http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/02/fda-confirms-euthanasia-agent-pentobarbital-in-dog-food/
Posted on 02/16/2018 5:23:35 AM PST by csvset
NATIONWIDE — The FDA says it’s launching an investigation after a euthanasia drug was found in cans of dog food.
Washington, D.C. TV station WJLA partnered with the lab Ellipse Analytics to test multiple brands of wet dog food for the drug used to assist death in vet clinics, pentobarbital. In total, they tested 62 samples of more than two-dozen brands.
One brand, Gravy Train, repeatedly came back positive for pentobarbital, according to the station. Out of the 15 cans tested, nine tested positive — or 60 percent.
Gravy Train, made by Big Heart Pet Foods, is owned by Smucker’s.
Big Heart Brands also makes Meow Mix, Milk Bone, Kibbles’n Bits, 9 Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, Milo’s Kitchen, Alley Cat, Jerky Treats, Meaty Bone, Pounce and Snausages.
According to the FDA, ingestion of pentobarbital cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea, or in extreme cases, death.
WJLA asked Smucker's for a statement, this is what they received:
"We launched and are conducting a thorough investigation, including working closely with our suppliers, to determine the accuracy of these results and the methodology used."
Agree. Skeptical.
Just like the coffee is carcinogenic scare last week. I did some basic math. The amount of carcinogen is below trace levels. One would need to ingest 28,000,000,000 (billion) gallons of coffee to reach lethality.
That’s about 30% of the coffee ingested in America in a year
These scare mongers always have another motive, usually money.
“Poisoning from the dog food. That’s what killed her,” said Mael.
But it wasn’t just any poison.
It was pentobarbital: A lethal drug, most commonly used to euthanize dogs, cats and some horses. The deadly toxin is never permitted to kill animals that are part of the food supply and would violate federal law if it was.
Zero proof? Your move.
Now, now, don’t harsh the narrative with logic.
The gut-feeling set is just beginning to roll
on this one.
For later, our baby loves her Milk Bones....
Pentobarbital is a common anesthetic agent. This is a lawyer DRIVEN event that promises owners money too. I told you. It’s like saying there is arsenic in my food. True, arsenic is a lethal poison and it is in your food and your pet’s food and water. There is this basic concept called DOSE. I’ve worked with these phony cases for most of my career.
I forgot to mention, there are no lesions for a pathologist to identify consistent with minute, irrelevant, concentrations of a common anesthetic. Look it up.
It’s a problem with bureaucrats that they think the technological ability to detect something at smaller and smaller levels is matched by the ability to remove the pollutant to smaller and smaller levels. However, in the case of something that shouldn’t be there at all, it may be more than just a matter of how many insect parts are allowable in your peanut butter.
Your food is full of contaminants at levels that are considered acceptable. Try dioxins. Notice the article never mentions any level. Trust me, this is a lawyer thing.
So common that it just naturally shows up in the pet food, got it.
So, as the article suggests, Smuckers is sourcing animal carcesses that are tainted with the drug. A reasonable Hypothesis. That just can not be, eh? Now, whether the soucing of said contaminated carcesses was with Smuckers knowledge remains to be seen. Whether they had knowledge or not, it sounds as though Smuckers has a problem.
I’m guessing you are a lawyer? What was the level mr. Lawyer. Has an outside lab found anything? How many times has this same issue been discussed for the last 30 years? Is there a shred of evidence-based science to suggest any adverse effects from this or arsenic, or a dozen other poisons, in the very same samples? What about the deadly carbon monoxide present in the very air you are breathing, right now? You are not much of a scientist, are you?
The dog and cat food companies all by “meat by products” from suppliers who deliver them the stuff and are paid for by weight.
This is where it’s coming from.
They deal with hundreds of slaughter houses, renderers, canneries, you name it. These companies hire other companies to haul and manage their waste products for them.
These companies deliver them and are paid by weight off the scales. A horse weighs how much? They get the dead animals any way they can, hire someone to render the tissue off and sell it.
These are the people who need to be investigated, further down the food chain, so to speak.
It’s either an anti-pet PETA activist, or the ingredients/products are from China.
I was thinking PETA or Human Society wackos.
My first question is this: What possessed someone to suddenly decide to test dog food for this?
Gee, I think I’ll just randomly test my dog food to see if it contains pentobarbital. I’ve got nothing better to do today.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/02/fda-confirms-euthanasia-agent-pentobarbital-in-dog-food/
“
Ah, since you didn’t read the supplied articles, I’ll do the work for you.
We partnered with Ellipse Analytics, a lab that specializes in testing food for contaminants.
“I think you have a duty to understand what you’re selling to human beings and pets, and I think that the obligation is on you to understand what is, and is not, in your product,” said lab founder, Kevin Hicks.
We tested 62 samples of wet dog food, across more than two-dozen brands for the euthanasia drug pentobarbital.
After months of tests and re-tests, one brand repeatedly came back positive for pentobarbital.
In total, we tested 15 cans of Gravy Train. Nine cans — 60-percent of the sample — were positive for pentobarbital. And while the levels detected were not lethal, under federal law they are also not permitted at any concentration.
Back to you in Rio Linda. Btw, are you employed by Smuckers?
Smucker Withdraws Multiple Dog Food Brands
February 15, 2018 — J.M. Smucker Company has initiated a voluntary withdrawal of various wet dog food products due to the potential to contain low levels of pentobarbital, a euthanasia drug.
What Products Are Affected?
Affected products include canned wet dog food versions of the following brands:
Gravy Train Kibbles ‘N Bits Ol’ Roy Skippy The following table is reproduced from an email sent by Walmart to its affected customers.
Message from the Company
The following text is taken from an email received from Smucker by The Dog Advisor on February 15, 2018:
Out of an abundance of caution we initiated a voluntary withdrawal (not a recall) on specific shipments of Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Ol’ Roy, and Skippy canned/wet dog food because they do not meet our quality specifications.
This means retailers will remove the impacted shipments from their warehouses.
Veterinarians and animal nutrition specialists, as well as the FDA, have confirmed that extremely low levels of pentobarbital, like the levels reported to be in select shipments, do not pose a threat to pet safety.
However, the presence of this substance at any level is not acceptable to us and not up to our quality standards. We sincerely apologize for the concern this has caused.
Although veterinarians and animal nutrition specialists, as well as the FDA, have confirmed that extremely low levels of pentobarbital do not pose a threat to pet safety, we understand pet owners may have concerns.
We encourage them to contact us at 800-828-9980 or via email here.
Please know our internal investigation into this situation is ongoing.
We take this very seriously and are extremely disappointed that pentobarbital was introduced to our supply chain.
We have narrowed the focus of our investigation to a single supplier and a single, minor ingredient, used at one manufacturing facility.
If you are interested in the FDA’s definition of a withdrawal and how it differs from a recall, you can find that information in the Definitions section of the FDA’s website.
What to Do?
U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.
Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints. Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.
To launch? After two years? That’s as lame as taking today’s dog food off the shelves. Too little too late.
I always get yelled at for feeding the Dog at the table ,but it’s safer ,ouch
BKMK
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