Pet Food Deaths Were Caused By Rat Poison
- Thread starter Miakoda
- Start date
Sorry, I'm having trouble replying to this post for some reason.
Anyways, I can't find the link for that specific statement (sorry about that), but here is another one.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_re_us/pet_food_recall_4
Rodent poison found in pet food By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago
Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of several animals around the country, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.
Spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden would not identify the chemical or its source beyond saying it was a rodent poison.
State agriculture officials scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to release laboratory findings from tests on the pet food conducted this week. The deaths led to a nationwide recall.
Anyways, I can't find the link for that specific statement (sorry about that), but here is another one.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_re_us/pet_food_recall_4
Rodent poison found in pet food By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago
Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of several animals around the country, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.
Spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden would not identify the chemical or its source beyond saying it was a rodent poison.
State agriculture officials scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to release laboratory findings from tests on the pet food conducted this week. The deaths led to a nationwide recall.
March 23 2007, 9:52 AM
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2975912&page=1&US=true
Rat Poison to Blame for Pet Food Contamination
By DAVID KERLEY
March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.
A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.
Watch "World News" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.
A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state's food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.
The chemical is called aminopterin.
What investigators can't say so far is whether this is the only contaminant, if it is in all of the recalled food, or if it's in enough quantity in to sicken more animals.
There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.
Aminopterin is used in the United States in, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.
For a week, investigators have been looking for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths tied to contaminated pet food. Many animal doctors, including those at New York's Animal Medical Center, suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after they learned about an additional 200 reported cases of kidney failure in animals.
Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.
"I was shocked and surprised — acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC News. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."
So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals had not pointed to a cause until today.
"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School said earlier this week. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."
Investigators had already begun looking at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used to produce the Menu Foods dog and cat food.
The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.
"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."
And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that may not end for weeks.
"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months," Langston said. "It's not over."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2975912&page=1&US=true
Rat Poison to Blame for Pet Food Contamination
By DAVID KERLEY
March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.
A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.
Watch "World News" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.
A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state's food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.
The chemical is called aminopterin.
What investigators can't say so far is whether this is the only contaminant, if it is in all of the recalled food, or if it's in enough quantity in to sicken more animals.
There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.
Aminopterin is used in the United States in, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.
For a week, investigators have been looking for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths tied to contaminated pet food. Many animal doctors, including those at New York's Animal Medical Center, suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after they learned about an additional 200 reported cases of kidney failure in animals.
Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.
"I was shocked and surprised — acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC News. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."
So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals had not pointed to a cause until today.
"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School said earlier this week. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."
Investigators had already begun looking at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used to produce the Menu Foods dog and cat food.
The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.
"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."
And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that may not end for weeks.
"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months," Langston said. "It's not over."
Chinese wheat. Go figure. Like the US can't produce enough cheap wheat?
Anyone see that special about China that's been on cable? How their rapid industrialization is causing so much pollution to areas where food is grown for human consumption. Things like leather plants that discharge waste directly into rivers people use for bathing, drinking and watering plants and livestock, etc. It was pretty grim and it seems like they don't care.
Anyone see that special about China that's been on cable? How their rapid industrialization is causing so much pollution to areas where food is grown for human consumption. Things like leather plants that discharge waste directly into rivers people use for bathing, drinking and watering plants and livestock, etc. It was pretty grim and it seems like they don't care.
God. It must have been in the wheat? They say it maybe have been imported from China! Let's hear it for NAFTA. It's killing us all.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17754681/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17754681/
The current thought is that the "chunks and gravy" style foods are the ones affected because a) it is a difficult style of food to make, so companies like Iams contract with Menu, who has the appropriate machinery (this is why so many different companies were affected), and b) wheat gluten is used as a thickener in the "gravy".
It makes me wonder why the Iams "savory sauces" have not been recalled, as they seem to be the same gravy as you'd find in these pouch foods. Must be different or made somewhere else?
It makes me wonder why the Iams "savory sauces" have not been recalled, as they seem to be the same gravy as you'd find in these pouch foods. Must be different or made somewhere else?
We should all email our pet food manufacters and ask them some questions. And we should get all our friends to do it to. That should send them a message.
1. Do you import any ingredients for the food I buy from other countries. If so, where?
2. Do you outsource the manufactering of any portion of your products. If so, which portion?
1. Do you import any ingredients for the food I buy from other countries. If so, where?
2. Do you outsource the manufactering of any portion of your products. If so, which portion?
I emailed Canidae and asked the two questions above. Here is their response.
Subj: Re: Website: General Email Form
Date: 3/23/2007 4:46:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Cynthia,
To reiterate, CANIDAE Pet Foods is in no way is affected by the current can re-call, and we aren't, or have never been, produced at any of the recalled facilities. We do not produce Cuts and Gravy, Pouches, and none of our products contain wheat, or wheat gluten.
With the current cuts and gravy recall by a large co-packer, and all the misleading information, we thought we would help explain the production of canned foods. There are only a hand full of co-packers that are located in the US and they produce most canned foods. A few companies choose to have their cans made outside the US, and may or may not disclose that information to you. The pet food industry co-packers are no different from the human products we ourselves eat or drink on a daily basis. Each formula is different and unique to the specific pet food company in which the formulas are owned. Ingredients, quality grade of meats, grade of carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral formulations, to name a few, are all at the discretion of the pet food company in which the products are produced for, and are apparent by the governmental regulated labels. Our heartfelt concerns go out to all involved and or affected by the re-call.
All Canidae products are produced in the USA. We do not purchase ingredients from any suppliers outside of the US. All Canidae ingredients are grown &/or raised in the USA. In addition, we only purchase the absolute best USDA grade "A" hormone and antibiotic free meats. Our rice is also grade "A" Pesticide free. Our fish is FDA inspected and passed residual free of ethoxiquin.
Our cannery is a small facility located in IL. and able to produce the highest quality products. This small family operated facility only produces products that are of the highest quality human grade ingredients. Our formulations were created by an outside nutritionist that has been developing canned foods for over 35 years. You can feel assured by our quality and product performance that our cannery holds the highest standards in production, and is regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, IDA, EU Approved and is Organically Certified.
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->
Our dry foods are produced in TX. Our plant has been involved in animal nutrition for over 75 years. The original pet food extrusion mill was built in 1978. CANIDAE's involvement with the plant sparked the introduction of our own extruder in 1999. Our dry goods facility also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved. We are currently under production with a brand new plant at the same facility to keep up with the growth and demand of our product line.
In order to ensure the highest quality meat based biscuit ever created, we ventured into the biscuit production business in 2003. Our 100 foot oven runs our fresh biscuits daily in a building opposite our extrusion plant in TX. Our biscuit plant is also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved.
Sincerely,
Team Canidae
Subj: Re: Website: General Email Form
Date: 3/23/2007 4:46:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Cynthia,
To reiterate, CANIDAE Pet Foods is in no way is affected by the current can re-call, and we aren't, or have never been, produced at any of the recalled facilities. We do not produce Cuts and Gravy, Pouches, and none of our products contain wheat, or wheat gluten.
With the current cuts and gravy recall by a large co-packer, and all the misleading information, we thought we would help explain the production of canned foods. There are only a hand full of co-packers that are located in the US and they produce most canned foods. A few companies choose to have their cans made outside the US, and may or may not disclose that information to you. The pet food industry co-packers are no different from the human products we ourselves eat or drink on a daily basis. Each formula is different and unique to the specific pet food company in which the formulas are owned. Ingredients, quality grade of meats, grade of carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral formulations, to name a few, are all at the discretion of the pet food company in which the products are produced for, and are apparent by the governmental regulated labels. Our heartfelt concerns go out to all involved and or affected by the re-call.
All Canidae products are produced in the USA. We do not purchase ingredients from any suppliers outside of the US. All Canidae ingredients are grown &/or raised in the USA. In addition, we only purchase the absolute best USDA grade "A" hormone and antibiotic free meats. Our rice is also grade "A" Pesticide free. Our fish is FDA inspected and passed residual free of ethoxiquin.
Our cannery is a small facility located in IL. and able to produce the highest quality products. This small family operated facility only produces products that are of the highest quality human grade ingredients. Our formulations were created by an outside nutritionist that has been developing canned foods for over 35 years. You can feel assured by our quality and product performance that our cannery holds the highest standards in production, and is regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, IDA, EU Approved and is Organically Certified.
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->
Our dry foods are produced in TX. Our plant has been involved in animal nutrition for over 75 years. The original pet food extrusion mill was built in 1978. CANIDAE's involvement with the plant sparked the introduction of our own extruder in 1999. Our dry goods facility also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved. We are currently under production with a brand new plant at the same facility to keep up with the growth and demand of our product line.
In order to ensure the highest quality meat based biscuit ever created, we ventured into the biscuit production business in 2003. Our 100 foot oven runs our fresh biscuits daily in a building opposite our extrusion plant in TX. Our biscuit plant is also regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, TDA and EU Approved.
Sincerely,
Team Canidae
