What’s up with FDA pet-food list changes, and USDA recalls meat from cruelty investigation
By Gina Spadafori
February 17, 2008
Finally got something back from the FDA on the changes in their recalls pages … as did many of our readers:
The update was to put a specific “best by” date for five Royal Canin products. Unfortunately, when the update was done the dates changed on all of the pages, and not just those products directly involved.
CVM Home Page
Previous post here.
More on recalls: The USDA has just issued the largest beef recall ever, following an Humane Society of the United States investigation into cruelty (and law-breaking) at a Southern California slaughterhouse. From the AP:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday recalled 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is being investigated for mistreating cattle.
Officials said it was the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats.
The federal agency said the recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino, California-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which supplies meat to the federal school lunch program and to some major fast-food chains.
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.
“Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” Schafer said in a statement.
Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts.
Here’s the rest. And here’s our previous post, related. More from HSUS top dog Wayne Pacelle, here and here. You know we’ve had a lot of not seeing eye-to-eye with the HSUS on many issues, especially in regards to the forced sterilization of pets, but we’re sure with them on insisting on the humane treatment of food animals.
“Unfit for human food.” Hmmmmm … wonder where that misery meat will be going?
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Completely unrelated: Weird dachshund doings on Terrierman, and Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly has her usual no-holds-barred writings on “responsible” puggle breeders and on the baying of Beagles.
Ive posted on this before in related topics.
The Westland recall has more relevance to pets than the average consumer might expect. Note how it says “unfit for human consumption…” This is in fact the meat that is normally used in pet food.
What this company was doing was trying to salvage value on injured animals by forcing them into the human food slaughter line. I believe I previously posted about the rule about being able to walk into the slaughter pen (non-ambulatory).
In fairness farm families have very often used animals that were injured and therefore not able to be sold in commercial stock yards for their own food. But once the animal is in the hands of the yard it is not always clear as to why they are down. That is what they are talking about when they mention calling the vet. In order to use a downer you have to have a vet certify that the animal is down because of a non-disease cause such as a broken leg.
Trust me, a healthy cow or steer would NEVER be used in pet food. That is also why cereals are used as the main ingredient in most dry foods in particular. Any “meat” as such is mostly there for flavoring like a bullion cube in broth.
Thats why I choke when store reps tell me that Scout might not be getting their daily requirements by feeding him chicken and cheeseburgers… I didnt know down cow was a requirement, did you?
Comment by Bernard J. (Bernie) Starzewski — February 17, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
Gina,
I’m currently researching a general article on the pet food recalls that took me right back to the anguish of last year. I felt compelled to tell you the only bright spot in that whole nightmare was your blog and the blogs of so many other committed pet lovers. The tireless efforts of Itchmo, petfoodtracker, petfoodlist, howl911, and petconnection saved countless animals.
I’ve chosen to include a section in my article about the grassroots efforts generated by blogs such as yours. You spearheaded an effort to not only protect our beloved companion animals but inform the public and congress of the problems in the pet food industry.
I cannot thank you enough on behalf of every critter I have for doing so much to provide information at great expense to yourself. You all are surely angels.
-Sharon
Comment by Sharon — February 17, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
Here’s more on Secretary of Agriculture’s comments:
http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.bl.....nt-by.html
Comment by Barb — February 17, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
…and the USDA spin machine!
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal.....2/0048.xml
Comment by Barb — February 17, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
“Raymond countered a claim leveled by Humane
Society President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, who said a USDA inspector was at the Westland
plant for about two hours each day. USDA
inspectors are there at
slaughterhouses “continuously,” Raymond said.”
So who were the “continuously” present inspectors that were paid off?
Comment by Nadine L. — February 17, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Anyone else have a problem with the recall dates ? Feb 1 st 2006 ? Thats a yr old. No one including schools or pet foods should be using meat over a yr old.Once again the USDA & FDA are right on the ball !Our tax dollars hard at work.
Comment by Leslie k — February 17, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
Privatization (self regulating and policing) sure has increased quality and safety for us consumers-end users hasn’t it?
Whats ol’ Duane up to these days? Still in the Biz yapping about how impeccable the PFI group is?
Comment by Steve — February 17, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
Back to Feb 2006??? God help us all.
Comment by Sam — February 17, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
I want to second Sharon’s comment. I also found Pet Connection during the recall crisis and reported my collie to you, who was sick for three days after eating Safeway Priority canned food that turned out to have one of the dreaded recall number on it. You were a lifeline of information and a wake-up call about commercial pet food. I was one of the lucky ones. My 75lb. dog was able to throw off the effects with no consequences. My heart breaks for all the (mostly)smaller cats and dogs that couldn’t.
Sharon, let us know when and where your article will appear.
Thanks Gina and crew, for staying on the story. And I second Nadine’s comment too. Raymond’s statement appears to be yet one more answer to the question “How stupid do they think we are?”
Feb. 1, 2006? My mind doesn’t even want to go there. No more factory farmed food!
Comment by Susan Fox — February 17, 2008 @ 8:55 pm
I think that articles I read said that much of this meat had already been consumed. So, even though they are recalling back to Feb. 2006, that is probably a precaution in case some is still out there. Some of this meat is used in producing frozen meals, etc. that may have a longer shelf life after processing. If it is true that much has been consumed, I guess no one got sick. So, even though it is probably a good idea to recall it, it may not have been harmful after-all. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
Comment by Catlady — February 18, 2008 @ 1:02 am
Thanks Gina for covering this recall and for keeping the issue of factory farming in front of pet lovers. Folks wondering how much confidence they should have in the US food safety system should note that this plant was chosen by The HSUS at random, not targeted because of any previous reports of animal cruelty. See lengthy stories about the recall in Monday’s LA Times (http://tinyurl.com/3aqtnw) and USA Today (http://tinyurl.com/3yrzfr).
Comment by Jennifer — February 18, 2008 @ 4:50 am
Some blogs I have perused (not this one) regarding this HSUS video of inhumane treatment of downer cattle seem to be focused on brow beating people into becoming vegans. I am 100% supportive of humane treatment from birth to death of livestock for consumption but I won’t join in trying to guilt trip others into becoming vegans. I wish the focus on humane treatment would be consistently emphasized over the vegan issues in the blogoshere posting on this beef recall.
Comment by slt — February 18, 2008 @ 7:25 am
You know that folks on the edges of the opinion spectrum are always the most vocal. You know we’re about humane treatment here, as I’ve previously posted. We’re also not about “slippery slope” and the idea that people must be allowed to do anything they want to animals to be able to protect our right to have animals as companions, and to preserve our heritage breeds.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 18, 2008 @ 7:39 am
Michael Moore is in process of producing a film about how large corporations have taken over—I just hope he includes some of the food corps.
(He was on Larry King Live a couple of weeks ago).
I also indebted to you, Gina, for this website keeping me posted on all the foods that could be poisonous to animals. I am also grateful to the bloggers who shared their food stories.
The reason I am so grateful is that my cats were quickly taken off any foods strongly suspected of harmful ingredients and are alive today, even after suffering ill affects from the tainted foods. I would not have been alerted had I not followed the news on this blog religiously.
I guess animal lovers have to help eachother out, anyway we can—instead of waiting for big government to do so, Republican or Democratic.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 18, 2008 @ 8:00 am
Yeah, that’s why I think your blog is “one of the good ones” : )
Comment by slt — February 18, 2008 @ 8:06 am
We all know that this recalled unfit for human consumption beef is going to end up in pet food. I hope people are aware that there is a link between mad cow disease and cows that are too sick to stand. Downer cows also have three times more e-coli than standing cows. I don’t feed pet food but for those that do I certainly would not feed anything beef for a long while.
Mad cow disease doesn’t present itself acutely. You might not see symptoms for years. And there is a reason for the e-coli spike in this last year in particular. I will bet this is common practice to send sick cows to market and that is why we are seeing so many recent illnesses and unprecedented recalls of beef that are noted on page 400 in teensy tiny print up in the far left hand corner of your newspaper. The USDA is doing a great job. That is said dripping in sarcasm.
Comment by Nicole — February 18, 2008 @ 8:32 am
Just sent this to Gina - FDA inspects the wrong factory in China, approves drug which caused adverse effects:
http://www.pr-inside.com/us-he.....443570.htm
Comment by The OTHER Pat — February 19, 2008 @ 7:24 am
Info about wrong factory in China was also in the Wall Street Journal Health Blog.
Can’t they get someone to read Chinese correctly? How can they inspect plants correctly?
So frightening.
I sent you an e-mail, Gina, because story@theultimatecatlover.com does not open for me—either e-mail or website. I guess maybe because I cannot read English correctly?
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 19, 2008 @ 7:47 am
There are some really great vegetarian/vegan recipes at http://www.101cookbooks.com. No agenda, no preaching. And no, though I wish it were, it’s not my site.
Comment by CynthiaW — February 19, 2008 @ 9:11 am
The recall dates are a year old because HSUS sat on the footage for a year. And the continuously present inspectors were inside the building not in the unloading area.
Never use bribes and conspiracy theories to explain what mere studpidity is sufficient to cover.
Comment by emily — February 19, 2008 @ 11:20 am
Just got an e-mail from the FDA that charges are being filed against several American firms and Chinese firms for the poison pet foods scheme. It was from the FDA newsletter which I have been subscribing to.
It won’t bring back the pets that died. However, maybe some justice will be served.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 19, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
It’s always been a worry as to what is used by the pet food industry. In the UK the regulations seem tighter, but are still open to some abuse.
http://www.pet-food-choice.co......dients.htm
Comment by John Birch — February 20, 2008 @ 7:49 am
The prosecutions were reported in the news a few weeks ago
Comment by emily — February 20, 2008 @ 9:04 am
“Comment by Sharon — February 17, 2008 @ 4:39 pm” (…and others like it.)
Hear, hear, I second that most heartily.
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — February 24, 2008 @ 2:03 pm