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.

…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

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!

“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.”

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

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.

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.