03.19.07
cat and dog foods recall
RECALL list for Cuts and gravy wet/canned pet foods and foil pouch pet foods under various brand names. A precautionary recall is being undertaken by
UPDATE PER NPR radio report Mar. 20, Manufacturer Recalls Dog, Cat Food… 60 million cans are recalled… 9 cats and a dog have died from kidney failure… possibly related to contaminated wheat gluten…
Recalled Cat Product information, or call 1-866-895-2708
Recalled Dog Product information, or call 1-866-895-2708
PRESS RELEASE (from the Menufoods website)
March 16, 2007
Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Attention Business/Financial Editors
Menu Foods Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX:MEW.UN) today announced the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund’s United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source.
At the same time, the Fund’s largest customer, for which it manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer’s cuts and gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the Fund’s annual revenue. “We take these complaints very seriously and, while we are still looking for a specific cause, we are acting to err on the side of caution” said Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods. “We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards.”
While the number of complaints has been relatively small, Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund. In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6, the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional actions are appropriate. The Fund estimates that based on currently available information, this recall could cost between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed from a combination of internally generated cash flow and bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.
In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names (”listed products”) at www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m. Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the website can continue to be used.
Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund produced more than one billion containers.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Menu Foods Income Fund
Consumers
1-866-895-2708
Website: www.menufoods.com
[ED. NOTE: I do wonder why this is NOT for release over US NewsWire Services…]
Janey Loree said,
March 20, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Thank you Connie for posting this information! It is very important that the people who feed wet dog and cat food know about this!! I am helping spread the word by linking to this post on my horse blog http://mustangncowboys.blogspot.com, my personal blog http://heartfeltnotes.blogspot.com, and my cousins’ dog blog http://starlospawprints.blogspot.com.
Valri Points said,
August 3, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I recently read a very distrubing web site that acuses dog food making plants of doing some unorthadox things in making dog food. The death rates of animals whom eat commercial dog food is alarmingly high, due to the amount of dead animal meat and byproducts used in its making. Tons of dead animals are added to the process of manufacturing dog food, all over. Also the nutrional value in many brands is less than acceptible as far as protiens and usable nutrients go. Many people have lost thier pets to mulitple cancers and other fatal dieases’ due to lacking the right intake ingredients from commercial dog food making plants. Something must be done. Animals are members of our families and cannot be sacraficed for profit. The finding in the report i have read are both disturbing and cruel. That is not how the manufactors of the multiple billion dollar advertising companies should spend the money honest pet owners use to purchase thier products out of trust and loyalty, only to put toxins and cause early demise of thier beloved pets. I am not through with reasearching this report nor will many thousands of others when this is done. please stop this tradgic and horrid not to mention senseless onset of early deaths. It is not hummane nor even human.