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Archive through May 21, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Apr. 2007 ~ Jun. 2007: Hairball Haven (ARCHIVES): Pet Food Recall (ARCHIVES): Archive through May 21, 2007 users admin

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Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 5:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Durbin & DeLauro: Chinese Government Agrees to Toughen Food Safety Standards for Imports

AVMA Posts Melamine Study on Sheep in 1966. Know what the study says? Melamine is toxic...seems it causes crystals to form in the kidneys, shutting them down and causing death. This study was done 41 years ago.

Gluten factory had a toxic history

And the FDA's surveillance order for Chinese vegetable proteins - While they keep telling us it poses no threat to humans, their instructions to their employees assigned to this indicate otherwise:

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Melamine and additional related contaminants have been found in concentrations of up to 20% in analyzed samples. The MSDS for pure melamine is attached as Attachment B and includes warnings "to avoid breathing dust, avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing". Chronic exposure may cause cancer or reproductive damage.

The following personal protective equipment is recommended to prevent such exposures:

* a minimum of the half-face, face-sealing respirator (P100) with HEPA filter cartridge (wipe or rinse the respirator facepiece w/o filter cartridge before reuse)
* face sealing goggles (vented goggles will be protective) wipe or rinse before reuse
* disposable suit (remove and bag prior to entering vehicle)
* either disposable shoe covers or wipe/brush shoes prior to entering vehicle
* disposable gloves

Pregnant women should not perform this assignment.


And here's where the FDA got their info: Material Safety Data Sheet - Melamine MSDS (Did I post something similar a while back?). Note that this sheet also warns against ingestion.

Section 3: Hazards Identification
Potential Acute Health Effects: Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation
(lung irritant).
Potential Chronic Health Effects:
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Classified 3 (Equivocal evidence.) by NTP. 3 (Not classifiable for human.) by IARC.
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast.
TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available.
Repeated or prolonged exposure is not known to aggravate medical condition.


But don't worry, apparently in chicken, pork or fish it isn't dangerous at all. Thanks FDA!

(Look, I don't know whether it is dangerous...but I don't know that we can say it isn't because people haven't gotten sick. If it takes time and repeated exposure, we just may not be seeing it yet. Or, could be that when people got sick, they didn't think the chicken they ate had anything to do with it. We are talking about cancer. Do they even try to find a source for that these days? This isn't "House" where the doctors search your home. This is real life where you get a diagnosis of cancer and you could be dead in 4 days, and nobody ever thinks you could have gotten it because you had a pork chop for dinner. I'm sorry y'all, the word cancer affects me a lot more since my dad died. But really, he was diagnosed and nobody tried to find a cause. I am not saying I think this had anything to do with my dad's death, I don't. I'm just saying...they don't try to figure out how you got cancer. So, how does the FDA know? Basically, my understanding is that the FDA is perfectly willing to say all this is safe UNTIL PEOPLE START GETTING SICK...and then, it is really too late, isn't it?)

Okay, so I'm taking my outrage and going to bed. I'll "see" y'all tomorrow.

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 1:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sunshyne4u a private message Print Post    
the product is being put into the feed of our Food Animals yet we are to believe this wont affect us.

What an animal eats ends up in its meat. For instance, a berryfed bear is edible. A fish eating bear is unpalatible.

Milk from a cow/ goat will be undrinkable if they eat certain weeds...including stinkweed.

Grainfed Chicken eggs are even different than Pelletfed birds.

And they expect us to believe that no one will have problems from the melamine?? there are people who wont eat red meats/ fowl and will have fish every day!! I wonder what longterm effects may be detected within the decade....a weird increase of a kidney cancer or something.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 8:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Good morning/afternoon all. A few links of interest for today:

1. Single agency won't solve food safety concerns: FDA

2. Pet food probe - Who was watching suppliers?

3. The Pet Food Recall - What’s a Pet Parent to Do? - This is a very good piece from Encyclopedia Brittanica, lots of information.

4. Good News and Bad News from Pet Food Express - (The recalls listed at the top were included in the menu expansion from last week). They actually link to the test results for the "good news" items that tested negative for melamine. Good job Pet Food Express! (Isn't it sad how few "thumbs up" we've been able to give during this crisis?)

5. Watt's Annual Petfood Forum and Petfood Forum Europe Spurs Thought Leadership on Petfood Recall Situation - This is their press release...and I haven't read it yet, so I'll have to reserve any comments for later

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 8:20 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Thanks Cd!!!

I've been closely watching the kids, alternating between homemade food and either Wellness or Newman's Own. They seem to be doing fine, neither one is acting sick, they love the Wellness (cleaning every bit of food off their plates!). Based on the EB article which suggests varying the food brands, I think I'm taking the right approach.

Both brats are sunbathing right now, while mom works. They are definitely living the (spoiled) life!

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 8:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
This is making me worry about all foods...pet and human. What if the flour I use for baking healthy food for my family actually has some contaminant in it? What if the chickens who laid the eggs to go into my healthy baking ate contaminated feed? etc etc... I'm not freaking out, just worried. Makes me what to move to the middle of nowhere and eat only my own homegrown food.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 9:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Okay, is it just me or did that Pet Food Industry Petfood Forum press release just use a whole lot of words to say nothing?

Also, after reading the USA Today article (linked to in my previous post), I'd like to give kudos to:

- Royal Canin USA for vowing not to use vegetable proteins from China.

- C.J. Foods - for saying it will not use protein sources from "exotic locations." (Well, maybe just a kudo, since I don't really know what they mean by "exotic locations"

- Canine Caviar - for considering dropping its canned-food line because it lacks confidence in American Nutrition and Menu (and has few other options, says President Jeff Baker.)

- Iams for its new policy forbidding its suppliers, including Menu Foods, from switching suppliers of raw ingredients unless Iams has checked out that supplier and OK'd the switch. (Although maybe just half a kudo, since they are still using Menu)

- Natural Balance and Diamond for requesting production records, which include ingredients, from contract manufacturers.

- And the biggest kudos of all to Natura Pet Products, owner of the Innova and Evo brands, who have vowed to buy or build a canning facility to make its own wet foods, even though none of its products have been recalled.

"At the end of the day, if anybody is going to screw something up, we want it to be us," says Natura co-founder Peter Atkins.


Lets just hope they stick to their vows and aren't just paying lip service to us until we all forget about it and they think we aren't watching.}

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 2:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Additions to the recall list:

Royal Canin Recalls 8 Sensible Choice Dry Dog Food and 7 Kasco Dry Dog and Cat Food

The following products with date codes between July 28, 2006 to April 30, 2007 are being voluntarily recalled:
SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) Chicken and Rice Adult (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) Chicken and Rice Reduced (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) Lamb and Rice Reduced (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) Chicken and Rice Puppy (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) Chicken and Rice Large Breed Puppy (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) NATURAL BLEND Adult (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) NATURAL BLEND Senior (Dry Dog Food)
-- SENSIBLE CHOICE(R) NATURAL BLEND Puppy (Dry Dog Food)

KASCO(R) (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)
-- KASCO(R) Chunks (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Hi Energy (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Maintenance (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Mealettes (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Mini Chunks (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Puppy (Dry Dog Food)
-- KASCO(R) Cat (Dry Cat Food)



I'll be back a bit later with the morning update. There is a lot of info to post today, but that was the only new recall.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 7:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Alright y'all, here's the Saturday Morning Update:

1. 57 Canadian fish hatcheries & fish farms got tainted feed

2. We aren't the only ones who don't want Chinese imports: Asia fears Chinese greens

3. No nice guys among robber barons in pet food industry

4. TRANSCRIPT OF FDA-USDA UPDATE ON ADULTERATED ANIMAL FEED

5. In the transcript posted above, the FDA praises China for its cooperation in this investigation, but other facts really don't support their praise. Not that the FDA is known at this point for dealing in facts:

FDA Finds Chinese Food Producers Shut Down

U.S. Investigators Find Suspected Source of Pet Food Poisoning Deserted in Chinese Factories

So, the plants are closed down, equipment is dismanteld and the FDA is denied access to those who were arrested. Yep, that's what I'd call cooperation. Thanks, China.

6. The Chinese press reports on the situation Poisonous pet feed prompts stricter food safety checks

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Monday, May 14, 2007 - 7:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Monday morning update: No new recalls, just some links:

1. Tri-Natural has plans to start importing/selling pet food produced in China:

"Tri-Natural president Doug Boucher said he's not overly concerned about the current "hysteria" over the China link to the pet food scare impacting sales when his gourmet pet food hits Canadian stores in the summer.

"There's a lot of fear-mongering and, you know, racism going on," he said, stressing that the companies he's dealing with are credible and well-regulated firms with state-sanctioned export permits.

"These are not going to be your $1.99 or 89-cent cans. They're going to be expensive they're made in a food-grade facility using human-edible ingredients, as opposed to things that are not fit for human consumption."
.

See the full articles at these links:

Gourmet pet food company defends imported products

Pet food was okayed despite misgivings


Actually, that is all for now. I had a few more that I planned to post, but my realtor just called and I need to deal with house stuff and my brain cannot handle both this morning!

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, May 14, 2007 - 7:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Yeah, well, that's their choice. But that is one company I will not purchase ANY products from. Ever.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Monday, May 14, 2007 - 12:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Me neither, Costa. And aren't the kind of people who'd buy "expensive" food for the pets, the same people likely to be concerned about what they are feeding them? Love that he refers to telling the truth as "fear-mongering" and "racism". Yeah, because that is what this is all about. Its not the melamine killing the animals, its the fact that I don't like the Chinese. And, for his information, according to a couple of the companies who bought it, the tainted wheat gluten was sold to them as Human Grade. (And I'm not saying that there isn't fear-mongering and racism out there, just that there is a whole lot of truth to all this that I would think someone who makes pet food should be concerned/aware of).

Anyhoo, the real reason I stopped in was to post the link to the "new" recall notice the FDA JUST emailed me:

Cereal Byproducts May 4 Recall

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I posted that info back when it WAS new...amazing that the FDA is just getting around to it now. "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Mt. Prospect, Illinois -- May 4, 2007" and they send it out May 14th?

More links coming soon.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Monday, May 14, 2007 - 1:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Okay, here's The Morning Update: Afternoon Edition

1. IMI Global Launches Pet Food Verification Service in Response to Pet Food Recall Issues

2. Natura Launches New Testing Program

3. Wall Street Journal has a good article, but their's is a pay site and I am not a subscriber. However if you access it through Google, you can get the whole thing. Just do a Google search for Chinese Pet Food Tricks and it should give you a link to it.

4. Apparently our melamine testing is a "burden" for Casco Inc.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 3:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
The Morning Update - No new recalls, just some links of interest.

1. The FDA's Consumer Update - "Low Risk of Illness From Food Containing Melamine". This was released yesterday, which makes me wonder....

They decided April 28th not to recall any "tainted" meat...did they have this info then? If so, why not release it then. If not, shouldn't they have waited for the testing?

2. The USDA's MELAMINE AND ANALOGUES SAFETY/RISK ASSESSMENT sheet - this is what the FDA is basing their Consumer Report on.

3. Phylis Schafly's OP/Ed piece "The Price is Too High for Imported Food"

4. Saturday, May 19, 2007 is Pet Food Crisis Awareness Day, an event being sponsored by PNV2 and Defend Our Pets. From the PNV2 website:

On Saturday, May 19th, PNV2 will be taking part in a Nationwide Pet Food Crisis Awareness Day.

The concept is simple- get out, spread the word and help raise awareness.

For those of you that want to participate in this event, all you have to do at some point on May 19th is get out in your neighborhood for a 30 minute walk (with or without your pet) and if you talk to other pet owners out at that time, help keep them informed about the recalls and the true numbers in the Menu Foods tragedy.

All we ask is that you wear your brown ribbon and to let us know if you had a chance to talk to anyone. We will post your report on this page :-)

You can email us this report at webmaster@pnv2
.com

For more information on this and other planned activities, go to www.pnv2.com or www.defendourpets.org

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 6:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Shocking, positively shocking:

ChemNutra Calls for Pet Food Ingredients Safety Summit "ChemNutra today called for a national Pet Food Ingredients Safety Summit for ingredients importers, analysis laboratories and manufacturers to begin drafting import standards and specifications for pet food ingredients, not only from China, but around the world."

ChemNutra also now has information about the recall and a link to letter from their CEO on their home page (not buried like it was previously)

AND, they've even launched a News and Information Blog. From their site: "The purpose of this blog is to provide links to the most recent news coverage about the current pet food recall, related investigations in the United States and China, and ChemNutra's part in these rapidly evolving events."

Methinks someone has realized how they were looking to the Pet Food-Buying public and decided to work on that image.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 11:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    


Moondance
Member

07-30-2000

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 12:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Moondance a private message Print Post    
Wow

Thanks Cdbga for everything!!

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Friday, May 18, 2007 - 3:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
New additions to the recall list:

Lick Your Chops is recalling their Kitten and Cat dry food in the 4 lb. and 18 lb. bags with a Best By date of 4/29/08, due to the possibility this product may have been cross-contaminated.

Evolve is recalling their dry kitten food formula with the Best Used By date of September 13, 2008.


Those are the only new additions so far, but I have tons of other news to post. We are still crazy-busy at work, but I'll try to get in later and post some of the links.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Friday, May 18, 2007 - 7:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Recall list additions/expansions: I'm not sure if all of these are new, I'm seeing it reported different ways in different places and I don't have time to do the cross-referencing this morning, so I'm just posting the full list (2 are in the previous post):

Chenango Valley Pet Foods is now expanding their recall due to the possibility of cross-contamination.

The following dry pet foods are involved in this recall action:

* DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH LAMB & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT DOG FOOD, NET WT. 6 LBS. (UPC 25141 28244), 15 LBS. (25141 30074), and 30 LBS. (UPC 25141 06043); Date Codes: Best By Feb 09 09 and Best By Feb 26 09;
* SHOP RITE REDI-MIXT DOG FOOD FOR DOGS, NET WT. 25 LB. (UPC 41190 00555), Date Code: Code C7107;
* LICK YOUR CHOPS KITTEN & CAT FOOD, NET WEIGHT 4 LBS. (UPC 32976 25915), and 18 LBS. (UPC 32976 25925); Date Code: Best Used By April 29 08;
* SHEP chunk style dog food, NET WT. 20 LBS. (UPC 41498 14142); Date Code: Best By March 14 08;
* 8 in 1 Ferret ULTRA-BLEND ADVANCED NUTRITION DIET, NET WT. 20 LBS, UPC 26851 00413, Code: C7072;
* Bulk Lamb & Brown Rice Formula Dog Food, Date Code: Feb 09, 08, sold to one consignee SmartPak.
* Health Diet Cat Food Chicken & Rice Dinner NET WT. 1.81 kg/4 LB (UPC 78198 01594), 4 kg/8.8 LB (UPC 78198 01599), and 8 kg/17.6 LB (UPC 78198 01585); Code C7072;
* EVOLVE KITTEN FORMULA, NET WT. 3 LBS. (UPC 73657 00250) and 7 LBS. (UPC 73657 00251); Date Code: Best Used By Sept 13 08. Evolve has recovered 99.5% of the product from its distributors and is working with dealers to recover the remaining inventory.

This marks the first time we've seen food for animals other than cats & dogs recalled. Wonder if there will be more of that.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Friday, May 18, 2007 - 7:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Just one more link this morning, then I have to get back to work. I'll try to post more later in the day.

Senator Durbin is urging everyone to send an email to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach and tell him that it's time for the FDA to improve the safety of our pet food supply now. He has a form letter on his site, all you have to do is fill out the info and click "Send this message".

If you have any trouble with that link, just go to his home page: www.dickdurbin.com and it links to the letter.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Friday, May 18, 2007 - 12:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
http://www.naturapet.com/about-natura/news.asp

This page has links to Natura's news articles re: their food and testing procedures etc in response to all the recalls.

I know I've posted that we feed our dog Innova and Evo. (and the only non human food treats she gets are innova treats) I swear I don't work for this co! I just feel so fortunate that I can still buy commercial dog food and feel pretty secure that it is safe and healthy. I trust this co. I do check their website every few days just to be sure. It helps me that I don't feel I have to shop around and try to avoid recalled foods or worry about whether vitamins and home cooking well be adequate nutrition for her.

I know this food is expensive. I do also like that I am supporting my local independent pet store. This food is not available in big chain stores.

Just trying to help.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Friday, May 18, 2007 - 12:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Thanks for sharing your hard work Cdbga. It's greatly appreciated.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 8:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
Thanks Serate

Alright y'all, lots of links this morning:

1. Tainted food exposes Chinese import woes - What few contaminated products FDA discovers are often shipped again (In Four Months FDA Refused 298 Shipments)

2. Animal Wellness Magazine says melamine may not be the culprit - They talk about the possibility of the imports being genetically modified. To go along with that is this article from the UK: GMO Rice Protein From China Used in EU Animal Feed

3. Tyson Foods & Mission Foods put out a blanket order to their American suppliers - No more ingredients from China, but barring Chinese ingredients is difficult

4.Toothpaste in Panama and Australia containing anti-freeze ingredient is linked to China

5. An Op/Ed piece in favor of Country of Origin labelling

6. The USDA is releasing 80,000 chickens that ate contaminated pet food into the human food supply citing the dilution effect

7. New Jersey on Monday will consider giving pet owners the right to sue for emotional pain and suffering if an animal gets sick or dies from eating contaminated pet food.

8.First batch at Kona fish farm cleared - These fish were fed the melamine-tainted fish feed.

9. China food scare threatens exports as test costs soar

10. Environmental Working Group (EWG)Calls for Evidence Supporting FDA's Sweeping Assurances of Melamine Safety in Food

11. Why are the bees dying? - They haven't found a connection so far, but Federal scientists are researching whether the same industrial chemicals blamed for sickening and killing thousands of pets are responsible for decimating the honeybee population.

And that is all for the morning update today! Lots of news, but no new recalls, which is always a good thing.

Lakecat
Member

10-01-2006

Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 9:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lakecat a private message Print Post    
Im curious why is all this coming out lately about tainted petfood,spinach,peanut butter etc, but we never heard about it say 10-15 yrs ago.Why all the sudden?

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 6:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
I don't really know Lakecat. I have a lot of theories. But, I think the ineffectiveness of the FDA plays a huge part. They are only able to inspect/test a tiny portion of food that goes to market, so they miss a lot. I don't know if we have a higher percentage of contaminated food being produced these days, or just a higher percentage making it to market. And, of course, the changing face of the food industry to include so much imported foods isn't helping. A lot of these countries have little to no regulation, then most of the imports aren't inspected. And in America, our growers are strained to compete with these international suppliers who can provide their food at a lower cost because of the lack of regulation. And, I guess, you can also throw things like genetically altered food into the mix there. Just so many changes in agriculture and the economy in the past 10-15 years. (And also, this story has been kept alive by the bloggers...it was all but ignored by the mainstream media. Perhaps that is also a key...these things could have happened in the past without our knowing it.).

CNN had a good special on this stuff last night. I only caught a little of it, but they have some links here: Danger: Poisoned Food

And here are a couple of new links:

1. Menu Foods, North America's biggest maker of wet pet foods and the company that launched the pet food recall, is phasing out ingredients from China. - Good for Menu. If the government won't ban Chinese imports, it is good to see the companies choosing not to use them. You know I was listening to a radio show yesterday and they were talking about America and its debt to China and I started to wonder whether the fact that China is one of our big lenders these days is impacting our government's response in this situation. And it really bothers me that we still have heard nothing from the White House about any of this. But, I'm not going to get all political on you here, just something that struck me.

2. The Path of Tainted Gluten from China

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, May 21, 2007 - 9:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
FWIW, there are several theories as to why this type of contamination may "seem" more widespread, or is.

1. More people report problems to their doctors.
2. More press coverage -- easier to get the word out now (especially with the 'net).
3. Less resistance to various organisms due to our more "sterile" environment.