Posted on 03/30/2007 6:23:02 AM PDT by Milwaukee_Guy
"Testing by the FDA and at least one lab independent of the agency found melamine, a chemical used in plastics and household textiles, in samples of the recalled pet food and in one of its ingredients -- wheat gluten -- said an FDA official and another source close to the investigation. Neither wanted to be identified prior to the FDA's formal announcement this morning."
"The FDA has not determined how melamine got into the pet food. Melamine is used as a fertilizer in Asia and has several commercial and industrial uses."
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
BTW, Canada has much looser manufacturing requirement for pet foods than even our loose standards here in the USA .. if you want to see their rules I can post them tomorrow.
PRESS RELEASE
Menu Foods Income Fund
TSX: MEW.UN
MARCH 16, 2007 - 13:51 ET
Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Attention Business/Financial Editors
Menu Foods Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:MEW.UN) today announced the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund's United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source.
At the same time, the Fund's largest customer, for which it manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer's cuts and gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the Fund's annual revenue.
"We take these complaints very seriously and, while we are still looking for a specific cause, we are acting to err on the side of caution" said Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods. "We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards."
While the number of complaints has been relatively small, Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund.
In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6, the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional actions are appropriate. The Fund estimates that based on currently available information, this recall could cost between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed from a combination of internally generated cash flow and bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.
In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names ("listed products") at www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m. Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the website can continue to be used.
Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund produced more than one billion containers.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Menu Foods Income Fund
Media and Investor Relations
Sarah Tuite
(416) 848-1703
or Menu Foods Income Fund Consumers
1-800-551-7392
Website: www.menufoods.com
The unpopular truth is that cows are meant to eat grass. Grains introduce a variety of issues that require active monitoring and management. Grain-fed dairy and beef feed the masses, but the niche market for grass-fed is active and growing.
This is a good site for food and information...
http://www.kumpi.com/no_recall.html
Thank you!
Thanks for your info on this thread. It's shocking to me that people don't get it. The cheap crap we have imported for years is no longer just cluttering our landfills but poisoning our pets. Next it will be us and "conservatives" here will wail that the government should have done more.
I would have thought all the e-coli cases would wake people up, but so far unless it personally affects people and their kids die from kidney failure (like many dogs and cats right now) the heads remain firmly buried in the sand.
Then there is fish -- used to be high in Omega 3, but today so much is farm raised on the equivalent of dog food and also loaded with Omega 6's....
I've also seen cases of salmonella from other so-called cooked foods and then there is the human outbreak of e-coli in spinich this year. A lot of pet treats are imported from China, these are not safe treats -- just as Greenies are not safe for our pets. I normally stay out of these discussions because people don't want to hear they are not feeding their pets a safe or healthy diet. Commonly they think if something says AAFCO approved that is the equivalent of FDA approved. I say check out what AAFCO really says -- for example allowing companies to use 3-D meat.
You cannot expect a 25 pound bag of dry dog food for $10 to be healthy... and those pouch foods dogs love are loaded with sugar, salt and preservatives...their little kidneys and livers cannot handle those toxins and we are losing our pets at younger and younger ages.
I think it was chicken
I don't feed chicken because I don't think it is the healthiest of all foods for our dogs; they fill them full of antibiotics right away and I believe the antibiotics are passed down the food chain. My dogs get beef, goat, rabbit, pork, green tripe and sometimes buffalo, venison and lamb. IMO too many people who feed raw have come to think chicken, chicken and more chicken and that isn't a balanced diet (I don't mean that derogatorily towards you, it's just what I see on list after list).
People also need to be aware that cloned meat is getting market ready. You just know that the pets will be the guinea pigs before greed takes over and it's in everything
No,no kibble, it would have been just a tiny bit to try to restore him to health. He recovered, but I have cooked the food ever since.
Years ago we got the advice to feed our dogs only dry dog food.
They're both over 15 years old now, and have never been sick once in all that time.
Yes, but once I did that too, years ago. At 15 years of age they both developed pancreaitis and died of it. The vet said it was from all the grease being sprayed on dry food. The best bet I guess is finding one of the dry foods that claims to be healthy.
What dry food? What breed? There is a lot that goes into the equation... you are actually very lucky when you read all the stories people post on dog health lists looking for help with their sick dogs. Many rescues have the worst problems because of their treatment prior to adoption.
That's good. I recognize not everyone can or will feed raw. Home-cooking is fine. I just hope people will get out of the mode of Purina/Science Diet and go to the healthier foods like the one's graded in Whole Dog Journal.
Yep.... but not my pets.
Pedigree. It seems to be easily digested and keeps them regular and happy.
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