"Total
Recall"
By
Stacy Mantle
I'm sure you've all heard about the recent pet food recall and I'm sure you have some questions. I wanted to do some research on this issue and let you know what's going on. So I hope for the sake of you and your pets that you will review this issue carefully. I'm going to address the questions I've received and if you need more information, feel free to visit us at
www.petsweekly.com - we'll have a new page up on this issue by Wednesday - or shoot us an email at
petsweekly@gmail.com. The FDA is also a reliable source of recall information, as are many other national papers.
With
an estimated 164 million pets in 70 million homes (not to mention
all the millions of animals in rescues, animal control facilities,
strays and lost pets), this has been a devastating blow to pet
owners and caretakers. Then there was the problem of
"timing". Menu Foods received their first complaint
about the food in mid-February (although we have heard different
things on this, with complaints dating back to December of
2006). They began product "palatability tests" on an
estimated 45 dogs and cats. Within five days, 10 of those
animals died of kidney failure (9 cats, 1 dog). Yet, they
still did not react to the devastating threat. It was not
until late March that they issued a recall, with the FDA
joining in the alert the next day.
Pet
owners the world round felt betrayed and angry that the same company
created nearly every nationally known brand of dog and cat food on
the market. It will take the large pet food manufacturers much
more than glossy advertisements and entertaining television
commercials to overcome this terrifying episode. Menu Foods
stock is down 15.7% (justifiably), and the pet food producers are
not far behind. It is our hope that consumers will spend more time
researching their pets food (just as we at PetsWeekly are now
doing!). To help out with this research, we've spent the last
week updating our site with information, recommended
foods and foods
that we can't justify as a purchase just yet (with our reasons
why). We have also included a list of the recalled brands for
both dogs
and cats.
In addition, we have added a short list of nutritional
terms that you should know when seeking out a new food, and the
text of the recalls
from companies. Please take a moment to read them over,
write to us with your comments, your personal experiences, your
recommendations and anything you need to say in relation to the pet
food recall. We will be updating our site regularly and will
include a section for your own experiences...
Which brands are included in this recall?
These brands have now been expanded to include all foods manufactured by MenuFoods.
To see if your food is on the list, check out www.menufoods.com/recall.
Take a moment to review a chart of foods that we both recommend
and do
not recommend for your pets.
How much food was recalled?
New food brands are being added almost daily. As of March 26, Menu foods listed 51 brands of dog food and 42 brands of cat food that have issued voluntary recalls. In all, over 60 million cans/pouches of food have been recalled.
When was this recall issued?
Recalls are nothing new in the pet food industry. In December, 2005 a recall was issued by Diamond Pet foods after they discovered Aflatoxin in 19 of their pet food products. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring chemical by-product that occurs in corn. Symptoms of poisoning include: sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, yellowish tint to the eyes and/or gums, and severe or bloody diarrhea. In that case, 23 dogs were documented killed as a result of consuming contaminated food, and countless others were likely killed, but never reported, as well. More than 18 were sickened, again it is likely that we never heard about others. Over 30 countries were effected, yet, we heard little to nothing about this issue. There were other recalls as well – WildKitty foods in 2005 and again in February of 2007 (due to Salmonella), PetCurean in 2003 (beginning as voluntary, changing to mandatory in 2005 after being found to create liver failure and anemia in pets) and Berkley & Jensen's Wild Pig Ear products in 2000, 2006 and March 2007. IN fact, there were so many recalls, I can't even list them all
here, so please take a moment to visit the FDA Recall site, and you
may want to subscribe to their RSS feed for up-to-date information.
This week's particular recall was first issued after 1 dog and 9 cats died in laboratory tests as a result of consuming contaminated food. According to MenuFoods, they first became aware of the problem after receiving an “undisclosed number of complaints.” Testing reportedly began in February however, the recall was not issued until this week. While the specified food has been on the market since January, the recall was just issued on March 16. Again, Diamond foods is on this list once again and the same manufacturer, MenuFoods, was also listed.
Which food items are included in this recall?
See this information for a complete list of foods, or visit www.menufoods.com/recall for information on the recalled foods (which continues to expand).
Remember that this is a "voluntary recall", so companies
are taking part in it out of the goodness of their hearts. Not
all companies have done this, and not all pet foods have stopped
selling the contaminated food. So practice the concept of
"buyer beware" prior to making your next purchase. Availability
does not make it "okay" to buy.
How many animals have been effected?
While the actual numbers may never be known, this reaches much further than the 9 cats and 1 dog that was killed in laboratory tests (an average of 1 in 6 tested). Please note that these recorded deaths are only related to the laboratory animals used in testing. Deaths and illness across Canada, Mexico and the United States are being reported daily, although they have not yet been documented.
Recently it was reported that 16 more pets have been confirmed dead,
but scientists anticipate this number to increase exponentially.
Which symptoms should I watch for in my pets?
The symptoms in animals who have consumed these products include a loss of appetite, vomiting and lethargy. A yellowing of the white part of the eyes, or yellow in the belly or other areas where hair is thin, is also an indicator of kidney failure. Fever, bloody diarrhea, discolored urine, increased thirst and urination, or a lack of ability to urinate/defecate, are all signs that your pet needs to be seen immediately. If your dog or cat has consumed any potentially contaminated food, take them into the veterinarian even if they are not displaying symptoms. Many pets never show any signs of liver or kidney problems. In this day and age, tests can be done to determine if your pets are in any danger, simply tell your veterinarian that you wish your pet to have a workup in regards to the recent pet food recall.
What is the problem with the food?
The belief is that these problems have arisen due to a problem with the Wheat Gluten that was used during the production process. Wheat Gluten is commonly used as a filler for pet foods, and can cause problems anyway, as many pets have allergies to wheat. As Menu Foods apparently handled the production of each of these foods (which makes you think), this is the only cause they have so far determined. The truth is that the problem could lie with the processing machines, the packaging, or anything else. According to Menu Foods spokesperson, Sarah Tuite, “We're testing and testing but we can't identify the problem in the product.”
Recently, they discovered that the food was contaminated with aminopterin - a rodenticide (rat poison) that is illegal in the United States, but still available in other countries. They suspect that Wheat gluten is the contaminated substance, as it is imported from China. We have to ask WHY we are importing this, since the U.S. is the largest producer of grains in the world - but, as yet we have received no answer to this question.
What we have discovered is that less than 2% of all imported foods are inspected, and if it had been, we probably wouldn't have located this substance anyway as it is not on the "commonly used substance of the week" list. So far, there are no theories on how it got into the food or whether it was intentional. In fact, they're not even 100% confident that the wheat gluten is the source.
Where was this food sold?
The food was sold just about everywhere on the North American continent in nearly all pet stores, grocery food chains including Kroger, Safeways, Walmart, and superstores like PetSmart and Petco. If you live in North America, you should check your supply of pet food immediately.
What should I do with contaminated food?
Stop feeding it immediately. While changing brands suddenly may cause digestive upset in many pets, the danger of feeding this food is much more of a threat at this point. Contaminated food should be disposed of immediately. Remember that anything going into the garbage can has the potential of being consumed by other animals, including feral animals and birds. Most pet and grocery stores are offering a refund or exchange of any contaminated food and this is the best bet for disposing of it. It's best to let the manufacturer dispose of this food, so please return it to the store you purchased it from.
What if I have more questions?
Menu Foods has set up two numbers for reporting problems or asking questions. They are:
1-866-463-6738 and 1-866-895-2708. While the line has been constantly busy, Sarah Tuite – spokesperson for Menu Foods, states they have “...added more people and several lines to cope with the calls.” The FDA asks that any deaths or illnesses associated with these foods be reported to state complaint offices2. The contact information for your state can be found at the end of this article, or online at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. You can also check the FDA site (www.fda.gov) for the most recent recalls, which we suspect will continue to grow.
How will these problems be avoided in the future?
Honestly, we're not sure. The manufacturer involved has stated that they have switched distributing companies and have increased testing of raw foods and ingredients. However, petsweekly feels that this should have been occurring already. Do our pets deserve less than the best? We don't think so! If we do product testing with our food, it should certainly be done with our pets! Of course, the product testing should NOT occur on lab animals, so we need to come up with some alternatives soon.
So, What IS safe to feed my pets?
We actually have a few alternatives for your pet.
Other options include a raw diet food, but this diet can be costly and time-consuming. I'm sure there are many other brands that are quality as well, but we haven't tested them out and we won't recommend them unless we have. General rules apply– stay away from foods that contain wheat or corn, byproducts and fillers.
We have been feeding our pets Life's Abundance from HealthyPetNet for some time now. Their food contains NO byproducts, NO fillers and is completely safe. We don't anticipate any problems in the future. Visit their site for a free sample of cat or dog food. When you see how much your pets love it, choose your special diet from several selections. Become educated on your food by watching the video on the site, and see the chart where you can compare your current food to this brand.
Telling Others About Your Sick Pet
Please let us know if your pet has become sick or had to be put down as a result of consuming contaminated food. Email your story to Petsweekly.gmail.com. Getting word out about this issue is perhaps the most important thing we can do, and we will be devoting a section to it on www.petsweekly.com.
Remember, awareness is half of the battle, action is the other half, so please tell us about your experience.
To report adverse reactions or other problems with FDA-regulated products, contact the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area. If you require the use of a Relay Service, please call the Federal Relay Services (1-800-877-8339). This is a toll free relay service to call Federal agencies from TTY devices.
About
the Author
Stacy Mantle is a
freelance writer who currently resides in the southwestern deserts
of Arizona with a number of cats, a coyote/wolf hybrid, and a very
understanding husband. Her writing has appeared in publications such
as Pacific Yachting Magazine, The Arabian Horse Times,
Today’s AZ Woman, and Pets Illustrated. She now has
monthly columns in Jackson Parents magazine and online at www.thecatsite.com. Many of her stories
and articles have been translated into several languages, and now
reach an international audience. Quickly becoming known as "…the
Erma Bombeck of animals", her writing has skyrocketed to
new heights as she records the stories of those she loves, inspiring
the reader to learn why we have all come to love the animals we
share our lives with. She is the author of Conquering the Food
Chain: Living Amongst Animals (Without Becoming One),
which is available in Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide, as
well as online at www.bn.com or www.amazon.com.
Other
Stories: How
To Pill A Cat, Freelancing
Felines, Teaching
A Coyote to Fetch,
Once Upon A Midnight Dreary,
Feral Cat Day, Computer
Guide for Cat Lovers, Just
Wait 'Till You Have Children of Your Own, Diary
of A Cog, How
To Pill A Cat, Herding
Cats, Sleeping With
the Enemy, A
Fish Tale, Do
Animals Have Souls, The
Problem With Kittens, Counterproductive
Behavior in Dogs, Counterproductive
Behavior in Cats, Cody
is My Sister's Dog, Diary
of A Cog, Free Kittuns, Pet
Theft, On With The Show, Making
Noodles with A Kitten
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