Alpo® Pet Food Recall - Another One!

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company ^ | Saturday March 31, 2007 | Milwaukee_Guy

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Alpo® Brand Prime Cuts In Gravy Canned Dog Food Voluntary Nationwide Recall

No Dry Purina Products Involved

St. Louis, Missouri, March 30, 2007

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company today announced it is voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO® Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. The Company is taking this voluntary action after learning today that wheat gluten containing melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by the same company that also supplied Menu Foods. The contamination occurred in a limited production quantity at only one of Purina's 17 pet food manufacturing facilities.

Earlier today the FDA announced the finding of melamine in products related to the March 16 Menu Foods recall, and advised Purina of the source of the contaminated supply. Purina then determined that it had received some quantity from the suspect supplier. The company proactively notified the FDA and immediately began this recall process

Purina is confident that the contaminated wheat gluten has been isolated to this limited production quantity of ALPO Prime Cuts canned products.

The recalled 13.2-ounce and 22-ounce ALPO Prime Cuts cans and 6-, 8-, 12- and 24-can ALPO Prime Cuts Variety Packs have four-digit code dates of 7037 through 7053, followed by the plant code 1159. Those codes follow a “Best Before Feb. 2009” date. This information should be checked on the bottom of the can or the top or side of the multi-pack cartons.

Purina's 5.3-ounce Mighty Dog® pouch products, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution on March 16 as part of the Menu Foods recall. ONLY Mighty Dog pouch products and specific date codes of ALPO Prime Cuts canned dog food are being recalled.

Importantly, no Purina brand dry pet foods are affected by the recall – including ALPO Prime Cuts dry. In addition, no other Purina dog food products, no Purina cat food products, Purina treat products or Purina Veterinary Diet products are included in this recall, nor have been impacted by the contaminated wheat gluten supply.

Consumers should immediately stop feeding ALPO Prime Cuts products with the above-listed date codes to their dogs and consult with a veterinarian if they have any health concerns with their pet.

Purina guarantees all of its products, and consumers can receive the full replacement value of the recalled products. Consumers can visit us at www.purina.com or call 1-800-218-5898, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT, to receive more information.

Purina is fully cooperating with the FDA and made the decision to voluntarily recall this product in consultation with the FDA.

At Purina, nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of the pets whose nutrition has been entrusted to us by their owners, and we deeply regret this unfortunate situation. We will continue to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the quality and safety of our products

[primatreat]

Help is only a web page away.... www.bio-serv.com and betterpets.com. They are high end tested and certified diets.

[Joann37]

I'm so sorry - immediately after posting my question, I went over to lucianne.com, where the info. I wanted was posted in her Must Read section!

It's Science Diet/Hills's "m/d" dried food that is a possible problem this time:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/03/30/3871298-ap.html

"Hill's recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry food after melamine, a chemical used as a fertilizer in Asia and to make plastic kitchenware, was identified as the likely culprit in the Menu Foods recall - one of the largest ever in North America.

"Hill's is taking this precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods," the company said in a statement."

[Salamander]

I just switched my dogs to Blue Seal dry food.

Here's what the company sent me in response to my query of "Do you use ANY ingredients imported from China?"

---

Concerned Pet Owner
The Menu Foods recall that is currently underway has caused concern for pet
owners. We thank you for contacting us directly concerning our products.
Here are the facts as they stand today:
Most importantly, we do not have any products involved in this or any other
pet food recall. Specific answers to the most common questions we are
receiving are:
1. All Blue Seal(r) branded pet food products are made at facilities
owned and operated by Blue Seal Feeds, Inc.
2. Our Blue Seal(r) branded dry pet foods do not contain any of the
suspect ingredient. . ."wheat Gluten".
3. Some Blue Seal(r) branded baked dog biscuits/treats do contain wheat
gluten. However, our wheat gluten supplier is a U.S. company based in
Michigan. Wheat gluten is used generally as a dough conditioner and is
included in very small amounts.
4. Our Blue Seal(r) branded canned pet products are manufactured by
Menu Foods, but are of the loaf category and do not contain wheat gluten.
This category of canned product has not been recalled.
5. Our by Nature(r) brand of dry, canned and pouch pet foods, both
natural and organic, do not contain any wheat products. Our Canine
Whites(tm) dog biscuits/treats do contain some wheat gluten, but from the
same Michigan supplier as our Blue Seal(r) branded biscuits/treats.
The intent of my message is to reassure customers that our pet products are
not affected by the Menu Foods or any other pet product recall. Thank you.
Randy Schwalke
President
Blue Seal Feeds, Inc.
March 30, 2007

http://www.blueseal.com

[rintense]

I just read the release on Hill's website. With the Purina scare, I'm not sure what to give my cats. Anyone know of a good equivalent to the Hills M/D Dry?

[TxCopper]

What exactly does "wheat gluten that meets our specifications" mean? Cheap? Toxic? Shiny?

[Salamander]

Should we contact Menu Foods in Canada and ask how many workers are PETA members?

[Sorry...but the Canada/China connection really makes my nerves bad]

[panaxanax]

Interesting site below.

http://www.thelittlefoxes.net/html/pet_food.html

[KosmicKitty]

Till this is all over with, I'm feediing Madam human food. She's already had 3 cans of the recalled AAlpo, but she seems to be okay.

Question, for those avoiding dog foods, what are you feeding your fur babies??

[Jrabbit]

I'm lost....my 2 dogs are fed Purina EN dry and cats are on Purina One Senior formula, dry. Both have corn gluten, not wheat. But, I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop...

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Some folks are going with boiled chickin'~N~rice,,,
It's got me wondering what is safe too,,,these 2 mutts
like their Kibbles-n-Chunks,,,I found some of the Alpo PC
1159,,,in the cabinet,,,now in trash,,,

[vetvetdoug]

Purina Horse feeds and Purina Dog and Cat foods are separate companies. The split was made over 20 years ago.

[derllak]

bump for later

[vetvetdoug]

If I were to choose between the efficiency of the Cornell Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the FDA, I would go with Cornell. The FDA is a bloated government agency filled with affirmative action lab technicians. If aminopterin was recovered from the food by Cornell, then aminopterin is the culprit. The symptoms and history of aminopterin are consistent with the findings whereas melamine is only toxic in greater than normal concentrations, I mean high concentrations.

[mplsconservative]

Lucky us. We are dog sitting my sis-in-law's giant lab puppy. We also have a large lab mix and a Jack Russell.

I just spent an hour making a huge batch of rice, carrots, burger and skinless chicken.

I'll be checking into buying some Nature's Logic dog food on Monday.

[madison10]

How do we know there isn't contaminated wheat gluten in those noodles at Chinese restaurants?

[madison10]

Time for all of us pet owners to put our animals on natural diets?

Any ideas of how to mix up a menu? I'm sure my four canines would love ANYTHINT with real meat and gravy. ;) How do you balance it out?

[madison10]

anythint=anything

[null and void]

So, how much of this wheat gluten has been used as a human food additive???

[conservative blonde]

I find it interesting that this problem isn't showing up in other countries. Does Menu Foods just service pet companies in the USA?

[conservative blonde]

What does the M/D stand for in the Hill Prescription. I have Hill Prescription Light for a fat cat. But I am assuming the Light formula is not affected.