Pet-food recall: A product pull in Canada
By Gina Spadafori
April 10, 2007
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Just released:
As a result of new information received from Menu Foods late yesterday, Royal Canin Canada is recalling Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula canned diet because one production lot (January 08 2009) contains contaminated wheat gluten. This product is produced for Royal Canin Canada by the Menu Foods Ontario plant. Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula canned diet is Royal Canin’s only wheat gluten-containing canned product. This is the only Royal Canin or Medi-Cal product being recalled.
Here’s the rest.
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Menu Foods Needs TO Shut Down ASAP. for what they have done to our pets.
Comment by MARY ANN — April 10, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
Here is the following paragraph, page 8
4. Inventory Write-down. At December 31, 2005 Menu still had inventory on hand thatrelated to pre-May 20, 2003 (the date when a single case of Bovine SpongiformEncephalopathy was discovered in Alberta). Since this inventory was not saleable in theUnited States, it proved to be a challenge to sell in the normal channels available to Menu. Throughout 2005, as efforts to sell this inventory were underway, Menu made provisionsamounting to $0.9 million
http://tinyurl.com/yr9zr2
Menu Foods’ director Robert W. Luba, used to be the president of Safety Kleen, a hazardous and industrial waste collection company.
Check out these violations:
* Exceeding the permitted feed rate of cadmium to the incinerator
* Storing used oil fuel (VFS Distillate) from the Safety-Kleen East Chicago facility in the fuel oil tank and burning it in the incinerator when the incinerator did not meet all of the operating conditions for burning hazardous waste
* failing to record the location of each container accepted in the container storage areas, and track these wastes in real time so that their location is known at any time
* Accepting pyrophoric wastes
* Placing incompatible wastes or materials in the same container and failing to document any evaluation of the compatibility of the absorbent with the liquid
* Failing to retain the data recorded by the PI archiving system for at least three years
* Failing to maintain systems to automatically cut off hazardous waste feed to the incinerator at a pH of less than 6.2 in the second stage packed tower effluent
* Failing to retain a copy of a manifest at the facility for at least three years
* Failing to analyze the slag for methanol daily until analyses showed the treatment standards had been achieved for seven consecutive days after methanol was detected at a level above the treatment standards
* Entering the wrong generator name, address, and phone number on manifests accompanying wastes shipped by Safety-Kleen (Aragonite), Inc. for off-site treatment, storage, or disposal
http://tinyurl.com/2rjo84
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
http://www.petconnection.com/b.....ment-28737
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
Itchmo’s site is down
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
“After being repeatedly reassured by Menu Foods, as reinforced by FDA
public statements, that none of the contaminated wheat gluten had made its way to Canada, we were completely shocked to learn yesterday that this was not the case, and that this wheat gluten had been used in the Feline Dissolution
Formula canned product” said Xavier Unkovic, CEO Royal Canin Canada.
and these are the same folks saying it hasn’t made it to the human food chain?!
Comment by straybaby — April 10, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
Imagine that. The “good folks” at Menu, the FDA and countless brand marketers who assured us that no contaminated wheat gluten went anywhere other than what they’ve already disclosed. I’d have to say that all their Menu Food’s manufacturing facilities are suspect. Of course, it could be a whole different batch of gluten. Can’t say that I’m surprised.
Comment by Ronda — April 10, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. Also called mad cow disease.
Here is the following paragraph, page 8
4. Inventory Write-down. At December 31, 2005 Menu still had inventory on hand that related to pre-May 20, 2003 (the date when a single case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was discovered in Alberta). Since this inventory was not saleable in the United States, it proved to be a challenge to sell in the normal channels available to Menu. Throughout 2005, as efforts to sell this inventory were underway, Menu made provisions amounting to $0.9 million
http://tinyurl.com/yr9zr2
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
Well i just received a phone call telling me to check out nutro’s web site, on nutro’s web site it says update press release on nutro products will be posted later today. http://www.nutroproducts.com
Comment by MARY ANN — April 10, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
From the article this blog highlights:
“After being repeatedly reassured by Menu Foods, as reinforced by FDA
public statements, that none of the contaminated wheat gluten had made its way
to Canada, we were completely shocked to learn yesterday that this was not the
case, and that this wheat gluten had been used in the Feline Dissolution
Formula canned product” said Xavier Unkovic, CEO Royal Canin Canada.
********************************
Folks, I’m afraid that we’re going to hear more and more stories like this. Trust yourselves! Statements that come out of Menu Foods or any reassurances by the FDA mean little.
How many times has the recalled list of pet foods been amended now? Only the cans and pouches are affected. Wrong! Oh, all the dry food is safe. Wrong! Oh, the semi-moist treats are safe. Wrong! Oh, the dry biscuits/cookies are safe. Wrong!
I’m sure the offenders are hoping that once people find a “safer” food (which may be safe for another week or two before being added to the list from what we’ve witnessed in the past), that we will go away and forget about this nightmare.
Comment by petlover — April 10, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
I don’t know how I missed the NO Problem in Canada. I guess because I assumed it was a problem from all the comments I’d read from Canadians in numerous papers in Canada and in US. Those Canadian commenters were peed off about the poison and were searching newspapers for more info. I wish I’d kept track of their comments.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop - i.e. contaminated wheat gluten in the Menu Foods Canadian plant - and hoping it wouldn’t. I’m not really surprised, just even more concerned about my two furry meowing sons. So far they seem to have escaped.
I have always fed them only dry food, but was not and still am not sure it isn’t toxic also. When this started and Nutro was on the list, I switched them from Nutro dry to guess what - Medi-Cal dry (Royal Canin). It looks like a no win situation.
Comment by Margaret Bridge — April 10, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
I’ve been mainly feeding homecooked to my dog and cats since March because I just don’t trust much of anything out there for the time being. I must have at least a hundred bucks of commercial brands of food just sitting here (not recalled) that I am not going to put in the pets’ bowls until there is more known about the contaminent.
I have located a brand, Evanger’s, which is produced by a small family owned company in northern Illinois. I know it is made there because I actually drove there to see it with my own two eyes. (Not inside the plant but the outside). I have been using only Evanger’s since the recall to supplement the home cooked. They claim to use no by-products and have apparently won several awards. I have bought and fed canned cat food in different flavors and used the premium chicken rice dry dog food. It is expensive but so far it has been fine, I feel pretty confident about it, and the animals like it. Evangers also uses a lot of unusual meats in some of their special formulas made for animals that are seriously allergic. Some pet food shops around the country carry it and I believe they do ship nationwide so if you have any interest you can check their website. I assure you I have no commercial or other interest in mentioning this product. I am doing so only because so many people like me are struggling to find pet food that is not made by Menu and the other conglomerates and has ingredients that are not garbage. I have corresponded with them by email and they answered my questions but it took a couple days—they said they are swamped!
It is evangersdogfood dot com
Comment by elizabeth R — April 10, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
AVMA put Nutro alert on their website:
http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoo.....oducts.asp
Alert: Additional Nutro cat food products were reported in the media on April 9 as having tested positive for melamine, but the findings have not been confirmed nor has an expanded recall been issued. Consumers should contact the manufacturer directly with questions about these additional products:
Nutro California Chicken Supreme 3-oz. Can
Nutro Chicken Cacciatore 3-oz. Can
Nutro Lamb & Turkey Cutlets 3-oz. Can
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Menu adds Nutro cans to their recall list:
Look For This on The Bottom of Can or Back of Pouch Product Description Can or Pouch Size UPC Brand
All Date Codes Alaskan Halibut/Rice 3oz Can 3oz 79105-35221 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Beef Ragout 3oz Can 3oz 79105-35207 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Beef/Egg 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30015 Nutro Products
All Date Codes California Chicken 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30011 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Chicken Cacciatore 3oz Can 3oz 79105-35205 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Hunters Stew with Duck 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30018 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Hunters Stew with Venison 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30019 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Kitten Chicken/Lamb 3oz Can 3oz 79105-35202 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Lamb/Turkey Cutlets 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30014 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Orleans Seafood Jambalaya 3oz Can 3oz 79105-35206 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Salmon/Whitefish 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30013 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Seafood/Tomato/Bisque 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30017 Nutro Products
All Date Codes Turkey/Chicken Liver 3oz Can 3oz 79105-30016 Nutro Products
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
thanks again for letting us all know the truth. I don’t know where we’d be without you.I visit your site all day and into the night. thanks again, trudy
Comment by Trudy Jackson — April 10, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
AVMA has posted a complete list http://avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp including ALL recalled products by all manufacturers updated today including today’s recalls.
Comment by michelle — April 10, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
What other Canadain Food Stores Outlets labela are Affected Come on Canada do you Job.. TEST ALL PET FOOD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lets get qat the Root of this Fiasco NO MORE KILLING!!
Comment by kelly B — April 10, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Yeah, we’re all really shocked to hear that yet more food has been added to the list. I mean, we have believed them each-and-every time thy have assured us that everything else was safe.
HA!
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — April 10, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
I wish someone would just grow some ovaries and give this BS up already!
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — April 10, 2007 @ 11:04 pm