Kids vs. pets: What did the pet food recall tell us?

Via Bobbie Kolehouse from the Dog Writers Association of America, this little bit of analysis comparing the recall of tainted pet food to the recall of children's toys:

There were two significant product recalls this year: tainted pet food and lead-based paint on children's toys. Two issues that concern the health of your pet and your child. Which is more important to you? Which topic would you seek more information on? It would seem that everyone would choose their child, yet our online behavior reveals a different story.



Internet search data reveals that given the two recalls, our pet's health is far more worthy of information-seeking than health issues surrounding our children. This month Mattel recalled almost 2 million toys worldwide for lead-based paint and other contamination issues. In response to the news, searches for the term "toy recall" spiked, nearly doubling the two-year average for all product recall searches.



While that would seem to be a significant increase in searches, the toy recall reaction was nothing compared to the pet food recall that occurred in March of this year, when the Food and Drug Administration found that contaminants in hundreds of brands were causing cats and dogs to fall ill. Searches for pet food-related recall issues were over seven times that same two-year average, over double the number of toy recall searches. Certainly protecting our children from the dangers of lead-based paint is more important — or, at the very least, equally as important as tainted pet food — so why the difference in searches?

The author of this Financial Times piece, Bill Tancer, then goes on to say that the large number of hits for stories on Michael Vick when compared to those for the trapped miners, Hurricane Dean, or the earthquake in Peru show that "amongst a field of human tragedy and a potentially catastrophic storm, search term data indicates that the perils of domesticated animals trump all."



I have a few problems with this analysis, as I so often do when people try to compare our feelings for children and our feelings for companion animals. It's a hot button for guaranteed outrage, and yet, I've never noticed that tender feelings for animals translate into indifference to human suffering. In fact, I've noticed the exact opposite, that children and adults who are able to empathize with animals also have the ability to easily empathize with their fellow human beings, and those who don't care about animals tend to not easily be moved to compassion for people, either.



But my real problem is that the pet food recall and the toy recall, while having some political isses in common, are very different in other ways, the biggest being the huge sucking vacuum of information pet owners were operating in, and our desperation to know if the pet food we were about to buy that night at the grocery store was going to kill our dog or cat when we got it home. I mean, I can take my child's toys away from her until I find out what's going on. I still have to feed my pets every day.



I'm also very sure that if this had been baby food instead of kids' toys, and contaminated baby food was still on the shelves of home kitchens, supermarkets, and convenience stores all over the country and no one knew which products were involved, the number of parents searching for information online would have blown the Internet apart.



In addition, as someone on the front lines of coverage of the pet food recall, I can tell you that until the day melamine and related contaminants were fed to livestock intended for human consumption, this story was far from the top of the priority list for any media outlet other than the pet blogs. The number of reporters from the mainstream media at the FDA press conferences went through the roof from that day forward, and nearly all the questions being asked were about the risk to humans, and virtually never about pets or pet food.



But hey, it was time for the obligatory story about how we care more about our pets than about people, right? You can tell from the fact that no pets are left homeless, no pets are deprived of medical care because their owners bought a new high definition TV instead, no pets are put to sleep or dumped in the shelter or on the side of the road because they're inconvenient or badly trained, and no pets are lonely and bored in the garages and backyards of America, that we love our dogs and cats way too much.



A few high profile celebrities buying clothes for their dogs and carrying them in thousand dollar purses doesn't mean America loves its pets too much -- and neither does concerned animal owners trying to find out of there's poison in the kibble before they feed it to the family dog.

Comments

[E. Hamilton]

Ok, I will write it and if I can't sell it then I will GIVE it away, online of course.



BUT, you guys have got to help with the boycotts! And get the news out! Think Paul Revere thoughts because this is just the same thing, you are saving your country, your life, your liberty are ON THE LINE!



P&G lost a ton of money, they say if the trend continues it will be a loss of 70 mill, which is very disappointing to me because I was aiming for 100 mill loss for them-this year. Next years goal? I have a figure in mind, they aint gonna like that one either.





Right now, we have to MOVE on the momentum, there IS a hero vet, MrsP found this vet and the vet got up on radio and said all the things you WISH your vet had said!

The phones EXPLODED!!

People want the truth, we have it to give, so GET UP OFF YOUR KNEES AND GIVE!!!

We are American CITIZENS, not consumers, not sheeple to be sheared by corporations and damnit we can DO this!

MrsP did a brave, brave thing and it hurt to do it, no soldier in ANY war was braver.

Read about it here

http://itchmoforums.com/making-a-difference/tiny-radio-station-interview-t1754.0.html



Cheer, cry, scream.

And then suck it up and go do the same thing.

[Karen Goodhart]

Lou Dobbs has been doing a pretty good job of covering this and Wolf Blitzer has started to follow his lead. This week they both brought up the Pajama Fire, but this is the first I've heard of the Pig Disease.



As for the Walmart UPC codes I mentioned earlier, I've been told that it is apparently common practice for companies to affix stickers instead of enduring the expense of repackaging. Personally I think it's bad practice for any store to carry a Menu product.

[Nadine]

Yes, E, please do write it!



MaKo, you said it all very well.



E, you'd have a NY Times Best Seller. The rave reviews would be many and over a diverse audience, so don't bother putting a hottie on the cover. The effect of your "voice" alone would be enough to sell it bigtime. And, of course, you can always wear that push-up bra you mentioned. I know whatcha mean ;)

[Dennis]

Christie,



I think there are other factors at play here affecting the counts of searches on various recall topics - pet food recalls, toy recalls, clothing recalls, etc. Choose your search engines wisely.



Among those are:

1. Mainstream media suspects the consumers five minutes of interest is waning and thus carries fewer stories. That is what one maintstream business reporter told me who I had been feeding pet food and product recall stories to.

They avidly carried stories, then bam, a decision was made and no others followed.



2. The corporations are going into a protective mode. Fewer press releases on these, deny, deny. Perhaps corporate executives get MSM executives to not cover a topic.



3. The Chinese are in protective mode and in cleanup mode. They don't want more "bad news" about their tainted or defective products. They are reported to be getting at least one major search engine to remove bad news links. See http://tinyurl.com/2pcr9b



The Chinese are also in cleanup mode. Stories like the cardboard containing snack rolls were met with the reporter being arrested and convicted of perpetrating a hoax and sentenced to a year in prison. Of course, thinking minds outside China have seen the clincher videos on that story and formed their own opinion, here: http://tinyurl.com/2cnpxo



A search on that topic yields lots of hits on the story being a hoax, instead of that link above.



4. There aren't enough CPSC Commissioners in place to enforce recalls. The FDA is in duck and cover mode. The blogs are like the stings of a thousand mad hornets each who seem to know their Congress reps. And dang it, we just can't seem to forget to mention that $10 million in food safety funds which instead went for top office bonuses.



I suspect there isn't any one answer. Indeed I expect that corporations and the Chinese are pressuring the Bush Administration to not do more "unnecessary" recalls as they are bad for business and the economy. I enjoyed the story about, while I disliked the MSNBC reporter's view on all this being bad for business - like injuries, illnesses, and deaths are to be expected and acceptable.



But while we're lamenting stories with limited coverage in the mainstream, why aren't either of these stories big news???



http://tinyurl.com/2qs6xo



http://tinyurl.com/2nzd6o



Best wishes.

[Karen Goodhart]

Just came over from Itchmo. Walmart is selling Special Kitty Cat Food with recalled upc codes by placing a new upc code sticker over it. I thought Erin Burnett was stupid, but these people go WAY beyond that!

[MaKo]

Comment by E. Hamilton — August 24, 2007 @ 12:40 pm



I would!



I would want to read about someone who is not ducking and conforming; about someone whose love is so big that there is no place for fear, but enough for mourning; about someone who takes on anyone and anything that's stupid enough to pick a fight with her; about someone who does not believe in labels and drawers but calls a horse a horse and a rider a rider.



:)



It would probably the most politically incorrect book on this side of the galaxy, and, ubboy, would I ever love to read it.



Write it!

[E. Hamilton]

Nadine, I am seriously thinking about it. Not sure anyone would want to read about a semi-sweet old lady going to war with a bunch of suits.



I would INSIST on the cover being a nice juicy shot of some hottie younger by decades than me, I can still paint my face and hike my puppies into a push up bra but the effect is not as good as when a YOUNG hottie does it!

[Nadine]

E, do you give lessons?



I've already learned a few great expressions, like "shaking like a chihuahua when someone moves a pencil on his desk."



How do you do it??? I hope you write a book.

[E. Hamilton]

Nadine, humor is often needed the most when it is hard to find.



Even my friends admit that they like to watch me do a "slice and dice" on the deserving. Of course , they also admit that would slit their own wrists before making me that mad.



Once, years ago, someone made a comment to me that made me spin and spit like a halloween kitty, and this slack jawed moron turned to my husband and said "Are you gonna let me insult your woman like that?"



Well, my hubby got a big grin on his face and settled himself a bit more so he could enjoy the show and replied "You did not insult my wife, you just committed a grave error and she is gonna learn ya, and we are all gonna watch!"



I learned him real good and by the time I was done there was a circle of folks cheering me on and laughing.



Poisoning my pets was not a smart move on the part of the pet food industry. They might limp on their way when I get done, if they are smart they will crawl, I seldom kick a person or company that has the sense to know when are whipped and stays down but kill my pets and you aint gonna WALK away.

Count on it.

[Elaine]

I agree wholeheartedly, Nadine, well said! E, you are very much appreciated by me, as well!



My husband has the ability to cut to the chase and say what needs said in no uncertain terms, as you do. Me---I stutter and stammer and think of something I shoulda said---much later!

[Nadine]

E, we are all enraged as much as you have been, and your anger is serious, very real, as all of ours is, but you really do have a humorous way of succinctly articulating the intensity of our mutual extreme rage over all the pet issues. Thanks for these moments of comic relief. They are circuit breakers for aching hearts and exploding heads.

[E. Hamilton]

Vick did not kill NEAR as many animals as Walmart has killed or damaged by leaving poison pet treats on store shelves for almost a month after they knew it was a killing product.

I am not in favor of dog fighting or the scum that enjoys it but I think that until CRIMINAL charges are filed against a lot of the players in the pet food that Vick is getting WAY too much attention.



His court stuff got through the system WAY too fast-he should have had to endure the grinding slowness that anyone else would have had to sit through. Vick is getting special treatment still and it irks me.



Now that he took the deal, fine. He can strut his sleazy ways in prison.

And that frees up the crack team that caught him to go after some REAL BIG TIME animal abusers!

[Elaine]

I have a GREAT idea for another research! Do research on how much money the POOR companies are losing because of having to recall poisonous food and lead contaminated toys!



One article I read seemed to be way more concerned that Mattel was hurt to the tune of 30 billion dollars, and less was said about the little boy that died and others that are sick, hurting or retarded! Aaagh!!



I have NO sympathy for Mattel, or any other company that chooses to outsource to another country. They are using slave labor to produce these items, and there is some family in the U.S. with unemployed parents because our jobs are being outsourced!

[Barb]

Dont' mean to change the subject but turn on CNN.



Vick just accepted plea deal! - pled guilty to conspiracy of interstate commerce to aid illegal activity, and guilty to conspiracy to sponsor dog in animal fighting. Maximum sentence of 5 yrs, 250K fine 3yrs. parole, restitution. Summary of facts: suspects bought property for purpose of housing dogs; Court papers: consiprators bought, trained, bred pit bulls for fighting; Court papers: Vick paid for most operating, fighting expenses, Vick admits to being part of group that killed dogs that didn't fight well;

[mal]

One of the important points that Bill Tancer neglected to research is that the pet food recall has "officially" been going on for 5 1/2 months..unofficially probably closer to a year. When pets began getting sick and dying there was very little media coverage at the time and there was a justifiable concern by pet parents to find out what was safe for their fur kids.



The toy recall is only in its beginning stage right now and there is much better information available through the media. In 5 more months, if the toy recalls follow the same weekly recalls as the pet food, then chances are the toy recall will match or outnumber the pet food recall as far as internet searches.



Either way the problems that have come to light this year regarding consumer merchandise in general are nothing less than criminal and deserve much better investigation than is being done. This should not be a matter of splitting hairs on what is more important, but a major wake-up call for everyone everywhere!!

[E. Hamilton]

WHY this bozo is all freaked out about searches versus the poison pouring into pets and kids is beyond me.



The FDA WON'T count the dead and this dilettante is counting SEARCHES? How...anal retentive of him. Now there is a fella you really don't want watching your back in a brawl.



If he cares SO MUCH about the kids then he can get off his pedestal and search Walmarts and toy stores for brain damage inducing toys! Like we searched for poisoned pet food. Good luck and godspeed and try not to hit the same stores too often with a 6 page list of numbers in your hand, they WILL threaten you with arrest.



Just stop with the whining , high school level, you love her more than you love me stuff, it did not get you laid in high school and I suspect it aint getting him laid now.



Fancy Tancer needs to up the dose of whatever FDA approved "nerve tonic" he takes to keep from shaking like a chihuahua when someone moves a pencil on his desk.

[straybaby]

i don't have kids. BUT, i was sending info on recalled kids toys to friends and telling them to pass it on to anyone they knew with kids. it was unnecessary though as the news covered it thoroughly. unlike the pet food recall. go figure . . .

[Dorene]

I think another reason why there were so many more searches during the pet food recall than the toys is that there are simply more people with pets than people with young children who would be playing with these toys.



In my own experience, when the pet food recall hit, the ages of the people accessing the Internet for information on what to feed their pets ranged from my 75 year old mother all the way down to my friend's 15 year old son who wants to be a vet tech -- his mother figured that the recall was the type of thing he'd have to deal with professionally, so she put him in charge of finding out what to feed their pets -- and seeing if this really was the profession he wanted. He still wants to be a vet tech!



While people aged 15-75 have pets, not all of those people have small children who play with toys. More people, more searchs.

[Karen Goodhart]

I still write letters daily to the news networks demanding more coverage and some type of outrage. The only difference in my letters is that I now include all of the recalls and beg them to promote some type of boycott of China.



I had a Congressman tell me this would take on a certain urgency if it continued or if it affected humans as well as pets. Well, I'm still waiting, but I am meeting with him tomorrow and I'm taking my girls' recalled toys with me!!!

[Carol]

I'm still surprised people aren't irate about recalls in general. It seems as if nothing is safe anymore yet where's the general outcry about food and product safety? Pet owners led the way but few others have stepped up.

[Alasandra]

Apparently Wal-Mart has stuck new product codes over the old product codes on Special Kitty Pouch cat food.



http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6976794&nav=menu33_3

We found dozens of the pouches just like the one's McComber had at the Clanton Wal-Mart. At first glance, the product code checks out as safe. If you peel it off, you'll find another product code. I compared those numbers to the ones on the recall list on the FDA'S Web site. Sure enough, it's on the list. With the stickers over the product code, the items went through. However, I left one on the stickers off. When the cashier scanned the label on the package, it said do not sell and she would not let me purchase it.

[The OTHER Pat]

"Apparently Wal-Mart has stuck new product codes over the old product codes on Special Kitty Pouch cat food."



Was it WalMart who re-stickered, or MenuFoods? I'd tend to think it's MenuFoods (although WalMart accepted the shipment).



Is anyone sending any of this re-stickered food in for testing?

[Karen Goodhart]

In my opinion, the difference in searches, is a result of the manufacturers and the consequences.



When Menu made the recall, they initially did so without giving the first hard core info on any of the products. As they released this information, it never seemed to stop so the public was forced to search each and every day. At the time, pets were also sick and dying.



When Mattel made their announcement, they listed each and every product. I at that point collected each and every toy in my household and inspected each one for any type of damage to determine how my kids were using them. However, after Menu, I am distrustful and I check for new recalls daily.



The difference I see is Mattel stepped up to the plate to protect their customers and Menu Foods took every action they could to protect themselves. Of course, people reacted differently.

[E. Hamilton]

This story struck me.



http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_6712519



A quote is below.



"Recalling the toys is only a first step," Killino said. "Replacing them costs Mattel pennies. If Mattel is really concerned about the safety of children, then it should address the root of the issue — determining how many children were affected by these poisoned toys so that they can get immediate treatment. Only then can parents have true peace of mind."



It really applies to OUR furkids too and how many were killed or damaged for life and no amount of searches on the internet by pet parents found a way to get our sick or dead counted.



Except here.



Thank You Petconnection.

I am a pain in the ass sometimes but I am a GRATEFUL one.

[Dennis]

When I posted the earlier link

http://tinyurl.com/2qs6xo

about suspected the blue ear hog disease in China, I didn't mention WHY that is relevant. Here is another:

http://tinyurl.com/28o6c2



Let me add that why now:



The U.S. is importing hog bones, ears, ligaments, and pork from China in the form of dog jerky, snacks, treats, chews, and bones. Those dog products are on the shelves here already. I also have read that we have at least three companies importing pork for human consumption. I am not implying risk. I am just wondering out loud why Chinese hog product is coming into our country during a severe outbreak there?



All those imports at the same time that the earlier article says this is happening (although in fairness to China, they claim to have a vaccine now, and the outbreak is claimed to be improving, but openness with international authorities on this hasn't happened) excerpts from the articles:



...So far, the mysterious virus — believed to cause an unusually deadly form of an infection known as blue-ear pig disease — has spread to 25 of this country's 33 provinces and regions, prompting a pork shortage and the strongest inflation in China in a decade.

...

"This is like SARS. They haven't sent samples to any international body. This is really irresponsible of China. This thing could get out and affect everyone."

There are no clear indications that blue-ear disease — if that is what this disease is — poses a threat to human health.

...

"This disease is like a wind that swept in and passed from village to village,"

"I've never seen anything like it. No family was left untouched."

...

International health experts are already calling this one of the worst disease outbreaks ever to hit Asia's livestock industry, and they fear the fast-mutating pathogens could spread to neighboring countries, igniting a worldwide epidemic that could affect pork supplies everywhere.

...

If it is blue-ear pig disease, which has infected most parts of the world, including the United States, it may be a new and more virulent strain.

...

Government scientists themselves said that last year the virus affected two millions pigs and killed 400,000. Here in Sichuan province, home to some 55 million pigs and one of the world's most densely populated pig breeding areas, there is devastation.

...

------------



Blue ear hog disease is also known as PRRS or PRRSV or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (virus) and sometimes Porcine High Fever Disease. There are variants and the one that occurred here is a different variant.

http://www.prrs.org/documents/June_2007_Newsletter_000.pdf



Hopefully, this makes the issue clearer and permits others to search for more information. What I haven't found on this disease is what, if any, cross-species risk there is that this disease might pass from hogs to dogs or cats by injestion of pork tissues and whether this disease leaves behind any kind of chemical toxin in slaughtered product. I don't think there is a human risk. Last year, the authorities thought that the hog outbreak there was Streptococcus Suis, a pig Step disease. In that case, there allegedly were few human close contact infection reports. I am by far no expert on this topic. But I sure am interested in expert answers on PRRSV and any risk to our pets, as well as why the U.S. is importing Chinese pork/hog products while there allegedly is a PRRSV outbreak.

[Katie]

E. I too would buy the book! I love your humor, and you make me smile. You are able to articulate what many of us feel.



RE: Mr Tancer

He seems to not recognize that the pet food contamination opened the worlds eyes; are food and products safe? People are now looking more closely and asking who makes it; where does it come from. Stupid me, I thought all meat on the counter was from the USA! I thought Atlantic salmon, was indeed - Atlantic salmon; meaning coming from the Atlantic ocean. To learn that some is farm raised in the Pacific ocean off the coast of Chile..



Mr.Tancer fails to realize the pet food opened "pandora's box".



Unlike PFI, Mattel did act quickly. But I'm sure it's in the name of liability and profitability.



The lead in the toys caused me to research lead in dishes, which led to new dinnerware. Melamine in pet food led to plastic ware disposal. Research that I never would have done before. The Internet is amazing!



I believe we all care deeply about children, toys can be taken away, and parents should be more diligent in looking at what they buy and how it is constructed. Perhaps they will start looking at all the processed junk food, next.



When I unkowingly put contaminated food in the food bowl - and than found the PFI and FDA in denial...that raises my hackles a little differently. Not sure Mr.Tancer understands that. But than the Financial community sees big money in the exploding China market.



Katie

[Mike]

more pets than young children: 100 million dogs and cats in the US vs 20 million children aged 5 and younger.



Plus ... you have to feed your pet something, but you don't have to let your child play with a toy you suspect.