Pet Deaths Prompt Recall of Pet Food
By ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer
Friday, March 16, 2007
(03-16) 15:33 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --
A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.
An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.
"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.
The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6 throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.
Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site —
_ early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.
The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co.
P&G announced Friday the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, P&G said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...w130537D87.DTL
I saw this on CNN this morning. If you feed your dog or cat Iams or Eukanuba, you may want to reconsider your options. Apparently the nice healthy pet food is causing kidney failure and death in pets.
I took a lot of heat on the pet food thread about my utter contempt for the processed pet food industry. Well, maybe I'se ain't so stoopid after all.
Proctor and Gamble (one of the biggest corporations in the world) which makes IAMS and Eukanuba has a wee bit of a problem on their hands this morning.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories