Pet food recall: Monday evening news and open thread
By Christie Keith
April 30, 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 information on recalled foods).
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
From CNN.com:
In the United States, it is feared as a killer of cats and dogs and a potential threat to humans.
Yet in China, the mildly toxic chemical melamine is commonly used in animal feed and is even praised by some customers, according to the managers of a feed company and one of the chemical’s producers.
“Using the proper quantity of melamine will not harm the animals,” said Wang Jianhui, manager of the Kaiyuan Protein Feed company in the northern city of Shijiazhuang. “Our products are very safe, for sure,” Wang added.
Melamine is being added to the feed to increase its apparent protein level on what’s described as a “quick and dirty” test. Better testing, experts suggest, is needed.
Meanwhile, American Nutrition, Inc., is firing back at pet food companies who contend ANI “adulterated” their food with rice protein concentrate:
“To set the record straight, American Nutrition did not engage in any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct relative to the inclusion of rice protein in certain products it manufactures”, according to Naomi Keller, a company spokeswoman.
Rice protein is an ingredient commonly used in pet products to fortify protein content and provide proper texture and consistency of canned pet products. It is not harmful to animals. To the contrary, it is believed to be a healthy additive that assists in providing appropriately high protein levels without creating unacceptable levels of fat associated with meat products.
Concern exists about rice protein not because of its inherent qualities, but rather because rice protein shipped from Wilbur-Ellis to American Nutrition was found to contain concentrations of melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. “To be clear, the possible existence of melamine – not the inclusion of rice protein in pet products – is the root source of recall concerns. The melamine in this instance unfortunately happens to have been found in the rice protein used by American Nutrition and other manufacturers”, said Keller.
And over at itchmo.com, a report on the melamine contamination of chicken feed, dating back to last February. And while you’re there, check out his forums – you’ll probably find them better organizationally for keeping track of topics than the comments section of a blog.
Just a reminder: Hate speech, racism, calling people “skanks,” and similar uncivil behavior will be deleted. Play nice or play somewhere else.
Something we missed? Send us your news, or post it here!
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
|Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
I have a difficult time believing ANI. I don’t take a low fat ice cream recipe and then add heavy cream to it to give it a better texture and expect it to have the same nutritional value as the low fat recipe.
Comment by Terry — April 30, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
Ok, just for fun…let’s assume that it’s okay to add RPC to rice-based formulas (or even formulas that contain rice) without telling anyone.
So what is RPC doing in Venison and Green Pea formula food? No rice base in that formula, guys.
Uh-uh. Not buying this.
Comment by Gudewife — April 30, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
Thanks for pointing people to the forums over at itchmo.com. I especially want to invite anyone who has incurred medical expenses to come to the one on Medical Costs for Treating Affected Pets. We want to demonstrate the financial impact of this situation. But we need many people to contribute if we are going to have meaningful numbers. So, come on over!
Comment by Marilyn — April 30, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
ANI makes its own food and food for other brands. It only put the rice protein concentrate in other brands’ foods, but not its own. Is it possible that ANI wanted to eliminate some of its competition by causing them to recall the producs? It seems to make no sense, because surely those companies would quit doing business with ANI, so any gain would only be short-term. Still, the lack of intelligence of the pet food industry never ceases to amaze.
Comment by Pam — April 30, 2007 @ 7:03 pm
If ANI thinks rice protein is so great, why did they not add it to their OWN brands, I wonder?
Comment by Bonni — April 30, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
Here’s the FDA/USDA statement on the chickens.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yusf5t
Comment by Pam — April 30, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
Is anyone in Detroit? There is an article online saying that a news station has uncovered “shocking facts” about what a pet food exec did in his home hours before the recall. They are airing details tonight at 11:00 on channel 4 in Detroit. I am dying to know what it is.
Comment by Christi A. — April 30, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Gudewife, RPC in Venison and Peas is due to a “reformulation”, according to Natural Balance. It’s the other canned formulas that got “adulterated” by ANI, again, according to Natural Balance.
Comment by dodo — April 30, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
I’ve waited since Novemeber of ‘06 to hear about the food I fed my dog. My husband retired his K-9 this past summer and she became ill in November. The symptoms were similar to tainted food stories I read online. The vet could not figure out the problem!
When the recall of food became nationwide, I looked for Costco’s brand— it was not until today that I finally knew what had truly happened. I kept the tainted case of food and now… where do I go from here!
Just how many dogs became sick from November until this day of Costco finally pulling the food—? Makes me ill to think that more animals had to go through this— now my next door neighbor’s dog is sick… the food is not on the list, but the symptoms are there!! This is a shameful reminder of how slowly our Bureaucratic system reacts to emergencies.
Comment by Danielle Vargas — April 30, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
Comment by Christi A. — April 30, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Oh boy. Here we go. All aboard!
Comment by Steve — April 30, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
I also just heard about the news airing at 11:00 pm tonight in Detroit (Channel 4). I guess it is going to also show Menu Foods’ CEO mansion in the Detroit area and dig into the fact that he ALSO sold more that 50% of his stocks 2 months before the recall. Unfortunately, I live in Michigan, but not close enough to Detroit to get the station. I heard about this from my brother who is going to keep me posted…..I’ll let you knwo what he says - or maybe I can find the website (WDIV-TV?). Please post if you are able to watch it!
Comment by PJ — April 30, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
I haven’t been able to get to the computer for about 36 hours (longest I’ve been away from it in 6 weeks!). Anyone hearing any news on the postcard blitz yet?
Comment by PJ — April 30, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
Here’s info on the nationwide marches from last Saturday, complete with pictures: http://pnv2.com/page2.html
Has anyone heard if any media picked up any of them?
Comment by Nabiya — April 30, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
On Itchmo’s web site ,the FDA now say over 4,500 pets have died. AT LAST THE FDA IS NO LONGER SAYING 16 pet death’s.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 30, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
FDA Says 4,150 Pet Deaths Reported
April 30th, 2007
Lots of tidbits from this FDA release. And finally, an acknowledgment from the FDA that more than 16 pets may be dead.
http://www.itchmo.com/
Comment by Steve — April 30, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
“To set the record straight, American Nutrition did not engage in any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct relative to the inclusion of rice protein in certain products it manufactures.”
Um…but what about the products like Canine Caviar that weren’t supposed to have ANY grain products in them AT ALL? Surely that was pretty deliberate and intentionally wrongful, folks.
It wasn’t a substitution, it was an *addition*.
We don’t believe youuuuuuuu….
Comment by Mikken — April 30, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
I strongly recommend everyone read the full FDA Import Alert (that has the new numbers of dead pets) http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/o.....a9929.html
A summary just doesn’t do it justice.
ALL vegetable proteins from China are being held without inspection. This just got HUGE.
Comment by Kim — April 30, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
“On Itchmo’s web site ,the FDA now say over 4,500 pets have died.”
Well maybe my ears didn’t deceive me then!I just heard the report on CTV,out of Ottawa,and I was sure the lead in to the story,which was about protecting human foods,said “…illnesses and deaths of THOUSANDS ” of cats and dogs !!The actual reporter then came on and used the ‘dozens’ word so I thought I might have just *hoped* I had heard the first THOUSANDS.
Maybe not.
What a breakthrough!
Finaly!!!
Comment by Lorna — April 30, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
Notice how the American Nutrition press release obfuscate the real issue - all the BS about how common rice protein is, that there was nothing criminal about using rice protein, etc. - those have nothing to do with the real issues.
They have taken it upon themselves to change their client’s formulas - they admit that the pet foods as they produced them did not meet the guaranteed analysis - obviously, the protein content was too low. So, they added rice protein, even though the client’s formula doesn’t call for it, and it doesn’t appear on the label.
Sounds to me like they were substituting a cheap protein source for a more expensive one, and only got caught because they used a contaminated ingredient. Why else would a large number of their clients’ formulas not meet their guaranteed analysis?
From the individual press releases from their clients, it’s obvious that their clients were blindsided.
And how can they have knowingly shipped products with false ingredients labels and still claim to be “compliant with all applicable label regulations” - unless those regulations are so lax that what they did was OK according to the letter of the law.
Comment by Paul — April 30, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
Comment by Paul — April 30, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
And who knows if it was even “rice” that they threw in. Could have been mung beans for all anyone knows—-by the time they got it down to the discarded grain and indistinguishable from any plant material—-could have been any white powder out a a bag.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 30, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
Comment by PJ — April 30, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
PJ or anyone, is there any info on the news report that was supposed to aired in Detroit about Menu Foods ceo before the recall….I am anxiously (OK, maybe impatiently too) awaiting!!
Comment by Sandi K — April 30, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
Comment by Sandi K — April 30, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
Sandi, I am under the impression that the shocking revelation was that a Menu Foods executive sold stock before the recall. Of course to us that is old news, but to people not following the story online it may be a shocking revelation to them and it may get some more people motivated to do something about this situation.
Comment by Christi A. — April 30, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
Comment by Christi A. — April 30, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
OK Christi, I had visions of document shredding, burning, what have you. Oh well, that probably happened anyhow, I was just hoping someone caught him in the act….
Comment by Sandi K — April 30, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
Here is the FDA’s News Release about the 38 quarantined chicken farms in IN:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/.....01621.html
Comment by Kat — April 30, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
Kat
Well,isn’t that just ducky!!! 8)
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. It might show up in the ducks next.
Say, didn’t some of us mention the big sale on pork and chicken? I know I bought some for almost 1/2 off.
Ya think the CDC will go public if they get complaints???
Comment by Kathi — May 1, 2007 @ 2:43 am
Humm - my first reaction was “ANI doesn’t get it”. The issue for THEM shouldn’t be the safety of the rice protein, but the fact that they added to pet food without the consent of the companies they worked for. Interesting their statement never denies that but instead tries to claim how good the stuff is. I really do hope they get sued by these companies.
Comment by Jenny — May 1, 2007 @ 3:14 am
Bloomberg talking about earnings for Procter & Gamble right now ….Believe Bloomberg may be talking with a Company official around 7:30 this morning.
Comment by bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:21 am
AND, We wonder why we see all those new convenient dialysis clinics going up around our neighborhoods. Wonder why we see heavier-weight people walking around…our insides are being made plump, just like the melamine they coat it on our food products, etc..Gross !!! Why ???? These criminals need to be punished and their respective businesses shut down immediately..
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:23 am
FYI: It’s around 7:30am here EST, vs 4:30am mentioned on my above posts.
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:26 am
Clayton Daley, CFO of P & Gamble, will be interviewed on Bloomberg TV in just a few minutes @7:39 a.m. EST… Let’s see if they inquire about the food recall matter and how it’s affecting their earnings …
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:29 am
ASPCA on Bloomberg at 8:30a.m. EST - about an hour from now…
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:34 am
Not a word on the Bloomberg interview about the food recall…but, just mentioned that they would be talking about “food” in the next segment…I’ll check to see subject time for this discussion and whether it pertains to our matter …Maybe it’s time to buy our hot houses and check on Zoning for egg farming, etc. I’ve always felt that I lived on a farm in a prior life.
Bloomberg just gave earnings for ADM too…talking about production their “Oilseed” - wonder what that is ???
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 4:56 am
Bloomberg repeating ADM earnings report and mentioned again -their “oilseed” unit makes livestock feed ??? Does that make sense ???
Comment by Bee — May 1, 2007 @ 5:05 am