- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes information on recalled foods).
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
Update: Here is the link to the transcript from the chat with itchmo, petfoodtracker, thepetfoodlist, Gina, and me on Tuesday night over on PetHobbyist.com - it was an amazing chat - thanks to the other panelists and everyone who came!
USA Today's Julie Schmit, both on her own and with science writer Elizabeth Weise, has done stellar work on the pet food recall story all along. And I deliberately say "pet food recall" story, because she just brought the focus back to where it all began in a brilliant piece that just came out about an hour ago.
In "Pet Food Probe: Who was watching suppliers?" she writes:
Even some pet-food companies say they don't always know what's really in the food they sell. Or where the ingredients come from.
If you long suspected pet food contained mystery meat, this won't surprise you. But for a $15 billion industry whose profits depend on consumers' trust, the admission may be the biggest revelation of all from the 8-week-old pet-food recall.
Eight weeks. I knew that, and yet it still shocks me, given that just yesterday the FDA said there may be yet more pet foods being recalled soon. Or sometime, anyway. Maybe not soon. I don't know, because they won't say.
But back to "Pet Food Probe":
Five pet-food companies also recently said the company that made food for them added rice protein concentrate without their knowledge or consent. That came to light, the pet-food companies say, because the foods had to be recalled after the contamination was discovered.
This is what has hit consumer confidence the hardest, in my view: That these same companies that keep telling us to trust them, trust them, trust them, didn't actually know what was going on with their foods. They say they were betrayed by their contract manufacturer, but how do pet owners feel? It's not, after all, our company's brand that was damaged; it was our pets' health and lives. I might trust them, but how far down the chain am I supposed to keep trusting the people they trust?
In addition, it's not just about allegations of fraud.
... American Nutrition said in a statement it didn't do anything deceitful by using the rice protein ingredient. It said the pet-food formulas, per the customers' requests, were "rice-based" and so it selected rice protein as a "fortification source" from the "same family."
Still, the pet-food labels — what consumers look at — should have listed rice protein concentrate, says Eric Nelson, president of the American Association of Feed Control Officials, which defines ingredients.
Especially given that we were constantly being urged and reassured by the pet food industry and many in the veterinary profession (who are often expressing feelings of betrayal themselves, these days) to read the labels so we could avoid wheat gluten and, later, rice protein concentrate.
So, who is responsible?
While some pet-food companies claim that they were victims of fraud, the case also illuminates weaknesses in U.S. pet-food-manufacturing oversight that companies are now trying to correct. One is that companies who market pet foods often don't make them and may not watch their contract manufacturers closely enough. The situations also raise questions about how diligent companies have been in selecting and inspecting suppliers of raw ingredients.
"The industry got lax and is ratcheting up the due diligence," says Greg Aldrich, consultant at Pet Food & Ingredient Technology. "None of them want to be caught in something like this again."
[....]
"The entire industry is bloodied," says Mark Witriol, co-owner of Pet Food Express, which has 31 San Francisco-area locations. "Consumer trust is completely broken."
One of the harshest blows to consumer trust has come from the ongoing, repeated new recalls. Even if virtually all the food on pet food store shelves is safe, the fact that we don't know where the next recall is coming from makes "trust" impossible. And the most recent recalls, involving companies claiming they didn't even know the ingredients were in their foods, are especially troubling.
There's no consistency in how well pet-food sellers supervise their co-packers. "Some do extensive audits. Some don't," Aldrich says. Costco audited American Nutrition for good manufacturing practices, which govern things from cleanliness to record keeping, and found it to be a good operator.
Since the recall, Wal-Mart has begun setting up an audit process for its pet-food makers, says spokeswoman Karen Burke.
Blue Buffalo says it sometimes has an employee in plants when its product is being made. The smaller Canine Caviar does not.
Blue Buffalo has terminated its contract with American Nutrition, saying it no longer trusts the company. Canine Caviar is considering dropping its canned-food line because it lacks confidence in American Nutrition and Menu, and there are few other options, says President Jeff Baker.
Other pet-food sellers are stepping up their oversight of:
Raw-ingredient sourcing. Royal Canin USA has vowed not to use vegetable proteins, which include wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, from China.
C.J. Foods said in a press release that it will not use protein sources from "exotic locations." Wal-Mart has asked its pet-food makers to find ways to improve raw-ingredient sourcing, says Burke.
Manufacturing oversight. Iams has a new policy forbidding its suppliers, including Menu Foods, from switching suppliers of raw ingredients unless Iams has checked out that supplier and OK'd the switch. Natural Balance and Diamond are requesting production records, which include ingredients, from contract manufacturers.
Production. The recall will push more pet-food companies to make their food rather than contract it out, says Tim Phillips, editor of Petfood Industry magazine.
One company is already heading in that direction. Natura Pet Products, owner of the Innova and Evo brands, has vowed to buy or build a canning facility to make its own wet foods, even though none of its products have been recalled.
"At the end of the day, if anybody is going to screw something up, we want it to be us," says Natura co-founder Peter Atkins.
This story of the pet food recall has become a different story now -- the one many of us knew it was from the beginning, not about pet food safety, but about food safety, period.
But for those of us for whom this will always be a story about the animals we love, and too many of us have lost, this article is essential reading. So read it.
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|Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
elizabeth - glad you also found those reads interesting. As for the China Dialogue site, check their link here for at least a bit of info on who they are:
http://www.chinadialogue.net/static/faq#what
When I first stumbled upon info about Zhou Qing's articles on this site:
http://193.41.101.59/debates/article.jsp?id=1&debateId=66&articleId=3949
....I didn't see a link to his writings so Googled until I found links where I could read them. Hence the China Dialogue's link.
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
elizabeth - I also just found this site's description of China Dialogue & what they're about:
http://www.danwei.org/internet/china_dialogue_bilingual_envir.php
"China Dialogue 中外对话 is a completely bilingual website about environmental issues, with a strong China focus. The website is a little like a blog: there are comments and a very open editorial policy. As its name suggests, the website aims to encourage dialogue between China and the rest of the world about problems facing the environment, so even user comments are translated to ensure that everything is bilingual.
Edited by veteran China hand and prominent British writer Isabel Hilton, the site currently features an essay by best selling novelist Ian McEwan, as well many other contirbutors."
Hope that info helps.
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Thanks for the links, Ally. I'll check them out.
Posted by: elizabeth R. | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
“Blue Buffalo said then that it didn’t know that the concentrate came from China. That’s not surprising: C.J. Foods, which made the cat food for Blue Buffalo, didn’t know either, says C.J. Vice President Jerry Krueger. C.J. got the ingredient from a U.S. supplier. It was imported by San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis.”
This can never happen again. Ingredients must be certified to show exactly where they come from. And we can no longer accept the excuse of “I didn’t know”. I applaud Blue Buffalo for dropping their ANI contract and hope they find a good replacement, but they and all other pet food companies must know where their ingredients come from.
Posted by: Jenny | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Good! I hope this bankrupts AN and MF.
Posted by: Tammy | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
I have trouble trusting these businessmen, It seems to me that it's easy to say the right thing, but how is it verified! I remember too many businessmen being caught telling lies and businesses being caught for wrongdoing paying fines but NOT admitting to wrongdoing, and having all evidence and records sealed. How can we really tell if we are being told the truth about the products we are being sold? The owners of these businesses are so rich that they have nothing in common with their customers and do not understand what average peoples lives are like. It really doesn't matter to them that some people are emotionally crushed by the loss or illness of their pets, and some spend money they can't really afford for their treatment. The rich ARE different!
Posted by: Peter | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
All these weeks the companies haven't been saying much but I think their trust was broken as much as ours and it has been a very hard wakeup call for them as well. Unfortunately far too many pets had to die or have their health now compromised. But I did say earlier that the Universe has a way to correct wrongs. All those who have lost loved furbabies know that they are looking down from the bridge clapping their paws.
Posted by: VJ | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
"I have trouble trusting these businessmen, It seems to me that it’s easy to say the right thing, but how is it verified!"
Comment by Peter — May 10, 2007 @ 5:45 am
Me too. Especially worried they may say "All our products are US grown" and then turn around and issue a recall, saying "foreign ingredients were added without our knowledge". Is it unrealistic to think a large company could have control over their ingredients and manufacturing of their products? It seems to me that if better quality control protocols were put into place and followed, this could be achieved.
Posted by: slt | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
The Truth is finally Known:
Twiddle Dee D and Twiddle Dee Dum, Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell rotten fish - Twiddle Dee D and Twiddle Dee Dum, what sound does the FDA Giant make when it too succumbs - oh sin and corruption, silence money and pay backs, stock options and hush money - Twiddle Dee D and Twiddle Dee Dum - The FDA giant will soon be jobless and a forgotten tiny insignificant crumb -
Posted by: Linda | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
It won't matter if ANI or MFI go bankrupt. Their CEO's, VPs, accountants and misc. other higher-ups will all get positions at whatever NEW company gets formed form their previous company's dissolution or at a competitor's facility. It will still be the same head people in charge making the same lousy decisions to keep their money-grubbing hands and their financial backers' pockets full of that All-American $.
Posted by: nikandboots | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
It's probably a corporation. They can just create another one and it's business as usual.
Posted by: Linda | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
The American People are taking this opportunity to remind pet food manufacturers of their legal responsibility to ensure that all ingredients used in their products are safe for our pets consumption.
(Oh, and by the way, that goes for our food also. Get it?)
Posted by: Steve | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Oh, one last thing. We are staying involved and will be keeping the pressure on - or to put it lightly “harassing the bejesus out of you guys” until you comply with the wishes of American Pet Parents.
Have a nice day.
Posted by: Steve | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Class In Session.
Lets observe how far "they", the insiders can pump Menus Stock up today. (While no ones watching of course)
Will Menu enjoy "happy days are here again?"
http://finance.google.com/finance?q=TSE:MEW.UN&client=news
Posted by: Steve | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Good article. But it lacked passion I thought. I am Samiecat in the comments. I couldn't help myself.
Posted by: Shawn | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Here in the good 'ol U.S. of A., we are fortunate many of our U.S. reporters are doggedly trying to bring the truth of recall news to light. However, David Goldstein reports today over at HorsesAss that his oft snarky & erudite blog has now been BANNED IN CHINA:
"Sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday the Chinese government blocked Internet access to HorsesAss.org, apparently fearful of what its citizens might learn of their own unregulated food supply — like the fact that Chinese vegetable proteins and livestock feed are routinely adulterated with scrap melamine and scrap cyanuric acid, and that in addition to renal failure, chronic exposure may cause cancer and reproductive damage. You know, stuff like that."
To quote the Peking Duck, an expat blog in Taipei:
Gee......"Fancy that."
David's blog entry "I've been banned in China!" can be found here:
http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2904
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
I am beginning to believe (in my faith-based dining way) that the processed food industry in general, not just pet food, is an 'anything goes if you can get away with it' sort of thing. Should any of it actually be trusted? Is that something that came into being during the 1950's? How did that mentality become trustworthy? It was fake then and it's fake now.
If you want to have anything absolute to say about the composition of your meals, you have to start from scratch and don't buy processed foods... for your pets or for yourself. And although I'm learning that finding good ingredients is a real task in itself, our voice is in how we shop.
The past couple weeks have given us a pretty good view into the human foods supply too (although the FDA certainly hasn't intended for us to see through the perfect storm of mass confusion). Our food supply is far from pristine... and I'm beginning to believe it's not that different than the food supply in China.
Posted by: Cynthia | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Ally! Now how am I going to get my cheap kidney transplant with all this Chinese renal failure going on?
Posted by: Cynthia | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
If I could ask for indulgence while I fantasize a little here... One of my life dreams is to live on a farm where we could grow our own food and have some farm animals (basically as pets - I don't eat meat). I understand it would take hard work but I'm not lazy and I'd be willing to do the work to have my own safe, fresh foods. I picture myself milking a cow, churning my own butter, working in wheat fields, growing oats, vegetables, fruits, etc.
Reality for me is that (save for that elusive lottery win) we will never have a farm. But I still have the desire for safe, fresh foods - for the humans and pets in the family. There must be some companies out there who are willing to not just TALK THE TALK but who actually do make the extra efforts to produce safe, fresh foods. I understand those foods will cost more than foods using 'bottom of the (melamine) barrel' scrap ingredients from China. But the problem I'm having now is that many of the foods (pet and human) which I *thought* were safe, fresh foods have turned out to be no better than if I had saved some money and bought the cheaper foods.
Won't some companies step up to the plate and perform this needed service of providing safe, fresh foods? There is surely a profit to be made - monetarily and otherwise.
Posted by: slt | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Comment by Cynthia — May 10, 2007 @ 7:37 am
Uh.........don't look at me, Cynthia! Perhaps making that the Daily Double question for Alex?
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Comment by Cynthia — May 10, 2007 @ 7:37 am
'Now how am I going to get my cheap kidney transplant with all this Chinese renal failure going on?'
And the Jeporday answer to that.."What is melamine in our food supply."
Posted by: Deanna | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
I have yet to see any sincerity from any of the pet food companies. They are trying their best to assure us that their food is safe, but they are still pointing fingers and saying it wasn't their fault. That's a bunch of bull. I own a small business and sell products that I don't manufacture and if ANYTHING is wrong with them, I (ME) make it right. That's what I get paid for, and believe me, I'm not raking in the kind of profits these companies are.
To all of these companies, this is nothing more than a 'non-significant' blip that will pass. While there really is no monetary compensation that will bring back a dead pet, many pet owners will be in courts for years hoping for justice. The sad part is that the monetary toll will be nothing compared to the emotional toll this will take on alot of people. They will be reliving their anger and grief for so long.
Not only have we accumulated vet bills, our tax money will pay for the trials and the lawyers will walk away fat. P&G, Menu, Nutro, etc., will continue to prosper. Look how much of our tax money has already been spent on this - FDA hearings, compensation for farmers, lab testing, trips to China...on and on. Have any of the pet food companies offered compensation for ANY of that? Here's another reason for the PFI to lay low. Don't let the American public realize how much money they've spent on this fiasco. Wonder what the CEO's bonuses will be next year?
Sorry to be so negative, but that's the reality of this situation. Remember that old saying - Actions speak louder than words? Time to Act PFI!
Posted by: Cathy | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
I mean - Jeopardy. I sure butchered that word!
Posted by: Deanna | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Sorry that was so long. I'll be sending that to my senators and congressmen.
Posted by: Cathy | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
CHINA VOWS FOOD SAFETY CHANGES
By Associated Press | May 10, 2007
As reported on The Boston Globe
"SHANGHAI -- China vowed yesterday to crack down on contaminated and sometimes deadly food and drugs after a string of revelations about the safety of Chinese products."
"China has long suffered adverse publicity tied to its lax enforcement of food and drug safety, but the present round has been especially worrying."
full story here:
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/05/10/china_vows_food_safety_changes/
Well gosh golly gee willickers. Think it's about time? I mean unless aside from all the melawhoozit ingredient palooza in everything from pet food to cakes and hey! - introducing a unique way to give yourself antibiotics: eat catfish containing the stuff (?!!!), I dunno.......maybe, just maybe there might be a problem here?
Back in 2004, Zhou Qing thought so, as did the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage (http://www.lettre-ulysses-award.org/about.html) when he was nominated for their short list for reporters who's "passion is reality and their works enrich our understanding of the world.". I found both Zhou Qing's articles from September 2006 most enlightening:
"China's food fears (part one)":
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/374-China-s-food-fears-part-one-
"Concerns about the safety of China’s food are on the rise...Qing Zhou looks at the underside of food production, from opiates in soup to pesticides in pickles."
"China’s food fears (part two)"
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/379-China-s-food-fears-part-two-
"In the second part of his report into the food industry, Qing Zhou issues a stark warning to Chinese consumers and asks what steps can be taken to improve food safety."
Very brave and interesting reads. You too can have ‘Industrial Salt 'Not for human consumption' included in your pickled foods, aluminum added to your bread sticks, or better yet, disgruntled employess over pay cuts urinating and spitting in noodle dough that often drops on the dirty floor yet gets tossed back in the container dontcha know.
New & improved ingenious ways of adding spice to food stuffs the Chinese way! Be afraid kiddies. Be very afraid.
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Comment by slt — May 10, 2007 @ 7:43 am
The stockholders want larger quarterly dividends.
Posted by: Steve | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
I popped into the grocery store yesterday and bagged some yellow apples. Then, I stopped and looked at all the apples. I dumped the bag and picked a few from Washington State and left the unknown origin apples at the store. Difference in price is .28 pound.
We desperately need COOL (Country of origin labeling). I will gladly pay a higher price for food not coming from China or any other country not on par with food safety standards.
Junk food is expensive and leaving that at the store will more than make up for a price difference. I feel the same way about better pet foods with human quality ingredients; they need to eat less without all the junk food fillers. In the end the price should be just a little more.
Posted by: DeeAnn | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Steve, You're right. Investors have a choice about how much to risk and where their money goes. I don't get a choice as a taxpayer about how much or where it goes - don't quite sound right, does it?
Posted by: Cathy | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Safeway doesn't list where their fresh produce comes from - so I ask the produce person to find out for me - I bought a cabbage left everything else - too disgusted for words! Ugh!
Posted by: Linda | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Steve
Are we the only ones who can find these articles?
Does the FDA/USDA/EPA/CDC not have computers?
What needs to be revealed before they stop imports? Human body parts in the food?
Hell even the Chinese say their food isn't safe how much more do we need?
sam (head can't even explode anymore)
Posted by: sam | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Sam:
"Are we the only ones who can find these articles?"
I'm not Steve, but to anser your question: I seriously doubt it Too much evidence points to the contrary. Folks sleuthing the 'net for the latest news keep discovering news articles & headlines altered numerous times, or FDA documents original filing dates mysteriously changing in the wee hours of the weekend or thingies pulled up on a Google search suddenly not at the link once you make the jump. But Google's "cached" holder often knows. Oh how it does & quite a nifty tool too. Grab those screen shots people before they finally get *poofed* into oblivion.
Posted by: Ally | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Hey on the good news front, those of us still feeding Natural Balance, They have added an email list that you sign up for and if there are any recalls they will notify you directly.
Finally something positive.
sam
Posted by: sam | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
“Are we the only ones who can find these articles?”
I seem to recall in one of the head exploding comments by Dr. A that part of the problem is that the FDA has old computers . . .
Posted by: straybaby | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
"… American Nutrition said in a statement it didn’t do anything deceitful by using the rice protein ingredient. It said the pet-food formulas, per the customers’ requests, were “rice-based” and so it selected rice protein as a “fortification source” from the “same family.”"
Uhhhhh...yeah. Except what about the products that were'nt supposed to have any rice product in them at all, like the Canine Caviar Beaver and Turkey - those clearly state on the label "grain-free" and are only supposed to have beaver or turkey in them...
Nice try ANI, but that bird don't fly.
Posted by: Mikken | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM
Interesting reads those China dialogues on food safety that Ally put up. Scary stuff. Hope our Olympians are taking their own food to Beijing!
I am not at all familiar with this reporter or the China Dialogue site/blog. In general I sort of like to know where my internet info is coming from, who is funding it, and what motivators/biases might be inherent. Can anybody help out with the history or ownership of this China Dialogue site? Thanks.
Posted by: elizabeth R. | 09 May 2007 at 08:00 PM