YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Pet Food law suit announced (9/3/09)

ArmyWife313 · 09-10-2009, 02:23 PM

And Orijen immediately responded to the incident and this is why I do and will still feed Orijen:

Oddly, only cats that became pregnant while on the irradiated diet developed neurological symptoms, he noted. Male cats and offspring exposed to the same diet did not become ill.

“Possible causes still include a micronutrient deficiency — although this seems less likely — or toxicity induced by irradiation-induced changes in the dry food (more likely),” she said.

Champion Petfoods, maker of the Orijen brand, noted in a Q&A dated November 2008 that its own testing of irradiated cat food found the treatment depleted vitamin A and formed free radicals in the food. Their statement reads in part:

“Irradiation does not affect all foods equally. Orijen is a nutritionally dense food with much higher levels of long-chain fatty acids (DHA, EPA) than conventional pet foods. These fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation following irradiation. Byproducts from fatty acid oxidation, mainly free radicals, are released into the body with the potential to cause tissue damage.

“Combined with the loss of antioxidant vitamins [such as vitamin A], free radicals are thought to be a major contributing factor.”

Although the irradiation ban applies only to cat food, Champion Petfoods has pulled its dog food from the Australian market as well, Sales and Marketing Manager Peter Muhlenfeld told the VIN News Service.

“Cats frequently eat from dog dishes and vice versa,” he said in an e-mail. “We do not believe the market to be safe unless both cat and dog foods are allowed entry without irradiation.”

According to the company Q&A:

* Only Australia requires irradiation of Orijen cat foods, out of 50 countries in which the food is sold.
* Orijen was sold in Australia only for a nine-month period — February through October 2008.

* In that period, only six pallets of Orijen cat food actually entered retail distribution, enough to feed 200 cats each day during the nine months.

* During the same period, shipments of Orijen cat food were made to 49 other countries, enough to feed 85,000 cats. In no other country has neurological illness been reported.

According to the Champion Petfoods Q&A, “The overwhelming majority of cat foods in Australia do not require irradiation.” Orijen was required to undergo irradiation because the food includes fresh meats that were cooked at low temperatures.

Muhlenfeld said Champion Petfoods has a program to offset medical bills of owners of affected pets up to $1,000. It also donated $10,000 to organizations in Sydney that work with cat diseases.

09-10-2009, 02:23 PM	#16
ArmyWife313 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: j Posts: 167	And Orijen immediately responded to the incident and this is why I do and will still feed Orijen: Oddly, only cats that became pregnant while on the irradiated diet developed neurological symptoms, he noted. Male cats and offspring exposed to the same diet did not become ill. “Possible causes still include a micronutrient deficiency — although this seems less likely — or toxicity induced by irradiation-induced changes in the dry food (more likely),” she said. Champion Petfoods, maker of the Orijen brand, noted in a Q&A dated November 2008 that its own testing of irradiated cat food found the treatment depleted vitamin A and formed free radicals in the food. Their statement reads in part: “Irradiation does not affect all foods equally. Orijen is a nutritionally dense food with much higher levels of long-chain fatty acids (DHA, EPA) than conventional pet foods. These fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation following irradiation. Byproducts from fatty acid oxidation, mainly free radicals, are released into the body with the potential to cause tissue damage. “Combined with the loss of antioxidant vitamins [such as vitamin A], free radicals are thought to be a major contributing factor.” Although the irradiation ban applies only to cat food, Champion Petfoods has pulled its dog food from the Australian market as well, Sales and Marketing Manager Peter Muhlenfeld told the VIN News Service. “Cats frequently eat from dog dishes and vice versa,” he said in an e-mail. “We do not believe the market to be safe unless both cat and dog foods are allowed entry without irradiation.” According to the company Q&A: * Only Australia requires irradiation of Orijen cat foods, out of 50 countries in which the food is sold. * Orijen was sold in Australia only for a nine-month period — February through October 2008. * In that period, only six pallets of Orijen cat food actually entered retail distribution, enough to feed 200 cats each day during the nine months. * During the same period, shipments of Orijen cat food were made to 49 other countries, enough to feed 85,000 cats. In no other country has neurological illness been reported. According to the Champion Petfoods Q&A, “The overwhelming majority of cat foods in Australia do not require irradiation.” Orijen was required to undergo irradiation because the food includes fresh meats that were cooked at low temperatures. Muhlenfeld said Champion Petfoods has a program to offset medical bills of owners of affected pets up to $1,000. It also donated $10,000 to organizations in Sydney that work with cat diseases.