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Pet food recall: Senate hearing this Thursday
By Christie Keith
April 10, 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.
We’ll be doing more about this tomorrow, but don’t forget that on Thursday, April 12, at Senators Durbin and Kohl will be holding a hearing into the pet food recall:
(T)he U.S. Senate will hold an oversight hearing on the ongoing investigation and the regulatory mechanisms that govern the pet food industry as the widespread recall of contaminated pet food continues. Durbin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, has worked with Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, to schedule the hearing which will be held at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) … on Thursday, April 12, 2007 in Room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Witnesses … will include FDA officials who will be questioned on the timeline of the investigation, the source of the contamination, and the agency’s regulatory and inspection responsibilities. The hearing will also include outside experts who will discuss the current state of the pet food industry, as well as regulatory or resource shortfalls that led to the widespread recall of tainted pet food.
More information, including a witness list, here.
The hearing will be webcast on the Senate Appropriations Committee website.
More on this tomorrow, but definitely email your senator – get his or her contact info here – as well as Sens. Durbin and Kohl expressing your support for this investigation, and what you’d like to see come out of it. Although it’s always better to write an actual letter than send an email, this close to the hearing, an email is better than nothing. So fax if you can, email if you can’t – AND FOLLOW UP WITH A PHONE CALL!
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The “witness” list says that the deck is stacked in the pet food companies favor.
Heavily stacked.
If this was really meant to do anything there would be more trustworthy witnesses.
I appreciate the effort but the witness list says it is just more of the same.
If Durbin and Kohl really meant to accomplish anything besides a “show” , do you really think they couldn’t?
Sure they could, this is a minimum the fix is in so shut up and go away deal.
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 10, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
Perhaps the reason why some of the recalled foods were seemingly only grudgingly revealed by their various marketers (we have seen that “producers” is too strong a term in many cases) is that apparently there are no punitive damages associated with selling tainted pet food… only the actual damages (e.g., cost of pet, vet bills) for pets that get sick or die. If this is correct — no punitive damages — then we might expect that some producers and/or marketers are going to “roll the dice,” keep their mouths shut, and “see where the chips fall”… instead of voluntarily exposing themselves to actual damage claims that might otherwise remain undetected.
That is a cynical perspective to be sure, but it is difficult not to wonder how much of the “confusion” in the current debacle might be explained by this simple dynamic.
Comment by David — April 10, 2007 @ 8:45 pm
Write Sen’s Durbin and Kohl, and if one of your own state’s Senators is also on the committee, write him as well. Ask, respectively, that representatives of Menu Foods ALSO be compelled to testify. Here’s what i sent (if anyone wants a ‘sample’):
Dear Senator (Kohl):
As a concerned pet-owner, thank you for your concern and interest in scheduling this hearing to investigate the Pet Food Recall, Food Safety, the FDA’s response, and exploring remedies to fix the problem.
I would respectfully suggest that representatives of Menu Foods also be compelled to testify.
There were congressional members in the post-Katrina days who wanted that investigation to be only about FEMA, and nothing more, putting the cart in front of the horse.
To hold these hearings without requiring the testimony of representatives of Menu Foods, is purely an exercise in ‘civic’s and what some would interpret as merely an attempt to garner headlines.
Yours respectfully,
Comment by michael — April 10, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
The AAFCO is a private company. They are not subject to FOIA requests, oversight, or anything else. Their purpose is to control legislation and regulatory agencies to the exclusive benefit of feed manufacturers.
AAFCO President, Eric Nelson, is going to testify before the senate regarding the pet food recall.
According to a University of Tennessee newsletter, in October and November 2006, as principal or co-principal investigator, Claudia Kirk received grants totaling $108,954. All can be traced back to the pet food industry.
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
and in addition to Menu Foods, how about the ChemNutro? and once we get them in, we should add the other pet food companies. I think they should all have to testify since they are still recalling foods. What ever happened to preventive measures? Trader Joes and Pet Food Express both took the lets be safe attitude and pulled all wet food from Menu and others. Shouldn’t the Brands have done that also?
Comment by straybaby — April 10, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
The AAFCO has no enforcement authority and does not perform any analytical testing on pet food. The AAFCO sets labeling requirment, ingredient definitions and nutritional requirements but does not determine source of protein.
Their members include officials from the FDA, CVM and coopeartive states. Also it consists of members from the pet food manufacturing industry. In 2006 the Pet Fod Committee Afvisors of the AAFCO consisted of 12 people, 6 of these were associated with pet food industry organizations…..
The entire scenerio of what the AAFCO does and the many loopholes for Pet Food Companies is a real eye opener. There is more but too much to include in a comment.
Linda MS.
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
Regarding the labeling and I will sent a fax tomorrow about this:
We need at least to know where the product was actually manufactured and if it was sourced out - to whom and their address and phone number.
It is not good enough to know the main companies name and address but the labels need to state exactly where the food was manufactured and the company involved.
Besides, we need to know what ingredients were of foreign origin.
Linda MS.
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
“Corporate Citizens”
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
If the “feed” business has no money coming in, none, that will get their attention and nothing else will.
TURN THE MONEY FAUCET OFF.
That is the only thing that will work.
Do not buy a thing from any of them and get serious about telling folks.
One of my friends is married to a farmer and she left his bed until he agreed to get feed at a smaller local company- said if he was not outraged about the dying and the lying then he could cuddle up to someone from menufoods.
I have called churches and asked for info to be given at Sunday services, every womens’ club I can find, every group listed in the paper or phone book. They all need speakers and are happy to have a volunteer. There are a LOT of pet owners.
I am terrified of speaking in public but I will get over it.
I have a laptop and this is going to be a media experience. I warn about some of the graphic stuff but I fully expect some people to vomit or faint.
A do nothing, means nothing senate hearing may also be of interest, as all of the groups I have contacted are just packed with voters.
By the way, I do not use the word boycott, I use the word shun, as in shun the things you know are bad.
They are bad, I am shunning them.
And I am spreading the word.
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 10, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
!! You tell ‘em — E. Hamilton !!
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
The senate hearings are not intended to be investigations into wrong-doing, but rather to identify the roles played by various agencies, and how to correct the flawed systems that have contributed to the whole mess.
Having been a liaison to AAFCO myself, I can tell you that this is a great organization and definitely not a pawn of the pet food industry. They’re good people. AAFCO itself has no regulatory power. But I am glad that they will be involved in charting a new course for how the system should work.
The Pet Food Institute, well, it’s a lobbying organization representing all the big pet food companies, so don’t expect to hear anything but excuses come out of them.
I have seen a lot of smack talked about Dr. Claudia Kirk. She did work for Hill’s for many years, but I have known her a long time and respect her. I believe she will tell the truth. Given her background she may not be as totally objective as what we might like, but I think she will be a fair and reasonable witness.
Everyone who wants to have a voice in this process needs to call their senators IMMEDIATELY, so they will have your input and will know what questions to ask. They are in a very nice listening mode right now, take advanatage!
Comment by Jean Hofve, DVM — April 10, 2007 @ 10:00 pm
Hard to believe in 6 days this fiasco will have been going on for one month.
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
I just want to take a minute to say “thank you” to Christie, Gina, and everyone affiliated with this site. It has been, and continues to be so incredibly valuable—-more than you will ever know. For all of us it is an always up-to-the- minute spot to get the latest news on recalls; for many, a place to share information on resources and compare notes on experiences with recovering pets. Sadly, for some this site is where they remember their lost fur babies and contribute to the debate by enlightening the rest of us from their horrifying stories. For still others this is a vehicle to rant and vent some of the steam we are all feeling. Pet Connection’s ties to the media and ability to work with the veterinarian associations has also been so important in moving the debate forward. The animals of America thank you!
Comment by elizabeth R — April 10, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Some of you might be wondering, “How can I help with the senate hearings? I’m just a person with a sick or deceased pet.”
Use what you got.
I’m going to make some suggestions on what to provide based on your own personalities. You know yourself best.
If you are the brilliant analytical type like Steve here (whose posts just kick ass.)
You can provide the kind of insights and factual analysis that can lead to great questions and possible criminal liability.
But what if you aren’t?Send photos. Of your sick or dead pets. If you don’t want to send them as an email attachment we can put them up on a blog and send that link.
I hate to ask for this, but if anyone has photos of your pet after he or she has died, send them. And if you can, a before and after shot. It’s the kind of thing that will make this tragedy real for some folks. Is this blatant heart string tugging? You bet.
That is how the brain works: story + emotion = a strong memory.
They use happy puppies to sell us stuff all the time. Well, the puppies and kitties aren’t happy now. Let them see your fur babies after they’ve eaten the bad food.
If you have video of them while sick even better. A before and after would be best. Send it, get someone to help put it on YouTube if you can.
Some of you are are skilled writers. Tell them why this matters. If you have an emotional point great.
If you have a analytical hard business financial point to make, do that. Maybe you can provide Structural points, process points or organizational points. They are all good. Use your skills.
There is a use for all this information in the hearings. And if it isn’t totally useful this time, realize that the effort will not be wasted. The info can also be posted and shared for future and ongoing work. Durbin can’t do everything in the first hearing, but others might pick up the story when they see how it impacts people.
You will be speaking for your pets. And it can help others.
I’ve said it before, if you have questions that seem unanswered, provide them to the Senators. Can you imagine the executive being question for the first time using something that YOU dug up?
It could be your sharp question that turns the tide.
You are the experts in your own experiences.
Talk about things like hearing of the recall all the way through the notification process, getting through to the FDA, the Menu websites and your experiences at the retail stores.
When did you hear about the extension with the new dates? Who did you tell who didn’t know? What resources didn’t you have? What did you want? When did things happen to you and your pets? That will put a narrative to the timeline. This will help bring out the Scope of this story and shape the narrative for the hearing.
Because you can be damn sure that they are doing the exact same shaping right now.
But they didn’t count on all your expertise.
And your hearts.
Comment by spocko — April 10, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
Comment by Jean Hofve, DVM — April 10, 2007 @ 10:00 pm
We have received NOTHING from the pet food industry since day one but spin and contempt.
The Pet Food Industry has ZERO credibility.
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
April 10, 2007
ROYAL CANIN CANADA PROACTIVELY RECALLS FELINE DISSOLUTION FORMULA (canned)
Guelph, Ontario — 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.
For more information
http://www.royalcanin.ca/index_en.php
Comment by Christina — April 10, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
So I guess it all boils down to we are supposed to accept that this is just an industry where no one really knows the original sources of their ingredients, where they went, if they were inspected, what plants the products were produced in, what production runs and lots they are in, who’s doing what, where the product went, how to manage a crisis, etc, etc and keep buying their products?
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
They were not recalling defective batteries here folks. This demanded a Tylenol level response.
Instead we got a Bophal response.
Are some of you old enough to remember that?
The Bhopal Disaster took place in the early hours of the morning of December 3, 1984,[1] in the heart of the city of Bhopal, India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It was caused by the release of 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a Union Carbide India, Limited pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide. The International Medical Commission on Bhopal was established in 1993 to respond to the disaster.
The BBC gives the death toll as nearly,b> 3,000 people dead initially, and at least 15,000 from related illnesses since.[2] Greenpeace cites 20,000 total deaths as its conservative estimate.[3] Bhopal is frequently cited as the world’s worst industrial disaster.[4][5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_Disaster
(and yes I know not to totally trust Wikipedia, but http://www.bhopal.com is run by union carbide!
Comment by spocko — April 10, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
Not every pet owner has internet access but EVERYONE on this and other sites like it does, we can take the internet TO them, we can take the truth to them. The pet food industry sure aint gonna do it.
If the media won’t cover this right then _I_ will.
And I do it without commercials.
Claudia Kirk offended me when she said , on March 30, well after the dying started and during the worst of the pet food industry denial and cover up this crap below.
Unless a clinical nutritionist has been involved in developing a home-cooked food plan for a pet, Dr. Kirk believes the possible harm of not providing a balanced diet outweighs the potential for encountering further contamination.
(end the pet food industry drivel)
The red hot clinical nutritionists who work for the pet food industry were right on top of this problem weren’t they?
Did I miss the part where they got up on TV and said, putting poison in pet food is a really bad idea, many pets are dead and dying and sick and there are way more than 16 of them? Did ANY
clinical nutritionist say , oh, here is a free recipe, maybe if you cook for your pet they won’t die?
They did not. Not a one.
But Claudia got up and said it was very bad to homecook because , jeez, the children and husbands we cook for are being poisoned
right, left and center, right?
How many pets would still be alive, how many tears left unshed if we had all cooked at home for our pets the last few months, year, whatever?
She is a flunkie for the pet food industry and that is all she is.
What planet is this woman from?
Oh, the planet that PAYS her, right, that one. Not the one where the pets were dying or sick and the lies kept coming?
She really used her position and media power for us. Sarcasm fully intended.
Skank is putting it a lot nicer than I would.
The Senate hearings are intended to cover ass and for no other reason.
Oh, I will be watching and helping others watch.
Seeing how useless this whole dog and pony show
stacked with pet food industry “insiders” is might open enough eyes to do more than turn the tide, it might turn an election.
The senators know the questions we want answered, what do you wanna bet they blow it?
Look at the witness list, I have, it is sickening.
I cannot even post what I think about some of the other “experts”.
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 10, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
Every day and in every way ordinary people are waking up to the fact that they have awoken into a nightmare where everything they thought and held dear about the Pet Food Industry was based on deception.
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2007 @ 11:14 pm
I have been following the information on this website since the recall even though, thank goodness, my cat has not been affected. This is my first post, so I hope I am posting in the proper place. Just wanted to pass along a little piece of information that I thought was relevant in light of the days and days that passed before ChemNutra was identified as the U. S. supplier of the tainted wheat gluten. This company is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Democratic Senate Majority Leader is Sen. Harry Reid - of Nevada. Coincidence?? Hope the Senate hearing produces some results, but don’t discount the influence on the Senate Committee by Sen. Reid. Thank you to Pet Connection for all your dedicated work in keeping us up to date on this issue.
Comment by Linda P. — April 10, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
I was told last week that a former food processing worker couldn’t continue his job due to how the discarded Cancerous tumors of chickens were put into the animal food piles.That explains Scientific studies that determined that Dogs could sniff out cancer of their owners,…Of course they could,IT’S (Cancer/Tumors,) put into their Foods that we feed them.To recap;We fed our dog Nestle-Purina ALPO Prime Cuts ,1/19/07,…1/22/07 we held her as our Vet injected her to sleep,…She was Cremated 1/24/07!Nestle-Purina is not at Hearing?Alpo’s not on store shelves.My fax(3/26/07)at least helped save some Dogs,not all.Mittens didn’t die in Vain,”I’ll see you in my dreams,…….”
Comment by joe Romano — April 11, 2007 @ 12:05 am
Dear Joe Romano:
So sorry for your lose. Thank you for telling your story. What kind of dog was Mittens?
Do you have any photos?
spockosemail @ gmail.com
Comment by spocko — April 11, 2007 @ 12:12 am
SENATOR DURBIN: THURSDAY
This would be the time for everyone having close connections to news reporters and broadcast station managers to make them aware they we want coverage of Senator Durbin’s hearing on Friday.
United States Senate
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
NOTICE OF SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING
The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will meet in open session at 2:00 p.m. [ET] on Thursday, April 12, 2007 in Room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The program includes: Hearing to examine the current pet food recall.
Witnesses:
Panel 1:
Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration
Panel 2:
Mr. Duane Ekedahl
Executive Director, Pet Food Institute
Mr. Eric Nelson
President, American Association of Feed Control Officers
Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins
Veterinarian
Dr. Claudia A. Kirk
Associate Professor of Medicine and Nutrition, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
Comment by Lynn — April 11, 2007 @ 3:51 am
One fax sent …as follows:
Senator Durbin, et al —
I am a concerned pet-owner with a question for tomorrow’s hearing on the pet food recall.
The delay in determining which pet foods were effected seems almost impossible in an age of bar coding, moment-to-moment shipment tracking, corporate databases, etc. It’s completely baffling, that almost one month from the date of the original recall, that additional products are still being added to the recall list. The gluten should have been trackable from the very moment it arrived in port. Each bag or container should be trackable to delivery trucks and then to corporate loading docks, to receiving and storage areas, and finally to the batch of product it is added to.
So why, one month later are companies still “discovering” that the ingredient has been used in their foods? This sort of inefficiency/lapse in quality control would not be tolerated in manufacturing of human foods, nor of pharmaceuticals. It’s certainly not acceptable in the automotive industry or the medical device industry…. All contaminated product should have been able to be identified and recalled in a matter of days…perhaps even hours, if record keeping was up to snuff.
When it took less than 3 days for the first cat in Menu Foods feeding trial to die…. a month is a very long time, indeed. How many thousands of animals may yet die, and/or develop chronic renal problems? How much of this may have been prevented if information was available immediately? What can the pet food industry and/or the FDA do to
prevent similar from happening in the future?
Regards.
Comment by GingerTom — April 11, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Sen. Durbin’s senate oversight committee hearing will be televised on cable station CSPAN tomorrow at 2 p.m. (EDT). CSPAN is a cable station carried by all cable networks. There are 3 different CSPAN stations: CSPAN, CSPAN2, and CSPAN3. This is CSPAN. It’s channel 70 in New York, but it’s different in each cable market. See http://www.cspan.com
Comment by Maureen — April 11, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
Sorry if I missed this being posted somewhere, but felt it was important enough to head over here and post it. The hearing tomorrow (4/12) is suppose to be webcast at this address:
http://appropriations.senate.gov/webcasts.cfm
Comment by SoCalMuchacha — April 11, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
There are Angels among us! Thank you Sen’s Durbin and Kohl.
Comment by Patricia Widell — April 12, 2007 @ 8:56 am
PLEASE don’t lump Dr. Elizabeth Hodkins in the group when you talk about the witness being stacked in the pet food companies’ favor.
Dr. Hodgkins had been a long time advocate of feeding a raw diet. Also she has a website that helps cure Feline Diabetes and this is mostly done through food. She is definitely a pioneer in this fight. She taught me that the food that my VET recommended actually would KEEP my cat a diabetic. He was promoting Hill’s Prescription Diet W/D which is loaded with carbs (grains). Most of us know that a Diabetic has to avoid carbs. However since the vet’s either aren’t educated enough or they are making so much off of selling the “CRAP” food to us that it doesn’t matter to them if they help your pet. I’m not saying all vets do this knowingly but we do go to them because we think they are the experts! Right?
Dr. Hodgkins has cured my cat’s diabetes as well as MANY, MANY others (for FREE online). She is a Guardian Angel sent to our pets! Please give her a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
Anyways, PLEASE do all you can by staying on our government officials that are elected to serve US and our families (my family is made up of 1 husband and 3 Kitties!) Emailing them is the easiest way. Just keep bombarding their offices! Someone will have to listen if we keep it up!
http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com - Dr. Hodgkins website
Comment by Lisa — April 12, 2007 @ 11:26 am
I’m a retailer of healthy pet foods. I carry 3 lines of frozen raw meat based diets, the Natura line (complete), Wysong, and Wellness, some Nature’s Logic, and canned products from Merrick’s and Evanger’s. Nothing in my store was recalled. Only one product even contains wheat gluten at all: Wysong’s Vegan formula. I listened to the Senate hearing today, and felt that Senator Bennett meant business, and Dr. Hodgkins was the only witness not obviously a flack for the interested parties. But beyond the specifics of this case, I was concerned by the lack of an ability to make connections and draw conclusions in any way likely to help avoid more of this in the future. Someone raised the issue of the “impossibility” of insuring safety of ingredients by testing for contaminants not anticipated. Please! Hadn’t we better get good at anticipating this sort of thing? When we import agricultural products from parts of the world with different environmental standards, somebody ought to be looking into the specifics of each country’s standard growing and production practices with an eye to their implications for the health and safety of consumers of the final products made from these ingredients. In this case, the contaminant melamine was found in the tissues of sick and deceased pets who had eaten these foods. Were they looking for that toxin? No one has said so, and I doubt it — though they should have been anticipating it, since the product came from a country where it is known to be used as a fertilizer. But they detected it in some form of standard bio-assay. Melamine is used as a fertilizer in Asia, but it is not approved for use in the US. Like other fertilizers, it is certainly potentially toxic when not used correctly. If you are going to import agricultural products for incorporation into foods from countries known to use substances believed to be hazardous in their cultivation, harvesting or processing, shouldn’t that suggest testing for their presence as part of their inspection, before they enter the food supply — animal or human? Wheat gluten is an extremely refined product — it’s the protein in wheat flour after the starch has been removed — and it is conceivable that the wheat could be grown in one country, milled in another, and further refined in yet another. So you might need to look at pertinent factors in three countries’ practices to know what to test an imported “agricultural product” for. But isn’t it craziness to NOT do this? Of course.
The only reason for including wheat gluten in food for dogs or cats is that it is a very cheap protein source. What does that tell you about the priorities of the companies on the recall list?
There is a difference in pet foods and pet food companies. You don’t have to earn a degree in veterinary nutrition to make good decisions about what to feed your pets, but you do need to pay attention to some basics. Companies who put their money into vast, expensive TV advertising campaigns rather than product research, quality ingredients and vigilant control over manufacturing are easy to spot.
Comment by Laurie Raymond — April 13, 2007 @ 12:37 am