Pet food recall: Hearing is over

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(Editing to correct time references.)

The Senate hearing on the pet food recall was held earlier today, and the Webcast is here -- one reader gave this as an alternate link: webcast. I liveblogged it on my personal blog, and so did itchmo. Video clips and more commentary at Spocko's Brain.

Sen. Durbin opened with remarks that bloggers and Web sites -- the volunteer efforts of pet owners -- are spreading more information, and better information, than our government. If sites like VIN and petconnection.com can do this, he said, so can the government.

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Comments

[MARY ANN]

TO the Staff at PET CONNECTION all your hard work in the last 4 weeks is paying off. THANK YOU. SEN. Durbin Remark was so true.

[Lois C.]

I'm listening to the hearing live now. I have to say that petconnection.com is the ONLY site that I can feel comfortable using in helping me sort out the pet food issues. Thank goodness for this website.

[Margaret Bridge]

I'm listening via web link. Thankfully Pet Connection is able to get the news out -- the FDA just admitted you're better at it than they are.

[Rescue Mom]

OMG Sen Byrd is having some kind of breakdown right now..

[Meaghan]

I just found this on msnbc.com from the FDA:



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18076803/



How very very sad. If there are more recalls, this could go on ad nauseum.

[Lois C.]

Is Senator Byrd always like this - he is taking up valuable time!

[raven's mom]

i just want to say thank you for all of your hard work. if it weren't for petconnection.com and howl911.com i wouldn't be so well informed through all of this. i look forward to reading about the hearing later when i get home.

[Rescue Mom]

CHAIRNAN of the Appropriations committee? Thats scary

[Eva]

Sen Byrd!!! Oh my GOD! I mean, bless his heart...but, seriously, Oh my GOD!

[GingerTom]

Senator Byrd is just being a good ol'southern gentleman - he knows where he's going...just a lil slow to get there (the "off the record" stuff is fascinating *l*) rather enjoying him *l*

[Cynthia]

Yay for petconnection.com! You're the best. Thanks for your huge efforts during this terrible nightmare. I really hope the hearings produce some positive changes for consumers and food safety.

[Maureen]

Senator Byrd: it's a movie.

[DeeAnn]

In the hearing, I heard still more recalls added today. What are those new recalls?

[Laura]

Oh my lord. He honestly sounds like he's senile. Please someone take his mike away.

[DeeAnn]

Sen. Robert Byrd, Oh my Gosh is right!!!! How many others are in the position of running this country are beyond their capacity for important jobs they do?



Nothing personal, just reality speaking here.

[Lois C.]

This man is unfit! This hearing is about the pet food recall and contamination and is not about him!

[Sheila]

Is Senator Byrd senile? Running for re-election on 2012..... You have got to be kidding.

[fern]

FYI: If you go to the http://appropriations.senate.gov/ site and use their link (bottom right corner) to listen to the hearing, you should save the .rav file to your computer (right click on it & then 'Save As') because the direct link isn't working correctly.

In fact, when you 'Save As', you need to change the file name from: "2007_04_12_Listen_to_the_April_12_Hearing_on_Pet_Food_Safety.ram.ram" to "2007_04_12_Listen_to_the_April_12_Hearing_on_Pet_Food_Safety.ram"

[Maureen]

I hope that Jon Stewart is a kind soul and doesn't put clips of Sen. Byrd on The Daily Show tonight.

[MonkeyKitty]

Hey if you have been in the Senate for 50 years then I think you can take up as much time as you want:)

[Don]

A disgraceful, outrageous display of bureaucratic incompetance. Not a single reference or question has been raised regarding Cornell's latest findings that there are other toxins involved.



A joke.

[GingerTom]

That gentleman didn't have to be there...just an old fella worried about his own dog....and he's got people who take care of the rest. no harm done...

[Lynn]

SENATOR ROBERT BYRD



Well, we know about his "Trouble."

[Don]

I stand corrected on my previous post - Ms. Kirk seems to be addressing the idea of tracking additional toxins.

[Laura]

Ms. Kirk is rockin'.

[slt]

I was touched by Sen. Byrd's many references to his dog and how she is a member of his family. I think it's nice to see a human face in a Senate hearing!

[Laura]

Whoops, I mean Ms Hodgkins (sp?)



And I'll moderate my earlier praise. Didn't like her insistence that the current regulations are strong enough. (Clearly not, dear.) But I did like her insistence on better and clearer labeling of exactly what's in the stuff.

[Marilyn]

Will this hearing be available to listen to this evening? I am at work right now and can't listen.

[Stefania]

"Sen. Durbin asks if that's an adequate inspection to protect the wholesomeness and safety of pet food products.



Sundlof says that they base it on risk. Focus on BSE. Limited resources. "In this case we didn't inspect because we felt these companies were in compliance." After recall they did inspect, and the plant in Emporia passed the inspection."



Remember from the local newpaper from 3rd ? of April that Menu Food factory closed down first for 2 days, then for a week. No wonder it passes inspection.

[Maureen]

Sen. Byrd would be touching if he were your great uncle. The Democrats should not allow him to be the head of the powerful Appropriations Committee. If his state's voters continue to reelect him, that's democracy; but to let him control one of the Senate's most important committees is another thing entirely. In just today's instance, this is too important a hearing for all our pets who have been sickened or died to let him absorb so much time when he is obviously incompetent to contribute meaningfully.

[spocko]

The Pet Food Institute person is on now.

"He's talking about how "Highly regulated this is."



great, then what the hell happened?

[elliott]

I wonder what Mr. Ekedahl feeds his cat & dog.

[slt]

The PFI guy is saying a lot of things I thought were UNTRUE! For example that ingredients that are used in pet foods are highly regulated and in some cases tested even more than ingredients for human foods due to the sensitivities of some pets. WHAAAA?!

[Lois C.]

Clearly he is not fit! He mentioned that he was Chairman of the Appropriations Committee three times which tells me that his memory isn't that great. As I mentioned before he took up valuable time. We have been waiting for this committee meeting for a while now. This is too important to be wasted on his antics in pursuing the limelight. Even his 2 aides sitting behind him were smirking at him. Very sad. West Virginia please don't re-elect this man. Let him retire.

[Don]

It is not what is listed on the package as Mr. Ekedahl suggests that is the problem, it is what is NOT!



If Mr. Ekedahl actually believes Banfield's revised stats on the fatalities (5 out of 230K) then he's been consuming whatever Senator Byrd has.

[Lois C.]

Regulations my behind! If there WERE regulations and the appropriate controls this would never have happened. These need to be mandated!

[VJ]

Just sent email to Senator Durbin asking if there will be a follow-up hearing after today. Please everyone do the same.

[DeeAnn]

Spin, spin, spin by Mr. Ekedahl of the Pet Food Institure (PFI). Only a small handful of pets affected he said. I think every one with two brain cells to rub togeather saw right through him.

[Linda]

What some nut just said all the tainted food was off the shelf - so says the FDA - or so this person said just two minutes ago.



Don't these people read the news?



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18076803/



Linda MS.

[Don]

Ms. Hodgkins suggests that in the absence of known prior toxins, testing in the future will continue to be ineffective. Testing food items apparently only BEGINS once a toxicosis is identified.



Thus, any ingredient in the future could be tainted without a previously used toxin and as a result, the same situation would occur as we have now - either in the human or pet food chains.

[Lynn]

DUANE EKEDAHL OF PET FOOD INSTITUTE



~ Says consumers still have confidence in the pet food manufacturer

~ Says that pet foods are highly regulated

~ Cited Banfield report of this week - 5 cats and 1 dog

~ New National Pet Food Commission neing formed [an oversight committee???]

~ Is convinced that foods are safe



This guy is clueless.

[Lois C.]

Yes, let's remove pet food labels and send Mr. Ekedahl into the store to buy pet food. Wonder if he would give that food to his beloved dogs?

[Linda]

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18076803/



Bad food still on shelves - these people at the hearing don't know what they are talking about.



Linda MS

[MonkeyKitty]

Sen. Bennett can you at least try not to be a so pro big business especially when these businesses have failed us.

[Linda]

They must have pre-made answers - this is very strange to listen to.



Linda MS

[Lynn]

CALUDIA KIRK, DVM



What she is citing is HER own tsting protocol - not that of pet manufacturers.

[Cynthia]

Ekedahl is protecting his job. It is his business to lobby for the pet food industry and he will say anything regardless of how sick it is. You can see his letters looking for relaxed labeling etc. on the FDA website.

[M]

3 pet food recalls in 18 months but Mr. Ekedahl continues to assert pet food is safe. Astounding.

[Linda]

Highly regulated - but not enforced. Who is the enforcer?





"Not effectively regulated." That's the truth.





Linda MS

[Don]

They can only test for what they have previously identified as toxin known hazards. This is a real eye-opener - downright scary!



"Highly regulated..." and yet, doesn't work!



Maybe we need less regulation and more honesty, integrity, and competance amongst industry officials.