Pet food recall: Welcome to the holiday weekend
By Gina Spadafori
April 7, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes links to recalled foods).
- If you’d like suggestions on what to feed, click here.
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
- If you want to know what you can do, please read our call to action
- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
Unless some company or government agency sneaks out a media release with more bad news (and I’m sure our sharp-eyed readers will catch it), there likely won’t be much on the story over the weekend. To judge by the news feeds, most of the media took Good Friday off.
CNN follows with a print version of its reporting into the possibilities that the addition of the substance melamine may have been deliberate, the motive financial:
Contaminants that led to a massive recall of pet food could have been added intentionally, according to one theory being considered by the Food and Drug Administration.
“Somebody may have added melamine to the wheat gluten in order to increase what appears to be the protein level,” the FDA’s Stephen Sundlof told CNN on Friday.
“Wheat gluten is a high-protein substance and by trying to artificially inflate the protein level, it could command a higher price. But that’s just one theory at this point.” (Watch theory about why anyone would deliberately adulterate pet food
)
Sundlof said the agency is virtually sure the animal deaths linked to tainted pet food were caused by something that contaminated the wheat gluten, a normal ingredient of the food.
The FDA has found melamine, a component of fertilizers and plastic utensils, in the gluten, but that may not be the culprit, said Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.
“Melamine is not very toxic as a chemical, so we’re wondering why we are seeing the kinds of serious conditions, especially the kidney failure, that we’re seeing in cats and dogs,” he said.
“We are focusing on the melamine right now because we believe that, even if melamine is not the causative agent, it is somehow associated with the causative agent, so it serves as a marker,” Sundlof said Thursday.
The Associated Press says China is investigating:
BEIJING — China said Friday that it is investigating allegations a Chinese company exported tainted wheat gluten used in pet food that has been linked to the deaths of more than a dozen cats and dogs in the United States.
It was the first time Chinese authorities officially responded to the uproar that has resulted in a ban on gluten imports from the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. and a U.S. recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food.
“We are investigating this,” Zeng Xing, an official with the press office of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, told The Associated Press.
Zeng, whose agency monitors the export of food, animals and farm products, refused to give any details of the probe other than to confirm China is looking into the claim that the exported wheat gluten contained melamine, a chemical found in plastics and pesticides.
Xia Wenjun, another agency official, was cited by the state-run Xinhua News Agency as saying that “sampling and examination” of wheat gluten was under way nationwide.
The probe will center on melamine and agency officials will stay in touch with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Xia told Xinhua, adding that further measures would be taken “based on developments in the United States.”
How should you spend your holiday weekend? How about spending some of it writing letters to Congress? Don’t you think it would be a good idea if your government decided to protect you instead of assuring you that all was well while dropping alerts on its own Web sites and while more recalls were on the way?
Here’s the first line of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 (here’s the rest):
For preventing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors, and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes.
Do you think the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration followed its mandate?
If you don’t, read our call to action, and act. These people — the FDA, our elected representatives — work for us. Time to remind them of that fact.
Call. Write. Call. Write. E-mails, electronic petitions and Internet postings make you feel better, but they don’t count for much in Washington, D.C. Put your real name to a real piece of paper, and send it with a real stamp to Congress. Need some help with names and addresses? Go here.
Take the time. Make your voice heard.
It’s easy to post your thoughts. It’s easy to e-mail. But if that’s all you do, your elected officials will figure you don’t think the issues are important enough to you to put some effort into. Show them they’re wrong.
I went out and bought stamps and envelopes. I’ve used some, and I’ll be using more. I encourage you to do the same.
A final thought: The FDA — you know, the folks who’ve said “not to worry” in advance of more recalls they should have known were coming — have said the tainted gluten didn’t get into the human food chain. Even assuming that’s true, what stopped it from getting in there?
Don’t you think this is a question that needs to be answered? As we’ve said here all along, this pet-food recall points to greater issues of food safety that must be addressed.
More food for thought: Itchmo has put together a page pulling most everything together into one spot. Don’t forget to check out our page of background information (with links to pet-food lists from other sites that are keeping track), as well as what’s up on Howl911. … and the blogger Terrierman, never one to pull his punches, looks at various theories on how best to feed dogs. Provocative, as he always is.
The PetConnection database is back up, the missing data restored. Thanks, Black Dog.
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Thank you so much Gina for staying on top of this for all of us. I can depend upon you and your staff and everyone here too - the great bloggers whose zeal for the truth is unmatched. Have a good Easter. All the pet lovers will not let this issue fade silently away.
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 8:12 am
I don’t want to take up valuable time here, but just curious; Is there anyway for the readers to take a survey whether or not they’re home cooking their pets or using pet food?
Many thanks to you all for such outstanding work!
Comment by Mary — April 7, 2007 @ 8:28 am
I think that’s a good idea. I started Mary.
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 8:29 am
This is why one would want higher water absorption from the Agripress todays issue:
“The usage may be in preparing simulated meat for canned pet food or in both canned and intermediate moisture-type products where the water absorption and fat binding properties of wheat gluten improves yields and quality. In dry dog biscuits, incorporating gluten into the dough before baking can improve resistance to breaking during packaging and shipping. Because it is a great source of protein, wheat gluten can significantly contribute to nutritional labeling claims.”
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 8:34 am
As someone else mentioned on another string, please take a minute to thank CNN for their non-stop food recall ticker (more than 12 hours worth now of nothing but all the names and brands that have been recalled) - and all the airtime they’ve given this issue.
As I said last week, it can be hard to convince some news folks that pet stories are real news, not fluff, and that people really do want to hear about them. Feedback is the best way to help change that. So if you have a minute, please say thanks…
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv/
Comment by Laura — April 7, 2007 @ 8:36 am
Thanks, Linda. I have gone from half and half (1/2 pet food, 1/2 home cooked) to all home cooked now for my youngest. I was doing the same for my oldest but she has such a sensitive system. After a week or so she began having problems, so she’s back on the Blue Buff dry kibbles with small bits of table scraps. I would prefer her on all home cooked too, but at least my little one is having no problems with ‘real’ food. She just turned two and I will home cook her for the rest of her life!! I’ve added scrambled egg and small bits of cheese to her diet. She’s tolerating it well.
Comment by Mary — April 7, 2007 @ 8:39 am
CNN has been a God-send through this thankfully. I have written to them many times thanking them for their continued coverage. It seems they are the only ones taking this serious. Maybe it will be a quiet weekend as far as the recalls are concerned but we all know how sneaky they are so we might better be prepared for more recalls. My PooPoo is doing so well since he has been home. He is feeling more himself than I have seen him since he became sick in mid-February. It really does my heart good to see how he plays and frolicks with his sisters. They didn’t care for him much when he first came home but they have slowly taken him back in and I saw them both giving him baths this morning and taking good care of him.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a nice Easter.
Comment by Adrienne — April 7, 2007 @ 8:51 am
Adrienne, Thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad to hear your outcome was a positive one. Perhaps his sisters were bathing him to get rid of the vet smell! They’re all so funny like that. I agree; CNN deserves big thank yous for this one. I think it’s wonderful that even during regular news they have the strip across the bottom of the screen listing recalls and updates.
Comment by Mary — April 7, 2007 @ 8:59 am
Gina - Thank you, Gina, Christie, all the bloggers and readers who wrote letters, made phone calls and shared information toward the push to uncover the truth in this horrible event. I shudder at the thought of the absence of all of you and the other shared sites that have made such a contribution to the recall. You will be in my RSS feed forever.
Enjoy the holiday weekend everyone.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 7, 2007 @ 9:01 am
It’s impossible for me to read every post here, so I have no idea if this my next thought has been addressed anywhere.
As the days go on, I have been thinking more that distribution is playing a big part in how this is affecting folks around the country. In other words, I think there would be a pattern were we to chart where (store name) the food was bought and what area of the country we live in.
I say this because my vet has seen a lot of folks who have brought their pets in for blood work, more as a precaution, but haven’t really seen a lot they can tie to this. Yesterday I talked with Banfield by my work and they also said they have not seen any cases. Just a lot of blood work requests. Hwwever, one of the folks at the vet said she was talking with someone in CA and they have seen a fair amount of cases.
As to store, one thing I have noticed from the beginnning is that Target Stores have not been mentioned in any post or release I have read, only WalMart, grocery stores, etc. Again, I believe this is a regional issue, not everyone has Target.
One other thing that supports this is the fact that we, 99% of the time, bought our IAMS at Target and even though we can’t say for sure if our cats ate anything back to November, we didn’t find any recalled lot numbers in the Target cans. However, we did purchase one case from WalMart, on a whim, and we are positive that was the case that was involved in the recall.
Obviously stores are not to blame. I just think there is a strong tie in the way this was distributed. And I personally think it would be an interesting piece of trivia to chart where folks live and shop.
Comment by Carole — April 7, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Employees of Pet Food Industries that have started to include information in this blog or have actually typed a full entry and did not hit the ‘Submit’ Button — please, please share some insights. You probably thought against speaking up because you have to have your job and I completely understand that. However, sharing any information will not hurt, only help. Also, if you think that your information is of a crimnal nature, come forward and blow that whistle. I can tell you from first hand experience that to turn evidence is not the end of the world and chances are you won’t have a job after all is said and done.
One of my rescue dogs did not have a happy ending except that he is no longer ill. He is missed so very much and I don’t want another human to go through this pain of loss. Help us uncover the mystery — PLEASE.
Comment by Sunshine — April 7, 2007 @ 9:13 am
I don’t really want to ask for another link to collect this info, however it would be a great resource and I would be willing to chart it.
I don’t want to appear as though we are trying to blame anyone for anything, I just want to gather some data on how food is distributed and how company location/size plays a factor in this.
If in fact they don’t wish to put this request on this site, I totally understand and would be willing to set up an email account to collect it.
Thanks!
Comment by Carole — April 7, 2007 @ 9:13 am
Just a follow-up to earlier posts about saying thanks to CNN. Here’s the auto-reply I got. Yes, they DO keep count.
“Thank you for taking the time to submit your comments on the “Top Stories” of the day on CNN.com! It is very important for us to know what our viewers are feeling and we value your response. This is how we are able to consider changes that will appeal to you, our valued viewer.
Due to the volume of emails we receive, we do not personally reply to emails sent through this section. However, we pride ourselves in making the opinions of our viewers known to CNN senior management and producers. Your comments will be part of the Viewer Response Report provided to our news division on the next business day.
[…]
Sincerely,
CNN Public Information
“CNN, The Most Trusted Name In News”
So if you have a minute, let ‘em know you appreciate the coverage -
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv/
Comment by Laura — April 7, 2007 @ 9:15 am
Carole: Great idea. And charting the locations of the stores that you bought your food from is not a piece of trivia. It is a very important piece of information. And considering that this cuts across multiple brand and multiple stores the public is in the best position to help do something like this.
If you were to create a tool or forum for reporting something like that,
What kind of information would you want to know? What should be included?
We are thinking about that kind of tool right now and input for the smart people here is really important.
LLAP,
Spocko
Comment by spocko — April 7, 2007 @ 9:17 am
Good luck Mary.
I have several books that I follow for making pet food for my dogs, and thank goodness I don’t have to worry over cats as I understand it is somehwhat more difficult.
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 9:28 am
Carole,
I have an EZboard forum that can be changed around to include something like that if you are interested. My board was initially set up to discuss crime cases but I started a section on the pet food recall right after it happened. It is alot easier to post into a forum than on a blog because the posts, etc. are much easier to follow. If you are interested in this, we could do some modifying to it to accomplish these tasks. I would be more than happy to do this because of the importance of all it.
Comment by Adrienne — April 7, 2007 @ 9:31 am
Good Morning Everyone,
Much work remains to be done. Especially in light of the astounding revelations that began on March 16 that have staggered and overwhelmed our country’s pet owners and concerned citizens and professionals. Every American pet owner should realize by now The Pet Food Industry needs to be scrutinized with a fine tooth comb. And under a magnifying glass as well. Face the facts. There is corruption, mediocrity, and it is time for CHANGE and ACCOUNTABILITY. It is going to require years of sustained and methodical effort to Keep Them Honest. For some it will become a lifetime calling. The truth is, it is long overdue. As a pet owner you need rise to the task, ask questions, demand transparency and honesty, and demand accountability from brands. You can make a difference. Your pets life depends on it. And they depend on you. Everyday this effort must be continued. We all have one thing in common despite our differences in opinions and lifestyles. Our Pets. And we need to learn to respect each others opinions and perspectives during the course of this effort. Our pets can not bring change. We have to do it. To do this, we need to work together.
http://tinyurl.com/9glrg
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 9:47 am
Mary,
I am doing 1/2 kibble (Raw Insticts) and 1/2 home cooking.
What I would like to know if you are homecooking what if any supplements are you adding?
Mine are now on “The Missing Link” and Grizzly Salmon Oil (Omega 3 fatty acids.) When the Missing Link runs out I am going to be giving them Wellness Super4 Supplement.
I just wonder if they are getting enough calcium?
Thanks.
Comment by Meghan — April 7, 2007 @ 9:47 am
I guess the biggest issue would be to make sure folks knew about this request, and where they could go to provide info. The only reason I suggested doing it here is because most folks come here, and once they see others giving that info, they will realize what we are doing.
I am only interested in five pieces of data:
Brand (no need for flavors, etc.)
Cat or Dog
Wet or Dry
Store
City/State (of store)
I appreciate the various offers on collecting this but I think we need to have it tied directly from here, if possible.
I’d be glad to collect it from this site and map it.
Comment by Carole — April 7, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Spocko I’ll e you today sometime. Thanks for your patience.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 9:51 am
I edited my blog from the last posting pertaining to CNN.. I won’t go into the bad thought theory I mentioned earlier. I just want to post the facts I did find on pet food makers.
Now I use to use Hill Country Fare cat and dog food. This is a product on the recall list a brand manufactured for the Texas grocery store chain H.E.B. (H.E.Butt). I was worried about the dry line since that is what I used, and I did some research online for recalls on the HCF dry product Line and came up with this:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/.....i_53188769
H-E-B Intensifies Hill Country Fare Dry Dog Food Recall
SAN ANTONIO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nov. 6, 1998—On Monday, November 2, Doane Products Company announced the recall of all dry dog food packaged between July 1 and August 31, 1998, at their Temple, Texas plant.
The recall announcement stated that this dry dog food product, which is sold under 17 brand names, may contain an excessive amount of aflatoxins, which can cause serious illness to your pet after consumption over time. Hill Country Fare dry dog food product is one of the 17 brands and is the only product manufactured by Doane that H-E-B carries.
H-E-B is urging all its customers not to feed their pets any Hill Country Fare dry dog food product, regardless of package date.
Now sure that was in 1998 but this made me decided to look up Doane Product Company. Interestingly I found out that they were the first to start a pet food product line back in 1959… later on they grew to providing private label food for grocery labels in 1969. Check it out here:
http://www.doanepetcare.com/history.htm
“Growth in the dry pet food and the biscuit and treats segments has exceeded the growth of the overall pet food industry by capturing market share from other segments, including canned pet food.”—a quoted from homepage pet care industry link.
Importantly read the homepage products link, our vision link, and questions link. – This is where pet food production all starts.
Also, check out Hoovers.com on for more business facts about the company, and how it branched out to the Europe, and Asian markets. They even bought/merged with Hill’s Products in 1998. Doane pet products is the company that makes the pet foods for Wal-Mart, Kroger’s, Safeway, ect.. Doanes are the makers for the 17 out of 20 major brands that Menu Foods claims to be makers of… Now, “How is Menu Foods involved with Doane Pet Products?”—-I was just getting to that!
In January 2000, Doane wants to set up a merger with the Menu Food Corp. In their annual report Doane Pet Care Enterprises Inc · 10-K405 · For 1/1/00 (cached with the phrase “doane pet care purchase menu foods limited”) they make two references about Menu Foods Limited. See here:
Menu Acquisition. In January 2000, we signed a letter of intent to purchase
Menu Foods Limited (“Menu”). Menu is a supplier of wet private label pet food in
North America.
On January 10, 2000, the Company signed a letter of intent to purchase Menu
Foods Limited (“Menu”). Menu is a supplier of wet private label pet food in
North America. This acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase with the
purchase price and direct acquisition costs allocated based on the fair value of
assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company intends to finance this
acquisition with debt.
http://tinyurl.com/ysjk6a
The Nashville Business Journal backs these findings with web post:
Doane sets up merger
Nashville Business Journal - January 10, 2000— Brentwood-based pet food maker Doane Pet Care Co. has signed a letter of intent to merge with Menu Foods Ltd., which manufactures primarily wet food for pets. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. When the deal is finalized, Menu would assume responsibility for Doane’s existing wet food facility. Robert Bras will continue as Menu Foods president and CEO and become a senior Doane officer.
http://nashville.bizjournals.c.....aily1.html
And Later the Nashville Business Journal published this:
Doane Pet Care sells wet pet food business
Nashville Business Journal - May 3, 2001— Brentwood-based Doane Pet Care Co. has sold its Deep Run, Penn., wet pet food business. The Deep Run transaction between Doane and Menu Foods Limited includes the sale of all equipment, certain intellectual property and inventory for gross proceeds of nearly $15 million, subject to certain adjustments. Doane retains ownership of all real property and fixtures. Production will be moved to Menu Foods Pennsauken, N.J., manufacturing facility during the next two months. Doane Pet Care manufactures dry pet food, and is the largest global provider of private label pet food. The company manufactures food for dogs and cats. http://www.bizjournals.com/nas.....ily39.html
NOW, Menu Foods has obtained all of Doane’s clients and manufactures the wet food line for them. I’m guessing with the Doane’s original ingredient suppliers. This now leaves Doane to only produce the dry line of pet foods for the same clients.
A few years later Doane sold off some of it’s over seas companies. It talks about it in Hoovers.com and Doane’s official web sight. I didn’t dig too deep as why, I will leave it to the next soul who wants to continue this ever expanding story. BUT WAIT!—my invetigation goes on!
In 2006, the candy bar company Mars Inc, buys the Doane Pet Products Corp. Mars already owned brands like PEDIGREE, CESAR, GOODLIFE, WHISKERS, SHEBA for cats and dogs. Plus the ROYAL CANINE brand from Europe which Mars bought in 2003.
Mars, Incorporated Announces Completion of Acquisition of U.S. Operations of Doane Pet Care Company
McLean, VA and Nashville, TN, June 13, 2006 — Mars, Incorporated (“Mars”) and Doane Pet Care Company (“Doane”), a Nashville, TN-based store brand manufacturer of dry pet food, announced today that Mars has completed the acquisition of Doane’s parent corporation, Doane Pet Care Enterprises, Inc…. The acquisition by Mars did not include Doane’s European business, which has been sold to a third party.
http://www.doanepetcare.com/Me.....061306.pdf
So, is Mars Inc. the true owners of all this Pet Food stuff? Doane is listed at Hoover.com, as a subsidiary of Mars Inc. Menu Foods Inc. was once or may still be associated with Doane. So, does that make Menu Foods somehow possibably affiliated to Mars Inc also? I think the wet and dry ingredient suppliers for Doane’s original clients (Now Mars Inc. clients) are one in the same or come from the same locations. Probably ingredient supplies for the wet and dry lines come from companies in Asia or overseas that either Doane once/stills owned or were affiliated with. This could explaine the bad wheat glueton they say they got from China. They don’t want to name the supplier because it’s probably them (one of their own overseas company)!! The”Doane European division is sold off to a third party” still needs to be pick over with a “fine tooth comb”. The Europe franchise is probably all one in the same like the American corporations merging/buyouts/or what ever they claimed happened now leaves us with an almost Monopolized pet food market.
I wouldn’t trust any product made by Mars Inc, associated with Doane Pet Product, Menu Food Limited or Hill Pet Foods. Oh, yeah—- back in 1995, Doane bought out Hill Pet Food Co. Are they the makers of Hills-Science Diet foods? That I don’t know maybe someone can find out if you want to further research this story.
How do you know who you can trust any more? Since all these companies are changing hands, and still keeping products labels in the names of the old manufacturing companies, You have to be a P.I. to trace it to the responsible owners.
This is all I know through research on the net. I investigated the Hill Country Fare manufacture story because my cat and dog have been sick for years and I think it was from the food
Please inform others of the possible Mars Inc connection to Doane and Menu Foods. I think it is important that the public know who is really providing their pet food to them. It’s NOT just a company called Menu Foods Inc that we should be concerned about!!!!! Who really owns or is affiliated with Who???
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 10:19 am
Steve why don’t you make arrangements to appear at Senator Durbin’s hearing. You are the right person to stand up and present the pet owners’ interests.
Comment by VJ — April 7, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Thanks Linda. That will be my next step; buying a book on home made food for dogs. I don’t have cats either… just canines. For right now, I’m just getting some info on here and also on the web. So far my little one is doing great. She’s delighted over the new, added items to her menu! I wish her older sister could handle a more diverse diet. I wouldn’t bother with the dry Blue kibbles for her, that’s for sure.
I’m really looking at doing this for long term…. like forever. My little one, just turned two last month. She will be on home cooked for the rest of her life.
Meghan, In regards to supplements, I haven’t gotten quite that far yet. I’m hoping, as I go, to learn much more about them. Someone on here recommended I incorporate cheese in their diet for calcium, which I’ve done. Thanks for sharing what you’ve been using for supplements. Every little bit of info. helps as we venture down this new, healthy road in pet feeding.
Did anyone see the vet on CNN a short time ago? I wasn’t super impressed with her comments. She’s another one that stresses home cooking for your pets is not the way to go long term. With the crap that’s out there now, I think anything is better. How can we go wrong with fresh roasted chicken, brown rice and vegetables? That’s just for starters…. I’ve been adding more to the menu weekly. I refuse to buy into that. My childhood cocker spaniel lived till almost 17. I remember my parents feeding her much of what we ate. She was vibrant and healthy right up till the end.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!
Comment by Mary — April 7, 2007 @ 10:20 am
This is not acceptable.
WASHINGTON (AP) - None of the contaminated wheat gluten that led to the U.S. recall of pet food went to manufacturers of food for humans, the ingredient’s importer said April 3.
The Chinese wheat gluten imported by ChemNutra Inc. all went to companies that make pet foods, Stephen Miller, chief executive officer of the Las Vegas company, told The Associated Press.
Miller declined to identify what companies ChemNutra supplied. Nearly 100 brands of cat and dog foods made with the ingredient, since found to be chemically contaminated, have been recalled.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 10:24 am
We just lost our page wrap for Firefox again.
Please use this link below for long links if a link is any longer then 40 characters to be safe.
http://tinyurl.com/create.php
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 10:30 am
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:tOC2nq6jEgo @ 10:19 am
This was the link reference that caused the glitch on the web page. The solution is at this link.
http://tinyurl.com/create.php
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Here is a simple way to contact your Congressman…if you don’t know who that is, you can find them and send them an online message.
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
It is extremely important that we all write at this time. Be courteous, but firm.
They must do somethig now, as we could all be next in joining our pets in this needless suffering.
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 10:39 am
“Miller declined to identify what companies ChemNutra supplied. Nearly 100 brands of cat and dog foods made with the ingredient, since found to be chemically contaminated, have been recalled.”
Miller needs to come clean. Thats the bottom line.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 10:40 am
Just read a report in my local paper - Walmart has instituted a nation-wide scanner block on all its recalled goods. So even if you find it on the shelf, the system won’t let you scan and buy it.
Not perfect, but I gotta say, that’s pretty smart!
Here’s the story: http://tinyurl.com/24bx3x
Wonder if PetSmart and PetCo are doing that?
Comment by Laura — April 7, 2007 @ 10:49 am
IT Breaks My Heart To See The New Numbers of pets that have died and many are so sick. In the food stores they have cans of cat and dog food,but no one is buying them. I Hope Menu Sales Drop SO bad. I Doubt After This another can or pouch will be brought again
Comment by Mary Ann — April 7, 2007 @ 10:53 am
If anyone is interested in receiving info from the FDA directly in your mailbox on recalls…
to subscribe, go to:
https://list.nih.gov/archives/fda-recalls-l.html
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 10:57 am
Awesome - CNN just promoted an upcoming segment on what the pet-food recall “means for the foods YOU buy.” Stay tuned.
Now, if we could just get them to stop calling it a scare. :(
Comment by Laura — April 7, 2007 @ 11:01 am
I dont think only menu is to blame. why did Doane Pet Foods Inc. suddenly sell off a company it created in 1954 and grew to a global empire. With markets in U.S., europe and Asia. They “were the creaters of petfood” or so it seems. check out:
http://www.doanepetcare.com
They sold their wet product line to Menu Foods. Or merged maybe check out my post above. later Doane sold off its europeane line in 2006—Why? And its dry line to Mars Inc. the candy bar makers—-again why?
For a company who was so “on top of the world” why did they suddenly sell it all out?
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Don’t forget Menu Foods plants are up and running full steam and it’s business as usual once again.
Next time you go to the store for food, perhaps you should ask a sales person, “Was this produced by Menu Foods?”
We have ZERO accountability from Menu since those plant shutdowns. Nothing made public. No official reports on the cause of this, what was found, who did the inspections, what steps were taken to insure the safety of food coming from those plants, the condition of their facilities, what brands are still using Menu (all I will assume) so we are no better off then we were on March 15. The day before this fiasco began.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Carole — April 7, 2007 @ 9:48 am said:
Thanks Carole: Itchmo, Petfoodtracker, Howl911 and I are working on a forum that would include info like this right now.
Drop me and Itchmo a line so we can include you in the project.
LLAP
Spocko
spockosemail at gmail.com
tips at itchmo.com
Comment by spocko — April 7, 2007 @ 11:06 am
Laura — April 7, 2007 @ 10:49 am
Thanks Laura. That is in fact a great suggestion for the IT side of the business. Good catch. For all the retailing IT managers here, PAY attention.
Here is a method that will help.
We are also working on a more low-tech method to help customers help retailers get the food off the shelves. Not all stories have the same sophisicated systems that Walmart does. And time is off the essence when it comes to bad food.
I’d like to hear stories about anyone who went to a story and found that the food from a recalled brand /date was still on the shelves.
What did you do?
Who did you talk to?
What was their reaction?
What do you wished you could have done?
What was your interaction with the managment vs. retail staff like?
What tools do you wish you had with you to help you convince them that this was in fact recalled brands/with bad dates still on the shelves?
NOTE:
If you work in the retail space how can customers work best with you if they came in to your store and politely pointed an error like this out?
Your insight on this is CRITICAL. Not everyone knows your systems like you do. We want to HELP you not piss you off because we spot what looks like an oversight.
WHY IS THIS NECESSARY?
We want to help the companies at the retail level do the right thing in a timely fashion.
The retailers are all potential allies, they don’t want to be selling bad food any more than you want your pets to eat it. They can’t be everywhere at once. WE CAN.
As an old professor once told me, “Killing babies is BAD PR.” Let’s help the good companies do the right thing. (And of course ensure the bad companies get with the program.)
Comment by spocko — April 7, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Marcy … please … forget the “simple way” to write to Congress. I’ve lived my whole life in Sacramento, which is almost as much of a “company town” in the government sense as Washington, D.C. is. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have worked for or covered the government.
But I CAN tell you that your elected reps pay little heed to e-mails. They know it means you don’t care enough about an issue to put some effort into it.
E-mail if you want, fine. But … and I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH:
Write a real letter, with your real name, in a real envelope, with an honest-to-heavens real stamp on it. And then follow with a phone call.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 7, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Old Mother Hubbard.
What is the status of your foods? Are you still using Menu Foods? Do you intend to continue to use Menu Foods? Who supplies your ingredients? What country of origin do your ingredients come from? Who are the brokers and ingredient traders you buy from? Are you willing to open your facilities in house or otherwise to the public for tours?
Do you think you are doing enough to reassure your current customers your word can be counted on or do you feel you are not doing enough?
How do you feel about the manner in which The Pet Food Institute responded to this crisis? Of which you are a member.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 11:23 am
cnn is doing the story now
Comment by Mary Ann — April 7, 2007 @ 11:32 am
I just read the ticker of pet food recall on CNN and all the titles have such wonderful enticing names - Chicken and ……blah blah blah and gravy and Macaroni and blah blah gravy bits etc etc.
We need some real truth here: Toxic waste rendering fly and bug invested poisoned wheat gluten mashed together and disguised so it smells yummy and we fool your pets too so will gobble it up all the while we get rich……
So unbelievable - what next?
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 7, 2007 @ 11:32 am
Gina - an email is better than nothing, for those people who don’t have the time to sit down and write a snail mail letter.
I work for a non-profit agency that continually contacts representatives on pressing issues, and they DO notice any type of correspondence from their constituents.
Do we only want to ask the masses to write (which percentage wise will probably yield few)…or a mass deluge of emails, which most likely WOULD be noticed?
Thanks for your opinion…I know that this is an emotional subject, but it has been my experience that politicians very rarely listen to emotion. They want facts.
I encourage everyone…give them the facts.
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:32 am
P.S. My Congressman lives here…not in Sacramento.
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:34 am
Thank you, CNN! Great coverage. There are more than pet owners behind us now.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 7, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:32 am
If I had the backing I would offer a service where people could e-mail us and we would then proceed to print every letter and deliver it to the front steps of these representatives by the box loads.
I would love nothing more then to drive up to the front steps of the capital with three or four semi trucks fully loaded with these letters but thats a ways off in the planning.
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 11:39 am
I encourage the same: Give them the facts. E-mail if you want, and that’s fine. But send a letter, too.
E-mails are tallied, the reports given to the elected officials. A bag of mail makes a bigger impression. You can ask anyone who has ever worked in the office of an elected official.
Letters (even postcards) and phone calls make an impression. E-mails have lost a lot of their impact.
I’m not disagreeing with you on e-mailing. Do it! I’m just saying that if we take the easy route only, our elected representative will, too.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 7, 2007 @ 11:41 am
P.S.S. I am bringing up emotion, as I sense lot of it coming my way from your post.
I too can get emotional on this…my JuJu almost died twice within 3 weeks from this stupid pet food fiasco…I wanted to scream and “punch” some people around because of it…
…but cooler heads must prevail. Our representatives WILL listen if they receive enough complaints, and if people can present their heartbreaking stories in a precise and intelligible way, without being overcome with emotion while doing it (as hard as this may be).
We have already been accused of being hysterical by some sources…
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:42 am
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Government for the people and by the people! What happened to that concept? We need to continue our efforts here and join forces with other like-minded citizens.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 7, 2007 @ 11:42 am
Steve - Wouldn’t that get their attention!!!
Gina - I agree with you…mail is better…but we need numbers here too. :)
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Yes it would. And the media as well.
I might be even further tempted to hire some aircraft to drop demand to act letters right over the houses of these Congressmen and Representatives and into their front and back yards and swimming pools. And have the media lined up ahead of time to capture the action as thousands of them flutter right down onto their property. I would arrange to have cleanup crews on hand when they walk out and say, “what is this?” Then we would say, “oh sorry here we’ll pick up” then hand them the letters neatly stacked and say. “Looks like your going to be working today instead of loafing. Thank you, and sorry about the mess.”
Comment by Steve — April 7, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Steve - LOL!!!
Comment by Marcy — April 7, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
Weekends@CNN.com
At 4 ET a vet will be answering questions. The questions can be emailed to the above url.
Comment by VJ — April 7, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Spoko:
3 large retail supermarkets: Albertsons, Publix, and Sweetbay won’t do anything without a recall from the FDA. Winn Dixie had already pulled their stuff, but I expect that the corporate guidelines are the same - wait for the FDA. In one case their server was down. In the other two cases, the FDA didn’t put the official notice on their FDA site for over 12 hours. I’m assuming that in the meantime they were notifying retail outlets. But you know this should happen almost simultaneously. Write the recall, push a button and send it out to ALL retail and distributors and post on the web at the same time. I see FDA has finally got up ALL the recall notices, including a link that explains the Menu Foods one was expanded, which they didn’t have before. There’s still too big a gap between the time of the recall from the company and the time it gets pulled off the shelf.
And something else I discovered today. Mini-markets which get their stuff from a small distributor NEVER get notified. Because I’d been taking notices to a local one, I asked him today. He said they pulled food, and asked the distributor about it as they wondered if they’d get a refund. The distributor KNEW NOTHING about the pet food recall. This is a serious information gap.
Comment by CathyA — April 7, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Cathy: Thank you!
That is some incredibly valuable information!
May I ask which part of the country you live?
LLAP,
Spocko -
Comment by spocko — April 7, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Everyone should print out the most recent recall list and keep it in their cars. If you stop anywhere for food or gas please look for recalled products on the shelves.
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 7, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Thanks Carole: Itchmo, Petfoodtracker, Howl911 and I are working on a forum that would include info like this right now.
Drop me and Itchmo a line so we can include you in the project.
LLAP
Spocko
spockosemail at gmail.com
tips at itchmo.com
On its way…
Comment by Carole — April 7, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
Spoko:
I’m in the far South. I don’t think we got as much of the tainted food around here, probably because of distribution - KS plant stuff goes West, NJ plant stuff goes East. Though no states in the South seem to be doing any numbers.
One other point about retail outlets. Other than company intranet, they have no internet access and have no way to check anything. Apparently they don’t feel compelled to pick up a phone either and call higherups. Though one did (Publix) and his distribution warehouse guy had heard nothing, which apparently didn’t prompt HIM to pick up the phone either. The overwhelming attitude was - the FDA notifies us and until they do it ain’t real. So people please add to your letter writing to see if a better system can’t be set up by corporate retail headquarters.
Here’s what the World Wide Pet Industry Assn has to say about the recall - same complaints:
http://www.wwpia.org/i4a/pages.....pageID=742
Comment by CathyA — April 7, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Questions, questions.
Is there a time limit as to how fast retailers/distributors/manufacturers must act on a FDA recall. In other words, could there be fines involved due to criminal negligence?
Is a voluntary recall handled as a different animal? Like we get tuit it when we get tuit.
Is there a difference in the law when pet food as opposed to people food?. Either in FDA recall or voluntary recall?
Should our laws be changed to force recall compliance by retailers within a realistic time frame?
Inquiring minds want to know
Comment by Serijna — April 7, 2007 @ 1:37 pm
I just put a couple new links in the above post. They’re items that didn’t really seem worth a post on their own, but all seem worth putting in the mix. Just FYI, all.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 7, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Spocko - you were asking for experiences that we had with stores. I had an interesting one on the Monday following the recall with Walmart which is where I purchased all of my cat/dog food. I live in Valdosta, Georgia. When I went into the local Walmart and went to the pet food section, I was appalled to see that most of the same products that I had bought were still on the shelf. Mind you, this was the Monday following the recall. The department manager who happens to know how much food I buy was back there trying his best to pull the products but they still weren’t off the shelf. I asked him what the problem was and he indicated that he had been on vacation until that particular day and when he came in, he was greeted with the recall information. From that, I am going to ASSUME that they hadn’t attempted to pull anything off the shelves until he got there that day. Anyway, I was furious. I asked him who the manager was and he directed me to customer service. When I got up there, I asked to speak to the manager who wasn’t available right then so they sent up some extremely uneducated person (sorry but that is putting it nicely). I proceeded to explain to her what was taking place back in their pet department and that the products were still on the shelf. I liked the department manager and found him to be very helpful and very apologetic so I didn’t want to get him into trouble because it wasn’t his fault at all. He was really trying to do his best. I asked the person who I was speaking with if a sign could be posted back at the pet food section to inform consumers about the recall and that I thought also that one needed to be put on the doors/windows at the entrances. She was quick to point out that absolutely not, no signs could be put up anywhere. By this time, I was literally steaming mad and asked her to please get whoever was in charge of that store up there that instant. In the meantime, the pet food department manager came up with the manager of the store and we spoke at length about what was taking place. He assured me that he would have a sign made up to announce the recall and that the products would be removed immediately, he would even go and help. I calmed down a bit but was still pretty angry when I left the store. When I got home, I called the corporate office and asked to speak with someone who could give me information about the recall. I explained what had happened and also explained that I just spent $1000 on my cat who ate their poisonous food and that I wanted the products off the shelves NOW. He said they were working on a system whereby to have all the scanners catch the products if they were attempting to be sold. I told him that was fine and good but that it still didn’t excuse the fact that there was no notice or anything up in their pet food department instructing people why the products were no longer available. He said that was something they would work on as well.
I made it a point the next day to go back by the store to see if any signs had been put up and also to ensure the products were off the shelves. I was pleased to see that both had taken place. I apologized to the dept. manager for showing my butt but explained to him how important the recall was and how they should have never waited until he returned from vacation to get those products off the shelves.
Everytime I am in there I go back to make sure I don’t see anything that shouldn’t be there. If I see people pick up anything labeled Ol Roy or Special Kitty, I discourage them from buying it. Half the time, the people look at me like I have two heads. I am honestly surprised I haven’t been escorted out of the store yet.
I have checked with our other stores here, and have been pleased with the response that I saw with Publix and Target both. Both stores had all of the affected products removed with signs indicating that there was a recall and the Menu Foods number posted on it as well.
By the way, sorry this post was so long.
Comment by Adrienne — April 7, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
Re: Comment by Adrienne — April 7, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
Our WalMart response was great. When I wandered in with the Del Monte voluntary recall (before it was on FDA site) he said they had pulled it last night. That they always pull on voluntary recalls too. They had a sign that said wherever there were big red stickers on the shelf the food had been recalled. Good system.
Publix still has no signs up nor any indication why there’s empty shelf space. Both Winn Dixie and Sweetbay had signs up from the beginning and Albertsons just put them up on the last recall. I’m beyond disappointed in Publix. Their corporate offices will be hearing from me…..if I ever get any time to write letters!
Comment by CathyA — April 8, 2007 @ 6:21 am
Interesting comment about Publix. I was in my local Publix yesterday (Saturday) and noticed that they did have a sign up next to the canned foods. The sign did say that “no dry foods are involved” or something like that. I was really steamed until I got to thinking that the only dry food recalled (to date) is the Hills m/d, which Publix doesn’t carry. I thought about asking the manager to change the sign, but I decided that I would not only because I figure that when the next shoe drops (next Friday?), I’ll be demanding he change the sign then, and I figure he’ll be more responsive the first time around.
CathyA, if it helps, tell your local Publix that other Publix stores have signs up! The signs I saw were in an Orlando Publix.
Comment by CatLady — April 8, 2007 @ 7:34 am
At the beginning of the recall stores seemed slow to respond…especially Walmart. Gladly, now, stores in my area of the world (S.E. WI/N. IL) for the most, appear to be on top of the recall effort, clearing shelves and posting signs as to the reason for empty pet food shelves. However, there is one local SuperValu in Walworth Co., WI that does not appear all that concerned. On the first Saturday following the recall announcement I found shelves laden with recalled product and brought this to the management’s attention. I also provided them with the Menu Foods list of recalled product. 24 hours later I stopped in to check…all food still on the shelves!!! Once again, I spoke to the manager who acknowledged he had received my list and would take care of the food. Several hours later I went to check for myself…FOOD STILL ON THE SHELVES!!! I took a shopping cart, loaded it up, and wheeled it to the back of the store in front of the stock room doors. Several days later, as more product was added, I brought the updated list to the attention of the manager because the dates/codes matched product on their shelves. Once again I was assured it would be taken care of and once again it was not! I filed a complaint against the store with the FDA which ultimately did no good. I continued to assist SuperValu with the recall effort by pulling product for them but often it ended up back on the shelf!!!! I contacted the county humane society who did infact send an officer out to check the Supervalu shelves resulting in remaining recalled product be pulled…finally…that was until Alpo and the other new items hit the recall list. As of yesterday, 4-8-07, recalled cans of Alpo were on the shelves. Once again, I assisted the store by pulling what I knew to be recalled from their shelves (didn’t have my list so wasn’t sure but better safe than sorry). To date, this store has been completely unresponsive to the recall. The only food pulled has been what whas taken off by request of the county humane officer)…even then only food that was explicitly on the list, nothing else (i.e. codes/dates just prior to, gravy style food, etc.). Every other store in the area has signs posted regarding the recall…not SuperValu! I am at my whits end with this store and will definitely never shop there again. I don’t know what else to do. Sorry this post was so long but this has been a frustration for weeks and was much cheaper to vent here than an hour appointment with a therapist…thanks for being such “good listeners” and a place where we can all come to find up to date info and voice our concerns.
Comment by Phyllis — April 9, 2007 @ 7:41 am