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Diggin' Your Dog Recalls Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats Distributed in Colorado and Nevada

Full information here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 7, 2013 - Diggin' Your Dog™ announced today that they are voluntarily withdrawing one lot of its Strippin' Chicks™ Pet Treats produced on 8-30-12 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The sample was obtained in Colorado and the company has accounted for its distribution in Colorado of this lot.

No other Diggin' Your Dog™ products, lots, or production dates are affected.

The lot being voluntarily withdrawn is: Strippin' Chicks™ Pet Treats 5 oz Bag. Lot Code 250322 Use By Date: 2-23-14.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Animals with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some animals will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy animals can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your animals have consumed the recalled product and have these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Voluntarily withdraw of Hartz® Chicken Chews™, Hartz® Oinkies® Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken for dogs

SECAUCUS, N.J., Jan. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily withdrawing its Hartz ® Chicken Chews™ and Hartz ® Oinkies® Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken for dogs in the United States because they contain trace amounts of unapproved antibiotic residue.

We

are taking this action after recent Hartz testing found trace amounts of unapproved antibiotic residue in samples of Hartz® Chicken Chews™ and Oinkies® Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken products. Even though two-thirds of the products we tested did not contain antibiotic residues, we would rather be overly cautious by voluntarily withdrawing these products from the market.

These antibiotics are approved for use in poultry in China and other countries, including European Union member states, but are not among those approved in the U.S. Based on the FDA's review of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets (NYSDAM) results, there is no evidence that raises health concerns, and these results are highly unlikely to be related to the reports of illnesses FDA has received related to jerky pet treats.

Immediately upon learning of this finding, Hartz contacted the FDA to share our test results and execute a nationwide voluntary withdrawal.  There have been no known illnesses to date associated with the consumption of these products.

"Upon learning about the nationwide voluntary withdrawal of several other brands of chicken jerky products through media reports, Hartz acted immediately to begin additional testing to determine if the same unapproved antibiotic residues were present in our products," said Sean McNear , Sr. Director of Quality and Regulatory at Hartz Mountain.

There is no indication that the trace amounts of unapproved antibiotic residue are linked to the FDA's ongoing investigation of chicken jerky products produced in China. The trace amounts of antibiotic residue do not pose a health or pet safety risk.

No other Hartz products are affected by this withdrawal.

If you have these products contact the Hartz Consumer Affairs team (24 hours/day 7 days/week) at 1-800-275-1414 for a product refund or go towww.hartz.com for additional information.

SOURCE The Hartz Mountain Corporation

RELATED LINKS
http://www.hartz.com

This article, The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily withdrawing its Hartz(R) Chicken Chews(TM) and Hartz(R) Oinkies(R) Pig Skin Twists wrapped with Chicken for dogs, is syndicated from PR Newswire and is posted here with permission.

Pet Food Recall Alert

Manufacturers have recently issued voluntary recalls on several brands.

If you are currently feeding your pet one of these brands, please read the details of the recall below:

Affected Brands: (Click on your Brand to see details)
- Natural Balance
- Canidae
- Chicken Soup For the Pet Lover's Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4Health
- Taste Of The Wild
- Wellness
- Kirkland
- Apex
- Kaytee Fort-Diets

Click Here to View All Recalls

If your pet's brand of food is on this list and you need to switch to a different food, here is an article with helpful tips: Quickly Switching Your Pet's Food

courtesy note from PetfoodDriect.com

Salmonella warning issued for some dog treats

Merrick Beef Filet Squares may be contaminated, FDA cautions

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2010
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Health Alert for Merrick Beef Filet Squares Dog Treats Packaged and Distributed by Merrick Pet Care
Products may be contaminated with Salmonella

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Merrick Beef Filet Squares for dogs distributed by Merrick Pet Care with a package date of “Best By 111911” because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The product was distributed nationwide through retail stores and Internet sales.

Although no illnesses associated with these products have been reported, the FDA is advising consumers in possession of these products not to handle or feed them to their pets.

In December 2009, the FDA conducted routine testing of Merrick Beef Filet Squares and detected a positive finding for Salmonella. A follow-up inspection found deficiencies in the packaging and manufacturing processes.

Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. People handling dry pet treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the treats or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Although rare, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care provider immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may experience only a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected product or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The affected Merrick Beef Filet Squares were packaged in a 10-ounce green, red and tan re-sealable plastic bag. The “best by” date is imprinted on the top portion of the bag, which is torn off when the bag is opened. The FDA recommends that consumers who are unable to determine the “best by” date discontinue use of the product.

Consumers can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food and pet treat products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in their area. Please see http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm for additional information.

Appeals delay pet food $24 million settlement

More than 23,000 pet owners in the United States have asked for money from a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.

U.S. pet owners with claims were set to start receiving checks sometime in 2009, but their payments could be held up even longer while a judge sorts out last-minute appeals to the settlement filed by four people.

The legal snag pits lawyers against lawyers in a complex and emotionally fraught case.

"If one of their objections succeeds, the class comes unraveled," said Kenneth A. Wexler, a Chicago lawyer involved in working out a settlement.

The case began in March 2007, when dogs and cats mysteriously started getting sick. It turned out that the common thread was pet food produced under nearly 200 labels — much of it by the Menu Foods Income Fund in Streetsville, Ontario.

full story

Diamond Pet Food to pay for pet deaths

Diamond Pet Food agrees to $3.1 million settlement with owners

A company that made contaminated pet food that killed dozens of dogs nationwide will pay $3.1 million in a settlement with pet owners, an attorney said Friday.

The pet food, which contained a mold called aflatoxin, was produced at Diamond Pet Foods’ plant in South Carolina. The company will set up a fund to reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dog, veterinarian bills and the cost of any unreturned contaminated food, said attorney Jim Andrews, who represented a Knoxville, Tenn., family that sued the company.

Diamond Pet Foods, based in Meta, Mo., acknowledged that workers at its Gaston, S.C., plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to ensure its products were safe. The company made the acknowledgment after the Food and Drug Administration released a report showing the company has no record of test results for 12 shipments of corn in 2005, when grain tainted with the deadly fungus slipped into the plant.The company contends it did nothing illegal, according to the settlement.

An attorney for the company said Diamond would cooperate with claimants.

Dog Food Produced in Manassas, VA Recalled

A pet food maker Wednesday recalled some of its dog food sold exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. because of concerns about possible salmonella contamination.

The recall issued by Brentwood, Tenn.-based Doane Pet Care Co. is unrelated to recent pet food recalls connected to tainted Chinese proteins used in some pet food production.

Only a single batch of 55-pound bags of Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition dog food is being recalled. The dog food was produced at a plant in Manassas and distributed to 69 Wal-Mart stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Ohio. Forty of the stores are in Virginia.

The company recalled the dog food after the Food and Drug Administration detected the presence of salmonella. People handling the food could potentially be exposed to the bacteria, along with pets that eat the food. The company said no illnesses have been reported.

Affected bags have the code 04 0735 1 and a "best by" date of April 13, 2008.

Doane Pet Care is a division of the privately held, McLean-based Mars Inc. manufacturer of candy and pet foods.

Consumers with questions can call 800-624-7387 or find further information at http://www.doanepetcare.com

Filler in Animal Feed Is Open Secret in China

As American food safety regulators head to China to investigate how a chemical made from coal found its way into pet food that killed dogs and cats in the United States, workers in this heavily polluted northern city openly admit that the substance is routinely added to animal feed as a fake protein.

For years, producers of animal feed all over China have secretly supplemented their feed with the substance, called melamine, a cheap additive that looks like protein in tests, even though it does not provide any nutritional benefits, according to melamine scrap traders and agricultural workers here.

“Many companies buy melamine scrap to make animal feed, such as fish feed,” said Ji Denghui, general manager of the Fujian Sanming Dinghui Chemical Company, which sells melamine. “I don’t know if there’s a regulation on it. Probably not. No law or regulation says ‘don’t do it,’ so everyone’s doing it. The laws in China are like that, aren’t they? If there’s no accident, there won’t be any regulation.”

Melamine is at the center of a recall of 60 million packages of pet food, after the chemical was found in wheat gluten linked this month to the deaths of at least 16 pets and the illness of possibly thousands of pets in the United States.

No one knows exactly how melamine (which is not believed to be particularly toxic) became so fatal in pet food, but its presence in any form of American food is illegal.

The pet food case is also putting China’s agricultural exports under greater scrutiny because the country has had a terrible food safety record.

In recent years, for instance, China’s food safety scandals have involved everything from fake baby milk formulas and soy sauce made from human hair to instances where cuttlefish were soaked in calligraphy ink to improve their color and eels were fed contraceptive pills to make them grow long and slim.

For their part, Chinese officials dispute any suggestion that melamine from the country could have killed pets. But regulators here on Friday banned the use of melamine in vegetable proteins made for export or for use in domestic food supplies.

Yet what is clear from visiting this region of northeast China is that for years melamine has been quietly mixed into Chinese animal feed and then sold to unsuspecting farmers as protein-rich pig, poultry and fish feed.

full article here

How did the recall change your pet's diet?

Did you switch pet food brands? Are you reading the packages with more consideration than before? Please comment below on what pet dietary changes you've made, and feel free to take the survey. We thought you'd all like to know how the pet food recall affected one another...

The recent pet food recall made me:
	Change my pet's food, but it's still commercial
	Take a closer look at my pet's food, but fed the same
	Switch to cooking for my pet
	Change nothing in my pet's diet
pollcode.com free polls

Jerky Treats, Pounce and Gravy Train among brands in Del Monte Recall

Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products

As a precautionary measure, Del Monte Pet Products is voluntarily recalling select product codes of its pet treat products sold under the Jerky Treats®, Gravy Train® Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels® brands as well as select dog snack and wet dog food products sold under private label brands.

A complete list of affected brands and products is on the Del Monte web site.

The Company took this voluntary recall action immediately after learning this morning from the FDA that wheat gluten supplied to Del Monte Pet Products from a specific manufacturing facility in China contained melamine. Melamine is a substance not approved for use in food. The FDA made this finding as part of its ongoing investigation into the recent pet food recall.

The adulteration occurred in a limited production quantity on select product codes of the brands below. This recall removes all Del Monte pet products with wheat gluten procured from this manufacturing facility from retail shelves.

No other Del Monte Pet Products treats, biscuits or wet dog food products are impacted by this recall, and no Del Monte dry cat food, dry dog food, wet cat food or pouched pet foods are subject to this voluntary recall. The affected products comprise less than one-tenth of one percent of Del Monte Pet Products' annual pet food and pet treat production.

Del Monte Pet Products has proactively engaged and fully cooperated with the FDA since the start of its investigation. The adulterated ingredients were used in limited production over the last three months for those items identified by specific product codes. Del Monte Pet Products has not used wheat gluten from this manufacturing facility in China in any other pet products except those described on the Del Monte web site.

Consumers should discontinue feeding the products with the Product Codes detailed below to their pets.

Del Monte Pet Products are 100% guaranteed and all voluntarily recalled products will be refunded.

Del Monte Pet Products customers can contact our Consumer Hotline at (800) 949-3799 for further information about the recall and for instructions on obtaining a product refund. If consumers visit our website, they can click on the "Contact Us" button and submit the Contact Us form, including UPC number, product name, Best By Date, and manufacturing code information (located under the Best By date). Consumers may also write to us at:
Del Monte
P.O. Box 80
Pittsburgh PA 15230-0080.