failure experienced by so many others within the same period of time.
It would be nice if Hill’s was as thoughtful as you in trying to help diagnose the cause but that has not been the case.
Comment by Don Mauch — April 3, 2007 @ 4:25 am
I want to share some information that I received when all of this began. My two min pins were not sick, but as I stated earlier they both eat Hill’s Perscription Diet ID. One is diabetic, but they had decided to leave her on this formula, because of pancreatitis.
I called Hill’s early on, and I waited for an hour before I was able to speak to a supervisor. I spoke with:
Deann Jurgensmier, Senior Dietary Management Consultant, Consumer Affairs Dept.
Phone Number: 1-800-538-9673 Ext.5159
Hills is owned by Colgate Palmolive Corporation. I called Colgate, but they sent me back to Hills. However, I did get them to tell me whether they owned any other pet food companies. I was told Hills was the only pet food company they owned.
Deann Jurgensmier sent me a letter after our phone call. The only part I feel any of you might be interested in is the following:
“We maintain the highest standards of quality control for our manufacturing facilities, our ingredients, and our finished products. We source meat and poultry ingredients from plants that process foods for human consumption. As part of a vigorous vendor certification program, vendors must test raw ingredients before shipment to our manufacturing facilities.
Also, Hill’s works voluntarily with the American Institute of Baking, an organization that monitors human food manufacturing processes, in order to ensure safety and sanitation levels are maintained.”
I spoke with Jurgensmeir before the Hill’s recall, and I received the letter before this event. I guess all she said to me was basically rote and insincere. I imagine they are all running around trying to save themselves.
Again, my thanks to all of you here. We are in a situation that is unbelievably inhumane and beyond what decent human beings and precious creatures of the world should ever find themselves in. God bless all of you.
Pam Williams
Comment by Pam Williams — April 3, 2007 @ 10:33 am
Don-file a written complaint with Hills. You will need copies of your pet’s detailed records I expect, not just labwork. If nothing else I think that someone at Hills would want to evaluate the records and determine whether the diet should have been able to control the crystal formation and didn’t. That’s what I would focus on in the complaint to them, and then add that in this time of uncertainity with respect to our pet food that you also wonder whether there could have been something wrong with the first prescription diet despite the fact that it does not contain the wheat gluten given the proximity in time to the recall. And consequently, to not only determine whether the food actually matches the recipe that they established for this condition but whether it contained something in it that it shouldn’t have. What occurs to me is that you want them to rule out that another prescription diet got bagged as yours in error. That’s what I would do. Good Luck.
Comment by Shawn — April 3, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
Don-oops I was apparently dozing off. This is what I meant to say as the first part of the “And consequently…” sentence (not to put proverbial words onto your complaint!) :
“And consequently, you would like Hills to not only determine whether the food actually matches the recipe that they established for this condition but whether it contained something in it that it shouldn’t have.”
Comment by Shawn — April 3, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
It took Del Monte FOREVER to put out the recalls for the dog treats my dogs ate, but it was too late for my them. I cannot believe Del Monte took so long! Do you know how many people purchase Ol’Roy dog food and treats for their dogs just in the area I live in? A lot! And a lot of people in my area do not have a way to get to the vet,or do not have the time, or cannot afford to take their dogs to the vet and help their dog, or even an autopsy for the less forunate ones. I know for a fact that there is a lot of deceased pets from this tainted food that are unaccounted for. A bunch of recalls have been left out of the list, so I think that it’s not the best decision to purchase dog or cat food from any store for a long while, or at least until the crisis is over.
Comment by Jacky — April 3, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
I’m delighted to see that the FDA is being urged by PETA to broaden its investigation beyond the wheat gluten. Like I have been saying all along, I know what I observed before my cat died and either the corn gluten in the Prescription Diet wet and dry Feline c/d and k/d products were substituted with wheat gluten or there is another culprit ingredient in the mix.
After six requests, Hill’s continues to ignore answering me whether or not the P. D. c/d or k/d was co-manufactured with Menu Foods. This fact really should NOT be ignored by the FDA. There IS a reason!
Comment by Don — April 4, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
FOLLOWING IS AN EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO THE COLGATE-PALMOLIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - HILL’S PET NUTRITION’S PARENT COMPANY, THEIR RESPONSE, AND MY FOLLOW-UP.
…a further indication that they WILL NOT answer straightforward questions with straightforward answers.
____________________
March 31, 2007
Directors
c/o Office of the General Counsel
Colgate-Palmolive Company
300 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022-7499
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As a long time and loyal customer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition products, I am wondering if your Board would be willing to intervene with respect to the following matter. Without going into all of the details of the loss of our family pet, my repeated requests for some very simple information have been met with little more than evasive, vague, and indifferent responses on the part of Hill’s. Promised calls from Hill’s “technical,” representatives have never materialized. After several days of my repeated requests, only yesterday did I finally receive word that Hill’s does in fact “co-manufacture,” some of its products on an “extremely limited,” basis with respect to its “smaller volume, niche products.”
I have been attempting to ascertain as to whether or not these “co-manufactured, smaller volume, niche products,” included at any time, any of Hill’s Prescription Diet Feline c/d or k/d wet products? I have provided Hill’s with specific dates and lot numbers as well as offered to send them the 5.5 oz. cans should they desire to test them for toxins. I simply cannot understand Hill’s refusal to provide me with a simple “yes,” or “no,” answer.
Kindly refer to my most recent response to Hill’s email below in which I pose the same questions I have been asking now for the last several days. Your assistance would be most appreciated as I am sure that you believe that the concept of “loyalty,” works both ways. Not only does “loyalty” drive market share, it preserves it during tough times.
Sincerely,
Don Mauch
_________________
RESPONSE FROM THE COLGATE-PALMOLIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
From: Ken_Morse@HILLSPET.com
Subject: Hill’s Pet Nutrition - Response to Your E-Mail
Date: April 4, 2007 2:51:27 PM EDT
To: dmauch@verizon.net
Cc: Directors@colpal.com
Dear Mr. Mauch,
Thank you for your message to Colgate’s Board of Directors, which has been forwarded to me for a response.
All Prescription Diet Feline c/d and k/d 5.5 - ounce canned product is produced by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. in our Topeka (Ks.) manufacturing facility. This includes both the seafood and chicken varieties for the specific date codes in your inquiry.
We apologize for the delay in replying to your inquiry.
Ken Morse
Hill’s Pet Nutrition
_________________
MY FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE TO MR. MORSE AND THE COLGATE-PALMOLIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
From: dmauch@verizon.net
Subject: Re: Hill’s Pet Nutrition - Response to Your E-Mail
Date: April 4, 2007 6:50:12 PM EDT
To: Ken_Morse@HILLSPET.com
Cc: directors@colpal.com
Dear Mr. Morse,
Thank you for your response but once again, why is it that Hill’s finds it so difficult to answer my simple inquiries. It makes absolutely no difference to me where or in which plant the Prescription Diet Feline cld and k/d 5.5 oz. cans are produced or for that matter the dry versions.
My questions ask if these products were co-manufactured with Menu Foods. “Co-manufacturing,” as I understand the term includes one or more companies other than Hill’s who provide ingredients in the manufacturing process irrespective of where the final product is produced.
Hence I shall rephrase my questions in attempt to obtain an answer.
1) Did Menu Foods or any other contracted company co-manufacture, co-produce, or provide any ingredients in whole or in part in the production of Hill’s Prescription Diet Feline c/d, kd, wet or dry foods sold by veterinarians in the United States between December 12, 2006 and February 20, 2007 produced at Hill’s Topeka, KS manufacturing facility?
2) If yes, what were the ingredients that were provided by Menu Foods or any other contracted company involved in the co-manufacturing and/or co-production of Hill’s Prescription Diet Feline c/d, kd, wet or dry foods sold by veterinarians in the United States between December 12, 2006 and February 20, 2007 produced at Hill’s Topeka, KS manufacturing facility?
3) If yes, does Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., or Colgate-Palmolive intend to perform toxicolgy testing on any ingredients used by themselves, Menu Foods or any other contracted company involved in the co-manufacturing and/or co-production in whole or in part in the production of Hill’s Prescription Diet Feline c/d, kd, wet or dry foods sold by veterinarians in the United States between December 12, 2006 and February 20, 2007 produced at Hill’s Topeka, KS manufacturing facility?
Mr. Morse, I find it most distasteful that Hill’s, let alone its parent company, should continue to be as vague and evasive in their responses to the simplest of questions - questions that require nothing more that a “yes,” or “no.” Unfortunately, these kind of approaches have become far too commonplace in our overly litigious business environment.
I look forward to your response and perhaps if you remain uncertain as to my questions, you might extend me the courtesy of a telephone call if further articulation is required. I can be reached at (781) 659-9764.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Donald Mauch
Cc: Directors
c/o Office of the General Counsel
Colgate-Palmolive Company
300 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY 10022-7499
Comment by Don — April 5, 2007 @ 5:22 am
Don’t rule out the misbagging/canning notion entirely. If it is impossible, I would have them explain why that is so. But I would ask them to check your food back to the recipes anyway, then test for stuff that shouldn’t be in the food to begin with. If neither shows any irregularity, then you likely have a judgment call on whether the treatment was spot on and whether the diet was likely to control the condition. I think that you have their attention now.
Comment by Shawn — April 5, 2007 @ 7:09 am
China probes into claims of tainted gluten
Apr 06, 2007 04:09 Pm
AUDRA ANG
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Neal Hooker, a professor of agricultural economics at Ohio State University, said that while the FDA cannot inspect every good that comes into the U.S., it does insist that developing countries meet higher production standards for the goods they intend to send to the U.S.”
________________
Isn’t it odd that our Country can force people to remove their shoes to check for plastic explosives before boarding an airplane in order to avoid the possible catastrophe of losing several hundred innocent lives, yet is completely ill-equipped from preventing an entire population of its pets or humans from being poisoned to death by tainted foreign food ingredient imports.
Comment by Don — April 6, 2007 @ 6:43 pm