*** CRITICAL UPDATE *** ALL Wet Food Manufactured by Menu Recalled!!!

[nicknameless]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/agriculture/story.html?id=4fe22b79-1685-440d-8174-bb65ed04443e&k=4093

Menu Foods expands pet food recall to include all wet dog and cat food

Canadian Press
Published: Sunday, March 25, 2007

TORONTO (CP) - A pet food recall has been expanded to include all varieties of its wet dog and cat food, amid concerns that tainted products are still being sold.

The Mississauga, Ont. based Menu Foods is asking retailers to remove all wet food items as a safety precaution, regardless of the date code.

In a weekend release, Menu Foods said that even brands not on the official recall list should be taken off the shelves.

There is no known risk from items not listed on the recall list, but there is concern that consumers may still be able to buy recalled products.

On edit: Check this list for additional brands made by Menu, but not on the previous recall list:
http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

Products in that list may be shown as "Made by Menu, not included in the recall"
They're INCLUDED now, if they're wet foods.

"Wellness" was also listed (until today???) as having products manufactured by Menu, but not on the recall list. Now the information about Menu is no longer listed next to the "Wellness" name.

[The Straight Story]

1. Kicking, thanks for the update! (nt)

[terip64]

2. kick

[Cobalt Violet]

3. I thought they already did this.

[nicknameless]

4. This news just broke 4 hours ago, according to Google.

[kenny blankenship]

5. the page you link to says this about the list

"The following companies have made statements that their food is not affected by the Menu Foods recall. Keep in mind that we are not “recommending” any of these foods. Rather, we’re compiling a list of foods that are reported safe by the manufacturers."

[nicknameless]

6. Yes! Look for the products listed that are made by Menu, but "not included in the recall"

They are now, if they're wet foods.

Thanks for making that point. I'll try to clarify it in the OP.

[HockeyMom]

7. So not just the "cuts and gravy" but,

any wet food in a can? Even if it is older than the dates listed?

[nicknameless]

13. I don't know any more information than what's given in the article.

The excerpt does state, "... all wet food items as a safety precaution, regardless of the date code."

[tammywammy]

79. Look at the Menu Food Website

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html

[piesRsquare]

8. HEY!

Update Info on the Pet Food Recall:

http://2blackcats.wordpress.com

[nicknameless]

9. There were two news sources that stated the same information I excerpted in the OP

Here is the other source:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070325.wpeteats0325/BNStory/National/home

[Little Wing]

10. Hooray for Purina Friskies!

[uppityperson]

12. yup, cheap grocery store food wins again!

[CountAllVotes]

18. I've been feeding Purina Kitten Chow to my kitten

She was very sick when I got her in October. I was told to feed her Hills Science Diet W/D. It is expensive stuff and she didn't much like it. I checked the # on the bottom on the one can I have left of it and it is not one of the #'s on the recall list from Hills Science Diet THANK GOD!

She (and all the other cats) are eating Purina Kitten Chow now. None of my cats are sick from what I can tell. It is dry food, not wet food. Have also been feeding NutraMax to the cats and trying to get them away from it (dry food also).

Here is the list:

Hill Science Diet is recalling the product codes listed below. Product codes can be found at the bottom of the can. Only relevant code numbers have been listed here (‘X’s indicate irrelevant numbers).

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

:dem: :kick:

[Lorien]

55. I learned about Friskies the hard way

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x4388

[Rosemary2205]

64. On the flip side

I've raised one dog and 3 cats over the last 40 years on "cheap grocery store" pet food. They have all lived exceptionally long and very healthy lives other than age related. Even our current kitty who was the runt of the litter is now 22 yrs old and only recently required any vet care other than routine shots etc. She has outlived all her siblings and other than minor heart and the smallest bit of arthritis in her back legs on coldy rainy days -- she's doing just great.

[Lorien]

71. Well, George Burns lived into his 90's smoking and drinking

all the way. Some people and animals defy the odds, but most don't. If you read the ingredient lists on commercial pet foods and compare those with what an animal would eat naturally, it's a wonder that there isn't more cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and liver failure (all of which have increased dramatically in the past 20 years) affecting pets than there is. Most corporations work without a conscious; their only goal is to put more of your money into their pockets.Government agencies now act as their agents. Because of this, our food supply is less safe than it's ever been. If you doubt this, just watch the DVDs "The Future of Food", "Sweet Misery" and "The Corporation". You'll probably want a garden of your own after doing so.

[uppityperson]

11. k&r

[kestrel91316]

14. Menu's gonna wind up bankrupt, I suspect.

[Lugnut]

34. I hope so

They've certainly earned it.

[wicket]

44. As well they should

:grr: :grr:

Damn them for putting profit over pets. They knew about this for almost a month before announcing the recall!!!

[ComerPerro]

68. they should. Lawsuits ought to force them out of business

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. TYVM for the update. It is greatly appreciated. n/t

[EFerrari]

16. KIck

[PhilipShore]

17. My cat got sick from the dry Iams

I am not a vet -- but my cat got "similar problems" described in the MSM -- after I purchased dry Iams from Kmart's around Christmas.

She is doing fine; the blood test said no kidney problems, and is recovering well after the vet told me to change her diet.

[nicknameless]

19. There have been problems reported with that product as well:

http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-unconfirmed-reports-of-iams-dry-food-causing-illness_20070323

Several Unconfirmed Reports of Iams Dry Food Causing Illness

Update 3:30pm: We will be collecting emails over the next few days and release a result early next week. In the meantime, if you believe your pet was sickened by ANY kind of pet food, please contact the manufacturer and/or the FDA.

Original Post: We want to repeat that Iams dry pet food is NOT a part of the recall (it only applies to wet food) but itchmo has been hearing of several independent reports that Iams dry pet food has caused illnesses in at least three independent cases. All three reports of pets getting sick has singled out Iams dry food as the cause.

We’re not sure if this is anything more than just coincidence. But, we haven’t seen other dry food being singled out for illness and we’re curious. If you believe your dog has been sickened by dry food, or know of any reports that say so, please email us at [e-mail] and we’ll see if we can log more possible cases.

[Holly_Hobby]

21. I read the posts on your link

There are alot of posts from people with sick or dead pets from Iams dry. :cry:

Please start another thread with that information, it's critical. Thanks.

[PhilipShore]

26. I agree

[nicknameless]

29. I couldn't agree more.

Thank you for starting another thread about Iams dry. (Sorry I was late in reading your post here)

[wicket]

43. Iams is the only thing we feed our cats

Oh no!!!

:cry:

[garybeck]

48. Do not use IAMS!!! they torture animals !

http://www.iamscruelty.com/introduction.asp

[wicket]

49. What is a better alternative?

Thanks for the info.

[garybeck]

50. Good question.

I've been using Nature's Recipe. They have it at every Petsmart. I suppose I should ask Peta if they're OK... But ever since I started reading about their investigations with IAMs I quit using their products.

[Lorien]

54. There are MANY

see this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x4388

[wicket]

60. Thanks!

You've got some gorgeous kitties there!!! :hi:

[TZ]

57. I did Iams wet and dry until last week- try this...

Max cat dry, Fancy Feast wet food. Both are in the clear and since my guys are pretty picky its been a blessing. A vet told me both foods are alright, although you can find better.

[TZ]

20. just on principle, I threw out my Iams dry food

yesterday. Maybe its a really good thing that I did.

[kenny blankenship]

23. I think so

[kenny blankenship]

22. My brother's cat just died, March 10, diagnosed with diabetes she was 6 yr old

and she ate little else besides IAMS dry food. I fed her for the last 10 or so days of her life through a tube in her neck. We thought she was going to pull through when she came home from the hospital, but her kidneys were too damaged by something.

So far I have not been blaming IAMS for this premature death. Because she ate only the dry IAMS food. (She was just 6 years old!) But IAM beginning to smell a rat.

[TZ]

32. the diabetes most likely compromised her health

diabetes in cats at a young age is usually a genetic problem I think. Its possible that there was some low level contamination in the food though.

[magellan]

24. I feed my dog Wellness canned

...and I think it's time to stop because this has become too worrisome. Any alternative suggestions?

[nicknameless]

28. I know that Natural Balance is made in its own facility.

There must be other decent brands too.

I think the best info can be found on this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x4388

[Cobalt-60]

25. Too late - I call for this company's Extermination

I won't just not buy the stuff.
If I ever see this brand or whatever its name is about to be changed to, I will destroy it in the store.

[gravity]

27. This is just a precautionary measure

There isn't any evidence that these wet foods are dangerous, the company is just doing this to remove any doubts about it. There is no need to panic.

[bullwinkle428]

30. Whole Foods refused to answer who made their food...

...would not confirm or deny whether it was manufactured by Menu. :mad:

[nicknameless]

33. I don't really trust Whole Foods.

Beyond their being headquartered in Texas.

I would assume, if a company won't reveal whether or not Menu manufacturers their pet foods, that their pet food shouldn't be trusted.


Aside: Whole Foods used to (still does?) sell a brand of water that came in #3 bottles (toxic PVC)

They were aware of the risks, but wouldn't stop selling it.
Very strange, given that they're supposed to be a health food store.

PVC info link: http://www.ecologycenter.org/terrain/article.php?id=13316

[robinlynne]

38. We have a store called trader joes, which is a "natural grocery store", not as expensive

as whole foods, but the same kind of store. I buy my dog food there. It's on the new recall list. manufactured, by, yep menu foods.
in honesty, they said they are only recalling it because of where it was made, not any problems, but... it really looks like there is one factory making all t4eh pet food in the country!

[nicknameless]

31. Kick

[nicknameless]

35. The Pet Connection database is now up to nearly 2,000 *Dead* Pets

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/03/25/pet-food-recall-again-the-numbers

Death count reaches 1,716

The Associated Press continues to report 16 dead pets, without even mentioning the possibility that there are hundreds if not thousands more. So, does Newsweek, in this otherwise excellent piece on how to feed pets, featuring the esteemed Dr. Tony Buffington of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

So far, both the Animal Medical Center (the “Mayo Clinic” of veterinary hospitals) and Banfield The Pet Hospital, with more than 600 locations all connected by a central database, have both gone on the record saying there could be thousands of pets sickened or killed by recalled food.

So what’s up, AP?

This afternoon, we got an e-mail from a person in the news department of a radio station, who pointed out to his boss that other media — such as USA Today and ABC News — have been reporting a potentially much higher death rate, and asked to change the AP’s “rip-and-read” radio copy. He was told he could not, and until the AP decides to do more than parrot the FDA line, the story will remain largely under-reported. That means it will soon die.

...

Our self-reported database, by the way, is now reporting 1,716 dead pets as of 9 p.m. PT.

I honestly have to wonder: Would the Associated Press accept only official government information if the deaths were people? Is this because these are “just pets”?

As long as the AP continues to report only 15 dead pets, the story will not be taken seriously. And that means there will be little interest in changes.

Report your pet’s loss to the FDA. Also, ask your veterinarian to report your pet’s loss to the state veterinarian for reporting to the FDA. Additionally, if your pet has eaten one of the recalled foods and become sick, add your pet to our database.

And that's just one website's database -- as of 9:00 PM PT on March 25th

:cry:

[orleans]

36. one of the papers referred to the number of pets as "several" !

(give me a break! who are they still trying to kid?)

[nicknameless]

37. Even my post you're replying turns out to be off by nearly half.

It has been corrected with the new numbers.

[nuxvomica]

39. Folks looking for an alternative might try Fromm's

I switched my cat to Fromm's from Science Diet about 7 years ago because he was losing weight. I researched the different brands and Fromm's seemed to have the best balance of nutrients and the most natural ingredients. Here is their statement from your link:

Fromm Family Foods (verified via website 3/25/07)

Canned foods are NOT made by Menu Foods
Foods produced in a human food plant without wheat gluten or other grains.
Canned food made with 100% pure meat, duck, chicken & fish, NOT reformed meat.
No by-products used in theirdog and cat foods.
Fromm Family Foods does not test on animals.
Products are all-natural. Products made with binders to make reformed meat and products which use wheat gluten are NOT considered all-natural by their standards.

[leftchick]

40. I just gave my 19 yo cat fancy feast!!!

:cry:

now what do I do???

[dsweet]

42. That list is a list of Pet Foods *NOT* made by Menu

Check out www.fancyfeast.com and see the Attention at to top left corner.

[leftchick]

45. thank you!

she lives for fancy feast. :)

[nicknameless]

47. Actually, it was a list of foods that were supposed to be safe. But some were made by Menu.

If the food was made by Menu, it's indicated next to the brand name/variety.

[peekaloo]

46. I called them last week and was told they are not part of the recall.

There's a 1-800 number on the can. I was curious about the "product of Thailand" disclaimer on the can but was "assured" there was no connection to the Menu Foods debacle.

[Individualist]

52. I also feed my cat fancy feast,

Friskies and Whiskas and am now grateful that my 12 year old kitty is so fussy about what he eats. Just to be on the safe side, I've sent Purina (maker of Fancy Feast and Friskies) an email asking about their source of wheat gluten. I haven't received a response yet, but when I do, I'll post it.

[TZ]

62. Fancy Feast and Menu wheat gluten

I was buying Iams wet for my kitties but stopped obviously. A friend recommended Fancy Feast. Its really obvious by looking to me that they are NOT made at all alike. The menu foods gravy is very meaty/soupy. The stuff Fancy Feast uses looks more like some sauces I have seen on people food. I would think they are totally different sources.

[Bitwit1234]

41. Whiskas is not made by Menu

[bluedog]

51. my kitty goes to vets Wed.

for a blood test to check for this..........she was eating "Sophistacat Supreme ........I found 2 packs leftover in the cupboard.......and the serial numbers matched the list.........this was produced Dec 8 &9 2006..........

The vet said to save the unopened packs............I hope Kitty is okay.....she acts normal......never liked to drink water or milk and still doesn't.......

Another problem I incurred is that my English Springer Spaniel Mandy..........eats Kitty's food when no one is looking........so she also has to go in for the test.......

My animals are like my kids.......what price can one put on their lives?

[Irishonly]

53. Thank God for Blogs

You certainly can't trust what the MSM tells you. Although we have no cats that own us now, we were blessed with Charlie and Sammie for 19 and 18 years respectively. Bless our vet, after Charlie had to have a tooth pulled at the age of 19, we were told no canned food but to buy baby food, grind the dry and feed him. I can't imagine the hell all of the cat owners are going through right now.

I am watching our dog like a hawk. We stopped using IAMS because she didn't like it. She loves Dick Van Patten's brand but even though I know it's silly I still worry. She had IAMS dry and given the fact Menu didn't recall after the test animals died, you have to wonder how bad it's been and for how long.

[TZ]

63. yeah the media

certain seems to be treating this story somewhat casually if you ask me. Can you imagine if these were children not pets?:eyes:

[npincus]

56. Nine Lives not on the all-clear list (?)

Pearl eats Nine Lives...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

58. It's safe

It's under the Del Monte pet products

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

Edit: I forgot the link.

[npincus]

59. thank you!

:)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

61. You're welcome

Pearl is a beauty!

[npincus]

66. oh, thank you

:) meow!

[wicket]

65. Pearl is beautiful!

:hi: I love her orange tail :D

[npincus]

67. thank you!

:hi:

She barely escaped being euthanized-- ahe was rescued from a kill shelter aftershe'd been put on the street (or ran away). I adopted her from the cat rescue service, run by an angel with about 30 cats in her small Manhattan apartment! They were all gorgeous... I wanted to take them all home.

I love Calicos...

Her breed is Turkish Van, and the orange tail and orange spot on the ear (usually both ears) is typical.

Do you have a cat(s)? meow!

[wicket]

77. That's awesome you saved her!!!

:hug:

Here are my babies, Hobbes & Abbie:




:)

[npincus]

78. OMG- those are 2 huggable beauties...

and they look like they love each other... Awwwwww :)

Lovely!

[wicket]

80. Thanks!

They are sisters actually, and as you can tell, they love the food LOL. They're slowly losing weight but they are very large cats to begin with.

[npincus]

81. I love BIG BIG BIG cats...

BIG heads BIG paws BIG bodies... we had a Tuxedo cat named Oscar (now deceased), adopted him at 2 years from a shelter and he'd never been spayed. The vet told me that his super-big head, big paws and big body were "male secondary sexual characteristics" that came from his not being neutered at a younger age. I'd never heard of that before. He was SO cute (but not the brightest bulb on the tree, poor guy).

Pearl is medium-sized, but her breed (Turkish Van) takes 5 years to reach physical maturity... so she's still growing (at 4 years).

You're lucky to have big, giant cats...I wish I could hug those 2! MEOW. :)

[TZ]

69. beautiful unique kitty!

I have never seen a cat quite like her. My guys are two everyday blue (gray cats) with yellow eyes very pretty themselves but not quite like your Pearl there.

[npincus]

72. thank you!

http://www.vantasia.org/

She's a Turkish Van, a natural breed from Turkey. They're supposed to like to swim-- I read that owners are advised not to leave their toilet seats up! Her markings are pretty standard for a turkish Van, except she's missing a red spot on ther left ear.

I'd never heard of the breed myself until I adopted her from an animal rescue organization. Why oh why do so many pets get dumped on the street?

I'll bet your cats are lovely... MEOW. :)

[TZ]

74. here is a post with a pic of my girls, one of whom plays fetch!

I rescued my girls from a friends yard. One was in his dogs mouth ( a retrevier mix with a soft mouth) I think they might be mixed breed Chartreux, dumped because they weren't "pure", but i will never truly know.
ttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=243&topic_id=23753
As my girls say "mew" (they mostly squeak):)

[npincus]

75. they are gorgeous

I love their silver-blue coats and the big, bright golden eyes... and Smokie plays fetch! That's so much fun. They're nice and lean- what do you feed them?

I indulge Pearl... she's hooked on cat treats and has put on a bit of wieght since.

[TZ]

76. Lean? HAHAHAHAH.A

No seriously they are actually stocky cats by nature. I joke about them needing a wide load sign on their butts! Sophie looks like she has no neck half the time! But they now get two small cans of Fancy Feast a day and a bowl of Dry Max cat to munch on. They vacuum that Fancy Feast down. I think the fact that they are incredibly active and athletic cats keeps them fit. When she was a bit smaller Sophie managed to jump from the top of my TV set and LAND on a picture frame. It fell after she landed on it. I still don't know quite how she managed that. I will have to post in pets later some new pics including a cute one of Sophie watching Jon Stewart. :)

[happy5]

70. Always feed dry food...

I never have trusted canned food because I don't know what the hell is in there. At least with dry food I can check it, and store it once it is open.

Dogs not liking food? When they get hungry enough they will eat it, trust me on that one!

I feed my dogs a mix of Eukanuba and ProPlan (expensive + cheap food) and they're nice and healthy. Stay away from the canned stuff, recall or not.

[LynneSin]

73. Crap - Is Purine Pro-Plan on the list now

It wasn't on the original list and my cats split a can each day (I mix it up with Evita's food so she eats some dry food)