Recall....Complaints started in DECEMBER.....

[miezzi]

I came across this site that gives a timeline of the complaints of the food. I find it very upsetting that they MAY HAVE known about this since late December, and it took them over 2 monthes to recall this tainted food. What the Heck?????

Here is the link....

http://www.itchmo.com/menu-foods-recall-fact-sheet


An if you could...sign this petition for their accountibility...

http://www.itchmo.com/petfoodpetition/


I am sooo upset by this...... And it seems as though they keep adding more and more to thr recall list. Anything to do with Menu foods....is done at here at my house...including the dry food. I am willing to bet that they start recalling that soon too....

Wonder what will be next.....maybe our own human food too...ugh....

[Magneticgal]

I signed the petition. I think it is VERY sad that as far as liability is considered, pets are considered personal property. EXCUSE ME??!!!!! I am sorry but if anything would happen to Lexie, it is the same as something happening to another human family member. She is not just "personal property". These people need to wake up and be held accountable!! Most of them (not all) are only concerned with GREED- not doing the right thing- it makes me sick!!

[myteddybear]

I have to say, I am done with all dog foods. It has become painfully obvious that pets are not considered important. From the allowing of absolutely disgusting ingredients (which are given other names so we are unaware) in thier foods to the utter absence of any real regulations. And lies of course...at the first sign of trouble in a human food soarce the public is made aware so they can stop using what ever could be the problem. But these are JUST pets, we must make very sure there is a big problem that we can't brush under the carpet before we alert our customers...and in the meantime hundreds of pets can get sick or even worse die.

I have found one food that is made in a human food plant and regulated just as human food with human grade food ingredients and for now I feel safe with that one. I will supplement with my own cooking and my dogs will not ever see another kibble filled with the deplorable things that I have read about recently.

Sorry to rant but all of this has just been a big eye opener for me recently.

Off to sign the petition now. I really pray that these companys loose big time over all of this and that they realize that people don't just see thier pets as "personal property" but as members of thier families.

Kim

[miezzi]

Do you mind me asking what food you have found that is produced in human food plants? I have been on a mission seearching, and I keep coming up empty! I am a mess after all these recalls, and I only want what is best for my babies too!

[myteddybear]

Of course I don't mind!

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/index.shtml

We are just getting started with it so we are still experimenting on how they like to eat but I am pretty sure this is where we will stay.

Kim

[AprilLove]

Originally Posted by miezzi

I came across this site that gives a timeline of the complaints of the food. I find it very upsetting that they MAY HAVE known about this since late December, and it took them over 2 monthes to recall this tainted food. What the Heck?????

Here is the link....

http://www.itchmo.com/menu-foods-recall-fact-sheet


An if you could...sign this petition for their accountibility...

http://www.itchmo.com/petfoodpetition/


I am sooo upset by this...... And it seems as though they keep adding more and more to thr recall list. Anything to do with Menu foods....is done at here at my house...including the dry food. I am willing to bet that they start recalling that soon too....

Wonder what will be next.....maybe our own human food too...ugh....

I think we know what will be next: "Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten used in several of its recalled pet food products was supplied as a "food grade" additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten might have entered the human food supply.""

Mandy, thanks for posting that link. I am sooo disgusted by all of this. I cannot believe that these will be the last of the recalls. That link is very informative. It is so scary to think what could or can happen to our babies.. And then hearing that the companies may have had complaints as early as December is *#(#%*%&$!! A friend of mine lost a puppy beagle around that time and no vets could figure out what was wrong with him. He was at the university several times. He died. I believe they fed iams. Both of my older dogs were on some of the recalled product so far no signs of illness but I need to know!!We are going to have complete bloodwork done on them to see if there are any signs of impending illness, so far, no signs, but who knows.
This stinks it really does, and I smell cover ups too.
With every gray cloud comes a silver lining. I do believe this crisis has helped many pet owners to become better informed about what we are as well as will be feeding our babies. More research is being done, people are seeking out information about what really goes into pet food, and as more informed consumers demand it, information will hopefully be more readily available as to EXACTLY what ingredients go into our pets foods. And maybe, just maybe, we can get the pet food industry regulated in the same manner as the "human" food industry is. Just my thoughts

[myteddybear]

These are just some highlights of an article I found...

50% of every food animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass ? heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans ? is used in pet food, animal feed, fertilizer, industrial lubricants, soap, rubber, and other products. These ?other parts? are known as ?by-products.? By-products are used in feed for poultry and livestock as well as in pet food.

The better brands of pet food, such as many ?super-premium,? ?natural,? and ?organic? varieties, do not use by-products. On the label, you?ll see one or more named meats among the first few ingredients, such as ?turkey? or ?lamb.? These meats are still mainly leftover scraps; in the case of poultry, bones are allowed, so ?chicken? consists mainly of backs and frames?the spine and ribs, minus their expensive breast meat. The small amount of meat left on the bones is the meat in the pet food.

Because of persistent rumors that rendered by-products contain dead dogs and cats, the FDA conducted a study looking for pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug, in pet foods. They found it. Ingredients that were most commonly associated with the presence of pentobarbital were meat-and-bone-meal and animal fat. However, they also used very sensitive tests to look for canine and feline DNA, which were not found. Industry insiders admit that rendered pets and roadkill were used in pet food some years ago. Although there are still no laws or regulations against it, the practice is uncommon today, and pet food companies universally deny that their products contain any such materials. However, so-called ?4D? animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled) were only recently banned for human consumption and are still legitimate ingredients for pet food.

[myteddybear]

and some more...

There?s a unique, pungent odor to a new bag of dry pet food ? what is the source of that smell? It is most often rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats and oils deemed inedible for humans. For example, used restaurant grease was rendered and routed to pet foods for several years, but a more lucrative market is now in biodiesel fuel production.

Many chemicals are added to commercial pet foods to improve the taste, stability, characteristics, or appearance of the food. Additives provide no nutritional value. Additives include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating, antioxidants to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors and flavors to make the product more attractive to consumers and more palatable to their companion animals.

A wide variety of additives are allowed in animal feed and pet food, not counting vitamins and minerals. Not all of them are actually used in pet food. Additives can be specifically approved, or they can fall into the category of ?Generally Recognized as Safe? (GRAS).

Anticaking agents
Antigelling agents
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Color additives
Condiments
Curing agents
Drying agents
Emulsifiers
Essential oils
Flavor enhancers
Flavoring agents
Grinding agents
Humectants
Leavening agents
Lubricants
Palatants
Pelleting agents and binders
Petroleum derivatives
pH control agents
Preservatives
Seasonings
Spices
Stabilizers
Sweeteners
Texturizers
Thickeners

[AprilLove]

This is very enlightening, and even more reason to get this industry better regulated. Where to start?

[myteddybear]

There?s a unique, pungent odor to a new bag of dry pet food ? what is the source of that smell? It is most often rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats and oils deemed inedible for humans. For example, used restaurant grease was rendered and routed to pet foods for several years, but a more lucrative market is now in biodiesel fuel production.


Many chemicals are added to commercial pet foods to improve the taste, stability, characteristics, or appearance of the food. Additives provide no nutritional value. Additives include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating, antioxidants to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors and flavors to make the product more attractive to consumers and more palatable to their companion animals.

A wide variety of additives are allowed in animal feed and pet food, not counting vitamins and minerals. Not all of them are actually used in pet food. Additives can be specifically approved, or they can fall into the category of ?Generally Recognized as Safe? (GRAS).

Anticaking agents
Antigelling agents
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Color additives
Condiments
Curing agents
Drying agents
Emulsifiers
Essential oils
Flavor enhancers
Flavoring agents
Grinding agents
Humectants
Leavening agents
Lubricants
Palatants
Pelleting agents and binders
Petroleum derivatives
pH control agents
Preservatives
Seasonings
Spices
Stabilizers
Sweeteners
Texturizers
Thickeners

Bacteria. Slaughtered animals, as well as those that have died because of disease, injury, or natural causes, are sources of meat, by-products, and rendered meals. An animal that died on the farm might not reach a rendering plant until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often contaminated with bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Dangerous E. Coli bacteria are estimated to contaminate more than 50% of meat meals. While the cooking process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins some bacteria produce during their growth. These toxins can survive processing, and can cause sickness and disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their products for bacterial endotoxins. Because sick or dead animals can be processed as pet foods, the drugs that were used to treat or euthanize them may still be present in the end product. Penicillin and pentobarbital are just two examples of drugs that can pass through processing unchanged. Antibiotics used in livestock production are also thought to contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans.

[myteddybear]

ARG! Sorry for the double post. I couldn't edit as I went past my 5 minute time frame.

and more....


Chemical Residue. Pesticides and fertilizers may leave residue on plant products. Grains that are condemned for human consumption by the USDA due to residue may legally be used, without limitation, in pet food.

Pet Food Recalls

When things go really wrong and serious problems are discovered in pet food, the company usually works with the FDA to coordinate a recall of the affected products. While many recalls have been widely publicized, quite a few have not.

In 1995, Nature?s Recipe recalled almost a million pounds of dry dog and cat food after consumers complained that their pets were vomiting and losing their appetite. The problem was a fungus that produced vomitoxin contaminating the wheat.
In 1999, Doane Pet Care recalled more than a million bags of corn-based dry dog food contaminated with aflatoxin. Products included Ol? Roy (Wal-Mart?s brand) and 53 other brands. This time, the toxin killed 25 dogs.
In 2000, Iams recalled 248,000 pounds of dry dog food distributed in 7 states due to excess DL-Methionine Amino Acid, a urinary acidifier.
In 2003, a recall was made by Petcurean ?Go! Natural? pet food due to circumstantial association with some dogs suffering from liver disease; no cause was ever found.
In late 2005, a similar recall by Diamond Foods was announced; this time the moldy corn contained a particularly nasty fungal product called aflatoxin; 100 dogs died.
Also in 2005, 123,000 pounds of cat and dog treats were recalled due to Salmonella contamination.
In 2006, more than 5 million cans of Ol? Roy, American Fare, and other dog foods distributed in the southeast were recalled by the manufacturer, Simmons Pet Food, because the cans? enamel lining was flaking off into the food.
Also in 2006, Merrick Pet Care recalled almost 200,000 cans of ?Wingalings? dog food when metal tags were found in some samples.
In the most deadly recall of 2006, 4 prescription canned dog and cat foods were recalled by Royal Canin (owned by Mars). The culprit was a serious overdose of Vitamin D that caused calcium deficiency and kidney disease.
In February 2007, the FDA issued a warning to consumers not to buy ?Wild Kitty,? a frozen food containing raw meat. Routine testing by FDA had revealed Salmonella in the food. FDA specifically warned about the potential for illness in humans, not pets. There were no reports of illness or death of any pets, and the food was not recalled.
In March 2007, the most lethal pet food in history was the subject of the largest recall ever. Menu Foods recalled 95 brands including Iams, Eukanuba, Hill?s Science Diet, Purina Mighty Dog, and many store brands including Wal-Mart?s ? 60 million individual cans and pouches. Thousands of pets became sick and an estimated 20% died from acute renal failure caused by the food. Cats were more frequently and more severely affected than dogs. The toxin was initially believed to be a pesticide, the rat poison ?aminopterin? in one of the ingredients, but the investigation is ongoing.

[myteddybear]

yet more....

The idea that one pet food provides all the nutrition a companion animal will ever need for its entire life is a dangerous myth.

Today, the diets of cats and dogs are a far cry from the variable meat-based diets that their ancestors ate. The unpleasant results of grain-based, processed, year-in and year-out diets are common. Health problems associated with diet include:

Urinary tract disease. Plugs, crystals, and stones are more common in cats eating dry diets, due to the chronic dehydration and highly concentrated urine they cause. ?Struvite? stones used to be the most common type in cats, but another more dangerous type, calcium oxalate, has increased and is now tied with struvite. Manipulation of manufactured cat food formulas to increase the acidity of urine has caused the switch. Dogs can also form stones as a result of their diet.
Kidney disease. Chronic dehydration associated with dry diets may also be a contributing factor in the development of kidney disease and chronic renal failure in older cats. Cats have a low thirst drive; in the wild they would get most of their water from their prey. Cats eating dry food do not drink enough water to make up for the lack of moisture in the food. Cats on dry food diets drink more water, but the total water intake of a cat eating canned food is twice as great.7
Dental disease. Contrary to the myth propagated by pet food companies, dry food is not good for teeth.8 Given that the vast majority of pets eat dry food, yet the most common health problem in pets is dental disease, this should be obvious. Humans do not floss with crackers, and dry food does not clean the teeth. Obesity. Feeding recommendations or instructions on the packaging are sometimes inflated so that the consumer will end up feeding ? and purchasing ? more food. One of the most common health problems in pets, obesity, may also be related to high-carb, high-calorie dry foods. Both dogs and cats respond to low-carb wet food diets. Overweight pets are more prone to arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Dry cat food is now considered the cause of feline diabetes; prevention and treatment include switching to a high protein, high moisture, low-carb diet.
Chronic digestive problems. Chronic vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and inflammatory bowel disease are among the most frequent illnesses treated. These are often the result of an allergy or intolerance to pet food ingredients. The market for ?limited antigen? or ?novel protein? diets is now a multi-million dollar business. These diets were formulated to address the increasing intolerance to commercial foods that pets have developed. Even so, an animal that tends to develop allergies can develop allergies to the new ingredients, too. One twist is the truly ?hypoallergenic? food that has had all its proteins artificially chopped into pieces smaller than can be recognized and reacted to by the immune system. Yet there are documented cases of animals becoming allergic to this food, too. It is important to change brands, flavors, and protein sources every few months to prevent problems.
Bloat. Feeding only one meal per day can cause the irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid, and appears to be associated with gastric dilitation and volvulus (canine bloat). Feeding two or more smaller meals is better.
Heart disease. An often-fatal heart disease in cats and some dogs is now known to be caused by a deficiency of the amino acid taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine deficiency. This deficiency was due to inadequate amounts of taurine in cat food formulas, which in turn had occurred due to decreased amounts of animal proteins and increased reliance on carbohydrates. Cat foods are now supplemented with taurine. New research suggests that some dog breeds are susceptible to the same condition. Supplementing taurine may also be helpful for dogs, but as yet few manufacturers are adding extra taurine to dog food.
Hyperthyroidism. There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism in cats may be related to diet. This is a relatively new disease that first surfaced in the 1970s. Some experts theorize that excess iodine in commercial cat food is a factor. New research also points to a link between the disease and pop-top cans, and flavors including fish or ?giblets.? This is a serious disease, and treatment is expensive.
Many nutritional problems appeared with the popularity of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some have occurred because the diet was incomplete. Although several ingredients are now supplemented, we do not know what ingredients future researchers may discover that should have been supplemented in pet foods all along. Other problems may occur from reactions to additives. Others are a result of contamination with bacteria, mold, drugs, or other toxins. In some diseases the role of commercial pet food is understood; in others, it is not. The bottom line is that diets composed primarily of low quality cereals and rendered meals are not as nutritious or safe as you should expect for your cat or dog.

[myteddybear]

Are one company?s products ? made in the same plant on the same equipment with ingredients called the same name ? really ?better? than another?s? That?s what the makers of expensive brands want you to think. The recalled premium brands claim that Menu makes their foods ?according to proprietary recipes using specified ingredients,? and that ?contract manufacturers must follow strict quality standards.? Indeed, the contracts undoubtedly include those points. But out in the real world, things may not go according to plan. How well are machines cleaned between batches, how carefully are ingredients mixed, and just how particular are minimum-wage workers in a dirty smelly job going to be about getting everything just perfect?

Whatever the differences are between cheap and high-end food, one thing is clear. The purchase price of pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad or even safe. However, the very cheapest foods can be counted on to have the very cheapest ingredients. For example, Ol? Roy, Wal-Mart?s store brand, has now been involved in 3 serious recalls.

Menu manufactures canned foods for many companies that weren?t affected by the recall, including Nature's Variety, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Newman's Own Organics, Wysong, Innova, and EaglePack.

Another unpleasant practice exposed by this recall is pet food testing on live animals. Menu's own lab animals, who were deliberately fed the tainted food, were the first known victims. Tests began on February 27 (already a week after the first reports); animals started to die painfully from kidney failure a few days later. After the first media reports, Menu quickly changed its story to call these experiments ?taste tests.? But Menu has done live animal feeding, metabolic energy, palatability, and other tests for Iams and other companies for years. Videotapes reveal the animals? lives in barren metal cages; callous treatment; invasive experiments; and careless cruelty.

[myteddybear]

still more...

?Natural? and ?Organic? claims. The definition of ?natural? adopted by AAFCO is very broad, and allows for artificially processed ingredients that most of us would consider very unnatural indeed. The term ?organic?, on the other hand, has a very strict legal definition under the USDA National Organic Program. However, some companies are adept at evading the intent of both of these rules. For instance, the name of the company or product may be intentionally misleading. Some companies use terms such as ?Nature? or ?Natural? or even ?Organic? in the brand name, whether or not their products fit the definitions. Consumers should also be aware that the term ?organic? does not imply anything at all about animal welfare; products from cows and chickens can be organic, yet the animals themselves are still just ?production units? in enormous factory farms.

What Consumers Can Do
Write or call pet food companies and the Pet Food Institute and express your concerns about commercial pet foods. Demand that manufacturers improve the quality of ingredients in their products.
Print out a copy of this report for your veterinarian to further his or her knowledge about commercial pet food.
Direct your family and friends with companion animals to this website, to alert them of the dangers of commercial pet food. Print out copies of our Fact Sheet on Selecting a Good Commercial Food. (You may also download this fact sheet as a pdf.)
Stop buying commercial pet food; or at least stop buying dry food. Dry foods have been the subject of many more recalls, and have many adverse health effects. If that is not possible, reduce the quantity of commercial pet food and supplement with fresh, organic foods, especially meat. Purchase one or more of the many books available on pet nutrition and make your own food. Be sure that a veterinarian or a nutritionist has checked the recipes to ensure that they are balanced for long-term use.
If you would like to learn about how to make healthy food for your companion animal, read up on "Sample Diets," which contains simple recipes and important nutritional information.
Please be aware that API is not a veterinary hospital, clinic, or service. API does not and will not offer any medical advice. If you have concerns about your companion animal?s health or nutritional requirements, please consult your veterinarian.
Because pet food manufacturers frequently change the formulations of their products and API would not have conducted the necessary testing, we are unable to offer endorsements for particular brands of pet food. Many of our staff choose to make their own pet food or to purchase natural or organic products found in most feed and specialist stores but we cannot recommend brands that would be right for your companion animal or animals.

Those were just some highlights of one article. If you want to read the article in it's entirety you can find it here...

http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1cat=286

There are many others I have gotten info from as well but this one does seem to touch on most areas pretty well.

Kim

[miezzi]

The more I read about this, the more upset my stomach gets.

What a shame.....I am more a mess now than I was earlier. The more we kearn, the worse it gets.