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ANIMAL FOOD RECALL
The Official Web Site Of Starfire Tor
ANIMAL FOOD RECALL
YOUR WHOLE PET
Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recallBy Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate mailto:yourwholepet@sfgate.com
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The March 16 *recall* of 91 *pet* *food* products manufactured by Menu Foods wasn't big news at first. Early coverage reported only 10-15 cats and dogs dying after eating canned and pouched foods manufactured by Menu. The foods were recalled -- among them some of the country's best-known and biggest-selling brands -- and while it was certainly a sad story, and maybe even a bit of a wake-up call about some aspects of *pet* *food* manufacturing, that was about it.
At first, that was it for me, too. But I'm a contributing editor for a nationally syndicated *pet* feature, Universal Press Syndicate's *Pet* Connection, and all of us there have close ties to the veterinary profession. Two of our contributors are vets themselves, including Dr. Marty Becker, the vet on "Good Morning America." And what we were hearing from veterinarians wasn't matching what we were hearing on the news.
When we started digging into the story, it quickly became clear that the implications of the *recall* were much larger than they first appeared. Most critically, it turned out that the initially reported tally of dead animals only included the cats and dogs who died in Menu's test lab and not the much larger number of affected pets.
Second, the timeline of the *recall* raised a number of concerns. Although there have been some media reports that Menu Foods started getting complaints as early as December 2006, FDA records state the company received their first report of a *food*-related *pet* death on February 20.
One week later, on February 27, Menu started testing the suspect foods. Three days later, on March 3, the first cat in the trial died of acute kidney failure. Three days after that, Menu switched wheat gluten suppliers, and 10 days later, on March 16, recalled the 91 products that contained gluten from their previous source.
Nearly one month passed from the date Menu got its first report of a death to the date it issued the *recall*. During that time, no veterinarians were warned to be on the lookout for unusual numbers of kidney failure in their patients. No *pet* owners were warned to watch their pets for its symptoms. And thousands and thousands of *pet* owners kept buying those foods and giving them to their dogs and cats.
At that point, Menu had seen a 35 percent death rate in their test-lab cats, with another 45 percent suffering kidney damage. The overall death rate for animals in Menu's tests was around 20 percent. How many pets, eating those recalled foods, had died, become ill or suffered kidney damage in the time leading up to the *recall* and in the days since? The answer to that hasn't changed since the day the *recall* was issued: We don't know.
We at *Pet* Connection knew the 10-15 deaths being reported by the media did not reflect an accurate count. We wanted to get an idea of the real scope of the problem, so we started a database for people to report their dead or sick pets. On March 21, two days after opening the database, we had over 600 reported cases and more than 200 reported deaths. As of March 31, the number of deaths alone was at 2,797.
There are all kinds of problems with self-reported cases, and while we did correct for a couple of them, our numbers are not considered "confirmed." But USA Today reported on March 25 that data from Banfield, a nationwide chain of over 600 veterinary hospitals, "suggests [the number of cases of kidney failure] is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the *food* was on the market."
On March 28, "NBC News" featured California veterinarian Paul Pion, who surveyed the 30,000 members of his national Veterinary Information Network and told anchor Tom Costello, "If what veterinarians are suspecting are cases, then it's much larger than anything we've seen before." Costello commented that it amounted to "potentially thousands of sick or dead pets."
The FDA was asked about the numbers at a press conference it held on Friday morning to announce that melamine had been found in the urine and tissues of some affected animals as well as in the foods they tested. Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, told reporters that the FDA couldn't confirm any cases beyond the first few, even though they had received over 8,800 additional reports, because "we have not had the luxury of confirming these reports." They would work on that, he said, after they "make sure all the product is off the shelves." He pointed out that in human medicine, the job of defining what constitutes a confirmed case would fall to the Centers for Disease Control, but there is no CDC for animals.
Instead, *pet* owners were encouraged to report deaths and illness to the FDA. But when they tried to file reports, there was no place on the agency's Web site to do so and nothing but endless busy signals when people tried to call.
Veterinarians didn't fare much better. They were asked to report cases to their state veterinarian's office, but one feline veterinary blog, vetcetera, which surveyed all official state veterinarian Web sites, found that only eight had any independent information about the *recall*, and only 24 even mentioned it at all. Only one state, Vermont, had a request on their site for veterinarians to report pets whose illnesses or deaths they suspect are related to the *recall*. And as of today, there is no longer a notice that veterinarians should report suspected cases to their state veterinarians on the Web site of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The lack of any notification system was extremely hard on veterinarians, many of whom first heard about the problem on the news or from their clients. Professional groups such as the Veterinary Information Network were crucial in disseminating information about the *recall* to their members, but not all vets belong to VIN, and not all vets log on to VIN on the weekend (the Menu press release, like most corporate or government bad news, was issued on a Friday).
But however difficult this *recall* has been for veterinarians, no one has felt its impact more than the owners of affected dogs and cats. While the *pet* media and bloggers continued to push the story, the most powerful force driving it was the grief of *pet* owners, many of them fueled by anger because they felt that their *pet*'s death or illness wasn't being counted.
Many of them were also being driven by a feeling of guilt. At *Pet* Connection, we received a flood of stories from owners whose pets became ill with kidney failure, and who took them to the vet. The dogs or cats were hospitalized and treated, often at great expense -- sometimes into the thousands of dollars -- and then, when they were finally well enough, sent home.
For some, the story ended there. But for others, there was one more horrifying chapter. Because kidney failure causes nausea, it's often hard to get recovering pets to eat. So a lot of these owners got down on their hands and knees and coaxed and begged and eventually hand-fed their pets the very same *food* that had made them sick. Those animals ended up right back in the hospital and died, because their loving owners didn't know that the *food* was tainted.
To many *pet* owners, the *pet* *food* *recall* story is a personal tragedy about the potentially avoidable loss of a beloved dog or cat. Others have a hard time seeing the story as anything more than that -- with implications beyond the feelings of those grieving *pet* owners. Which brings us to the bigger picture, and questions -- not about what happened but about the system.
How did this problem, now involving almost every large *pet* *food* company in the United States, including some of the most trusted -- and expensive -- brands, get so out of hand? How come *pet* owners weren't informed more rapidly about the contaminated *pet* *food*? Why is it so hard to get accurate numbers of affected animals? Why didn't veterinarians get any notification? Where did the system break down?
The issue may not be that the system broke down, but that there isn't really a system.
There is, as the FDA pointed out, no veterinary version of the CDC. This meant the FDA kept confirming a number it had to have known was only the tip of the iceberg. It prevented veterinarians from having the information they needed to treat their patients and advise *pet* owners. It allowed the media to repeat a misleadingly low number, creating a false sense of security in *pet* owners -- and preventing a lot of people from really grasping the scope and implication of the problem.
And it was why Rosie O'Donnell felt free to comment last week on "The View": "Fifteen cats and one dog have died, and it's been all over the news. And you know, since that date, 29 soldiers have died, and we haven't heard much about them. No. I think that we have the wrong focus in the country. That when pets are killed in America from some horrific poisoning accident, 16 of them, it's all over the news and people are like, 'The kitty! It's so sad.' Twenty-nine sons and daughters killed since that day, it's not newsworthy. I don't understand."
In fact, Rosie didn't understand. She didn't understand that the same government she blames for sending America's sons and daughters to die in Iraq is the government that told her only 15 animals had died, and that the story was about a *pet* "poisoning accident" and not a systemic failure of FEMA-esque proportions.
Think that's going too far? Maybe not. On Sunday night, April 1, *Pet* Connection got a report from one of its blog readers, Joy Drawdy, who said that she had found an import alert buried on the FDA Web site. That alert, issued on Friday, the same day that the FDA held its last press conference about the *recall*, identified the Chinese company that is the source of the contaminated gluten -- gluten that is now known to be sold not only for use in animal feed, but in human *food* products, too. (The Chinese company is now denying that they are responsible, although they are investigating it.)
Although the FDA said on Friday it has no reason to think the contaminated gluten found its way into the human *food* supply, Sundlof told reporters that it couldn't be ruled out. He also assured us that they would notify the public as soon as they had any more information -- except, of course, that they did have more information and didn't give it to us, publishing it instead as an obscure import alert, found by chance by a concerned *pet* owner, which was then spread to the larger media.
All of which begs the question: If a system to report and track had been in place for animal illness, would this issue have emerged sooner? Even lacking a reporting and tracking system, if the initial news reports had included, as so many human stories do, suspected or estimated cases from credible sources, it's likely this story would have been taken more seriously and not just by Rosie O'Donnell. It may turn out that our dogs and cats were the canaries in the coal mine of an enormous system failure -- one that could have profound impacts on American *food* manufacturing and safety in the years to come.
/Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's *Pet* Connection and past director of the *Pet* Care Forum on America Online. She lives in San Francisco. /
Owners frantic over pets amid pet food recall - US http://news.monstersandcritics.com/usa/news/article_1280639.php/Owners_frantic_over_pets_amid_pet_food_recall
By Anupreeta Das Mar 21, 2007, 1:50 GMT
NEW YORK - A massive pet food recall has touched a nerve with pet-loving Americans, many of whom see their pets as family members.
The recalled products, manufactured by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, account for 1 percent of pet food sold in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has said. But in a country where more than half the people in a 2004 survey said they would risk their lives for their pets, the thought that food could kill their animals sent fearful consumers scrambling for information about affected products.
Stories about the recall were the No. 1 most popular search on Yahoo.com's news page and among the top 10 most e-mailed stories listed late Tuesday on The New York Times Web page.
The pet food recall has in many ways affected more people than some of the biggest recent food scares for humans such as a peanut butter recall and concerns over spinach and lettuce.
'These are our furry babies,' said Jan Rasmusen, author of the book 'Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care,' in which she makes a case for a switch to natural, nonprocessed foods for pets.
Rasmusen said previous pet food scares turned her off most canned brands.
'I get more scared for the animals because I can just avoid spinach, but if you don't know about pet nutrition, you can't just avoid pet food,' she said.
The FDA said during a media conference call on Tuesday it was investigating the deaths of 13 cats and 1 dog related to the recall, and was looking into the Kansas plant operated by Menu Foods because some recalled food was made there. It said it was still getting calls from people reporting pet deaths and asking if they could be related to recalled food.
Veterinarians said they have been flooded with calls from pet owners since the recall began on March 16, including one Boston woman who wondered if her cat that died unexpectedly a month ago could be exhumed for a post-mortem.
As of 2005/2006, 69 million American households owned a pet, including 90.5 million cats and 74 million dogs, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).
For companies like Procter & Gamble, which owns the Iams and Eukanuba brands, and Nestle's Purina, the pet foods business alone will generate $16 billion this year, according to the APPMA. The organization added that spending on pets for everything from food to cremation services is expected to rise to $40.8 billion in 2007.
'(The market) continues to be driven by the humanization of pets,' said CIBC World Markets analyst Vivian Ma. 'It is this theme of being a pet parent rather than a pet owner (that) is driving a lot of this spending.'
'There is some degree of craziness that goes along with pet ownership,' said Dr. Jake Tedaldi, a veterinarian who makes private house calls in upscale Newton, Mass. 'It's a form of therapy for (people), and they can indulge in it and feel good.'
At the root of it is the deep emotional attachment that people form with pets, Tedaldi said. For many empty-nest parents, single women or childless couples, pets often become 'surrogate children, or are treated as such.'
'We think of our pets as more helpless versions of ourselves and treat them like human infants,' he said.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), which did the 2004 survey, four out of five people believed their pets have human-like personality traits, while 56 percent said their pets listened to them more than spouses, friends or family members.
'Pets are a very valuable part of our lives,' said Dr. Kimberly May, a veterinarian with the American Veterinary Medical Association. 'The thought of losing a pet is terrifying to many people.'
Menu Foods Income Fund makes a number of different pet foods sold under private label and store brands at companies including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Safeway Inc. and at specialty pet stores like Petsmart Inc.
Lists of affected brands and other recall details are on http://www.menufoods.com/recall/.
(Additional reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman)
(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.
FDA: No firm leads in pet food recall - USATODAY.com
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-20-pet-food_N.htm?POE=NEWISVABy Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A sign explains why a store shelf is empty of pet food at a Petco in Miami.By Anita Manning, USA TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is aware of 14 confirmed animal deaths related to a major recall over the weekend of 91 brands of pet food, but the agency is getting "lots of telephone calls" from worried consumers.
The cause of contamination is still being investigated, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "We have no firm leads," he said, but suspicion remains focused on a possible contamination of wheat gluten, used to thicken gravy in the "cuts and gravy" cat and dog foods sold in pouches and cans.
Pet food maker Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, recently changed its supplier for wheat gluten, and that is "the only change that coincided with the reported deaths," Sundlof said during a briefing. The broker who sold wheat gluten to the company got it from a variety of sources, he said, and the FDA is trying to trace it back to the source. Sundlof would not identify the broker.
*FAQ: *What pet owners need to know
The company is still making dog and cat food, said David Elder, an official with the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs. "They are in production, and the change they made was changing the supplier of wheat gluten," he said.
The deaths, all due to kidney failure, include nine cats fed in a routine taste trial conducted quarterly by the company, with 25 cats and 15 dogs. None of the dogs in the trial died.
Sundlof said the trial was not conducted because of consumer complaints, as the agency previously reported.
Menu Foods also told the FDA of additional deaths of four cats and one dog, all belonging to consumers.
*DOG FOODS AFFECTED: *50-product list
*CAT FOODS AFFECTED: *40-product list
Those are the animal deaths "that we're aware of," Sundlof said. "We are receiving many calls from consumers. We have not had a chance to confirm those yet." He said the agency is "trying to find the potential substance responsible for causing the deaths."
Pet food plants are not routinely inspected, Elder said. "The inspection resources are prioritized based on risk," he said, and pet foods are lower in priority than foods for humans or for food-producing animals.
The FDA had never been in the Menu Foods plant in Kansas, the source of all the consumer complaints so far, until this recall, Elder said.
"The manufacture of pet food is similar in nature to the manufacture of human food," Elder said. "We expect them to comply with FDA regulations to assure the food is wholesome."
Sundlof said consumers should watch for signs of kidney failure in their pets, including loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting, which may be accompanied by increased urination and thirst. He said most of the symptoms seem to occur within a few days of consuming the food. A complete list of the 91 brands of recalled products is at menufoods.com/recall.
FDA expects pet food death toll to rise - USATODAY.com
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-19-pet-food-recall_N.htmWHAT TO LOOK FOR
Experts advise owners to call their veterinarian if a pet has eaten recalled food and shows symptoms of possible kidney failure. An animal could be in trouble if it:• Stops eating
• Appears tired and lifeless
• Seems excessively thirsty
• Urinates much more than usual
• Vomits
• Has diarrhea
• Seems to have abdominal painSource: The FDA; veterinarian Laurie Miller of the Hope Center for Advanced Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Va.
By Julie Schmit and Elizabeth Weise , USA TODAY
Federal regulators said Monday that contaminated wheat gluten is the most likely source of deaths in a large pet food recall, and that it is investigating whether other pet food makers got wheat gluten from the same supplier.
The Food and Drug Administration also said that it expects the number of deaths linked to the food to grow. Of the 10 so far, at least seven animals died in a test by pet food maker Menu Foods after it received consumer complaints, the FDA says. Forty to 50 animals were tested. Of the 10 deaths, nine were cats and one was a dog, the FDA said.
The recalled foods cover 91 brands of wetdog and cat food, in cans and pouches. They account for about 1% of pet food sold in the U.S. the FDA says. No dry foods are included.
*DOG FOODS AFFECTED: *50-product list
*CAT FOODS AFFECTED: *40-product list
Neither the FDA nor Menu Foods, based in Canada, have determined the exact contaminant. Other ingredients are being investigated along with wheat gluten, often used as a source for protein and as a binding agent in wet food.
Menu Foods, one of the largest makers of wet pet food in the nation, has said that consumer complaints coincided with the date that it switched to a new wheat gluten supplier, which has since been dropped. The FDA would not identify the supplier. Menu Foods did not return phone calls Monday.
The recalled "cuts and gravy" food was produced between Dec. 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007 at two Menu plants in Kansas and New Jersey, although consumer complaints have involved only product made in Kansas, the FDA says.
Over the weekend, website blogs filled with people reporting sick or dead cats and dogs who ate the recalled foods. Phone numbers supplied by Menu Foods were jammed Monday. "The panic and concern is Manhattan to Mayberry," says veterinarian Marty Becker of petconnection.com.
*Q-and-A: *What pet owners need to know
Because the contaminant is unknown, some retailers are taking extra precautions.
"Until we know what the problem is, we're going to assume everything made at that plant is suspect," says Mark Witriol, co-owner of Pet Food Express, with 31 stores in San Francisco's Bay Area.
Along with the recalled product, Pet Food Express isn't selling other wet foods made by Menu and other wet foods made by other manufacturers unless Pet Food Express knows Menu did not make them. The 31-store company is "fielding hundreds of calls" from consumers and even employees, says Witriol.
Kidney failure is often caused by heavy metals and mold, the FDA says. Testing did not show aflatoxin, a mold traced to a pet food recall in 2005 in which more than 70 dogs died. Liver failure was a prime culprit.
The current contaminant may be more toxic to cats than to dogs, says the FDA's Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Kidney failure tends to be a bigger issue for cats than for dogs, veterinarians say.
The FDA says Menu received its first consumer complaint on Feb. 20, started the trials on Feb. 27 and that the first test animals started dying or showing signs of sickness on March 2nd.
Menu notified the FDA Thursday about the need for a recall, the agency says. Food recalls are usually initiated by companies, which are most likely to first receive consumer complaints.
For Rene Norrif of Hollywood, Md., the problem started two weeks ago. She'd recently switched to wet food for her cat, Robin, 12, because he had lost some teeth.
"All the sudden, out of the blue, he stopped eating. He was still drinking water but he wouldn't eat. He was really tired and he kept throwing up."
Norrif took Robin to the veterinarian on March 5. "His kidneys were totally shot," she says, and he was put down the next day.
At first, Norrif thought, "well, he had cancer, I did the best I could." But then she saw the notices about the recall and found recalled food in her cabinets.
"Now I feel so guilty," she says, "because I'm the one who brought him the food and if I hadn't fed it to him he'd still be laying on the couch in the sun."
Recalled Dog Product Information -- Menu Foods
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.htmlRecall Information 1-866-895-2708
Menu Foods Income Fund
8 Falconer Drive
Streetsville, ON
Canada L5N 1B11. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
2. Authority
3. Award
4. Best Choice
5. Big Bet
6. Big Red
7. Bloom
8. Wegmans Bruiser
9. Cadillac
10. Companion
11. Demoulas Market Basket
12. Eukanuba
13. Food Lion
14. Giant Companion
15. Great Choice
16. Hannaford
17. Hill Country Fare
18. Hy-Vee
19. Iams
20. Laura Lynn
21. Loving Meals
22. Meijers Main Choice
23. Mighty Dog Pouch
24. Mixables
25. Nutriplan
26. Nutro Max
27. Nutro Natural Choice
28. Nutro Ultra
29. Nutro
30. Ol'Roy Canada
31. Ol'Roy US
32. Paws
33. Pet Essentials
34. Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
35. Presidents Choice
36. Price Chopper
37. Priority Canada
38. Priority US
39. Publix
40. Roche Brothers
41. Save-A-Lot
42. Schnucks
43. Shep Dog
44. Springsfield Prize
45. Sprout
46. Stater Brothers
47. Stop & Shop Companion
48. Tops Companion
49. Weis Total Pet
50. Western Family US
51. White Rose
52. Winn Dixie
53. Your Pet
© Copyright 2006, Menu Foods Income Fund, All Rights Reserved.
Recalled Cat Product Information -- Menu Foods
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.htmlRecall Information 1-866-895-2708
Menu Foods Income Fund
8 Falconer Drive
Streetsville, ON
Canada L5N 1B11. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
2. Authority
3. Best Choice
4. Companion
5. Compliments
6. Demoulas Market Basket
7. Eukanuba
8. Fine Feline Cat
9. Food Lion
10. Foodtown
11. Giant Companion
12. Hannaford
13. Hill Country Fare
14. Hy-Vee
15. Iams
16. Laura Lynn
17. Li'l Red
18. Loving Meals
19. Meijer's Main Choice
20. Nutriplan
21. Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
22. Nutro Natural Choice
23. Paws
24. Pet Pride
25. Presidents Choice
26. Price Chopper
27. Priority US
28. Save-A-Lot
29. Schnucks
30. Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
31. Sophistacat
32. Special Kitty Canada
33. Special Kitty US
34. Springfield Prize
35. Sprout
36. Stop & Shop Companion
37. Tops Companion
38. Wegmans
39. Weis Total Pet
40. Western Family US
41. White Rose
42. Winn Dixie
© Copyright 2006, Menu Foods Income Fund, All Rights Reserved.
Q-and-A: What Pet Owners Need To Know - USATODAY.com http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-19-qanda-food_N.htm
USA TODAY's *Elizabeth Weise* consulted the FDA, American Veterinary Medical Association president Roger Mahr and others for answers:
*Q: What's the problem?*
A: The FDA says contamination in pet food manufactured by Menu Foods causes kidney problems in some cats and dogs.
*FDA: *Expects death toll to rise; probe expands
*Q: What are the symptoms?*
A: Lethargy, drinking lots of water, frequent urination, not eating.
*Q: How is it treated?*
A: Once the contaminated food is stopped, many animals will heal on their own. Others with more kidney damage may require IV fluids.
*Q: What is the culprit?*
A: It's unclear, but the FDA says wheat gluten, used as a protein supplement and binder in wet-style pet foods, appears to be the source of the contamination.
*Q: How can wheat gluten cause kidney failure?*
A: It isn't clear yet. One possibility is a fungus in the wheat produced a mycotoxin, some of which are known to cause kidney damage, but that's pure supposition, says Larry Cowgill, veterinary nephrologist at University of California Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego.
*Q: How many animals are affected?*
A: No one knows for sure, but it's likely in the hundreds if not thousands. There is no national public health system for pets. The contamination appeared more deadly to cats than to dogs, says the FDA. The website PetConnection.com started compiling a database Sunday and within hours had reports of 150 cats ill and half of them dead, says writer Gina Spadafori.
*Q: What should I do?*
A: First, check to see if your pet actually ate the food involved, packaged in cans and small foil pouches. Consumers should stop using the affected products and consult with veterinarians if their animals are showing symptoms.
*Q: If my pet was affected, can I sue?*
A: Probably not. Under the law, pets are generally treated as property, and an owner can only request compensation to replace them, says Mary Randolph, author of /Every Dog's Legal Guide /(Nolo Press). While a few judges have assigned damages to owners whose animals were injured or killed, the cases are rare, and all were in lower courts, so they don't set precedents.
First Lawsuit Filed in Pet Food Recall | wltx.com |
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=47987WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's word of a lawsuit in the wake of the massive pet food recall.
A Chicago woman who lost her cat is suing Menu Foods.
She charges the pet food maker delayed announcing the recall of dog and cat food despite knowing its products were contaminated and potentially deadly.
The company says an unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure, and about ten died after eating the affected food. It's still trying to determine what happened.
* View Recalled Dog Food List
* View Recalled Cat Food List
FDA: No Firm Leads in Pet Food Recall — List of Contaminated Foods Expanded
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-20-pet-food_N.htmrelated: Dangers of Rawhide Chews !!!!!
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Pets/rawhide.chew.warning.htmlMarch 20, 2007
By Anita Manning
USA TODAYThe Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is aware of 14 confirmed animal deaths related to a major recall over the weekend of 91 brands of pet food, but the agency is getting "lots of telephone calls" from worried consumers.
Photo: A sign explains why a store shelf is empty of pet food at a Petco in Miami. (By Joe Raedle, Getty Images)
The cause of contamination is still being investigated, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "We have no firm leads," he said, but suspicion remains focused on a possible contamination of wheat gluten, used to thicken gravy in the "cuts and gravy" cat and dog foods sold in pouches and cans.
Pet food maker Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, recently changed its supplier for wheat gluten, and that is "the only change that coincided with the reported deaths," Sundlof said during a briefing. The broker who sold wheat gluten to the company got it from a variety of sources, he said, and the FDA is trying to trace it back to the source. Sundlof would not identify the broker.
FAQ: What pet owners need to know
The company is still making dog and cat food, said David Elder, an official with the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs. "They are in production, and the change they made was changing the supplier of wheat gluten," he said.
The deaths, all due to kidney failure, include nine cats fed in a routine taste trial conducted quarterly by the company, with 25 cats and 15 dogs. None of the dogs in the trial died.
Sundlof said the trial was not conducted because of consumer complaints, as the agency previously reported.
Menu Foods also told the FDA of additional deaths of four cats and one dog, all belonging to consumers.
53 DOG FOODS AFFECTED: Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
42 CAT FOODS AFFECTED: Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Those are the animal deaths "that we're aware of," Sundlof said. "We are receiving many calls from consumers. We have not had a chance to confirm those yet." He said the agency is "trying to find the potential substance responsible for causing the deaths."
Pet food plants are not routinely inspected, Elder said. "The inspection resources are prioritized based on risk," he said, and pet foods are lower in priority than foods for humans or for food-producing animals.
The FDA had never been in the Menu Foods plant in Kansas, the source of all the consumer complaints so far, until this recall, Elder said.
"The manufacture of pet food is similar in nature to the manufacture of human food," Elder said. "We expect them to comply with FDA regulations to assure the food is wholesome."
Sundlof said consumers should watch for signs of kidney failure in their pets, including loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting, which may be accompanied by increased urination and thirst. He said most of the symptoms seem to occur within a few days of consuming the food. A complete list of the 91 brands of recalled products is at menufoods.com/recall.
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