US News
UPDATE March 23: Rat Poison root of pet food scare
By Stone Martindale Mar 23, 2007, 17:46 GMT
The AP is reporting to CNN and ABC News that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical RAT POISON is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed so many animals.
A source close to the investigation tells CNN and ABC News that the RAT POISON, was found on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.
A news conference is scheduled for 1:00 PST and will be aired on CNN 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, and even more upsetting is 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.
Knowing the chemical can aid veterinarians who are treating sick animals that have been felled by the pet food.
Aminopterin is used in humans as a cancer drug, according to the source, reports the AP.
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.
The AP and ABC news reports that Doctors at the animal hospital 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."
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.
Recalled Cat Food
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets, Authority, Best Choice, Companion, Compliments, Demoulas Market Basket, Eukanuba, Fine Feline Cat, Food Lion, Foodtown, Giant Companion, Hannaford, Hill country Fare, Hy-Vee, Iams, Key Food, Laura Lynn, Li'l Red, Loving Meals, Meijers Main Choice, Nutriplan, Nutro Max Gourmet Classics, Nutro Natural Choice, Paws, Pet Pride, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks, Science Diet (Only brands recalled were 3 oz and 5.5. oz cans of Kitten Savory Cuts Ocean Fish; 5.5 oz cans of Feline Adult Savory Cuts Beef, Chicken and Ocean Fish, and 5.5 oz cans of Feline Senior Savory Cuts Chicken), Sophisticat, Special Kitty Canada, Special Kitty US, Springfield Prize, Sprout, Total Pet, My True Friend, Wegmans, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie
Recalled Dog Food
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets, Authority, Award, Best Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Bloom, Bruiser, Cadillac, Companion, Demoulas Market Basket, Eukanuba, Food Lion, Giant Companion, Great Choice, Hannaford, Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee, IAMS, Key Food, Laura Lynn, Loving Meals, Meijers Main Choice, Mighty Dog (only 5.3 pouch products that were produced from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007 were recalled), Mixables, Nutriplan, Nutro Max, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro, Ol'Roy Canada, Ol'Roy US, Paws, Pet Essentials, Pet Pride - Good 'n Meaty, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, Publix, Roche Bros, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks, Shep Dog, Springfield Prize, Sprout, Stater Bros, Total Pet, My True Friend, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie, Your Pet
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Lack of Inspection. Company's cutting cost cut back on quality control and inspection processes and also look for materials from countries that do not inspect at all. This is a big problem in throughout Asia and the Asian Pennisula. All you have to do is a few google searches and you will be amazed at how many similar events have happened over the past five years.
Thank God we switched to 'Solid Gold' almost a year ago. Most foods have too many by products and fillers, which are harmful to both cats and dogs. In this case the wheat filler was even more harmful.
This is absolutely ridiculous these animals where poisoned from wheat that was imported from China. Its a case of big business cutting corners to make a buck,Its time to stop importing crap from countries like China and Mexico where standards are at best much lower or even non-existent. In China dogs and cats are food so I don't think we should be buying produces from them for pet food thinking then have the animals welfare in mind.
Has anyone looked into the possibility of this wheat being a genetically modified strain? I have read that some strains of GMO corn may have escaped into the wild now, spread by the same bees that pollinate crops, and are taking over the US production. What sort of a pandora's box have we opened now? No wonder Europe refuses to allow GMO's.
I think it is the wave of the future. Companies like Wal Mart love to tell their suppliers how to cut costs and provide cheaper products to them so they can maximize markup and profits. On the surface it sounds ok, but in practice, you see what happens. Think about how many problems we have had in the last 2 years as a result of the Corporate Factory Farm system. I would bet that we are in for a heap of more trouble.
Many consumers only want to pay the 'lowest' price for their products not realizing that comes at a price (in quality, North American jobs etc.). If people were willing to pay a bit more and support North American farmers and businesses these problems wouldn't continue to happen. WAKE UP NORTH AMERICA!!
There is a lot of truth to the statements above. If you have animals, going cheap on their food is not the wisest policy HOWEVER, having said that, I was paying up to 1.29 a can for the IAMS Lamb & Rice wet food for my dog-which I combined with the Solid Gold Hundenflocken food-and of course we know now that IAMS was poison.
Solid Gold dry food is high for kibble-but well worth it. Their cat line is excellent too.
There are many out there that are making their own wet food from holistic recipes, please share any success stories, links or tips for the readers to help them get around this corporate crime we are all paying for at the expense of our pets.
Okay, first it is not because people are not buying 'American'. How many of you are wearing clothes made in China? Have you checked where your electronics and appliances come from? Where's that TV made you are watching Oprah on? Get off the big company conspiracy. A company has a right to get the best possible price for it's product. How many of you shop for the best price of gas? Hmmm.
Is it sad that so many pets have died, yet it is. Where does the responsibility lie, with the Menu Foods. If they are producing a product, they have a duty to make sure it is safe. It doesn't make any difference where the wheat comes, the U.S. , China, Russia or any other grower. It doesn't make any difference if in that country, the grower uses pesticides because the laws say he can, remember DDT.. It is up to Menu Foods to inspect, test, check, and double check all of the components they use to make sure they are safe. Just like an airline maker must check the quality of the steel they are using to make sure it won't break apart, Menu Foods should have been testing the wheat and rejected anything that wasn't right.
People can only do so much to make sure what they buy is safe. We have to rely on many many other people and place to get what we want these days. It is truly a global economy now and must remember many places and people do not have the same high standards as we do in the America.
Still, considering this was from wheat grown in China, I can't possibly imagine that the grower and supplier only sold it to this one pet food company.
We need to know which company it was and get them shut down until we can figure out what else this stuff was used in.
No one comparison shops anymore because we're all ad-hypnotized, over-worked zombies who buy whatever's the most shiny and convenient. Actually, I check unit prices and ingredients, just because I know the crazy stuff they put in things these days is pretty bad, and over-priced to boot. Our own governmental regulatory agencies have been completely infiltrated with individuals with a profit motive who are often tightly linked to the corporations they're supposed to be regulating. Globalization is just the New Wild West: everything goes. Do you really think laws and regulations are being followed, when inspection is rare and cursory, and evidence is self-reported? How do you know what you're actually eating/wearing/using? How many wake up calls are required before we decide to produce locally and holistically instead of wasting all our resources enriching executives who've outsourced every element that makes up our entire lives? Every cent you save at Walmart equals a portion of a slave-laborer, a plundered resource, a contaminated land, a carbon-emitting transport, a low-paying job more than if you'd invested that cent extra at Mom and Pop's Homemade Pie Factory across town.
People, this is a case of one person responsible for the decision that lead to this supply of poison ingredients being used by an unknowing premiere Canadian manufacturer and inturn supplied to some of the largest and most pet conscientious retailers/co-packers-manufacturers in the world. The person(s)responsible need to exposed and held accountable to full extent of the law!!! The industry has responded to this issue, in my opinion, faster and more efficiantly then that of the Tylenal recall, further demonstrating the industries commitment to our furry family members.
Hi , I will like to know when this poisonning started, because one of my cat died in september, 2006 and she had all symstoms described for the poisonned foods.She use to eat the can food frome President Choice, dinner with gravy. And also I give my dog a treat everytime I have to leave for one hour or two, because I feel sorry that I leave him alone but he was very sick vomitting many time a day, I stopped to give the treat and this week he was sick only one time . The treat is Cesar by Pedigree but I don't see that name on the list. I decided not to give him any more until I'm sure it is save.
Claudette and excuse my English , I'm French speaking.
I had my dog 11 yrs. and i have been feeding him Mighty Dog in the pouches, and also Old Roy in the pouches, he had the runs and couldn't keep any thing down, he went from 17 lb to ll lb. a vet is treating him now, so we don't know what the out come will be.
these companys should pay for what they have done to folk.s pets, they are only out to make a easy buck.
I had my dog 11 yrs. and i have been feeding him Mighty Dog in the pouches, and also Old Roy in the pouches, he had the runs and couldn't keep any thing down, he went from 17 lb to ll lb. a vet is treating him now, so we don't know what the out come will be.
these companys should pay for what they have done to folk.s pets, they are only out to make a easy buck.
My 1 1/2 yr. old kitty started acting like he was in pain, a week later I called to have him checked out. A week later he was euthanised for a kidney stone. His brother use to smell the wet food which he use to love, then walk away. I bought all kinds, all cuts, especially gravy. Hunter would eat it all , but was still hungry & losing weight. After his death I found vomit & diarhia all over the house & balcony. Honey, his brother, still won't go near the wet food now. He wants to eat what I eat, I wonder if he sensed something wrong. I threw the uneaten pet food out for the outside cats. After I had Hunter picked up to be taken care of, I saw the food recall on tv. No doubt in my mind that's what killed him. I can still see him crying & scared to death as they took him away, never dreaming he'd never be back........Star
I'd like to add that I also changed to a very expensive organic pet food..$25.00/bag once. My cat of 11 years refused to eat it, but I gave him no choice. Only the best for my best friend. He started looking dingy, losing weight, losing hair & finally died from upper respriatory disease. No doubt in my mind it was that food. They wouldn't even give my money back when I returned 2 unused bags. Wish I could remember the name. It had vegetables in it, got it from a pet store that's now closed. Be aware....I am going to start feeding my pets things I can cook for them.
page: 1
LisaMar 23rd, 2007 - 18:44:14
How does something like this happen? How do we know it's just in the wet food? I am worried that I should get another brand of food that isn't from Menu Food.
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