Do you like this story?
Petsmart pulls peanut-butter treats
By Gina Spadafori
January 20, 2009
Yes, we predicted it earlier today, and here it is:
PetSmart is voluntarily recalling seven of its Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuit products that contain peanut paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility.
Although PetSmart is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, it has removed these products from its store shelves and website and is conducting the recall as a precautionary measure.
Go the the FDA to catch the lot numbers. I would doubt these treats are the only ones affected, so beware.
First to note it? Elizabeth Weise of USA Today, still on the job.
Share & Enjoy
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
Google Buzz
|
Digg
|
|
Technorati
|
StumbleUpon
|
Delicious
|
Email
|
Home
Susan points out that this is a lot like Menu Foods: One company, providing tainted products across a wide spectrum of brands.
Hey, no national security vulnerability there, huh?
President Obama, I know you’ve got a full plate, but … food safety and security affects us all. Help!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — January 20, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
Apparently they sold to 80 companies. Of the first 3 to go public, one was a CT based distributor that sold to companies in several states. And then we’re going to have all the private label manufacturers etc. Nothing like tankers full (literally) of tainted ingredients . . .
I can’t believe they don’t test this stuff on both ends before sending it out and receiving it, much less before they put it into production runs that are going to spit out millions of product. I noticed one or 2 companies said they tested finished products before they sent them out. This may become more common, hopefully. Some of the companies are looking at massive amounts of product being pulled.
When we were following the pet food recall, didn’t we learn that some feed consists of “bakery goods”? I noticed they recalled pet food paste (?!) and feed grade peanut something, which made me think of it, but my brain can’t remember the particulars . . . .
Comment by straybaby — January 21, 2009 @ 2:45 am
I find it funny that when I research salmonella poisoning in dogs, all I find is article after article admonishing people about feeding raw foods. Seems to be it’s getting more obvious by the minute that the “prepared foods,” even those human mainstays such as peanut butter, can’t be trusted.
A friend has a shepherd who’s come down with running diarrhea. Makes a body wonder if this is an additive in certain pet foods t boost the taste.
Comment by Sharon H — January 21, 2009 @ 4:51 am
One thing I learned from March 2007 was I was surely mistaken when I thought “Homeland Security” included our food safety…sure hope it becomes a priority one of these days….
Comment by Carol V — January 21, 2009 @ 4:59 am
I don’t feed my dogs peanut butter, which I know is unusual. It’s very fatty, that’s the only reason.
The more I learn thanks to this site and others about commercial foods, the less comfortable I feel when buying them. I think we’re still OK with our base kibble from Fromm, but I’m moving rather quickly towards home prep using human-grade ingredients.
I have Toy dogs, so it’s not a big deal costwise but it would be for somebody with multiple big guys.
It is a dereliction of duty, in my opinion, when a government can’t vet its food and drug supply. It’s the number-one thing I believe governments should do (a couple of other priorities are to maintain infrastructure and a military, provide education and healthcare and preserve the environment).
When you’re not doing Job One, how well are you doing the rest?
Comment by Selma — January 21, 2009 @ 8:37 am
Agreed!Makes you wonder about all the things they just haven’t found out about yet.
Does anyone use the dehydrated raw food from Honest Kitchen?
Comment by Lori — January 21, 2009 @ 9:01 am
I find it funny that when I research salmonella poisoning in dogs, all I find is article after article admonishing people about feeding raw foods. Seems to be it’s getting more obvious by the minute that the “prepared foods,” even those human mainstays such as peanut butter, can’t be trusted.
It’s not just pet food, either. Most outbreaks of food poisoning are institutional, and yet the “solution” to this problem is always framed as if it’s about the home kitchen.
Comment by Christie Keith — January 21, 2009 @ 9:35 am
Today, I had to take my cousin to the local hospital for a colonoscopy. While I’m in the “Short Term Stay Waiting Area,” I check out the vending machine. Sure enough, there were recalled peanut butter crackers offered for sale. This is in a hospital, for crying out loud!
I notify the volunteer in charge (a nice elderly lady) who immediately posts a note on the vending machine for folks not to purchase the crackers. She had no idea, hadn’t thought to check and had no way of contacting the vending machine company.
There are so many things wrong with this picture that if I was Christie, my head would explode!
Comment by Dorene — January 21, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
Keep an eye on the FDA Web site. The recalls of peanut snack products for people just keep coming:
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.HTML
Comment by Gina Spadafori — January 21, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
Dorene… I was in a hospital yesterday too, and when I was buying coffee in the cafeteria a doctor was eating a power bar that had been recalled while he waited to pay. I told him they’d been recalled that morning and he shrugged and KEPT EATING IT.
A doctor.
Comment by Christie Keith — January 21, 2009 @ 1:00 pm
Christie —
Good heavens — now I’m thankful the nice elderly lady volunteer took me seriously!
Maybe that’s because she would have to clean up the messes if family members waiting for their loved ones ended up back in the waiting room with salmonella — her whole attitude was “we don’t want people coming right back here!”
Obviously, the doctor could learn something from her. No excuse for HIM!
Comment by Dorene — January 21, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Who’s going to be the next Upton Sinclair and write the early 21st century version of “The Jungle”, which at this point should be called, I guess, “The Peanut”. Sheesh. Jimmy Carter must be beside himself.
Comment by Susan Fox — January 21, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
Ok, I just went to the (lengthy) recall list. Just what the heck is “undeclared” milk? Is this something else we need to be on the lookout for?
Do I even want to know what “sheep balancer” is? Probably not.
Comment by Susan Fox — January 21, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
Last Thursday night I stopped by a local vegan resteraunt and ordered a chicken salad to go…came with a peanut sauce dressing. I woke up at 1:30 am so sick…on the verge of throwing up, but never did. I was extremely sick with hot flash like symptoms, fever and excruciating stomach pains until I finally fell back asleep two hours later. Never thought about calling the resteraunt to see if others were sick but I suppose I should.
Here’s a new test that detects melamine in milk and milk powder in 25 seconds.
1/21/2009 3:09:00 PM
Purdue Technology Detects Contaminant In Milk Products
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new analysis method can detect the kidney-damaging chemical melamine, used to contaminate infant formula in China last September, at very low levels within a matter of seconds.
A research team at Purdue University created the analysis method to detect levels of melamine in the low parts-per-billion in milk and milk powder in about 25 seconds.
An estimated 50,000 Chinese children were sickened and several died after drinking the melamine-contaminated formula. Melamine, which is used in plastics, was deliberately added to the formula to artificially bump up apparent protein levels.
The chemical also was found in the contaminated pet food produced in China responsible for the deaths of a reported 8,500 dogs and cats in the United States in March 2007.
continues here - http://news.uns.purdue.edu/
Comment by Barb — January 21, 2009 @ 3:41 pm
World News just mentioned the pulling of pet food and showed the empty shelves as a teaser before the commercial. Imagine my surprise!
FDA is saying the Georgia plant is the sole source and expect the recalls to increase in coming days.
Comment by straybaby — January 21, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
I think the issue with the salmonella tainted dog products is the potential for transmission to humans. Salmonella isn’t something dogs have a problem with as far as I and my raw fed dogs know.
Comment by Angelique — January 21, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
“Undeclared Milk” simply means that the ingredient was not listed on the package. There are a number of products recalled every week due to undeclared ingredients. Things like milk, nuts, and sulfites are powerful allergens to some people, and need to be listed on the packaging. There’s nothing sinister about the milk (unless it came from China) it just wasn’t put on the ingredients list and that poses a danger to the public.
Comment by C.L.H. — January 21, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
I’d sure like to know how salmonella got introduce into that much peanut product!
Comment by C.L.H. — January 21, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
We thought our 11-year-old Old English Sheepdog was going to die last week… he was lethargic… breathing heavily, weezing… coughing… then we stopped feeding him Tops brand peanut butter bones, which we had bought only the previous week, and he was miraculously better in just a couple days. I can’t verify that the bones were the cause, and I know dogs shouldn’t be affected… but this doesn’t seem like a coincidence. Nevertheless, we were nearly ready to say goodbye and now he’s acting like a 2 year old again!!
Comment by Alex — January 21, 2009 @ 6:53 pm
Alex, thank goodness your pup is feeling better. Once again, we’re all in the throes of this garbage. It’s a shame.
Comment by Sharon H — January 22, 2009 @ 7:35 am
So now Pet Food ‘Peanut Paste’ by Peanut Corporation of America or Parnell’s Pride is being recalled.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/.....ut%20Paste
Comment by Barb — January 22, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Barb, I have been watching the FDA roll more recall notices all day long.
If you have any peanut cracker/cookie/power bar/whatever in your cupboard, for people or pets, I’d toss it.
However, for those who like Girl Scout cookies, they’re saying they’re not affected:
http://www.girlscouts.org/news.....ookies.asp
I was a Girl Scout (and a Sea Scout, which is technically part of Boy Scouts). But I wish (completely aside from this current peanut butter mess) the Girl Scouts would find some other way of raising money than by selling crap snacks to a nation that doesn’t need more of them.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — January 22, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
I heard Dr. Sundloff on television say it might not be much of a problem for pets to eat peanut butter but it could be a problem when adults with compromised immune systems eat the peanut butter.
I almost jumped out of my chair after that statement. Wow!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — January 22, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
I shoould add that Dr. Sundloff heads the FDA.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — January 22, 2009 @ 5:17 pm