Castleberry’s has recalled some Natural Balance Dog Foods. They have also recalled a MUCH longer list of human foods but I did not include those here. You can check them out (and I would DEFINITELY encourage you to do that) by following this link to the Castleberry site.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2007
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA

FDA Expands Its Warning about the Risk of Botulism Poisoning From Certain Castleberry Food Products and Dog Food

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its July 18 warning to consumers. This expansion is for consumers and pet owners regarding canned food products and dog food produced by Castleberry Food Company of Augusta, Ga., due to the risk of botulinum toxin. Castleberry is expanding the recall to include all of the following canned products with all “best by” and code dates, and FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or eat any of the canned products listed in the table below.

Natural Balance Eatables dog food varieties:

 

Irish Stew with Beef Dog Food
15 OZ
23633-59860

Chinese Take Out with Sauce with Vegetables and Chicken Dog Food
15 OZ
23633-59861

Southern Style Dumplings with Gravy with Chicken and Vegetables
Dog Food
15 OZ
23633-59862

Hobo Chili with Chicken Pasta Dog Food
15 OZ
23633-59863

The agency is expanding its warning based in part on FDA test results and information obtained during a joint FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection of the Castleberry?s facility in Augusta, Ga.

Exposure to botulinum toxin can be fatal and two people in Texas and two people in Indiana remain seriously ill and hospitalized with botulism poisoning associated with eating Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce.

While the previous recall and the known illnesses are linked to production dates of April 30 to May 22, 2007, the firm has extended the recall to include all products listed irrespective of “best by” date. The firm is cooperating with FDA in the recall of these products and has ceased processing and distribution.

In addition, Castleberry is recalling other products containing meat, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is also warning the public not to eat certain brands of Castleberry products containing meat. The list of these USDA-regulated products can be viewed at this link to the USDA website.

Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. Double bag the cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed then place in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm

Retailers that have any of these products are asked to assure that they are removed from use and do not accidentally get reintroduced for sale, service or donation.

Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided. Individuals who show these symptoms and who may have recently eaten one of the Castleberry?s products currently under recall should seek immediate medical attention.

The disease has only been seen occasionally in dogs and has not been reported in cats. Ferrets are highly susceptible to botulinum toxin. The incubation period can be 2 hours to 2 weeks; in most cases, the symptoms appear after 12 to 24 hours. Botulism is characterized by progressive motor paralysis. Typical clinical signs may include muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, visual disturbances and generalized weakness may also occur. Death usually results from paralysis of the respiratory or cardiac muscles. Pet owners who have used these products and whose pets have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately. At this time we are not aware of pet illnesses associated with these products although we recommend that all these products should be discarded.

Castleberry recommends consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should go to Castleberry?s website or call Castleberry?s consumer hotline at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.

Thanks to the National Pet Foundation for this news.

SALMONELLA FOUND IN AMERICAN BULLIE PET PRODUCTS

Please forward this information to family and friends that have pets. This can be passed on to humans as well.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned consumers not to use American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews manufactured and distributed by T.W. Enterprises, Ferndale, WA, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people,especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Consumers who have the pet treats manufactured or distributed by T.W. Enterprises listed below should not feed them to their pets, but instead dispose of them in a safe manner.

American Bullie Small Chew, small, 3-4 inch
A.B. Puppy Chew, 4-6 inch
A.B. Dog Chew Medium, 6 inch
A.B. Dog Chew Large, 10 inch
A.B. Dog Chew XL, 13 inch
A.B. Dog Chew Mega, 16 inch
A.B. Dog Chew Jumbo, 26 inch

I can’t believe there is still tainted, recalled food on the shelves! And even if it is on the shelves, why aren’t the stores putting “stop buy” orders in their computers that register the price, etc.? If stores can register prices, then they can put a hold on those products so they are not sold. At some point, the stores should become liable for allowing pet food known to be poisoned from being sold. Perhaps that’s why the store’s communication manager is so anxious to step forward. I hope the store is at the very least covering all of Rasputin’s vet bills and subsequent care and drugs.

Normally I would list this article only under Recall News but I am very concerned that there is more bad food still sitting on shelves. I want all of us to stay aware and make sure our furbabies don’t get it so I’m putting this under Recall Alerts as well.

Thanks to the Modesto Bee for this article.

Cat survives eating recalled food, so far

By SUSAN HERENDEEN
Last Updated: June 10, 2007

Months after a nationwide recall, Andy Tonetti bought tainted cat food from the Save Mart in Angels Camp.

After eating only six pouches of Iams Select Bites, 14-year-old Rasputin was hiding in dark spaces, gagging and losing weight from dehydration.

Six days after Tonetti’s purchase on May 29, a veterinarian said the family pet had acute renal failure, the ailment the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned about at the time of the recall.

“I saw a sale, thought ‘Good, we’ll get that,’” Tonetti said, noting that his wife had sent him to get Fancy Feast. “Geez, we got the death box.”

Ten days later, Save Mart could not explain why a single box of recalled pet food was on the shelf, especially after so much publicity about an industrial chemical that had been added to Chinese wheat gluten used by pet food manufacturers.

But the company was offering apologies.

“We will do whatever we need to do to make it right, or as right as we can make it, given the situation,” Alicia Rockwell, Save Mart’s communications manager, said Friday afternoon. “We are so sorry.”

Heidi Tonetti, Andy’s wife, said she started hammering away at the situation Monday, after she took her cat to a veterinarian for emergency treatment.

When the estimate for the first two days of treatment exceeded $500, the Tonettis thought they might have to make an ugly decision about Rasputin’s future.

But the only change in the indoor cat’s life was his food, so the culprit seemed clear. After a bit of research, the Tonettis learned that the Iams pouches Andy Tonetti bought had been out of circulation for weeks.

Their veterinarian urged them to save the cat, and faxed documentation to the pet food company, which is expected to pay Rasputin’s bills.

“Iams told me I’m the first one to call after the recall,” said Heidi Tonetti, adding that the company seemed eager to take care of the situation.

Kurt Iverson, a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble Pet Care, which makes Iams pet foods, declined to comment on the Tonettis’ claim.

The Tonettis assumed other cats, and perhaps some dogs, might be in danger as well. They said the manager at Save Mart seemed to think they were crazy, but passed their complaint along to corporate headquarters.

Rockwell said she has been trying to reach the Tonettis, without luck.

She said Save Mart took their complaint seriously and performed a computerized check of its sales, determining that one recalled box of Iams Select Bites was sold May 29.

She said all Save Marts, including the store in Angels Camp, pulled pet food off their shelves when recalls of more than 150brands were announced March 15, leaving large gaps in their inventory.

Save Mart will take steps to make sure recalled items don’t get past cashiers in the future, perhaps by adjusting computerized scanning systems, Rockwell said.

She could only speculate on how the single box of Iams ended up on the shelf. Perhaps it was misplaced in another part of the store, she said, then was returned to the shelf by a stock clerk.

“The product has been out of the distribution channel for over 10 weeks and there is none left at the warehouse or at the manufacturer,” Rockwell said.

Andy Tonetti, a winemaker at Ironstone Vineyards, recalled seeing only one box of Iams on the shelf. He said he chose it because it was marked down. He did not have a receipt, but recalled paying about $4.

Rasputin has been getting fluids intravenously at the Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital and is expected to recover.

Follow this link to read the rest of the article.

Do you feed your dogs ground beef? If so, then check out this recall from Tyson Foods.

Ground Beef Recall Initiated

Sherman, Texas ? June 8, 2007 ? Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. is voluntarily recalling retail packages of ground beef produced at its plant in Sherman, Texas, company officials reported today. A sample analyzed by the company was found to contain E. coli O157:H7.

(more…)

Notice how even though the company was given the results over a month ago they are still trying to CYA and not recalling the tainted food. Let’s remember that when the company name finally emerges! The article does mention Pet Pride but it’s unclear if that’s the only brand found to contain this drug.

Thanks to Liz Marshall for barking in this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Texas lab finds pain medicine in pet food

By Karen Roebuck
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 5, 2007

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating a Texas laboratory’s finding of acetaminophen in dog and cat food, an agency spokesman said Monday.

“We’re very interested in being able to test these samples ourselves to determine the levels of those contaminants,” said FDA spokesman Doug Arbesfeld. “What’s significant is these things are there. They don’t belong there.”

The pain medication is the fifth contaminant found in pet foods during the past 2 1/2 months and can be toxic or lethal to pets, especially cats. It is not known if any animals became sick with acetaminophen poisoning, or died from it.

“We were looking for cyanuric acid and melamine, and the acetaminophen just popped up,” Donna Coneley, lab operations manager for ExperTox Inc. in Deer Park, Texas, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review yesterday. “It definitely was a surprise to find that in several samples.”

At least five dog and cat food samples submitted by worried pet owners and pet food manufacturers contained varying levels of the pain reliever, she said. Only the food, not individual ingredients, were tested.

The medication was found most often with cyanuric acid, a chemical used in pool chlorination, Coneley said. Varying levels of melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, also were found among the hundreds of samples ExperTox tested, she said.

The contaminants were found in foods that are not among the more than 150 brands recalled since March 16, Coneley said. The highest level of acetaminophen was found in a dog food sample submitted by a manufacturer, she said. Coneley declined to identify the company but said its officials were given the results “well over a month ago.”

That company should have — but did not — notify the FDA, which first learned of the acetaminophen findings after pet owners posted lab reports on the Internet, Arbesfeld said.

“With any poison, it’s the amount that matters.” said Dr. Wilson Rumbeiha, a Michigan State University pathologist who is working with the FDA on the pet food contamination investigation. His lab has screened for acetaminophen but found none, he said.

The highest level of acetaminophen found by the Texas lab — 2 milligrams per gram of dog food — is a large amount, Rumbeiha said. That is eight times what a 10-pound cat could safely consume, he said.

However, a 20-pound dog would have to eat more than 6.5 pounds of food in 24 hours to be poisoned, unless it ate the same contaminated food daily, Rumbeiha said.

A still-unmeasured amount of acetaminophen and cyanuric acid were found in cat food submitted by Don Earl, 52, of Port Townsend, Wash., whose 6-year-old cat, Chuckles, died in January.

He said he was suspicious of two flavors of Chuckles’ Pet Pride food because his other two cats refused to eat it and because Chuckles, strictly an indoor girl, had been healthy.

Follow this link for more information and related articles.

Here’s a new recall on a single shipment of Ol’ Roy. This announcement comes from the Doane site.

Single Lot of 55lb Bags of Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition Dry Dog Food Voluntarily Recalled In Select Stores by Doane Pet Care

Manassas, Virginia ? Doane Pet Care is announcing today a voluntary recall on a specific single lot of 55 pound bonus bags of Ol? Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food. This product was produced at one facility in Manassas, VA and was distributed exclusively by some Wal-Mart Stores. Please note that no other Ol? Roy products are affected, and that this recall is not related to the Menu Foods recall (and other recent recalls) of pet food due to tainted Chinese vegetable proteins.

This product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling this pet food can become exposed to Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with this pet food or any surfaces exposed to this product. Consumers who have the dry dog food bearing the code ?04 0735 1″ with a ?Best By Apr 13 08” should not feed it to their pets.

 

This voluntary recall has been issued because FDA detected Salmonella in the product. Doane Pet Care has not confirmed the presence of Salmonella, despite extensive independent testing of duplicate samples. Nonetheless, the company is issuing this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution. The company regrets any inconvenience to pet owners. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product, or any product produced at this facility.

Product: Ol? Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food
Size: 55 pound bonus bag
UPC Code: 6 05388 72076 4
Lot Number: 04 0735 1
Best Buy Date: Apr 13 ?08
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: Only 69 Wal-Mart Stores potentially received this product from 2 distribution warehouses in Virginia. The 69 stores are located in Maryland (4 stores), North Carolina (10), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (3), Virginia (40) and West Virginia (11).

A full listing of the affected stores is available by clicking this link. This product UPC has been blocked from retail sale at these 69 locations.

Any remaining product should not be fed to pets. Dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Pet owners who have questions about the voluntary recall of this 55 lb bonus bag of Ol? Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food products should call 800-624-7387, or visit the web site listed above.

Here’s a new recall on a single shipment of Ol’ Roy. This announcement comes from the Doane site.

Single Lot of 55lb Bags of Ol?Roy Complete Nutrition Dry Dog Food Voluntarily Recalled In Select Stores by Doane Pet Care

Manassas, Virginia ? Doane Pet Care is announcing today a voluntary recall on a specific single lot of 55 pound bonus bags of Ol? Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food. This product was produced at one facility in Manassas, VA and was distributed exclusively by some Wal-Mart Stores. Please note that no other Ol? Roy products are affected, and that this recall is not related to the Menu Foods recall (and other recent recalls) of pet food due to tainted Chinese vegetable proteins.

(more…)

Many people with premature puppies or puppies who have been rejected from their mothers for nursing often use Similac. Therefore, although this is a human product. it may be in use among Dogsters and Catsters.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

Abbott Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Three Lots of Two-Ounce Bottles of Similac Special Care 24 Cal / fl. oz. Ready-to-Feed (RTF) Premature Infant Formula with Iron
Contact: Consumer Hotline
888-899-9182

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Columbus, OH — May 25, 2007 — Abbott’s Ross Products Division today announced a voluntary nationwide recall of three lots of two-ounce bottles of Similac Special Care 24 Cal / fl. oz. Ready-to-Feed (RTF) Premature Infant Formula with Iron, a highly specialized liquid ready-to-feed formula used only for premature infants after discharge from the hospital. This product is sold in eight unit cartons of two-ounce plastic bottles in the United States, and is primarily sold through pharmacies at the direction of a health care professional. It is not commonly available on retail store shelves.

Abbott is voluntarily recalling these three lots because they do not contain as much iron as indicated on the label. No serious medical complaints have been reported.

Premature infants fed this formula for more than a month after discharge could have an increased risk of developing anemia due to insufficient iron intake. If parents have any concerns about their baby’s health, they should contact their baby’s doctor or health care professional.

The recall is limited to stock code number 59582 with lot numbers 46815D5, 47847D5 or 52023D5 printed on the outside carton and case and the lot numbers 44427X8, 4427X81 or 50005X8 printed on the bottom of the bottles. No other liquid or powdered Similac infant formulas are affected.

The three lots of infant formula were distributed in the United States between November 2006 and May 2007. Consumers who purchased Similac Special Care 24 Cal / fl. oz. RTF Premature Infant Formula with Iron from any of the specific lots mentioned above should contact Abbott’s Ross Products Division at 1-888-899-9182. Ross will replace product from these lots free of charge.

Similac Special Care 24 Cal / fl. oz. RTF Premature Infant Formula is a highly specialized formula used by premature infants for a limited amount of time after discharge from the hospital. The impacted product is not used in hospitals.

Abbott is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its distribution partners to execute this recall.

If you use this brand of Iams dry food, please check out this post!

Thanks to DaLy, Hope’s furmom, for barking in this report from the Itchmo Blog.

EXCLUSIVE: Lab Reports Cyanuric Acid In Unrecalled Dry Food

ORIGINAL POST: Itchmo has learned that a toxicology test reported the presence of cyanuric acid in an opened bag of what is alleged to be Iams Large Breed dry dog food.

According to the report obtained by Itchmo, the results have been certified by a forensic toxicologist. We have obtained a copy of the toxicology report. Iams Large Breed does not list rice protein concentrate or wheat gluten as ingredients.

In response, Iams says they are ?fully confident” that no cyanuric acid or melamine entered their products. They also defended their ?exceptional response” to handling customer complaints. When asked if they were testing for melamine and cyanuric acid after the manufacture of their products, Iams said that they were ?constantly improving their quality control processes.”

We cannot stress this point enough: This test was performed on a sample from an opened bag. We do not know if this is an isolated case of contamination before or after the sale, or if it is widespread.

This information requires verification and we are asking for your help.

Itchmo is asking you to find an unopened 20 lb. bag of Iams Large Breed dry dog food that matches the lot number: 260608 70574173 F4 US30940 with the expiration date of 6/26/08.

Follow this link to read the rest of the article.

I reported a few days ago that some batch of Nutra Nuggets made by Diamond Pet Foods were being recalled. At that time I didn’t have the batch numbers. Here is the official FDA recall notice with all the pertinent information.

Nutra Nuggets 40 Lb. Lamb Meal and Rice Formula Recalled Due to Cross Contamination
Contact:Customer Information Center
1-866-214-6945

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Meta, MO — May 23, 2007 — Diamond Pet Foods announced that it has recalled a limited quantity of Nutra Nuggets 40 Lb. Lamb Meal and Rice Formula because of confirmatory testing that indicates the product may include traces of melamine resulting from cross contamination during manufacturing. No animal deaths have been reported.

This action is limited to Nutra Nuggets 40 Lb. Lamb Meal and Rice Formula with production codes of NLR0404A2SL, “Best Before” Oct. 9, 2008, and NLR0404B2SL, “Best Before” Oct. 9, 2008. The recalled product was manufactured at the company’s Lathrop, Calif. facility. No other Nutra Nuggets products are affected.

Consumers who purchased Nutra Nuggets 40 Lb. Lamb Meal and Rice Formula with production codes of NLR0404A2SL, “Best Before” Oct. 9, 2008, and NLR0404B2SL, “Best Before” Oct. 9, 2008, should stop feeding the product immediately and return unused portions to their retailer for a full refund. Consumers may also contact the Diamond Pet Foods Customer Information Center toll free at 1-866-214-6945 for further information. The Center, which is staffed by veterinarians, is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CDT.

Thanks to Liz Marshall for barking in this new, undeclared-by-the-FDA recall. And thanks to The National Pet Foundation for this alert.

There are two more pet food recalls today. Please forward this information to family and friends that have pets.

Western Family Canada Chunks of Chicken/Gravy canned cat food dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (374g)

Western Family Canada Chicken Cuts/Gravy canned dog food dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (624g)

SOunds like we may be seeing more recalls from Diamond.

Thanks to KSEE24.com for this story and Itchmo for picking it up.

Dog owners warned about potentially contaminated food

May 21, 2007 - Dog owners are being warned about a batch of possibly contaminated food, sold at a Visalia Costco around mid-April, after at least four dogs fell ill.

Two of the dogs who became sick, a nine-year-old chocolate lab named Bob and his 1 1/2-year-old adopted sister, Pearl, have been staying at the Lone Oak Pet Clinic in Visalia, since May 11, after they began throwing up.

“We took them in… and her kidney was 80 percent shutdown,” said owner Ken Womack.

The dogs are being fed through intravenous tubes and are regaining their strength, but their struggle doesn?t seem to be isolated.

Two other dogs apparently came in earlier with the same symptoms.

Veterinarian Dr. Matt Humason says ?We began asking questions…we found the dogs all ate the same food from the same store at the same time… so we sent a sample to get it tested and it came back positive with melamine.”

All four dogs ate Nutra Nuggets brand food.

A sample was sent to a lab at UC Davis and Womack’s fears were confirmed. “All I’m trying to get people to do is notify the people and let them know we may have problem. Unfortunately I feel Costco has been very hesitant to do that.”

That’s because Womack and the owner of the other sick dogs threw out the bags once they took the pet food home.

They’re working with the distributor to track down the specific batch number. A Costco representative tells KSEE 24 news once it’s been tracked, they will immediately yank the product in question.

Follow this link to read the rest of the article and watch the video.

Itchmo was able to run down the exact brand of pet food affected.

We have been able to confirm that Nutra Nuggets (made by Diamond Pet Foods) is recalling their 40 pound Lamb Meal and Rice Dry Formula for Dogs. The contaminated batch?s product code is #NLR0404 and the Best Buy dates are October 9-10, 2008. We spoke with a vet at the Nutra Nuggets recall line and he said that so far, they had only heard of 2 cases in which the dogs had renal diseases (confirming the news report from yesterday).

He said that it was due to cross-contamination due to food being produced for Natural Balance (Natural Balance had recalls in mid-April). At this time, he said that no other food produced by Nutra Nuggets was being recalled.

Follow this link to the followup article on Itchmo.

If you use any types of these brands, please check the list. It includes, dog, cat and ferret feeds.

Thanks to the FDA for this announcement.

Chenango Valley Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — May 17, 2007 — Chenango Valley Pet Foods previously recalled dry pet foods manufactured with a shipment of rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis that possibly contained melamine contamination. Chenango Valley Pet Foods is now expanding the recall action to include those pet foods that do not contain rice protein concentrate but were manufactured during periods when rice protein concentrate formulas were processed. The recall of these products is precautionary 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.
No illnesses or injuries related to these products have been reported to date.

Pet owners who have purchased the pet foods listed above should immediately discontinue using the products and return them to the place of purchase for full refund. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they have any health concerns with their pet. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-610-821-0608.

####

FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts Page

Here’s the recently released press release from Royal Canin announcing their recall.

Eight Sensible Choice Dry Dog Food Products, Seven Kasco Dry Dog and Cat Food Products Recalled Nationwide by Royal Canin USA Effective Today

Trace amounts of a melamine derivative identified in limited number of recalled products

ST. CHARLES, Mo., May 11 /PRNewswire/ — Royal Canin USA is announcing today the voluntary nationwide recall of eight Sensible Choice dry dog food products and seven Kasco dry dog and cat food products.

This announcement is based on the company’s ongoing extensive review of its manufacturing and quality assurance testing procedures, which identified trace amounts of a melamine derivative from tainted Chinese rice protein concentrate provided to the company by domestic ingredient supplier Cereal Byproducts, headquartered in Illinois.

“We deeply regret the concern and anxiety this announcement today will cause our loyal customers and the entire pet community,” Olivier Amice, President and CEO of Royal Canin USA, said. “While a very limited number of Sensible Choice and Kasco products in this recall tested positive for trace levels of a melamine derivative, Royal Canin USA is voluntarily withdrawing these products out of an abundance of caution and because we are fully committed to the welfare of our customers’ pets.”

Royal Canin USA has no confirmed cases of melamine related illness in pets eating Sensible Choice and Kasco products affected by this recall.

Last month, Royal Canin USA announced it will no longer use any Chinese vegetable protein suppliers.

The following eight Sensible Choice dry dog food products and seven Kasco dry dog and cat food 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)

Based on today’s announcement, pet owners should stop feeding their pets the eight Sensible Choice dry dog food products, seven Kasco dry dog and dry cat food products listed. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet.

The safety and nutritional quality of Royal Canin USA pet food is our company’s top priority because we understand that the health of pets comes first. Pet owners who have questions about the voluntary recall of Sensible Choice and Kasco dry pet food products and other Royal Canin USA products should call 1-800-513-0041 or visit our web site

All Sensible Choice and Kasco products have a satisfaction guarantee and the company will refund or replace the diets that are part of this recall announcement.

The recalls are starting up again. This recall is from the Cereal Byproducts Company. No news yet on which pet food producers used this load of tainted Chinese concentrate.

Recall ? Firm Press Release

Cereal Byproducts Company announces the voluntary nationwide recall of Rice Protein Concentrate produced in China.

Contact:Cereal Byproducts Company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? Mt. Prospect, Illinois ? May 4, 2007 ? Cereal Byproducts Company is announcing today that the FDA has determined that there are melamine and/or melamine derivatives in the rice protein concentrate produced by a single source Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., and purchased through a local domestic importer. Cereal Byproducts shipped the recalled product to a total of three customers located in the Midwest between July 19, 2006 and March 14, 2007. The FDA previously found melamine and/or melamine derivatives in Wilbur-Ellis Company?s rice protein concentrate, which was purchased from the same Chinese supplier as Cereal Byproducts. Cereal Byproducts proactively notified their customers of this finding, and thereafter both parties implemented their own voluntary recall of the contaminated products on or about April 19, 2007.

Although Cereal Byproducts has received no confirmed cases of pet deaths, it voluntarily chose to initiate the recall when Cereal Byproducts discovered there was a potential contamination of melamine or melamine type derivatives in the rice protein. We are confident that our customers have implemented on-going recalls and the remaining rice protein concentrate, not previously distributed to these customers, is located at a separate warehouse facility under quarantine.

Thanks to the FDA for this announcement.

SmartPak Canine Voluntarily Recalls LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice Formula

Consumers: 800 461-8898

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Plymouth, MA ? May 3, 2007 ?On 5/02/07, SmartPak Canine executed a voluntary nationwide recall on all lots of LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice food. This product tested positive for presence of melamine in a test received earlier in the day.

The LiveSmart Lamb formula is only sold in portion-paks shipped straight to the consumer’s home each month, so there are no bags of potentially affected product on store shelves anywhere in the country. The focus of the recall has been informing affected customers via telephone, email, and letter. Ninety-nine percent of the roughly 220 pet owners feeding LiveSmart Adult Lamb via its portion pak pet food subscription service were contacted by live phone contact or message, and/or email. The company has had live contact with the majority of affected pet owners, and is continuing an aggressive outreach program to ensure that the notification has been received. To reduce likelihood of pet owners continuing to feed the food, replacement product is being shipped to affected customers free of charge.

At the time the recall was initiated, there had not been any ill effects reported in dogs. Through the efforts to reach out to all customers, the company has become aware of two instances of vomiting and learned that a 10 year old Rottweiler had passed away two weeks previous to the recall. These reports have been forwarded to FDA and are being investigated by the company’s Medical Director to determine if they are connected with the LiveSmart Adult Lamb formula. The company has asked that any dogs showing signs of kidney illness (loss of appetite, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst) be seen by their veterinarian.

The company is presently investigating the source of the contamination in conjunction with its contract manufacturer, Chenango Valley Pet Food. The LiveSmart Adult Lamb formula does not contain rice protein concentrate nor wheat gluten. All the meat and vegetable matter, with the exception of New Zealand lamb, is of US origin. It appears that the product may have been cross contaminated at the Chenango plant by a prior batch of food unassociated with SmartPak that contained an ingredient that had been contaminated with melamine.

SmartPak has also tested each of its other four brands for melamine contamination, and there was no melamine detected in the samples of these foods. Those brands are LiveSmart Adult Chicken and Brown Rice, LiveSmart Senior Chicken and Brown Rice, and LiveSmart Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice.

Questions regarding this recall may be directed to Paal Gisholt, the company’s president and CEO, who may be reached at 800 461-8898. Affected customers are asked to call the company’s toll free customer service number at 800 461-8898, which is available 24/7. Additional information will be reported on the company’s website as it becomes available.

Thanks to the FDA for this new announcement.

Menu Foods Adds to Recall List

Contact:Consumers 1-866-895-2708

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — May 2, 2007 — Menu Foods has previously recalled wet cat and dog food produced with adulterated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc. Menu Foods is now expanding the recall to include cuts and gravy and select other products which do not include ChemNutra wheat gluten but which were manufactured at any of Menu Foods? plants during the period that ChemNutra wheat gluten was used at that plant, to the extent they have not already been subject to a recall, due to the possibility of cross-contamination. Menu Foods has received a report from a customer and has received study results, both of which indicate cross-contamination.

As a result, Menu advises the public:

Additional items in the United States and Canada have been added to the recall list as shown below. A further two varieties for Europe have been added to the recall list.

The recall dates of those products previously recalled have been modified to include all dates during the period that ChemNutra wheat gluten was used in the applicable Menu plant. All of these products, including the expanded dates, have previously been withdrawn from the market and should already be off the retailer shelves.

Menu estimates that this additional recall represents less than 5% of the products that have already been recalled or withdrawn.

An updated list of the recalled products, including this addition, is available at the Menu Foods website.

Cat Food

Look For a Date that Falls within the below date range on The Bottom of Can or Back of Pouch
Product Description
Size
UPC
Can / Pouch

Americas Choice, Preferred Pet
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Heart/Liver 24×3oz
3oz
54807-59117
Can

Best Choice
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken 24×3oz
3oz
70038-59960
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
70038-36329
Can

Nov/08/08 to Mar/07/09
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 12×5.5oz
5.5oz
81131-69858
Can

Nov/08/08 to Mar/07/09
Variety Pack (S/T/C) 12×5.5oz
5.5oz
81131-69861
Can

Companion
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Turkey/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
88267-00287
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Heart/Liver 24×3oz
3oz
88267-00288
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
88267-00283
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Variety Pack (Sliced) 24×3oz
3oz
88267-03352
Can

Compliments
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
55742-35303
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
55742-35301
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef Platter 24×85g
85g
55742-35279
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Trout Platter 24×85g
85g
55742-35285
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna Platter 24×85g
85g
55742-35283
Can

Co-Op Gold
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken/Gravy 24×156g
156g
57316-01070
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef/Gravy 24×156g
156g
57316-01068
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×85g
85g
57316-01064
Can

Demoulas/Market Basket
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Trout 24×3oz
3oz
49705-15361
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
49705-15356
Can

Drs Foster & Smith
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken/Potato/Carrot/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
25141-25280
Can

Fame
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
45400-27074
Can

Feline Classic
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna/Sauce 24×85g
85g
150808
Can

Feline Cuisine
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna/Sauce 24×85g
85g
014820
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×85g
85g
014790
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×85g
85g
014740
Can

Food Lion
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna Dinner 24×3oz
3oz
35826-05986
Can

Giant Companion
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
88267-00286
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
88267-00334
Can

Giant Eagle
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
30034-02323
Can

Hannaford
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41268-12463
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Trout 24×3oz
3oz
41268-13537
Can

Hill Country Fare
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41220-63411
Can

Hy Vee
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Grvy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
75450-05639
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
75450-05640
Can

La Griffe
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×156g
156g
59749-39750
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×85g
85g
59749-39670
Can

Laura Lynn
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Chicken/Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
86854-03790
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Salmon/Whitefish 24×3oz
3oz
86854-03886
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Trout Dinner 24×3oz
3oz
86854-03788
Can

Master Choice
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 12×374g
374g
69200-45121
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 12×374g
374g
69200-45122
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×85g
85g
69200-45083
Can

Meijer’s Main Choice
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
VP (Sliced B/C/T) 24×3oz.
3oz
19283-41177
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
19283-41174
Can

Natural Ultramix
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Adult Salmon/Vegetable/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
80872-07953
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Adult Turkey/Vegetable/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
80872-07955
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Indoor Chicken/Vegetable/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
80872-07961
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Adult Chicken/Vegetable/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
80872-07951
Can

Nu Pet
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
71754-41291
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
71754-41121
Can

Nutriplan
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna Dinner 24×3oz
3oz
41130-06811
Can

Nutro
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Kitten Beef/Chicken 24×3oz
3oz
79105-35203
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Kitten Chicken/Oceanfish 24×3oz
3oz
79105-38101
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Kitten Tuna/Chicken 24×3oz
3oz
79105-35204
Can

Paws
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Heart/Liver 24×3oz
3oz
36800-08691
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
36800-08248
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
36800-08251
Can

Performatrin Ultra
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Chicken Stew Flaked 24×156g
156g
15180
Can

Pet Pride
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Heart/Liver 24×3oz
3oz
11110-86261
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Variety Pack 24×3oz
3oz
11110-86003
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Shredded Turkey/Cheese 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
11110-84878
Can

Presidents Choice
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×156g
156g
60383-65882
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
60383-65965
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Turkey 24×85g
85g
60383-67291
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×85g
85g
60383-37159
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Turkey/Gravy 24×85g
85g
60383-37158
Can

Price Chopper
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna Dinner 24×3oz
3oz
41735-12826
Can

Priority Canada
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×85g
85g
21130-41398
Can

Priority US
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chunky Chicken 24×3oz
3oz
21130-41293
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Variety Pack (S/T/T) 24×3oz
3oz
21130-41397
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Tuna Feast 24×3oz
3oz
21130-41344
Can

Roche Brothers
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
39639-09711
Can

Roundy’s
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Fish/Shrimp 24×3oz
3oz
11150-78478
Can

Schnucks
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Tuna/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
41318-07087
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41318-07102
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41318-07099
Can

Sophistacat
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
37257-01328
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
37257-01327
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Flaked Tuna/Egg/Sauce 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-41106
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Flaked Tuna/Sauce 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-41107
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01311
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Salmon/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01316
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced SD Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01309
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Turkey/Liver/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01313
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Whitefish/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01314
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01312
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Tuna/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-01315
Can

Special Kitty Canada
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Grvy 24×156g
156g
78742-64597
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×156g
156g
78742-64598
Can

Springfield Prize
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41380-13806
Can

Triumph
Nov/08/08 to Mar/07/09
Pouch Turkey/Giblets 24×3oz
3oz
73657-00332
Pouch

Nov/08/08 to Mar/07/09
Pouch Mixed Grill 24×3oz
3oz
73657-00334
Pouch

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
73657-00167
Can

Wegmans
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×3oz
3oz
77890-76381
Can

Western Family Canada
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×85g
85g
62639-81183
Can

White Rose
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Shredded Turkey/Cheese 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
74807-34377
Can

Winn Dixie
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
85g
21140-18632
Can

Your Pet
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Flaked Tuna 24×3oz
3oz
72036-40010
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Chicken/Heart/Liver 24×3oz
3oz
72036-29028
Can

Dog Food

Look For a Date on The Bottom of Can or Back of Pouch That Falls Within The Below Date Range
Product Description
Size
UPC
Can / Pouch

Authority
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Lite Chicken/Rice/Gravy 12×14oz
14oz
37257-12044
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Adult Lamb/Rice/Cuts 24×6oz
6oz
37257-36971
Can

Award
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef Casserole 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-00504
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken Casserole 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-00502
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-00432
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
37257-00431
Can

Best Choice
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
70038-60079
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
70038-60082
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
70038-60081
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
70038-60085
Can

Compliments
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
With Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
55742-35390
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
With Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
55742-35307
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
55742-35387
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
With Lamb/Veg Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
55742-35315
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
With Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
55742-35311
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
With Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
55742-35310
Can

Co-Op Gold
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
57316-01079
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
57316-01077
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
57316-01075
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
57316-01082
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
57316-01081
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
57316-01080
Can

Hannaford
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41268-13533
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41268-12292
Can

Health Diet Gourmet Cuisine
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×156g
156g
78198-01515
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef 12×374g
374g
78198-01519
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78198-01529
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cut/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78198-01527
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cut/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78198-01524
Can

Hill Country Fare
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Ctry Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
41220-68712
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Bbq Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
41220-68711
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41220-67531
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41220-00864
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41220-68715
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 6×22oz
22oz
41220-67532
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Lamb/Vegetable/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41220-67530
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Bbq Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41220-05168
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Bbq Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41220-05169
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41220-68708
Can

Hy Vee
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
75450-05606
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
75450-05572
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
75450-05604
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
75450-05608
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
75450-05611
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
75450-05561
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
75450-05546
Can

La Griffe
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
59749-39662
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
59749-39654
Can

Master Choice
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
69200-45163
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
69200-45187
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
69200-45182
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
69200-45185
Can

Natural Life
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Lamaderm 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
12344-06114
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Puppy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
12344-01114
Can

Nu Pet
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
71754-41315
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
71754-41249
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
71754-41250
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Lamb/Vegetable Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
71754-41292
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
71754-41315
Can

Ol’ Roy Canada
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts Value Pack 12×374g
374g
78742-52011
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts Value Pack 12×374g
374g
78742-52019
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
78742-64516
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
78742-51403
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
78742-51411
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
78742-64515
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
With Beef/Bacon/Cheese Cuts 12×624g
624g
78742-51433
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
With Beef/Barley Cuts 12×624g
624g
78742-51425
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78742-64520
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78742-51435
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78742-51388
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
With Lamb/Vegetable Cuts 12×624g
624g
78742-52132
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
78742-64519
Can

Performatrin Ultra
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Chicken/Rice Stew 12×374g
374g
78198-01776
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Lamb/Rice Stew 12×374g
374g
78198-01775
Can

Pet Pride / Good n Meaty
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
11110-86232
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
11110-86025
Can

Presidents Choice
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×156g
156g
60383-64167
Can

Dec/06/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×156g
156g
60383-64168
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
60383-37457
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
60383-37459
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Chicken & Veal Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
60383-68762
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
60383-37456
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
60383-65895
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
60383-37458
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Extra Meaty Beef/Bacon/Cheese 12×624g
624g
60383-67619
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Extra Meaty Beef/Chicken Cuts 12×624g
624g
60383-67618
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Extra Meaty Beef/Barley/Cuts 12×624g
624g
60383-67620
Can

Priority US
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 6×22oz
22oz
21130-42017
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
21130-42007
Can

Schnucks
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
41318-07121
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
41318-07123
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
41318-07118
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Turkey/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41318-07108
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
With Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41318-07146
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
With Chopped Beef 12×22oz
22oz
41318-07147
Can

Springfield Prize
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×13.2o
13.2oz
41380-13908
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41380-13907
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Lamb/Vegetable/Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41380-13891
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41380-13904
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
41380-13890
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Chicken/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
41380-14291
Can

Stater Brothers
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Beef/Liver Cuts in Gravy 12×22
22oz
74175-12359
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
74175-12280
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Lamb/Vegetable Cuts/Gravy 12×22o
22oz
74175-12357
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
74175-12283
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
with Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×22oz
22oz
74175-12282
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
74175-12351
Can

Triumph
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
73657-00171
Can

Truly
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
00364-41665
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
00364-41806
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
00364-49564
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
00364-42036
Can

Western Family Canada
Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Country Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
62639-19579
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Chicken Cuts/Gravy 12×374g
374g
62639-19580
Can

Dec/11/09 to Mar/07/10
Lamb/Vegetable Cuts 12×624g
624g
62639-29264
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
62639-19587
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Beef/Liver Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
62639-19588
Can

Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10
Stew Cuts/Gravy 12×624g
624g
62639-19590
Can

Western Family US
Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Beef/Liver/Cuts 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
15400-04070
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Stew Cuts 12×13.2oz
13.2oz
15400-04069
Can

Nov/08/09 to Mar/07/10
Sliced Beef/Gravy 24×5.5oz
5.5oz
15400-05192
Can

Thanks to the FDA for today’s recall item.

Sierra Pet Products, LLC Issues Nationwide Recall of “Harmony Farms” Canned Dog Foods, “Harmony Farms” Canned Cat Foods and “Harmony Farms” Dog Treats Manufactured at American Nutrition, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 27, 2007 — SIERRA PET PRODUCTS, LLC, Wilton, CT, is initiating a nationwide recall of all canned dog foods, all canned cat food and all dog treats sold under its “Harmony Farms” brand. The Company is taking this voluntary action after learning that the FDA has confirmed the presence of melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, in rice protein concentrate used by the contract manufacturer in the production of some of these products.

It should be noted the “Harmony Farms” canned dog and cat food products were not formulated or labeled to contain rice protein concentrate, and that the manufacturer, American Nutrition, Inc. added the rice protein concentrate to these products without Sierra Pet Products’ knowledge or consent. For this reason, Sierra Pet Products is concerned that it can not have any faith in the integrity, or the accuracy of the ingredient labels of any of its products manufactured by American Nutrition. Therefore Sierra Pet Products is withdrawing all products manufactured by American Nutrition, including products that American Nutrition claims do not contain rice protein. The FDA investigation into the inclusion of the rice protein by American Nutrition in the “Harmony Farms” products is ongoing.

Consumers who have any of the “Harmony Farms” can dog foods, can cat foods, or dog treats that are being recalled should stop using the products immediately, and return any unused or partially used products to the retailer where they were purchased, for a full refund.

Sierra Pet Products has not received any reports of pet illness from any of the recalled products, but consumers are advised to speak with their veterinarian about any concerns for their pet’s health.

The recall includes the following:

All Cans of “Harmony Farms” dog food
All Cans of “Harmony Farms” cat food
All “Harmony Farms” dog treats

NO HARMONY FARMS DRY DOG OR CAT FOODS SOLD IN BAGS ARE MANUFACTURED AT AMERICAN NUTRITION. NONE OF THESE DRY DOG OR CAT FOODS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL.

FDA has been apprised of this action, and Sierra Pet Products will continue to cooperate with the FDA in its investigation of this matter.

Sierra Pet Products has not received any complaints of illness or renal failure associated with the use of any of the recalled products.

Sierra Pet Products has notified its distributors and retailer customers of this recall by phone and letter and is arranging for return and credit for all recalled products.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-808-1664.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall release.

Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. Recalls Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall

Natural Balance Consumer Contact:
1-800-829-4493

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Pacoima, CA — April 27, 2007 — Because of the pet food recall initiated today by American Nutrition Inc., Natural Balance Pet Foods has announced it is issuing a nationwide recall of a number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition. This action is limited to four specific Natural Balance canned formulas: Chicken Canned Dog Formula 13 oz , Beef Canned Dog Formula 13 oz, Lamb Canned Dog Formula 13 oz, and the 3oz and 6 oz Ocean Fish Canned Cat Formulas.

Natural Balance Pet Foods is taking this voluntary action after learning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed rice protein concentrate used by American Nutrition contained melamine, a substance not approved for use in food. These products are being recalled in addition to our previously recalled Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.

Natural Balance Pet Foods has not received any indication of quality or safety issues, including pet illness, with the four withdrawn formulas. However, because American Nutrition informed the company that these four specific products may include rice protein concentrate, Natural Balance Pet Foods felt this action was necessary for the protection of its customers and their pets.

It should be noted that the products being recalled were not formulated or labeled to contain rice protein concentrate. While the FDA is investigating this, current information indicates this error is a result of a manufacturing deviation by American Nutrition. Natural Balance is working with the FDA in this matter.

Please note that there are new brands and items in this recall. Even if you have seen the previous recall notices for some of these brands, please check this list anyway!

I thought I couldn’t be shocked any further by these recalls but I am. Some of these brands listed were supposed to be some of the best on the market. Now we find out that they don’t even make their own foods or treats! At this point, I want EVERY one of the foods or treats I give my furbabies to say on the package EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE WAS GROWN AND PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA or EUROPE. Why Europe? Because your quality standards are generally higher than ours. I’m not being unpatriotic; I’m being realistic. I want pet and human food that I can trust.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall
Contact:
Bill Behnken, 801.394.3477, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis’ rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Pet owners who purchased these pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund.

These products represent a small percentage of those manufactured by American Nutrition. To reiterate, no American Nutrition brands or other products manufactured for other businesses are affected by this recall.

We at American Nutrition care immensely about the quality of the products we manufacture and the health of the pets that consume them. We want to express our deep concern over this situation. Feeding pets has been our business and passion for more than 35 years. We take that responsibility seriously and are very proud of what we do and how we do it. We will continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact us by calling 1.800.257.4530 or by e:mailing us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

Please note that there are new brands and items in this recall. Even if you have seen the previous recall notices for some of these brands, please check this list anyway!

I thought I couldn’t be shocked any further by these recalls but I am. Some of these brands listed were supposed to be some of the best on the market. Now we find out that they don’t even make their own foods or treats! At this point, I want EVERY one of the foods or treats I give my furbabies to say on the package EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE WAS GROWN AND PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA or EUROPE. Why Europe? Because your quality standards are generally higher than ours. I’m not being unpatriotic; I’m being realistic. I want pet and human food that I can trust.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall
Contact:
Bill Behnken, 801.394.3477, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis’ rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Pet owners who purchased these pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund.

These products represent a small percentage of those manufactured by American Nutrition. To reiterate, no American Nutrition brands or other products manufactured for other businesses are affected by this recall.

We at American Nutrition care immensely about the quality of the products we manufacture and the health of the pets that consume them. We want to express our deep concern over this situation. Feeding pets has been our business and passion for more than 35 years. We take that responsibility seriously and are very proud of what we do and how we do it. We will continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact us by calling 1.800.257.4530 or by e:mailing us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

Please note that there are new brands and items in this recall. Even if you have seen the previous recall notices for some of these brands, please check this list anyway!

I thought I couldn’t be shocked any further by these recalls but I am. Some of these brands listed were supposed to be some of the best on the market. Now we find out that they don’t even make their own foods or treats! At this point, I want EVERY one of the foods or treats I give my furbabies to say on the package EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE WAS GROWN AND PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA or EUROPE. Why Europe? Because your quality standards are generally higher than ours. I’m not being unpatriotic; I’m being realistic. I want pet and human food that I can trust.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall
Contact:
Bill Behnken, 801.394.3477, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis’ rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Pet owners who purchased these pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund.

These products represent a small percentage of those manufactured by American Nutrition. To reiterate, no American Nutrition brands or other products manufactured for other businesses are affected by this recall.

We at American Nutrition care immensely about the quality of the products we manufacture and the health of the pets that consume them. We want to express our deep concern over this situation. Feeding pets has been our business and passion for more than 35 years. We take that responsibility seriously and are very proud of what we do and how we do it. We will continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact us by calling 1.800.257.4530 or by e:mailing us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

Please note that there are new brands and items in this recall. Even if you have seen the previous recall notices for some of these brands, please check this list anyway!

I thought I couldn’t be shocked any further by these recalls but I am. Some of these brands listed were supposed to be some of the best on the market. Now we find out that they don’t even make their own foods or treats! At this point, I want EVERY one of the foods or treats I give my furbabies to say on the package EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE WAS GROWN AND PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA or EUROPE. Why Europe? Because your quality standards are generally higher than ours. I’m not being unpatriotic; I’m being realistic. I want pet and human food that I can trust.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall
Contact:
Bill Behnken, 801.394.3477, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis’ rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Pet owners who purchased these pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund.

These products represent a small percentage of those manufactured by American Nutrition. To reiterate, no American Nutrition brands or other products manufactured for other businesses are affected by this recall.

We at American Nutrition care immensely about the quality of the products we manufacture and the health of the pets that consume them. We want to express our deep concern over this situation. Feeding pets has been our business and passion for more than 35 years. We take that responsibility seriously and are very proud of what we do and how we do it. We will continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact us by calling 1.800.257.4530 or by e:mailing us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

Please note that there are new brands and items in this recall. Even if you have seen the previous recall notices for some of these brands, please check this list anyway!

I thought I couldn’t be shocked any further by these recalls but I am. Some of these brands listed were supposed to be some of the best on the market. Now we find out that they don’t even make their own foods or treats! At this point, I want EVERY one of the foods or treats I give my furbabies to say on the package EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE WAS GROWN AND PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA or EUROPE. Why Europe? Because your quality standards are generally higher than ours. I’m not being unpatriotic; I’m being realistic. I want pet and human food that I can trust.

Thanks to the FDA for this recall notice.

American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall
Contact:
Bill Behnken, 801.394.3477, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — The Denver office of the FDA informed American Nutrition, Inc. today that certain samples of rice protein shipped to its production facility have been contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. The rice protein in question was obtained from San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis Company.

The FDA is investigating the use of rice protein, an ingredient found in a number of canned pet food products and baked pet food treats to fortify protein levels, after a portion of Wilbur-Ellis’ rice protein supply was found to be contaminated with melamine. American Nutrition immediately discontinued the use of rice protein after learning of the melamine contamination.

The FDA has urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these products is sold under an American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. No American Nutrition brands or other products they manufacture for other businesses are affected by this recall.

The products subject to this recall are as follows:

CANNED CAT FOOD
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Hairball Control Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten Recipe Oven Roasted Chicken 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entrée 3oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

CANNED DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo Beef Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Hearty Venison Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Lamb Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Salmon Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Blue Buffalo Turkey Meatloaf Dinner 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09
Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10
Harmony Farms Beef 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Chicken 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Lamb 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Harmony Farms Salmon 12.5oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10

BAKED DOG TREATS
Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08
Blue Buffalo Health Bars Baked With Apples & Yogurt Dog Treats 20oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08

Pet owners who purchased these pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund.

These products represent a small percentage of those manufactured by American Nutrition. To reiterate, no American Nutrition brands or other products manufactured for other businesses are affected by this recall.

We at American Nutrition care immensely about the quality of the products we manufacture and the health of the pets that consume them. We want to express our deep concern over this situation. Feeding pets has been our business and passion for more than 35 years. We take that responsibility seriously and are very proud of what we do and how we do it. We will continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact us by calling 1.800.257.4530 or by e:mailing us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

Thanks to JP for barking this in from Canine Caviar.

Canine Caviar is voluntarily recalling less than 1500 cans in circulation nationally (not cases) and expects to have this collected within 48 hours of April 27, 2007. This unexpected situation is due to the fact that our canned food co-packer was using ingredients that were not authorized by Canine Caviar. Our canned foods have not officially tested positive, but we are recalling the following three can SKU?s: 13.2 oz Gourmet Turkey ? UPC 674555222134, 13.2 oz Gourmet Beaver ? UPC 674555221328, 5.5 oz Gourmet Beaver ? UPC 674555221557 dated best by Aug 21, 08 or later.

All of the Gourmet Duck and Venison Tripe in the 13.2 oz cans are made to our standards and do not have any grains in them and are not part of the recall.

During the next few weeks, Canine Caviar will be out of stock on these three cans and recommends using the canned duck or venison tripe.

NONE OF CANINE CAVIAR?S DRY FOODS, TREATS OR SUPPLEMENTS ARE AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THESE PRODUCTS ARE PACKED AT A DIFFERENT FACILITY. WE HAVE WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION PROVING THESE PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED TO OUR STANDARDS.

We apologize and have taken steps to increase quality control to ensure this does not happen in the future, we are demanding production records from all or our co-packers for all of our formulas before they are shipped to us. We have reviewed all of our other products and determined that they are free of any unauthorized ingredients.

There have been no illnesses reported related to feeding these formulas, however, to comply with the American Nutrition recall of the two products, we are voluntarily pulling all dates and batches of these two formulas. Please return all cans of turkey and beaver to your store for a full refund.

Please email Canine Caviar at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for free dry food and treat coupons for this inconvenience.

Thanks to Nika for barking this blog entry in from Itchmo. I checked the Blue Buffalo site but the recall is not posted there as of this moment. When I called Blue Buffalo’s consumer line I got a long message stating this recall notice.

BREAKING NEWS: Blue Buffalo Recalls All Canned Dog and Cat Food, As Well As Treats

Blue Buffalo just announced another expansion of the recall covering:

All Blue brand can dog foods
All Spa Select brand can cat foods
All Blue Health Bar treats.

The release indicates that rice protein was added without their knowledge to these products. Blue Buffalo attributes this to ?tampering” by their contract manufacturer American Nutrition, who was connected to several other recalls on Thursday.

Here is the official FDA recall announcement from Blue Buffalo:

Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition Inc.
Contact:
Consumer Inquiries:
1-800-919-2833

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Wilton, Connecticut, April 26, 2007- We at the Blue Buffalo Company have just learned that American Nutrition Inc. (ANI), the manufacturer of all our cans and biscuits, has been adding rice protein concentrate to our can formulas without our knowledge and without our approval. This is product tampering, and it apparently has been going on for some time. The can formulas that we developed, and trusted them to produce, never contained any rice protein concentrate. It appears that only an FDA investigation of ANI’s rice protein concentrate supplies forced them to reveal this product tampering to us.

While this activity by ANI is in itself unlawful, the situation is further clouded by the fact that ANI has been receiving rice protein concentrate from Wilber-Ellis, some of which the FDA has determined to be contaminated with melamine.

So while no BLUE or Spa Select canned product has tested positive for the presence of melamine, and there has been no reported illness due to any of our canned products, we simply cannot be sure of what ANI has been including in our formulas. For this reason, we have decided to remove all of our canned and biscuit products from retail distribution. While this may seem to many to be a major over-reaction, as other ANI customers will probably only recall the products that tested positive for melamine, we see this as a matter of integrity.

We founded Blue Buffalo on the principle of providing dogs and cats with the highest quality and most nutritious food, and we will not sell any product that doesn’t meet this standard. And under these circumstances, we cannot say that any products manufactured by ANI measure up.

The obvious question is “how could Blue Buffalo not know that ANI was putting rice protein concentrate into our canned food?” The answer is we trusted them. In business and in life, we all trust our partners to deal with us honestly. When we buy produce from our local grocery store, we are trusting growers, shippers and a series of handlers to have delivered a product that is safe and nutritious for our family. If any one of these parties betrays our trust, contaminated products can make their way to our dinner table.

And while we test for known toxins and contaminants, we don’t test for protein sources, like rice protein concentrate, especially when we did not formulate our products to contain them.

In the end, this all comes down to an issue of integrity, and ANI has not been honest with us and with the pet parents who buy our products. We will not put any product made by ANI on the shelf, and are temporarily withdrawing an important part of our business in order to be true to our pet parents.

We have already started the process of identifying a can and biscuit manufacturer with whom we can build a partnership based on trust. Once we have accomplished this, BLUE and Spa Select cans and BLUE Health Bars will be reintroduced with the high quality and superior nutrition that our brand stands for and that dogs and cats deserve.

We have informed our retail partners and the FDA about this action and will be cooperating with them to complete this recall quickly. The specific product involved includes all “BLUE” brand can dog foods, all “Spa Select” brand can cat foods and all “BLUE Health Bar” treats.

Consumers who have unused or partially used packages of any of these products should return them to their place of purchase for a complete refund.

All “BLUE” dry natural food for dogs and “Spa Select” dry natural foods for cats are not affected by this recall and are safe for consumption. Should consumers have a specific question, they can call the Company at 1-800-919-2833, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, to receive more information.

Thanks to the PetSitUSA blog for this breaking recall news. Also, check out the Pet Connection blog for a more in-depth information on this recall.

I just got off the phone with Costco and American Nutrition. Both have confirmed that Kirkland Brand Signature canned food has been recalled. At this point I do not know exactly which canned foods are involved. Melamine has been confirmed in in at least some of their wet food. I?m waiting for more information and will post it here as soon as I get it.

UPDATE: Pet Connection has confirmed with Costco that Kirkland Signature Super Premium Canned Food, item # 38436, best buy dates of Aug. 21 08 to April 15 of 09, has been voluntarilly recalled.
Kirkland Brand Signature canned food is made by American Nutrition.

UPDATE #2: Itchmo found out that the recall covers two formulations sold in a single case:

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Chicken and Rice Canned food for Dogs
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Lamb and Rice Canned food for Dogs

It seems that too many pet food companies trusted untrustworthy food manufacturers to make their products. It looks like we’re in the middle of an American Nutrition recall similar to what we saw with Menu Pet. What does this say that two of the apparently most-used producers used sub-par foods? Sure makes me feel that we need extensive overhauls of the system AND pet parents need to demand that the brands they but actually be made in factories the companies personally oversee.

Thanks to Itchmo for publicizing this recall.

Here’s the announcement from the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul site.

Diamond Pet Foods has announced it is withdrawing a limited number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition. This action is limited to three specific canned products: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz. cans, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz. cans, and Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz. cans.

Diamond Pet Foods has not received any indication of quality or safety issues, including pet illness, with the three withdrawn products. However, because American Nutrition informed the company that these three specific products may include rice protein concentrate, Diamond Pet Foods felt this action was necessary for the protection of its customers and their pets.

Customers with these products should stop feeding them immediately and return them to their retailer for a full refund.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul dry pet food and dog treats ARE NOT part of any pet food or treat recall.

Here is the Diamond Recall Release:

Diamond Pet Food Withdraws Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Meta, MO — April 26, 2007 — Because of the canned pet food recall initiated today by American Nutrition Inc., Diamond Pet Foods has announced it is withdrawing a limited number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition. This action is limited to three specific canned products: Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz. cans, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz. cans, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz. cans.

Diamond Pet Foods is taking this voluntary action after learning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed rice protein concentrate used by American Nutrition contained melamine, a substance not approved for use in food.

No other Diamond brand or Chicken Soup brand canned or dry pet food formulas are affected by the American Nutrition recall.

Diamond Pet Foods has not received any indication of quality or safety issues, including pet illness, with the three withdrawn products. However, because American Nutrition informed the company that these three specific products may include rice protein concentrate, Diamond Pet Foods felt this action was necessary for the protection of its customers and their pets.

It should be noted that the products being withdrawn were not formulated or labeled to contain rice protein concentrate. While the FDA is investigating this, current information indicates this error is a result of a manufacturing deviation by American Nutrition.

Diamond Also posted an extensive FAQ about the recall.

FAQ About the Pet Food Recall
Q: What?s the current situation?
A: Because of the canned pet food recall initiated by American Nutrition Inc., Diamond Pet Foods has announced it is withdrawing a limited number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition.

Q: Which products are affected?
A: There are only 3 canned products affected, Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz cans, Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lover?s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz cans, and Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover?s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz cans.

Q: What ?Best By” dates should I look for?
A: The products affected by the recall have ?best by” dates as follows:

? Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz. cans: Aug. 15, 2008 to April 15, 2009
? Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz. cans: Aug. 21, 2008 to April 15, 2009
? Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz. cans: Aug. 21, 2009 to April 15, 2010

Q: What caused Diamond to take this action?
A: Diamond Pet Foods is taking this voluntary action after learning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed rice protein concentrate used by American Nutrition contained melamine, a substance not approved for use in food.

Q: Are any Diamond brand dry pet foods being recalled?
A: None of our Diamond, Diamond Naturals, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul, Premium Edge, Professional, Nutra Nuggets dry pet foods are being recalled. None of the dry pet food products that we manufacture for Solid Gold or Kirkland Signature are being recalled. Natural Balance did recall 2 formulas that we manufactured for them ? Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice dry dog food and Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea dry cat food.

Q: How can I contact a veterinarian at Diamond Pet Foods about the recall?
A: We have a call center that is taking calls at 1-866-214-6945. The hours are 7 am to 7 pm Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday and 7 am to 5 pm Central Standard Time, Saturday and Sunday.

Q: Rice protein concentrate is not on the label. Why is it in the food?
A: We?re working with the FDA to determine this. Diamond Pet Foods did not formulate or label these 3 formulas to contain rice protein concentrate. While the FDA is investigating this, current information indicates this error is a result of a manufacturing deviation by American Nutrition.

Q: What are the symptoms of illness associated with eating this product?
A: We would like to emphasize that none of the samples of these products have tested positive for melamine or any other contaminants. We have not received any reports of illness associated with these products. It has been widely reported that pets that ingest the foods tainted with melamine may develop kidney problems. These pets usually will drink a lot of water, will act very sleepy, and will vomit. These symptoms develop very rapidly after consuming the tainted food.

Q: My pet ate one of the withdrawn foods. Should I take him to the vet?
A: At this time, we have no reason to believe that the withdrawn foods contain melamine. If your pet is ill, no matter what the cause, you should contact your veterinarian.

Q: Will Diamond Pet Foods pay my vet bill?
A: We will make a decision on a case by case basis regarding reimbursement for veterinary expenses.

Q: What should I do if I am feeding one of these products?
A: You should quit feeding the product and return any unused cans to your retailer for a full refund.

Q: Is the rice in your products safe?
A: Yes - our white rice, brown rice, rice bran, rice flour, and brewers rice that we use in various formulas are all safe and free from melamine contamination.

Q: How do you know that the rice protein concentrate did not contaminate other dry or canned foods?
A: We have procedures for cleaning out our equipment between batches, to avoid cross contamination. We were recently audited by Silliker Labs, a company that evaluates human grade manufacturing facilities. We scored 100% for prevention of cross contamination, something we are very proud of. The FDA tested our other canned products that were manufactured by American Nutrition and no other products contain rice protein concentrate.

Q: What is rice protein concentrate?
A: Rice protein concentrate is a by-product of the rice syrup industry. Unlike other rice ingredients, it is very high in protein. It is not the same ingredient as white rice, brown rice, brewers rice, rice bran or rice flour.

Q: Do you use wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate in your foods?
A: These ingredients are used in canned products as thickening agents for gravy or as low-ash protein sources. They are also used as protein sources in dry foods. We do not use any wheat gluten and we used rice protein concentrate only in the 2 Natural Balance formulas that were recalled ? Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice dry dog food and Venison & Green Pea dry cat food.

Q: Why does American Nutrition manufacture your canned food?
A: Manufacturing canned pet food is very different from the manufacturing of dry pet food, requiring different equipment. Diamond Pet Foods does not have a canning facility.

Q: How can you be certain that more canned foods won?t be recalled?
A: We are working closely with the FDA to ensure that no additional manufacturing deviation occurs with our canned products. The FDA did investigate our other canned formulas in both the Diamond brand and the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul brand and found that rice protein concentrate was not included in any other formulas.

Q: Please explain the situation with the pet food that was sold to the hog farmers.
A: It is common regulated practice for animal food facilities to provide salvage product to farms with non-ruminant animals. This regulated practice is mindful of the environment as it does not waste energy (food) and saves valuable landfill space. All of the salvage food was sold prior to Diamond Pet Foods being notified of the contamination in rice protein concentrate.

Q: What is salvage pet food?
A: Salvage pet food is product that comes off the equipment at the very beginning of a run of food. It is high in moisture and thus can?t be bagged.

Q: If your dry foods are not being recalled, how did the salvage food get contaminated?
A: We did manufacture two formulas for Natural Balance that were recalled ? Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice dry dog food and Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea dry cat food ? and it was the beginning portions of these runs of food that ended up in the salvage food that was sold.

Hold onto your pet food bowls; it looks like we may be entering another round of recalls. Several pet food companies are accusing American Nutrition, a packager like Menu Pet, of adding rice protein concentrate to their products without telling them. This may be another long recall day.

Here’s a novel idea. What if so-called pet food companies actually produced their own food? You know, as in had a factory, oversaw the quality, that sort of thing? Otherwise, how can ANY of us trust the food they brand and sell? We can’t. Heck, according to this and the other recent recalls, the people who pay to have this stuff canned or packaged can’t trust the people they pay to produce it. So how can we trust Natural Balance or any other company that has no real control over their packaging process?

As for me, if I find out that a company is not the packager of its own food or treats, I am making a point of avoiding those products, no matter who says they are okay. The bottom line to pet food companies — make it yourself or I cross you off the list of what I give my furbabies.

Thanks to Nika for barking this in and Itchmo for covering it.

Here is the announcement from the Natural Balance site.

Breaking Voluntary Recall News:
Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Our canned food manufacturer, American Nutrition, from Ogden Utah, just informed us that they are recalling all canned products made in their plant that contain rice protein concentrate. American Nutrition continued by telling us that they added this ingredient to four of our canned products without our knowledge or consent. The four products involved are:

Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
Beef Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food 3 oz & 6 oz

There have been no illnesses reported related to feeding these formulas, however, to comply with the American Nutrition recall of the four products, we are pulling all dates and batches of these four formulas. We also ask that our customers return unused product for a full credit to their store.

To make sure that this does not happen in the future, we are demanding from each of our co-manufacturers daily production record of all of our formulas before they are shipped to us and written certification of NO rice protein or any deviation of our formulas. We have reviewed all of our other products and determined that they are free of rice protein concentrate and that all of our other product labels are accurate.

Products NOT involved in the recall are:

DRY DOG & CAT FOOD FORMULAS:
Ultra Premium Formula Dry Dog Food
Reduced Calorie Formula Dry Dog Food
Ultra Premium Formula Dry Cat Food
Reduced Calorie Formula Dry Cat Food
Sweet Potato & Fish Dry Dog Food
Potato & Duck Formula Dry Dog Food
Organic Formula Dry Dog Food
Vegetarian Formula Dry Dog Food

DOG TREATS
Roll-A-Rounds Dog Treats
Sweet Potato & Fish Formula Treats
Potato & Duck Formula Treats
Crunch-E-Bones TreatsDOG FOOD ROLLS
Turkey Formula Dog Food Rolls
Beef Formula Dog Food Rolls
Lamb Formula Dog Food Rolls

CANNED DOG AND CAT FOODS
Liver Formula canned dog food
Duck and Potato Formula canned dog food
Sweet Potato & Fish canned dog food
Eatables Irish Stew canned dog food
Eatables Hobo Chili canned dog food
Eatables Southern Style Dumplin?s with Gravy
Eatables Chinese Take-Out W/Sauce
Ultra Formula canned cat food
Turkey & Giblets Formula canned cat food
Venison & Green Pea canned cat food
Chicken &Liver Pate Formula canned cat food
Tuna w/ Shrimp Formula canned cat food
Salmon Formula canned cat food
Indoor Cat Formula canned cat food

FROZEN DOG FOOD FORMULAS
Lamb Formula Frozen Loaf
Beef Formula Frozen Loaf
Chicken Formula Frozen Loaf
Raw Chicken Formula
Raw Beef Formula

——————————————————————————–

4/26/07: We Have Recalled the Following Products:
Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Formula
Venison and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats
Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula
Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food
Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food
Beef Formula Canned Dog Food
Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food

Chenango Valley Pet Foods Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2007 — Chenango Valley Pet Foods is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and voluntarily recalling pet foods manufactured with a certain shipment of rice protein concentrate. The company was informed by Wilbur-Ellis that the rice protein concentrate shipped to Chenango Valley Pet Foods may be contaminated with melamine, and instructed Chenango Valley Pet Foods to recall any pet foods manufactured with the rice protein concentrate. Melamine is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed.

The pet foods were sold to customers in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, who further sold the products to their customers through catalog mail-orders or retail outlets.

Only the following dry pet foods are involved in the recall:

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD, NET WT. 5 LBS., 12.5 LBS, and 25 LBS; Code dates: Best Used By Jan 24, 09; Best Used By Feb 8, 09; Best Used By Feb 26, 09; Best Used By April 10, 09; Best Used By April 17, 09;

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE CAT FOOD, NET WT. 3 LBS. and 7 LBS.; Code date: Best Used By March 13, 09;

LICK YOUR CHOPS LAMB MEAL, RICE & EGG CAT FOOD, 4 LBS. packages,
Code date: Best Used By April 29, 08;

Bulk CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD sold to one consignee (SmartPak) in a 2000 lbs. tote, Ship date: Feb 9, 2007.

No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date.

Pet owners who purchased the pet foods should immediately discontinue using the products and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they have any health concerns with their pet. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-610-821-0608.

I just received this announcement from the FDA.

LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Recall
Contact:
SmartPak
1-800-326-0282

STATEMENT: On Friday, April 20, SmartPak initiated a voluntary recall of a single production run of the LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food.

The particular lot of food recalled included rice protein concentrate that was supplied by Wilbur-Ellis, the same company that supplied rice protein concentrate contaminated with Melamine to Natural Balance. This was the first time that our supplier purchased and used rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis. No previous lots were affected, nor do we use rice protein concentrate in any other formulas of LiveSmart dog or cat foods.

Thankfully, the product was just produced, and only a very limited amount of product had left our facility prior to the recall (less than 1200 pounds). We have notified every affected pet owner via both phone and email.

We have not had any reports of injury to any dogs. Dogs who have consumed the LiveSmart Weight Management food and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should be seen by a veterinarian.

We have temporarily suspended further distribution of the LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food. We will notify you when we have the product back in stock and will continue to update our website as more information becomes available.

Here’s a recent press release from Senator Durbin’s site. He’s still fighting for our pets, and now Representative DeLauro has signed on too! If you’re in Connecticut, elt Representative DeLauro know you appreciate her involvement.

DURBIN, DELAURO MEET WITH VON ESCHENBACH; URGE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE ON PET FOOD CONTAMINATION INVESTIGATION
Wednesday, April 18, 2007

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today met with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach in Durbin’s Capitol office to discuss the latest recall of pet food, this time caused by contaminated rice protein imported from China.

In the meeting, Durbin and DeLauro learned that the Chinese Government has blocked requests from the FDA to send personnel to China to inspect the facilities suspected of producing the contaminated products. The FDA first contacted the Chinese Government on April 4, 2007, but have not been granted permission to send food inspectors into the country. In response, Durbin and DeLauro sent a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzong, urging the Chinese Government to issue visas to U.S. food inspectors as quickly as possible.

“It is unacceptable that the Chinese government is blocking our food safety inspectors from entering their country and examining facilities that are suspected of providing contaminated pet food to American consumers,” said Durbin. “We have asked for two things in our letter today — that the Chinese government allow our inspectors in and that the Chinese ambassador to the United States meet with Congresswoman DeLauro and me to discuss the larger issue of contaminated food being sent to the U.S. These are reasonable requests and we hope that we can find a level of cooperation with the Chinese.”

“At time when China is exporting more foods into the U.S., the Chinese are refusing to allow our inspectors in to the country to investigate the source of the pet food contamination. The FDA needs to be allowed to investigate this so we can better protect our pets and identify the source of the source of the problem. While we have a significant trade relationship with the Chinese, the investigation of the contaminated product comes first,” said DeLauro.

Last week, Durbin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, along with Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, held a hearing to question witnesses on the timeline of the investigation, the source of the contamination, and the agency’s regulatory and inspection responsibilities. In the hearing, the Senators also questioned outside experts who about the current state of the pet food industry, as well as regulatory or resource shortfalls that led to the widespread recall of tainted pet food.

Additionally, DeLauro, the Chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, will further explore FDA’s inspection of imported foods in a follow-up hearing before the subcommittee.

Durbin and DeLauro have been actively engaged on food safety issues for over a decade. This Congress they introduced legislation that calls for the development of a single food safety agency and the implementation of a food safety program to standardize American food safety activities (The Safe Food Act - S. 654 and H.R. 1148 in the Senate and House respectively). The Illinois senator said legislation he has introduced to consolidate all federal food safety responsibilities into a single, independent agency has taken on new urgency because of a possibly heightened need to respond quickly and effectively to any acts of bioterrorism or agroterrorism. Currently, there are at least 12 different federal agencies and 35 different laws governing food safety. With overlapping jurisdictions, federal agencies often lack accountability on food safety-related issues.

The non-partisan U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has been unequivocal in its recommendation for consolidation of federal food safety programs. In February of this year, the GAO deemed federal oversight of food safety as “high risk” to the economy and public health and safety. Over the past two decades, GAO has also issued numerous reports on topics such as food recalls, food safety inspections and the transport of animal feeds. Each of these reports highlights the current fragmentation and inconsistent organization of the various agencies involved in food safety oversight.

Text of the letter appears below:

April 18, 2007

Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

The ongoing investigation into the recent series of pet deaths and illnesses in the United States has revealed that contaminated batches of wheat gluten and rice protein responsible for these events were imported from China. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), China was the source of both the contaminated wheat gluten responsible for the recall of more than 60 million containers of cat and dog food, and the most recent recall of rice protein products.

Both products were contaminated with melamine, a chemical used for industrial purposes in the United States and in fertilizers in China. According to experts, no level of melamine should be found in pet or human food.

In the case of the contaminated wheat gluten, FDA has identified Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. as the source of the product. Although spokespeople for Xuzhou Anying have denied involvement in the incident, U.S.-based importer ChemNutra, Inc., has demonstrated that it imported the contaminated wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying and various media reports show that the Chinese company was involved in purchasing significant quantities of melamine. In the case of the rice protein contamination, U.S. importer Wilbur-Ellis has said that it imported its products from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, Ltd.

In response to these contaminations, on March 30, 2007, FDA took steps to block imports of Chinese wheat gluten thought to pose a risk to the safety of the human and pet food supply. The Agency has also made multiple requests to the Chinese Government to allow U.S. inspectors to look at the facilities that are suspected to have produced the contaminated product. On April 4, 2007, the FDA sent its first letter to the Chinese Government asking for visas to allow its inspectors visit China. The request was not granted, and on April 17, 2007, the FDA sent an additional letter emphasizing that it wished to be allowed to send its inspectors to China.

This incident has brought suffering to pet owners who have seen their animals fall prey to illness or death, and caused significant economic losses to U.S. companies that believed they were importing wholesome products.

Therefore, we strongly urge the Chinese Government to quickly issue visas to U.S. inspectors and cooperate in this investigation. Last year, the United States imported more than $2.1 billion of agricultural goods from China, up from nearly $1.8 billion the year before. Clearly, this is an important trading relationship.

We appreciate the courtesy of a timely response. We would also like to meet with you in the near future to discuss this issue.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator

Rosa L. DeLauro
Chairwoman House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

Its great that Royal Canin is swearing off Chinese suppliers for vegetable proteins but what about the animla proteins? Are they using Chinese meat products? How safe are those? Probably about as safe as the rest of their tainted exports!

Thanks to Karen, furmom to Jiggs, for barking in this recall from Royal Canin.

April 19, 2007

Dear Royal Canin USA Customer,

It is with sincere regret that I inform you of a new and unfortunate development with some of our pet food products.

Although we have no confirmed cases of illness in pets, we have decided to voluntarily remove the following dry pet food products that contain rice protein concentrate due to the presence of a melamine derivative.

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)

Dry Dog Food
- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET? (available only in veterinary clinics)

Dry Dog Food
- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22?
- Canine Skin Support SS21?

Dry Cat Food
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23?

We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected.

Pet owners should immediately stop feeding their pets the Royal Canin USA dry pet food products listed above. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet. No other Royal Canin diets are affected by this recall and CONTINUE TO BE safe for pets to eat.

In addition, Royal Canin USA will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of our vegetable proteins.

This decision to recall some of our dry pet food products is driven by our philosophy that the ?Pet Comes First.” The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is Royal Canin USA?s top priority. Pet owners who have questions about this recall and other Royal Canin USA products should call 1-800-592-6687.

On behalf of the entire Royal Canin family, our hearts go out to the pet owners and everyone in the pet community who have been affected by all of the recent recalls. We are as passionate about the health and happiness of our customers? pets as we are of our own, so we are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.

Sincerely,

Olivier Amice
President and CEO
Royal Canin USA

I cannot express my complete outrage that we actually now know the source of the mass poisoning of animals (and perhaps humans) and yet we still are allowing food to enter this continent from this rogue nation! The Chinese government has demonstrated time and time again their complete sociopathic disregard for the lives of humans or animals. Is it not madness to allow their food products to enter our food chains?

Thansk to USA Today for this article.

Melamine in pet food may not be accidental

By Elizabeth Weise and Julie Schmit, USA TODAY

A nitrogen-rich chemical used to make plastic and sometimes as a fertilizer may have been deliberately added to an ingredient in pet food that has sickened and killed cats and dogs across the country, public and private officials say. A leading theory is that it was added to fake higher protein levels.

Melamine has been found in wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and, in South Africa, corn gluten, all imported from China, and all meant for use in pet food, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed Thursday.

“It adds to the theory when you see other products that are labeled as protein supplements, in this case rice protein, and in South Africa corn gluten and in the previous case wheat gluten,” said Stephen Sundlof, FDA chief veterinarian. “That melamine was found in all three of those, it would certainly lend credibility to the theory that this was intentional.”

How the melamine got there is “not something we’re going to be able to determine until we actually investigate the plants in China,” he said.

The FDA has not yet been able to get letters of invitation from the Chinese government that would allow its inspectors to enter the country, he said.

In a letter on ChemNutra’s website, Chief Executive Steve Miller said, “We are concerned that we may have been the victim of deliberate and mercenary contamination for the purpose of making the wheat gluten we purchased appear to have a higher protein content than it did.”

Melamine is “simply not a chemical even on the radar screen for food ingredient suppliers,” he wrote.

But it does have a lot of nitrogen in it, says Ron Madl, director of Kansas State University’s Bioprocessing and Industrial Value Added program. The most common way to test protein levels in the grain industry is to test for nitrogen, a major component of protein.

Adding melamine, with its high amount of nitrogen, to wheat gluten would give the illusion of a higher protein content, Madl said.

On Wednesday, San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis recalled all of its rice protein concentrate, imported from China, after FDA tests found melamine in it.

The Blue Buffalo Co. on Thursday recalled some of its Spa Select Kitten dry food because it contained rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis.

Wilbur-Ellis says five pet-food makers got the concentrate. More recalls are possible, the FDA said Thursday. Natural Balance Pet Foods said it had found melamine in two of its venison-based products, and so it did a recall. Its food was made by Diamond Pet Foods, which got the concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis.

The FDA said Thursday it is inspecting all incoming shipments of rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten from China.

Press reports out of South Africa say tests have confirmed that some Royal Canin pet food made there contained corn gluten imported from China that had melamine in it.

Sundlof said the FDA has no information that any of that corn gluten went to U.S. pet-food makers.

Follow this link for more information.

How much money did Blue Buffalo waste on that USA Today full page add touting their safety? Maybe they should have looked more closely at their sourcing agents.

This just off the Blue Buffalo Site:

Voluntary Recall of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food

Dear Pet Parents:

The Blue Buffalo Company has undertaken a voluntary recall on one production run of our Spa Select Kitten dry food. The production code on the recalled product is:

“Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B.”

We have taken this action because the rice protein concentrate used for this one production run was obtained from Wilbur-Ellis, the same company who supplied this ingredient to Natural Balance. Test results received late last evening (4/18) indicated that this rice protein concentrate tested positive for melamine. This is the first and only time our manufacturing partner sourced an ingredient from Wilbur-Ellis, and we had no knowledge that they had imported the ingredients from China.

We have advised the FDA of this finding and will be working closely with them on this issue.

Of the 5,044 bags produced in this one run, we were able to prevent the majority from ever entering retail distribution. We are working closely with our retail partners to remove this product immediately and will be re-stocking the shelves with Spa Select Kitten dry food that was produced without any rice protein sourced from Wilbur-Ellis as soon as possible.

If you currently have a bag of Spa Select Kitten dry food, please check the code date and if it matches the one shown above discontinue use immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If your cat has eaten any of the recalled food, please call your veterinarian immediately to discuss if there are any risks to your pet.

Should you have a specific question call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-919-2833 or email us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it We understand your desire for immediate answers and we will be working to get back to you as quickly as we can.

No other Spa Select cat food or dog food, canned or dry, is included in this recall.

As a family owned company whose reason for being is to provide cats and dogs with the highest quality natural foods, we are extremely upset by this recall and can’t begin to apologize enough to our customers. From our perspective, it is unacceptable to produce even one bag of food with the potential to cause a pet to become ill, and we will further tighten our ingredient sourcing and quality assurance procedures as a result of this incident.

Sincerely,

Bill Bishop
President
The Blue Buffalo Company

Thanks to Stryker for alerting me to this press release from Wilbur-Ellis.

Wilbur-Ellis Voluntarily Recalls Rice Protein Concentrate

SAN FRANCISCO ? April 18, 2007 ? Wilbur-Ellis Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of the rice protein concentrate the San Francisco company?s Feed Division has shipped to pet-food manufacturers because of a risk that rice protein concentrate may have been contaminated by melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that can lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed.

Wilbur-Ellis noted that it obtained rice protein from a single source in China and shipped to a total of five U.S. pet-food manufacturers located in Utah, N.Y., Kansas and two in Missouri.

Last Sunday, April 15, Wilbur-Ellis notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that a single bag in a recent shipment of rice protein concentrate from its Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., had tested positive for melamine. Unlike the other white-colored bags in that shipment, the bag in question was pink and had the word ?melamine” stenciled upon it. Wilbur-Ellis separated that bag and quarantined the entire shipment for further testing and since that time, no further deliveries of rice protein concentrate have been made. Samples from the white bags tested negative for melamine. However, subsequent and potentially more sensitive tests by the FDA came back positive for melamine, leading Wilbur-Ellis to voluntarily issue the recall.

Wilbur-Ellis began importing rice protein concentrate from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology in July 2006. A total of 14 containers holding 336 metric tons of rice protein concentrate were sent from Futian to Wilbur-Ellis. Wilbur-Ellis has distributed 155 metric tons to date.

On Monday (April 16), a pet food distributor issued a voluntary recall of its pet food, believing the source of contamination to be rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis. As an additional precaution, Wilbur-Ellis is urging all pet food manufacturers using rice protein concentrate supplied through Wilbur-Ellis to recall any pet food that may be on supermarket shelves.

Consumers with questions about the pet food they use should visit the FDA Web site at www.fda.gov.

Howl911.com has been doing a great job of covering the pet food recalls. Here’s a very recent post on Howll911 linking the North American and South African recalls. In effect, Howl911 asserts that the melamine addition WAS NO ACCIDENT!

I hope that Howl911 is wrong when it says all commercial food is suspect. Maybe its time for the best pet food manufacturers to get smart and start allowing impartial consumer groups to take tours of their plants and review their materials records. At this point, if you ARE one of the “good guys,” you better prove it! We’re all feeling pretty betrayed and raw out here.

SOUTH AFRICA PET FOOD RECALL: MELAMINE IN CORN GLUTEN 04/19/07

This finding–melamine in corn gluten–should seal the theory that melamine was added to wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate deliberately to boost their nitrogen values (a measure of protein content). All three substances are used as a cheap protein additive in pet foods. With this news, Howl 911 believes all pet foods containing additives of any kind from China should be tested for melamine and other contaminates. This finding also vindicates the claims of many pet parents whose pets were sickened or killed as a result of eating non-Menu Foods brands which did not contain wheat gluten. Virtually all pet foods and many treats contain protein additives in the form of gluten (wheat, corn) or from other grain or vegetable sources (rice, soy, whey), and many of these additives are products of China. I am sorry to say, but this newest information–combined with the lack of full disclosure from pet food companies as to where they source their raw materials from– renders ALL commercial pet food suspect.

Johannesburg - Tests have confirmed that Vets Choice and Royal Canin dog and cat dry pet-food products contained corn gluten contaminated with melamine, says the manufacturer.

The contaminated corn gluten was delivered to Royal Canin by a South African third-party supplier and appears to have originated from China.
FULL STORY

Our thanks to Carol for sending us this link.

And from another news source:
An independent pathologist, Professor Fred Reyers said the outbreak may not be an isolated incident. He believed there was sufficient evidence to suggest a link between this outbreak and a similar one in Cape Town as well as one in the United States.
FULL STORY

Follow this link to Howl911 for much more information.

So now we know the rice protein came from China AND the Chinese government is ACTIVELY preventing US FDA inspectors from investigating this deadly travesty. Can we just say NO MORE FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CHINA UNTIL THEY CLEAN UP THEIR ACT AND THEIR FOOD?!!?!?! (Sorry for caplocking that but I am just as frustrated and angry as everybody else!)

What does the Chinese government have to do to get punished? Let’s start enumerating their transgressions
– Killed thousands of innocent dogs to gain more control over their humans
– Currently skinning alive thousands of dogs every day for their fur which the humans will then lie about to import into North America as faux fur or labeled as rabbit
– Knowingly allows tainted food products to be sold (And don’t even try to tell me that none of the tainted stuff has made it into the human food! NO ONE, including the FDA, can honestly make that claim!)

What do they have to do for us to finally say “STOP!” ?

This is NOT to say that all Chinese are bad. There are MANY caring and lovely Dogsters and Catsters in China. How terrible it must be for them to live in this situation! Let’s keep them in our thoughts and efforts!

Something else to notice in this article. There are a number of other pet food manufacturers who apparently got food materials via the importer with the tainted food. Diamond Pet Foods, which had a large recall all by itself last year and several others that the importer refuses to name. That’s fine for his customers but what about our pets who may still be exposed to tainted food. Durbin and teh FDA should DEMAND those names. As for Diamond, I would be nervous about feeding any of their food until they have independant certification that they have not been affected.

Here’s what they say on their home page:
Wheat gluten or rice protein are not used in any of our dry, canned or treat products.

I would assume that’s the products carrying their brand name. But what about the other brands they make like Costco, Wal-Mart, and Chicken Soup for the Doglovers’ Soul? The article makes it clear the tainted food material went to Diamond. I doubt that Diamond has a completely separate facility to make those other brands. That means unless the machinery is cleaned more than thoroughly after every production run that used the tainted materials the Diamond brands are tainted too. Do you want to take that risk? I sure don’t and I used to use Chicken Soup for the Doglover’s Soul and other Diamond brands.

Thanks to Daphne for barking in this article from Yahoo News. As she says:

Is China still shipping that stuff out?!?! Where will it show up next?

“The company said it had told the FDA on Sunday that a single bag in a recent shipment of rice protein concentrate from its Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., had tested positive for melamine”

I’m with you, Daphne. I can’t believe we are still allowing this Chinese offal masquerading as food to enter North America!

Pet food recall expanded
By ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - An industrial chemical that led to the nationwide recall of more than 100 brands of cat and dog food has turned up in a second pet food ingredient imported from China.

The discovery expands the monthlong cascade of recalls to include more brands and varieties of pet foods and treats tainted by the chemical.

“This has exposed that the safety standards for pet foods are not in place in any significant way and the kind of drumbeat, day after day, of recalls has shaken consumers’ confidence in the pet food industry’s adherence to food safety standards,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States.

The chemical, melamine, is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate used to make a variety of Natural Balance Pet Foods products for both dogs and cats, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

The FDA has there is no evidence so far to suggest any of the rice protein went to companies that make human food, said Michael Rogers (news, bio, voting record), director of the agency’s division of field investigations. But the FDA has not accounted for all the imported ingredient.

Previously, the chemical was found to contaminate wheat gluten used by at least six other pet food and treat manufacturers.

Both ingredients were imported from China, though by different companies and from different manufacturers.

The FDA on Wednesday began reviewing and sampling all rice protein concentrate imported from China, much as the agency has been doing for wheat gluten, Rogers said.

A lawmaker said Wednesday the Chinese have refused to grant visas to FDA inspectors seeking to visit the plants where the ingredients were made. An FDA spokesman later said the visas were not refused but that the agency had not received the necessary invitation letter to get visas.

“It troubles me greatly the Chinese are making it more difficult to understand what led to this pet food crisis,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told The Associated Press after meeting with the FDA commissioner, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach.

A message left Wednesday with the Chinese Embassy in Washington was not immediately returned.

Natural Balance said it was recalling all its Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, its Venison and Brown Rice dog treats and its Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. The supplier of the tainted rice protein said early Thursday it was recalling all the ingredient it had distributed to U.S. manufacturers and in turn urged them to recall any products that may be on store shelves.

The recalls now include products made by at least seven companies and sold under more than 100 brands.

The Pacoima, Calif., company said recent laboratory tests showed its recalled products contain melamine. Natural Balance believes the source of the contaminant was rice protein concentrate, which the company recently added to the dry venison formulas.

A San Francisco company, Wilbur-Ellis Co., began importing the ingredient in July from a Chinese company, Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., according to Wilbur-Ellis president and chief executive John Thacher.

It resold the ingredient to five pet food manufacturers, including Diamond Pet Foods Inc. of Meta, Mo. Diamond manufactured the dry dog and cat foods recalled by Natural Balance, Diamond Pet Foods spokesman Jim Fallon said.

Thacher declined to identify his company’s other four customers, except to say two tested the ingredient and found no melamine. Wilbur-Ellis has not heard from the other two, both of whom received limited amounts of the ingredient, Thacher said.

The FDA’s tests detected melamine in a rice protein sample; the agency would not disclose the sample’s origin.

The source of the melamine remains unclear. It may have contaminated the rice protein through the reuse of dirty bags used to ship the products.

Thacher said an April 4 delivery from Futian Biology included 146 1-ton bags of rice protein concentrate. All were white except for a single pink bag, which was stenciled “melamine.”

Wilbur-Ellis isolated the entire shipment at a Portland, Ore. warehouse and sent out samples for testing. The pink bag’s contents tested positive for melamine while the two white bags tested were negative, Thacher said.

Futian Biology later told Wilbur-Ellis that a damaged bag was replaced with a clean one, Thacher said. The company then “certified the product was all fine,” he added.

The Las Vegas importer of the contaminated Chinese wheat gluten, ChemNutra Inc., that led to the original pet food recall has suggested that spiking a product with melamine can make it to appear to be richer in protein during tests, thus increasing its value.

ChemNutra also imported rice protein concentrate from China, though from another source. Spokesman Steve Stern said the company is testing those shipments.

The recalls began March 16 when Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food after the deaths of 16 pets, mostly cats, that had eaten its products. The FDA said tests indicated the food was contaminated with melamine, which is used in making plastics and other industrial processes.

Five other companies later recalled pet products also made with wheat gluten tainted by the chemical. The FDA has since blocked Chinese imports of wheat gluten.

Menu Foods continues to add more varieties to its recall list. Menu Foods spokesman Sam Bornstein did not know if the Streetsville, Ontario-based company also used rice protein concentrate as an ingredient in its pet foods, sold under more than 100 different major and store brands.

A House committee is holding a food safety hearing Tuesday and is expected to discuss the pet food recall.

Follow this link for more information.

Thanks to Camelot Boxers and Itchmo for getting the word out on this expansion of the Menu Pet foods recall.

Menu Foods Refines Recall List
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(April 17, 2007) - Menu Foods

Attention Business/Financial Editors

Menu Foods has previously recalled wet cat and dog food produced with adulterated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc. Over the past several days, Menu Foods continued a detailed analysis of production records at its Emporia, Kansas, plant as part of the US Food and Drug Administration?s ongoing investigation of this adulterated wheat gluten. As a result of this work, Menu Foods advises the public:

- One additional item has been added to the recall list and is shown below
- Two additional production dates of eight varieties of pet food have been added to the recall list. These eight varieties of pet food had previously been withdrawn from the market and should already be off the retailer shelves.

An updated list of the recalled products, including this addition, is available at the Menu Foods website.

Dog Food

Brand Look For This Date On The Bottom of Can or Back of Pouch
Variety Description Can / Pouch Size UPC

Natural Life Nov/22/09 Vegetarian 13.2oz Can 13.2oz 12344-07114

Menu Foods
Consumers
1-866-895-2708
Website: www.menufoods.com

Dear rescuers;

I just received a call back from a representative of the FDA, in response to a message I had left with their office this past Friday afternoon. I spoke with a very nice woman there ( from their Massachusetts office), who informed me that if we have any complaints of our animals becoming ill, or dying from ANY kind of dog or cat foods, that we need to log on to:

FDA Pet Food RECALL , and then click on Consumer Complaints Coordinator:
You will land at the Consumer Complant State Page
Then find the correlating phone number for your State, and call to report your pet's illness or death to that number for your own State.

China is investigating U.S. claims that a Chinese company exported contaminated wheat gluten implicated in pet deaths in the United States, a Chinese official said Friday, the first time the government has weighed in on the issue.

China has denied responsibility for several pet deaths in the United States which U.S. authorities blame on a batch of chemically contaminated wheat gluten from China, state media reported.

The recall of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical expanded Thursday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company.

From the towering Great Dane to the feisty little Chihuahua, all dogs are brothers under the skin. Now, researchers have uncovered a reason why the animals wearing that skin vary so much in size.

A Boston terrier named Mickey that disappeared four years ago from his suburban Kansas City backyard was found in Montana and reunited with his owners this week.

A Boston terrier named Mickey that disappeared four years ago from his suburban Kansas City backyard was found in Montana and reunited with his owners this week.

Some worried pet owners are grinding up meat in their kitchens and making their own dog and cat food because of the contamination scare blamed for numerous animal deaths.

Classes of ?doggie yoga" for people and their pets are popping up in cities nationwide.

A greater sensitivity of cats to a chemical found in plastics and pesticides could explain why they?ve died in larger numbers than have dogs after eating contaminated pet food, experts said Saturday.

If you?re among those who have been anxious about where your dog or cat?s next meal is coming from, this Q&A may be helpful for you.

Organic pet-food makers and retailers across North America may be the winners as the fallout settles from the recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food manufactured by Canada?s Menu Foods Inc.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has issued a warning letter to Iams Co. that says some of its diet pet foods contain an unapproved substance.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has issued a warning letter to Iams Co. that says some of its diet pet foods contain an unapproved substance.

Members of a veterinarians' Web site reported at least 471 cases of kidney failure among pets in the 10 days since a nationwide pet food recall and the founder of the site said the total could be in the tens of thousands.

Members of a veterinarians' Web site reported at least 471 cases of kidney failure among pets in the 10 days since a nationwide pet food recall and the founder of the site said the total could be in the tens of thousands.

Pet owners were rechecking their cabinets and threatening legal action after state officials said rat poison was found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs.

The pet food linked to the deaths of 16 animals has shown no signs of contamination, the manufacturer says, and the company cannot explain why the cats and dog developed acute kidney failure and died.

A recall of potentially deadly pet food has dog and cat owners studying their animals for even the slightest hint of illness and swamping veterinarians nationwide with calls about symptoms both real and imagined.

It's trendy to have the dog du jour ? which these days is a cross-breed or hybrid such as a maltipoo or goldendoodle. But why can?t a mutt be just a mutt?

Americans have begun to medicate their dogs, cats and sometimes other pets much as they medicate themselves.

While professional breeders have long relied on canine semen banks to help ensure that the genes of top dogs are passed along to future generations, dog lovers everywhere increasingly are using sperm banks with the goal of eventually creating puppies with the traits of a favorite pet.