Massive pet food recall issued in North America
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a massive pet food recall in North America on March 17 due to some cases of kidney failure. The pet products were sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Menu Foods, Inc., a private-label pet food manufacturer in Ontario, Canada, is recalling all of its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food that was produced at its Emporia, Kansas facility between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall includes specific canned and small foil pouch wet pet foods.
A small number of cases of kidney failure were reported in cats and dogs that had eaten the affected pet food. Some ten animal deaths, one dog and nine cats, have been reported so far. The firm has conducted extensive testing of the products, but no cause of the animal illness has yet been determined, according to the FDA press release.
The Menu Foods pet food has been packaged in cans and pouches under numerous brand names and sold nationally by supermarkets, pet specialty stores and retailers that include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Kroger Company, Safeway, PetSmart, Inc., Pet Valu, Inc. and Ahold USA Inc.
A complete list of the recalled brands of "cuts and gravy" style pet food can be found at the Menu Foods, Inc. Web site at www.menufoods. com/recall.
There are some 51 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food listed. A partial list of brands includes Americas Choice Preferred Pet, Best Choice, Big Red, Cadillac, Companion, Food Lion, Giant Companion, Hill Country Fare, Paws, Pet Essentials, Pet Pride-Good and Meaty, Save-a-Lot, and Weis Total Pet.
Check product codes, descriptions and dates of the recalled products online at the Menu Foods Web site to identify specific batches of food that was affected. Consumers are instructed to look on the bottom of the cans or the back of pouches for "best before" date.
Local brands affected
Food Lion dog food products that are part of the recall include various sizes of Beef Cuts/Gravy, Chicken Cuts/Gravy, Lamb/Rice Cuts/Gravy, London Grill/Gravy, Sliced Beef/Gravy, Sliced Chicken/Gravy, Sliced Turkey Gravy and Stew Cuts/Gravy. Products must fall within the specified sizes, product codes and "best buy" dates indicated online to be a part of the recall.
The Morsels brand of 24 by 13.2 ounce dog food cans of Country Stew, Lambs Rice and Morsels with Beef sold by Save-a-Lot with the specified product codes and date are also part of the Menu Foods recall.
Sliced Beef/Gravy cat food and Sliced Chicken/Gravy cat food cans in 24 by 5.5 ounce size of sold by Food Lion, and Save-a-Lot with the specified product codes and "best before" dates listed online are part of the recall. Save-a-Lot Sliced Beef/Gravy 24 by 5.5 ounce cat food cans are also included.
Precautionary recalls
Nestle Purina is voluntarily withdrawing its
5.3 ounce Mighty Dog brand pouch products
that were produced by Menu Foods from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007
as a precaution. This includes pouches in multi-packs.
Mighty Dog pouches included in this recall have the product code numbers beginning with 6337 through 7073 after the "use by" date followed by the plant code 1798.
No Mighty Dog canned products or any other Purina products are affected by the recall. Call 1-800-551-7392 for more information.
Hills Pet Nutrition is voluntarily recalling a small number of cat foods that are co-manufactured by Menu Foods as a precaution. These are the Science Diet Kitten and Feline Savory Cuts in different flavors and mostly in the 5.5 ounce size with varying product codes and best buy dates. No other Hills products are involved in the recall. Visit www.HillsPet.com or call 1-800-445-5777 for more information.
P & G Pet Care is also voluntarily recalling
specific canned and foil pouch "wet" cat and
dog foods beginning with the code dates of
6339 through 7073 followed by the plant
code 4197 that were manufactured at the Menu Foods plant in Emporia, Kansas. Menu Foods makes a small portion of canned and moist Eukanuba and Iams brand pet foods for P & G Pet Care.
Stop using affected pet foods
Consumers should immediately stop feeding any of the possibly contaminated products them to their pets. If dogs or cats have eaten any of the suspected products and are showing signs of possible kidney failure, such as vomiting, loss of appetite and lethargy, pet owners should call their veterinarian.
