2007 Pet Food Recall
"What is this pet food recall about?"
It currently appears that there are two streams of concern over two different ingredients:
Wheat Gluten and Rice Protein Concentrate – both sourced from China within the period November
2006 to March 2007. It is being investigated that both these ingredients from two different
suppliers contain melamine, which may be harmful to pet kidney health.
1. In the instance of the Wheat Gluten: On Friday March 16, 2007, Menu Foods, a producer of
canned and pouched pet foods, announced recalls of several production runs in relation to products
it produces under a variety of manufacturer labels including both private label and national
brands sold at grocery, mass merchandisers and pet specialty stores. It is believed there may
be a correlation between consuming the recalled food and renal health.
Menu Foods has been working with the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. (FDA) to investigate
the recalled foods. They have announced concern with a single ingredient, ChemNutra Wheat Gluten
imported from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology, a company based in China. Menu advises that
they used this specific Wheat Gluten in certain production runs between November 2006 and early
March 2007. They said they found melamine - a chemical with high nitrogen - in the Wheat Gluten as well as the foods Menu made with that Wheat Gluten.
Following this announcement, several other manufacturers announced their usage of this specific Wheat Gluten in limited production runs and/or have
expressed concern about possible contamination into formulations made without Wheat Gluten. This has caused additional recalls.
2. In the instance of the Rice Protein Concentrate: On April 16, Natural Balance
issued a voluntary recall for select products only, citing a concern that these
foods may contain melamine. Some of these products were sold in PET VALU Canada
and PET VALU US stores. Unlike Menu's recall, with respect to melamine allegedly
having entered their foods via a Wheat Gluten ingredient, Natural Balance has
indicated they believe the source of the melamine is a Rice Protein Concentrate,
recently added to their formulations. They believe it is restricted to select
batches, but are recalling all of their above-named Venison products with Rice
Protein Concentrate as an added precaution. They are continuing to investigate
this issue.
On April 27, the recall was further expanded due to other manufacturers possible
contact with this same supplier of Rice Protein Concentrate. These manufacturers
have issued a voluntary recall of their products, even though testing has not
proven the foods contain melamine. They are recalling these additional products
as a safety precaution.
3. Unrelated to the imported ingredients – there was a separate recall due to Salmonella:
On March 31 and April 2, Eight in One Inc. (8in1) announced a recall of their
Dingo Chicken Jerky Treats - available in versions for dogs, cats, and ferrets - saying the food may be
contaminated with salmonella. None of these treats were sold in PET VALU Canada stores.
Only the ferret version of these Dingo treats was sold in PET VALU US stores. Eight in
One Inc. advises that the salmonella could infect both animals and pet owners who handle
the treats. Salmonella is bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting, loss of
appetite, lethargy, and abdominal pain. This is a separate issue from the Wheat Gluten
concerns.
Find out if any foods or treats you purchased are affected:
We are offering here, for your convenience, links to the FDA website, as well as for Menu Foods and some of the affected brands, as they include specific information on product names, numbers and lot codes.
LATEST NEWS - Menu Foods website - includes
customer concerns/claims reporting service
LATEST NEWS - FDA website
Nutro - only canned & pouch foods
Eukanuba - only canned & pouch foods
Feline Cuisine - 3 formulas
Feline Classic - 1 formula - Cat Flaked Tuna 3 oz only
Health Diet - 1 formula - Cat Chicken & Rice formula only
Gourmet Cuisine - 4 formulas of dog food
Iams - only canned & pouch foods
Mighty Dog - only dog canned food
Science Diet - canned foods (no pouches), plus a dry food sold only in veterinarian offices
Del Monte - only select treats
Natural Balance - only select items
Performatrin Ultra - 3 formulations
8in1 - Ferret Ultra-Blend Food
More brands sold at other retailers and through veterinarians are affected. See the FDA website for a complete list of all recalled foods.
"What do I do if I purchased a recalled product and have fed it to my pet?"
1. Discontinue feeding it immediately, and do not discard any containers or packaging.
2. If your pet exhibits any of the following renal failure symptoms:
• lethargy
• jaundice (watch for yellowing in whites of the eyes)
• decreased appetite or change in thirst
• vomiting
Seek advice from your pet's veterinarian immediately.
3. You may return any recalled product sold through PET VALU stores for full refund or
exchange.
4. Find a substitute product. There are hundreds of quality wet and dry pet foods available
outside of the recall. Your local PET VALU store can help you select nutrition that is
appropriate for your pet(s).
5. If you think your pet has been affected by this recall, please review Menu Foods website to log your concerns.
Updated May 18, 2007. This information is preliminary in character.
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