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Diamond Pet Foods
Recall Information
Diamond Pet Foods : Information (http://www.diamondpet.com/information/)
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The repercussions of the Diamond Food and Chicken Soup for Pet Lover's Soul recall continue to spread. Now there are nine states that the CDC is reporting outbreaks of human Salmonella from those that have handled the infected food.
A total of 14 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis have been reported across nine states: Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The CDC is reporting five people have been hospitalized out of the 14 affected.
The original recall started on April 6, 2012 after a random sampling by the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development found Salmonella in the Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice Formula for Adult Dogs.
Then Ohio Department of Agriculture tested an open bag of Diamond's Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Light Formula, from the home of a person that was ill and found additional salmonella. Diamond voluntarily recalled that brand.
A sample of the Diamond Puppy Formula was collected when the FDA inspected the South Carolina production facility and that showed Salmonella Infantis, which caused that recall on April 30, 2012.
Yesterday, May 4, 2012 Diamond increased the recall to include the following:
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Premium Edge
• Professional
• 4Health
• Taste of the Wild
PRODUCTION CODES
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If your production code has a "2" or "3" in the 9th position AND an "X" in the 10th or 11th position, your product is affected by the recall. If the product you have does not include a "2" or "3" in the 9th position AND an "X" in the 10th or 11th position, your product is not affected by the recall, and you can continue to feed it as usual.
The best-before dates for the recalled brands are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.
Consumers need to check to see if they have any of the recalled food.
If found, do not handle the food, but contact Diamond Pet Foods Recall Information. This will provide you with info how to get a refund or return food.
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Wellness has recalled one recipe due to being made in the same South Carolina plant as Diamond. See info on their website. (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/news.aspx)
Wellness Complete Health® Super5Mix® Large Breed Puppy, 15 lb. and 30 lb. bags and 5 oz. sample bags with best by dates of JAN 9 2013 through JAN 11 2013. Best by dates (lot codes) can be found on the back of the bag in the bottom right-hand corner. No other WellPet recipes, sizes or brands of food are impacted by this voluntary recall.
The primary concern with Salmonella is that individuals handling dry pet food can become infected, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product.
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 5, 2012
Diamond Pet Foods today announced that it is expanding a voluntary recall to include batches of nine brands of dry pet food formulas manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 due to potential Salmonella contamination.
In April 2012, Diamond Pet Foods initiated three voluntary recalls of Diamond manufactured dry dog food. Although none of the additional products being recalled have tested positive for Salmonella, the company is pulling them from store shelves as a precaution. Diamond Pet Foods is coordinating efforts with federal and state health and regulatory agencies and decided to independently expand the recall to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and their pets.
The company stated: "We have taken corrective actions at our Gaston, S.C., facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for our customers and their pets."
Brands included in the recall include:
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Premium Edge
• Professional
• 4Health
• Taste of the Wild
To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on their bags. If the production code has a number "2" or a "3" in the 9th position AND an "X" in the 10th or 11th position, the product is affected by the recall. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed above are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.
The recall affects only products distributed in the following U.S. states and Canada. Further distribution through other pet food channels may have occurred.
• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Canada
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The Kirkland Signature products included in the recall include:
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Nature's Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on their bags. If the production code has a number "3" in the 9th position AND an "X" in the 11th position, your product is affected by the recall. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed are December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013.
The recall affects only products distributed in the following U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada.
• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Canada
• Puerto Rico
Diamond Pet Foods apologizes for any issues this may cause consumers and their pets. Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods via a toll free call at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.
Consumers may also go to a special website, diamondpetrecall.com, for more information. The company is working with distributors and retailers to ensure all affected product is removed from shelves.
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. People who believe they may have been exposed to Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have received a limited number of reports of salmonellosis, the illness caused by Salmonella. We are working with the CDC, but due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment further.
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Canidae Dry Dog Food Formula has recalled four of their recipes for the same reason, made in that plant. See their info here.
Cannida East Coast Product Safety Information (http://www.canidae.com/info/index.html)
CANIDAE wishes to advise its East Coast customers of a voluntary product recall affecting only limited batches of four CANIDAE dry dog foods made only at one facility in South Carolina between December 9, 2011 and January 31, 2012.
CANIDAE has decided to initiate a voluntary product recall for the CANIDAE Dry Dog Foods listed below. We made this decision solely as a precaution. NO CANIDAE products have tested positive for Salmonella. Please check the list of production codes and dates below to determine if you have any of the recalled products.
CANIDAE Dry Dog Foods are manufactured at several plants across the US. Some products are manufactured for CANIDAE by Diamond Pet Foods, at their Gaston, South Carolina plant. This plant has recently recalled some of its Diamond brand products due to the potential for Salmonella contamination.
There have been no positive test results for Salmonella on CANIDAE products. There have been no complaints of illness reported to us.
CANIDAE has made the decision to voluntarily recall from the market place a specific and limited production run of products manufactured at the Diamond South Carolina facility from December 9, 2011, through January 31, 2012.
The only CANIDAE products subject to this recall are as follows. No canned products, cat food products or treats are being recalled. Only a limited production run of these dry dog foods products manufactured in the Diamond South Carolina facility from December 9, 2011, through January 31, 2012 are being recalled:
· CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, All Life Stages
· CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, Chicken Meal & Rice
· CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, Lamb Meal & Rice
· CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, CANIDAE Platinum
Only CANIDAE dry dog food formulas with production codes that must have BOTH a number "3" in the 9th position AND an "X" in the 10th or 11th position with best before dates of December 9, 2012, through January 31, 2013 are being voluntarily recalled.
Following is an example of how to read the production code and best before date:
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All consumers who have purchased the CANIDAE Dry Dog Foods listed above, manufactured out of the Gaston, South Carolina facility with the specific production and "Best Before" codes on their bags listed above should discontinue feeding the product immediately and return the unused portion to your local independent retailer.
Please avoid touching the food, use caution in handling the bags, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling.
The recall affects only products distributed in the following Eastern U.S. states and were manufactured at the Diamond Pet Food Gaston, South Carolina plant. Further distribution to other pet food channels may have occurred.
Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee
We apologize for any potential issues this may have caused pet owners and their pets and urge you to review the map below. The purple area represents our distributors' territories where CANIDAE dry dog food made in South Carolina between December 9, 2011, through January 31, 2012 may or may not have been distributed.
The green area of the map is not serviced by distributors who deliver CANIDAE product made at the South Carolina facility. Canidae Pet Foods apologizes for any potential issues this may have caused pet owners and their pets. Please see the links at the top of this page for further information.?
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Natural Balance has recalled numerous recipes in many states. Please check their website if you use any of their foods.
4 May 2012
To Our NB Community:??Natural Balance has just been notified by Diamond Pet Foods, one of our co-manufacturers, that certain Natural Balance dry food formulas produced in their Gaston, SC facility should be voluntarily recalled.??
Although there have been no animal illnesses reported and none of our Natural Balance products included in the recall have tested positive for Salmonella, we have voluntarily initiated this recall as a precautionary measure.??
The following is a list of products affected, for select sizes:
5 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog
December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; March 12, 2013
15 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog
December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013
28 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog
December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013; March 7, 2013; March 8, 2013; March 12, 2013
5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog
December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
15 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog
December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
28 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog
December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
5 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog
December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
15 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog
December 9, 2012; December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
28 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog
December 9, 2012; December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
5 LB Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog
December 9, 2012
28 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Large Breed Bites
December 12, 2012; December 20, 2012; December 21, 2012
5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites
December 21, 2012
12.5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites
December 21, 2012
Recalled products may have been distributed in the following states:??Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Canada.??States that are NOT affected include:??Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.??
Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact our Customer Service team at (800) 829-4493 or email info@naturalbalanceinc.com. We will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
Wash your hands if you handle any pet food to be safe. While the FDA has not announced the recalls, last checked, the individual websites are reporting these recalls on their own.
Many of the local Triad pet stores sell these brands. Petsmart, Pet Supermarket, Natures Emporium to name a few. Petsmart is in every city of the Triad.
There are two private websites listing the recalls as well. This website includes phone numbers of manufacturers. Then TruthaboutPetFood.com has some interesting info about recalls as well.
Keep yourself and your family safe. Watch these recalls and know when their foods are safe again.
Diamond Pet Food expands recall to include cat food
This afternoon, Pet Saver Superstore announced on their Facebook page:
Diamond Pet Foods has expanded its voluntary recall to now include dry cat food. They had previously stated that only dog foods were affected. This is being done as a precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.
The truth is that with so many products manufactured at this facility, it's not surprising that more and more brands are being included as a precautionary measure.
(What is surprising is the number of high end, expensive pet foods manufactured at the facility that makes more affordable pet food.)
According to a press release from this morning, the only cat food brand listed in the recall appears to be Costco's brand:
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
as well as Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula.
This is in addition to their dry dog foods recalled.
With the fast pace of this recall, unfortunately, the Diamond recall website isn't keeping up with the news. The site does not list the Natural Balance or Canidae brands yet, although the companies have issued voluntary recalls.
The companies are, however, getting information to their retailers.
APEX PET FOODS INITIATES VOLUNTARY RECALL OF DRY PET FOOD DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SALMONELLA
No pet or human illnesses have been reported associated with Apex Dog Food
Consumer Contact: 866-918-8756
Media Contact: 816-255-1974
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 4, 2012
Apex Pet Foods announced today that it is issuing a voluntary recall of all dry dog food formulas manufactured on January 24, 2012.
Although there have been no animal or human illnesses related to Apex Dog Food and the product has not tested positive for Salmonella, the company has voluntarily initiated this recall out of caution to ensure the health and safety of consumers and their pets.
The following products are being recalled
Description Size Production Code Best By Date
Apex Chicken and Rice Dog 40 lb. ACD0101B32 24-Jan-2013
Apex Chicken and Rice Dog 20 lb. ACD0101B32 24-Jan-2013
This product was only distributed in the State of South Carolina.
Good Luck with this, everyone!
Peace Love Light
tfw
Liberty & Equality or Revolution
Thank you for the alert. My cats, my feral kitties and my local raccoon all eat Kirkland brand. My bag does not have the indicated code, but I will be checking all future purchases.
Shasta
Greetings:
The local 'news' affiliates are just now running this story, but whitewashing the facts.
The tag is "... just look to the Daimond website for specific brands that are in the recall..."
Morons.
You pets could already be in danger.
Good luck everyone.
tfw
Quote from: thorfourwinds on May 09, 2012, 02:31:26 PM
Greetings:
The local 'news' affiliates are just now running this story, but whitewashing the facts.
The tag is "... just look to the Daimond website for specific brands that are in the recall..."
Morons.
You pets could already be in danger.
Good luck everyone.
tfw
my son mentioned that if the food was tainted, and the truckers who haul it and load it on their trucks, handled it, then handled other stuff, that would be spread all over the place in small amounts. best case scenario is that it was so minute that the chances of it being handled and spread to others is slim.
Quote from: undo11 on May 09, 2012, 02:34:51 PM
my son mentioned that if the food was tainted, and the truckers who haul it and load it on their trucks, handled it, then handled other stuff, that would be spread all over the place in small amounts. best case scenario is that it was so minute that the chances of it being handled and spread to others is slim.
Greetings:
One can only hope for the best case scenario.
However, we carefully read the inspection reports and it appears that the Diamond facility was rife with problems.
This is the part that is of particular interest:
QuoteIndividuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. People who believe they may have been exposed to Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.
Sure sounds like radiation poisoning.
QuoteAccording to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have received a limited number of reports of salmonellosis, the illness caused by Salmonella.
We are working with the CDC, but due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment further.
Government agencies such as the CDC, EPA, FDA, NOAA and others too numerous to mention, have a track record of obfuscating the facts for a variety of reasons 'to protect the public.'
Anyway, please pass this info along as the message is not 'out there.'
We spoke to half-a-dozen peeps yesterday that had no knowledge of this, and three of them buy Kirkland!
Peace Love Light
tfw
I wonder if We are or ever were irradiated and then Salmonella was blamed... Nah. They would NEVER do THAT!
Excellent post tfw, and since the last recall, when my dogs were eating pedigree, Ive switched to Taste of the Wild, a wonderful free range product made at home here in the US, and devoid of grains.
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Well worht the extra few bucks IMHO.
Cheers!
Littleenki
Quote from: thorfourwinds on May 09, 2012, 02:57:50 PM
Greetings:
One can only hope for the best case scenario.
However, we carefully read the inspection reports and it appears that the Diamond facility was rife with problems.
This is the part that is of particular interest:
Sure sounds like radiation poisoning.
Government agencies such as the CDC, EPA, FDA, NOAA and others too numerous to mention, have a track record of obfuscating the facts for a variety of reasons 'to protect the public.'
Anyway, please pass this info along as the message is not 'out there.'
We spoke to half-a-dozen peeps yesterday that had no knowledge of this, and three of them buy Kirkland!
Peace Love Light
tfw
i once read a soldier's guide on how to survive post nuclear scenario. of course, it can't extrapolate out long term effects, but it did discuss some info i found interesting. for example, when the fallout starts precipitating out of the atmosphere, the particles accumulate on the ground, in the water, on buildings, etc. and although radioactive particles have an extremely long half life, radioactive dust particles have a surprisingly short radioactive period. to get fairly safe drinking water in the presence of dust fallout, he said to get your glass of water,
boil it or whatever, to remove the impurities like germs, then let it sit for a half hour, and the dust will settle in the bottom. then just scoop water off the top. don't drink it to the bottom or even half way, just scoop off the top layer.
as an aside, i thought about that and realized, that tap water is probably safer to drink also, if after you've poured it, you let it sit in your fridge for at least 30 minutes, and don't drink it to the bottom or past the half way mark, of the glass/pitcher/bowl. possibly useless information but my grandmother lived so long, she was congratulated by 3 different presidents on her advanced years. and she always had a pitcher of water in the fridge that she drank from. of course, she also didn't smoke or drink alcohol, lived in a fairly small city, in a fairly unpopulated area, with mature trees in her front and back yard, ate sparingly, slept in a feather bed (the old kind, which were mostly down feathers), had a daily routine, and lead a pretty boring life. lol
Actually, Beth... With the Fukushima Fallout, that's very good advice today!
Man, You granny's life would frustrate a gourmand like Me!
EDIT to add: Heh. Being in poverty is doing the same!
Quote from: Amaterasu on May 09, 2012, 05:47:43 PM
Actually, Beth... With the Fukushima Fallout, that's very good advice today!
Man, You granny's life would frustrate a gourmand like Me!
EDIT to add: Heh. Being in poverty is doing the same!
oddly enough, both her water pitcher and her glasses were that old leaded glass, which actually contained lead. it's not considered safe to drink out of these days but is collectible. at the time, she got the glasses and the pitcher from boxes of laundry detergent. they were incentives to get you to buy the company's product versus some other companies product. apparently liquids stored in them will have lead leeched into the liquid. lol
as a point of irony, lead blocks radiation. lol
p.s. i think the soldier said to wait 3 days before trying to drink the water that had been directly subjected to the fallout dust.
LOL! I thought that the lead in glass was not an issue...maybe I am wrong on that. Glad to know We only have to be very thirsty for three days!
Quote from: Amaterasu on May 09, 2012, 07:40:43 PM
LOL! I thought that the lead in glass was not an issue...maybe I am wrong on that. Glad to know We only have to be very thirsty for three days!
well i think that's only water that's outside. if you had water indoors like in a house, best bet would be to learn how to get some out of the water heater or tank on back of the toilet, as long as it isn't coming from the water plant after the event, where the dust has fallen in the reservoir. i really don't know about that though. would depend on the reservoir.
this guy says not to drink it till you've filtered the particles out but you may not have that option, which i'm thinking still qualifies the original guy's suggestion of letting it sit for 30 minutes and then only scooping water off the top. here's the other guy though:
QuoteIf you drink water from surface sources – such as ponds, rivers or streams – or collect rainwater, it must be filtered to remove tiny radioactive particles. The water itself will not become radioactive, but fallout particles in it will need to be filtered out. And remember that when enough particles are trapped in your filter, it will be radioactive, so don't store it in your shelter.
My cata haven't been sypntomatic for salmonella, but I think we' ll switch out brands fos a while any way. Irenber the year daughter got almonella from undercooked Dominos chicken wings. Bad, very bad.
Quote from: undo11 on May 09, 2012, 08:07:45 PM
well i think that's only water that's outside. if you had water indoors like in a house, best bet would be to learn how to get some out of the water heater or tank on back of the toilet, as long as it isn't coming from the water plant after the event, where the dust has fallen in the reservoir. i really don't know about that though. would depend on the reservoir.
Kinda rough for thos living in apartments w/central heaters... That's where I am now. But yeah. Find something!
Quote from: Littleenki on May 09, 2012, 04:02:56 PM
Excellent post tfw, and since the last recall, when my dogs were eating pedigree, Ive switched to Taste of the Wild, a wonderful free range product made at home here in the US, and devoid of grains.
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Well worth the extra few bucks IMHO.
Cheers!
Littleenki
Greetings:
Thank you for the kind words.
We have three large dogs and two cats and are very protective.
We do not trust the dribs and drabs coming out of CDC and are on top of this story.
One might think you noticed that Taste of the Wild has recall info on their front page...
We have been looking back, and this may be the tip of the iceberg.
We will post the update tomorrow, but it seems to be spreading to other manufacturers and states...
Peace Love Light
tfw
Liberty & Equality or Revolution
Holy crap, tfw, it's for real! Im stopping use of totw immediately, and switching to something else! I didnt see that little tidbit there as I just posted the link for reference.
My dogs are fine, and our bag wasnt included, but thats enough to steer me clear, when a dog food company doesnt disclose its true manufacturer.
Who the heck can we believe these days?
Thanks for the heads up!
Littleenki
dear Dog and Cat Lovers - :)
May I present a song that is a fond remembrance of pets no longer with us but still in our hearts.
This song says a lot for me, and while searching for a nice youtube version of it, I found one with video from a pet's point of view! ;D
Bonobo - Turtle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMMzDiXOV0Y
If You ask Me, something's very fishy about all these pet food suppliers suddenly being contaminated. Are They all using a single supplier? Just one outlet churning out kibble for all these different companies? I guess it's possible, but geez. Something about this feels deliberate.
Quote from: Amaterasu on May 10, 2012, 11:14:17 AM
If You ask Me, something's very fishy about all these pet food suppliers suddenly being contaminated. Are They all using a single supplier? Just one outlet churning out kibble for all these different companies? I guess it's possible, but geez. Something about this feels deliberate.
Its odd, isnt it, Amy, and who would attack animals to get to us humans?
Well, that question has a hundred answers unfortunately, so we will never know the source of who or what may have allowed contamination to occur, or why either.
The sad part as you say is like my experience...here I am feeding my dogs pedigree, so I shift to a food thats fifty bucks a bag, and find out it's made by the same company who makes food for a bargain club like costco.
Thats it, i have found a local food maker, who uses only MEAT from a local farm here in Arcadia, and makes the food in a small kitchen right here in town.
Every ingredient comes from right here within a hundred miles from a known source.
Its still pricey, but as I am the host for my boys, Zeuss and Dexter, it's a small price to pay for their safety.
Cheers!
Littleenki
What a couple of handsome boys! You are worthy of them, LE. [smile] And they are worthy of good food.
Quote from: Amaterasu on May 10, 2012, 02:13:08 PM
What a couple of handsome boys! You are worthy of them, LE. [smile] And they are worthy of good food.
Thanks!:D
Someday youll meet them, Amy, as you will all of us here! I love my boys, and my friends, too!
Cheers!
Littleenki
This is Daisy - ;D
(http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l595/A51Watcher/daisy.jpg)
Oh, Daisy, will you marry me? ;D
What a doll, A51, she's lovely!
What breed is she?
Le
She's part redbone and part vishla hound so of course Daisy Duke! ;D
and yes I'm sure she thought ohhowcute was her first name. ;)
I got her as a companion for my German Sheppard named Heidi. They bonded like mother and daughter so it worked out perfect!
Quote from: A51Watcher on May 10, 2012, 06:18:12 PM
She's part redbone and part vishla hound so of course Daisy Duke! ;D
and yes I'm sure she thought ohhowcute was her first name. ;)
I got her as a companion for my German Sheppard named Heidi. They bonded like mother and daughter so it worked out perfect!
How wonderful they are, our furry friends!! so perfect in every way!
Now, I must add in, as Linda talks about the cosmic haha often, my neice Kristy in Michigan has two dogs....Heidi the weimareiner, and Daisy the blue tick hound...how awesome it is!!
Cheers!
Littleenki
Daisy is wonderful. I love my Yorkies.... understand.... but when you are riding in the hills and want a companion a good redbone hound is hard to beat. We used to have a dog that was brought in illegally from Tahiti.... her owners just sort of dropped her off before the Customs people hauled them off!!! So Sheba came to live with us for years and years. They had called her a Tahitian Boar hound but she resembled your Daisy... A great dog.
Speaking of bigger dogs and problems with dog food etc.... I have taken to adding a little bit of plain yoghurt to the food for my crew...not normally done with little spoiled dogs but... I know that dogs under stress and in strange waters can pick up strange stuff in their digestive tracts. The yoghurt gives them the " better active cultures and keeps their digestive tract resistence up. Didn't think I would have to go to that.... but now that you can't really trust what is being packaged in dog food thats what I am doing now,( Yeah well .... tell us something new folks... can't trust packaged human food half the time either.) Just thought I would pass that idea along.
A Georgia Hound. Not a bad idea. Linda
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UPDATE
Pet Food Recall
As of 1 June 2012
Greetings Fellow Pet Owners:
Listen up folks, this is not getting better and being buried by the MSM for some reason.
By our count, the recall includes about 150 formulas from now two plants: Gaston, South Carolina and Meta, Missouri.
From the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/index.html) 11 May 2012:
• A total of 15 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis have been reported from 9 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (2), and Virginia (1). One new ill person was reported from Pennsylvania. Additionally, one ill person has been reported from Canada.
• Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began between October 8, 2011 and April 16, 2012. Ill persons range in age from less than one year old to 82 years old and the median age is 47 years. Seventy-three percent of patients are female. Among the 10 patients with available information, 5 (50%) were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Illnesses that occurred after April 13, 2012 might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/0522diamond_pet_recall.jpg)
UPDATE: CANADIAN OUTBREAK DOUBLES IN SIZE
Canadian Salmonella infection spreads to Quebec and Nova Scotia. (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fs-sa/phn-asp/spf-sna-eng.php)
Several people in the United States and two people in Canada have become ill with a Salmonella infection as a result of contact with pets or pet food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
A manufacturer in the United States, Diamond Pet Foods, has recalled several batches of its dry pet food due to possible contamination with Salmonella, including pet food that was shipped to Canada.
The affected pet food was distributed to British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick and may have been distributed to other provinces and territories.
The Canadian cases of illness are from Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Ohio Identified Second Diamond Pet Foods Salmonella Problem (http://efoodalert.net/2012/05/29/ohio-identified-second-diamond-pet-foods-salmonella-problem/)
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/diamond-dog-food-recall-states.jpg)
Routine testing carried out by the state of Ohio was responsible for the discovery of Salmonella (http://efoodalert.net/2011/11/07/profiling-salmonella-non-typhoid/) in Diamond Pet Foods' Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula. The finding resulted in the recall (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm304917.htm) of one production code (DSL 0801) of the dry dog food earlier this month.
The contaminated product, which was recalled on May 18th, was manufactured at Diamond's Meta, Missouri facility, and not at the Gaston (South Carolina) production plant. The Gaston facility has been the focus of a foodborne disease outbreak investigation (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/index.html) since mid-March.
The Salmonella found by Ohio in the Missouri-made product has been identified as Salmonella Liverpool, according to Laura Alvey, Deputy Director of Communications Staff for FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. The strain is different from the Salmonella Infantis outbreak strain that was recovered from dry pet food manufactured at the Company's Gaston facility.
According to the Company's recall notice, the affected pet food was distributed in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin (but not in Ohio). The company added that further distribution through other pet food channels may have occurred.
This latest information underscores some important lessons:
1. Diamond Pet Foods has "issues" in more than one of its manufacturing facilities;
2. Routine finished product testing carried out by state agencies is an important food safety enforcement tool; and
3. The list of states to which the recalled food was distributed is unreliable, as it does not take into account redistribution or internet-based sales.
4.
Finally, protect yourself, your family members and your pets from becoming statistics in the Diamond Pet Foods outbreak, by taking the following precautions:
• Check your supply of pet food to see whether it is affected by the recall. If it is on the recall list, either throw it away or return the unused portion to the retailer.
• If you have handled one of the recalled products and you develop symptoms of Salmonella (stomach ache, diarrhea, etc), seek immediate medical attention and mention the possible link to pet food.
• If your dog or cat was fed one of the recalled products and develops symptoms of gastrointestinal illness (vomiting or diarrhea), seek immediate veterinary attention. Ask your veterinarian to test your pet for Salmonella. If the test is positive, you or your veterinarian should contact FDA immediately.
• Review the FDA Tips for Preventing Foodborne Illness Associated with Pet Food and Pet Treats (http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm048030.htm), and follow its recommendations to keep your family and your pets safe.
• Monitor eFoodAlert's Diamond Pet Foods, Etc. Recalls – 2012[/url] page. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
•
Above all, be aware that dogs may be infected with Salmonella - and may shed the bacteria in their stool - without showing any outward symptoms of illness.
If your pet has consumed a Diamond Pet Foods dry dog food, be especially careful to wash your hands after handling the animal, and supervise closely any interaction between children and your pet.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/Dog-Food--28380.jpg)
Updated May 30, 2012
Dry dog food manufactured in Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, South Carolina production plant has been linked to at least 15 cases of Salmonella Infantis (http://efoodalert.net/2011/11/07/profiling-salmonella-non-typhoid/) infections in 9 states, according to a May 11, 2012 report from CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/index.html). Confirmed outbreak cases have been documented in Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (2), and Virginia (1). Five people were hospitalized.
Two Canadians – one in Nova Scotia and the other in Quebec – also were reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fs-sa/phn-asp/spf-sna-eng.php) to be victims of this outbreak (as of May 18th).
On May 18, 2012, Diamond Pet Foods (http://diamondpet.com/information/) expanded its earlier recalls to include Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula (samples, 6-lb and 18-lb bags; Manufactured Aug 26, 2011).
Diamond Pet Foods (http://diamondpetrecall.com/diamond-expands-voluntary-recall/) had previously recalled nine brands of dry pet food formulas that were manufactured in Gaston. All batches manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 are affected.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/DiamondProductionCode.png)
How to read the Production Code and Best Before Code
Several other brands, manufactured for third parties, also are recalled.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/KirklandProductionCode.png)
How to read the Kirkland Signature Production Code and Best Before Code
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/codes.jpg)
How to read the Canidae Production Code and Best Before Code
Consolidated list of recalled dry pet food products (as of May 18, 2012)
• Apex Chicken and Rice Dog (20-lb and 40-lb bags; Production code ACD0101B32; Best by date 24-Jan-2013)
• Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, All Life Stages (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number "3? in the 9th digit AND the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Chicken Meal & Rice (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number "3? in the 9th digit AND the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Lamb Meal & Rice (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number "3? in the 9th digit AND the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Canidae Platinum (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number "3? in the 9th digit AND the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Country Value (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Diamond (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Diamond Naturals (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula (Samples, 6-lb bags, 18-lb bags; Manufactured Aug 26, 2011; Production Code DSL0801; Best before 20-Oct-2012, 26-Aug-2012, 27-Sept-2012 (manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011 and packaged on Sept. 27, 2011), and 18-Oct-2012 (manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011 and packaged on Oct. 18, 2011)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Kirkland Signature Nature's Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 11th digit)
• Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog (5 lb bag; Best by December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; March 13, 2013)
• Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog (15 lb bag; Best by December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013)
• Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog (28 lb bag; Best by December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013; March 7, 2013; March 8, 2013; March 12, 2013)
• Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog (5 lb, 15 lb, and 28 lb bags; Best by December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012)
• Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog (5 lb bag; Best by December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012)
• Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog (15 lb and 28 lb bags; Best by December 9, 2012; December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012)
• Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog (5 lb bag; Best by December 9, 2012)
• Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Large Breed Bites (28 lb bag; Best by December 12, 2012; December 20, 2012; December 21, 2012)
• Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites (5 lb and 12.5 lb bags; Best by December 21, 2012)
• Premium Edge (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Professional (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• 4Health (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Food (4-lb pkg; Batch code starting with SGL1201A32X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750050)
• Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Food (15-lb bag; Batch code starting with SGL1201A32X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750067)
• Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Food (28.5-lb bag; Batch code starting with SGL1201A32X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750081)
• Solid Gold WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food (4-lb pkg; Batch code starting with SGB1201A31X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750005)
• Solid Gold WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food (15-lb bag; Batch code starting with SGB1201A31X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750012)
• Solid Gold WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food (33-lb bag; Batch code starting with SGB1201A31X; Best before December 30, 2012; UPC 093766750029)
• Taste of the Wild (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number "2? or "3? in the 9th digit and the letter "X" in the 10th or 11th digit)
• Wellness Complete Health® Super5Mix® Large Breed Puppy (15 lb. and 30 lb. bags and 5 oz. sample bags; best by dates of JAN 9 2013 through JAN 11 2013)
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/Food-Poisoning--28377.jpg)
To be continued...
Peace Love Light
tfw
Liberty & Equality or Revolution
Product distribution by brand
(as of May 18, 2012)
PLEASE NOTE: Many of these recalled products likely are available in all 50 US states and in all Canadian provinces and territories through redistribution and on-line retailers.
California Department of Public Health (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Documents/fdbFrDPFn.pdf) reports that some of the recalled products were distributed in California. Readers of eFoodAlert also have reported purchasing recalled Taste of the Wild pet food in France and Ireland.
Apex
Distributed in: South Carolina only.
Canidae
Distributed in: Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Country Value
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Diamond
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Diamond Naturals
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula
Distributed in: Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin
Kirkland Signature (includes Nature's Domain)
Distributed in: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), and Puerto Rico.
Natural Balance
Distributed in: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Canada.
NOT distributed in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Premium Edge
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Professional
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
4Health
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada (Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
Solid Gold
Distributed in: USA and Canada from between January and May 2012.
Taste of the Wild
Distributed in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Canada(Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia).
International Distribution
(as of May 30, 2012)
One or more of the recalled products are known to have been distributed in the following countries in addition to the USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico
• France (per reader report): Taste of the Wild
• Ireland (per reader report): Taste of the Wild
• Singapore: Link2Link Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/9253E7B2-E57D-4992-982C-1304E73748D6/23509/VoluntaryRecallbyDiamondPetFoods_website3.pdf) has recalled all affected batches of Country Value, Diamond Naturals, Premium Edge and Taste of the Wild. The Singapore Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/9253E7B2-E57D-4992-982C-1304E73748D6/23529/VoluntaryRecallbySolidGoldHealthProductsforPetsInc.pdf) also has alerted its citizens to the recall of Solid Gold WolfCub and WolfKing batches.
Information Provided By Retailers
(as of May 9, 2012)
Where the information was posted on-line, I have provided a link. Other information was obtained as a result of email correspondence between eFoodAlert and the retailer.
• Amazon.com (per reader report).
• Best Online Pets Supply.- This retailer is NOT affected by the recalls.
•
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. (http://content.costco.ca/Images/Content/misc/pdf/KS_Dry_Pet_Food.pdf)- Kirkland Signature products (including Nature's Domain) sold in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
•
• Costco Wholesale Corporation. (http://shop.costco.com/Customer-Service/Recalls)- Kirkland Signature is a Costco store brand. The retailer has not specified the locations of Costco stores that were supplied with recalled Kirkland Signature dry pet foods.
•
• Muttropolis.- The only item on the recall list carried by Muttropolis is the Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Bison. Customers who purchased this product can call 888-688-8799.
•
• PetSmart.- The only recalled item carried by PetSmart is Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy (15-lb bag with Best before dates of January 9, 2013 and January 10, 2013; 30-lb bag with Best before dates of January 10, 2013 and January 11, 2013).
•
• VetDepot.- None of the products carried by VetDepot (http://www.vetdepot.com/) have been affected by the Diamond recalls/
• West Coast Pet Supply.- Located in California and receives all of its shipments from Diamond Pet Foods' California plant. West Coast Pet Supply is NOT affected by the recalls.
•
• Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/product-recalls.php) - Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog Food, 5 lbs. (UPC 7 23633 80855 2; Lot code NBV1201; Best by Dec 9, 2012). Solid Gold WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food (4-, 15- and 33-lb bags; Expiry December 30, 2012) and Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Food (4-, 15- and 33(?)-lb bags; Expiry December 30, 2012)
Advice to Consumers and Families with Pets
CDC offers this advice to pet owners:
• Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and discard them promptly. Consumers with questions about recalled dog food may contact Diamond Pet Foods at telephone number (800) 442-0402 or visit www.diamondpetrecall.com. (http://diamondpetrecall.com/)
•
• Follow the tips listed on Salmonella from Dry Pet Food and Treats (http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaDryPetFood/) to help prevent an infection with Salmonella from handling dry pet food and treats.
•
• People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.
•
• People who think their animal might have become ill after eating dry pet food should consult their veterinary-care providers.
•
• Read Additional Information for Pet Owners (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/pet-owners-info.html) to learn the signs and symptoms of salmonellosis in dogs and cats, and to understand how to deal with possible Salmonella illness in your pet.
•
Also, be aware that dogs may be infected with Salmonella - and may shed the bacteria in their stool - without showing any outward symptoms of illness. If your pet has consumed a Diamond Pet Foods dry dog food, be especially careful to wash your hands after handling it, and supervise closely any interaction between children and your pet.
Thor, your efforts to make a difference are monumental!
I thank you, and my doggies do, too!
We used taste of the Wild, and have changed to another brand which is local and totally made in house here in St Petersburg, Fl.
Again, thanks, and freakingnews is great isnt it?:D
Cheers, brother Thor!
Dave
I keep wanting to tweet this to the world - but sadly, My friend - who is not a member - says the Breaking News section is not available to non-members.
Diamond cat food now risky.source (http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2012/0520/Pet-food-recall-that-won-t-end-Diamond-cat-food-now-risky)
Pet food recall from Diamond Pet Foods has been expanded eight times, triggered an FDA investigation and critique, and now includes cat food.
The company's handling of the salmonella crisis may be even worse.By Schuyler Velasco, Correspondent / May 20, 2012
From the recall of a single batch of its
"Diamond Naturals" dry dog food on April 6 for possible
salmonella contamination, Diamond Pet Foods (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Diamond+Pet+Foods+Inc.) has expanded the recall on eight separate occasions, endured a week-long inspection of one of its plants by the US Food and Drug Administration (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Food+and+Drug+Administration) (FDA), which criticized its practices, and most recently acknowledged that cats are also at risk.
Yet the Missouri-based maker of
Diamond, Premium Edge, Kirkland Signature, and other pet food brands has not called special attention to the expansion of the recall to cat food beyond amending a statement on the company's Internet recall site (http://diamondpetrecall.com/):
"Diamond Pet Foods has voluntarily recalled some brands of dry dog and cat food that it manufactured in its Gaston, S.C. facility between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 due to potential Salmonella contamination."
RELATED: Food safety law: Six ways it will make food safer (http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2011/0105/Food-safety-law-Six-ways-it-will-make-food-safer/Mandatory-recalls)
There is no specific information on which brands and batches of cat food may be affected, though you can check a questionable bag's product code to find out. And what, pray tell, will that tell you if you don't know what to look for?
Mayhaps just toss possibly affected products made between August, 2011 and March, 2012?On Friday morning, the Calgary Herald[/url] in Alberta, Canada, reported that two cats in a Montreal animal shelter have died, and another is ill, after eating Diamond Pet Foods products. Also in Quebec, another person has been reported with a case of salmonella, bringing the total number of cases to 16 in the United States and Canada caused apparently by handling the pet food.
QuoteMONTREAL - One Quebecer got sick and two Montreal cats have died after coming into contact with pet food thought to be contaminated with salmonella, causing alarm at a local cat shelter.
"This kind of thing happens, but couldn't we have known about it sooner?" asked Monica Campo, who runs Humanochat cat shelter in Rivière des Prairies.
Two of the shelter's cats died and another cat is very sick at the vet after eating some Diamond Pet Foods products. The Public Health Agency of Canada issued a public health notice after U.S.-based Diamond Pet Foods recalled several batches of its dry pet food due to possible contamination with salmonella.
For Campo, disposing of a large bin of the tainted food poses a problem. She is reluctant to throw it out, as Health Canada advises, because it could be eaten by raccoons or birds, she said.
Now, this is one thoughtful lady... we give gold!Also on Friday, the company issued yet another recall involving certain sizes of its
Diamond Naturals lamb and rice dog food manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011, which is later than the date range for all its other recalled products so far.
One of the unusual aspects of this recall is Diamond's release of information.
QuoteOn April 12, six days after Diamond's first recall, the FDA began an investigation. Its week-long inspection of Diamond's Gaston facility found numerous violations.
"All reasonable precautions are not taken to ensure that production procedures to not contribute contamination from any source," its report said, noting that the factory's screening process for possible contaminants wasn't thorough enough.
Other violations: Factory workers were seen handling sensitive equipment with bare hands; there weren't enough hand-washing stations throughout the plant (even in areas where raw meat was being handled); the factory used damaged equipment with holes and cuts, which would make the tools difficult to clean properly.
Despite these findings, the company didn't issue a second recall until a week after the inspection was over, involving a single production run of its
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul brand.
On April 30, it issued another expansion of the recall, this time involving puppy food.
On May 3, the federal government announced it had linked 14 cases of
salmonella in adults to Diamond's dog foods.
On May 4, Natural Balance Pet Foods (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Natural+Balance+Pet+Foods+Inc.) and (http://www.wellpet.com/index.aspxWellPet%20LLC)makers of
Wellness, announced a recall of their dog foods made at Diamond's plant.
From there, the recalls kept coming.
tfw
Greetings:
It was only a matter of time.(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/babies_and_puppies__4_1.jpg)
A lawsuit was filed Monday in the State of New Jersey on behalf of a two-month-old baby boy who was hospitalized after contracting a dangerous infection from the outbreak strain of
Salmonella Infantis, the same bacteria responsible for the nationwide recall of over 155 pet food formulas made by
Diamond Pet Food.
At least 15 people in nine states and Canada have reportedly fallen ill as a result of contact with pet food made by
Diamond Pet Foods, which announced the recall on April 6 and has since expanded it to additional brands.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/KS_HealthyDogashx.jpg)
QuoteThe child's father, Nevin Eisenberg of Marlboro, alleges he bought a bag of a Diamond brand — Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Food with chicken and vegetables — at the Costco Wholesale Corporation store in Morganville.
The infant suffered from severe gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea, fever and loss of appetite. A day later, his pediatrician sent him to a hospital, where he spent three days and was diagnosed with
salmonellosis. The bacteria cultured from the patient proved to be the same rare genetic subtype,
Salmonella Infantis found in other human and product samples associated with the outbreak and recall.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/dog-grooming-baby.jpg)
Though the baby has recovered, he suffered "severe injuries to his gastrointestinal tract." He is at risk of kidney and liver damage and monitoring will be needed, doctors say.
The family's dogs did not get sick, nor did the parents, and
salmonella was not detected in the bag of dog food, which the County Health Department sent to a state health lab for testing after the baby became sick.
Despite the negative result for
salmonella, it is believed that
salmonella contamination would not be spread uniformly throughout the bag of food, which would explain the negative test result. Or that the contamination with the rare
salmonella strain could have come from an earlier batch of dog food he purchased.
The baby's father had been purchasing Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables for the family dogs. It was one of the varieties of recalled
Diamond dog food.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/herman_withbaby-299151454_std.jpg)
The family's lawyer, Elliot Olsen of PritzkerOlsen in Minneapolis, says the route of transmission to the child is uncertain but there had to have been "some common contact with the dog food and source of food for the kid" and it "might have happened through the parents' hands."
Olsen points out that the
salmonella strain contracted by the infant is uncommon and the same as the one that sparked the recall. "To have a child come up with this exact form of
salmonella, which is relatively rare, it's epidemiologically pretty solid," he says.
The seven-count complaint against both
Diamond and Costco asserts claims under New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act and Product Liability Act, as well as common-law claims like negligence, breach of warranty and fraudulent misrepresentation.
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w400/thorfourwinds/bella-and-baby.jpg)
(
This is exactly what our Sammy looks like!)
The plant where the food was manufactured in Gaston, South Carolina was found to be in violation of several food safety laws. The FDA inspected the plant on April 12, 2012 and stated that the company was not taking "all reasonable precautions to ensure that production procedures to not contribute contamination from any source."
Violations included a lack of microbiological analysis, no hand washing and hand sanitizing facilities, and poorly maintained equipment, containers, and utensils that were difficult or impossible to clean, specifically the duct tape and cardboard used on machinery.
Infant Allegedly Got Salmonella From Contact With Dog Food (http://www.law.com/jsp/nj/PubArticleNJ.jsp?id=1202556392623)
and
PoisonedPets.com (http://poisonedpets.com/2012/05/30/diamond-pet-food-hit-with-first-lawsuit-others-sure-to-follow/)
Greetings:
Every pet owner should not only bookmark Susan's site (http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/), but give it a good read to really scare the Hell out of you regarding ANYTHING coming out of China.
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Written By: Susan Thixton
29 May 2012
Who Should Recall Jerky Treats? (http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/who-should-recall-jerky-treats.html)
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Courtesy Robin Pierre
Bella, a 2-year-old pug, died last fall after her owner, Robin Pierre, said she ate Waggin' Train chicken jerky treats.
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More than 900 cases of pet deaths or illness (http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/22/11798368-nearly-1000-dogs-now-sick-from-jerky-treats-fda-reports-say?lite) have been reported to the FDA in recent months regarding Chinese imported dog jerky treats.
Yet we have no recall; no action has been taken by the FDA or by the US importers of the treats. The FDA keeps stating each importer has the option to recall the treats, however new federal laws give FDA some authority to recall.
Who should recall these dog treats?
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Photo by Diane Dehart
Lacie, a Labrador retriever mix, was healthy until she developed a fatal kidney disease that her veterinarian suspects was caused by eating chicken jerky treats.
QuoteEver since Dr. Robin Hubbard had to euthanize Lacie, a vibrant Labrador retriever mix who developed kidney failure in April after eating chicken jerky, spreading the word about possible risks of the dog treats has become something of a crusade for the veterinarian.
If more than 900 cases of human deaths or illness were reported, would the (lack of) FDA action be the same? ??
The following graphic, from VinNews (http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=22697) shows the rapid increase of pet illnesses/deaths being reported to FDA...
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It should be noted that other importers of chicken jerky dog treats have voluntarily recalled in the past. QuoteKraMar Pet Company (http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=11532) recalled their 'Supa Naturals Chicken Breast Strips' in Australia (2008) when fifteen dog illnesses (all with the same Fanconi-like symptoms as pets are suffering from today) were reported to them within three months.
"This syndrome and the associated cases have only been reported to us in the last three months," spokeswoman Mary-Lou Jarvis said in an interview by e-mail.
"During this time we have investigated with relevant veterinary scientists to verify a link with our product. Whilst no such link has been established, we have decided to withdraw the product on the basis of the 15 cases reported to us." ??
Since no US importer is taking the same recall/product removal steps as
KraMar Pet Company did in 2008, does the FDA have some authority to recall or push the importers of these jerky treats to remove them from store shelves?
QuoteIt does make one wonder, if over 900 human illnesses and deaths were reported to FDA within six months if the suspect US product manufacturers/importers would voluntarily recall even without conclusive scientific evidence linking human illness/death to their products?
And if these manufacturers/importers didn't take voluntary action, it makes one wonder if FDA would utilize their Food Safety Modernization Act powers to take action against the product manufacturers/importers to protect the public.
Or does this all boil down to - US jerky treat importers and FDA is thinking...it is just pets...why bother?
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton?
Pet Food Safety Advocate?
Author, Buyer Beware (https://www.createspace.com/3488229)?
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible (https://www.createspace.com/3632978)
Greetings:
In the "Add Insult to Injury" Category:
27 May 2012
Vets advise avoiding toxic treats while Purina tells vets it's all lies (http://poisonedpets.com/2012/05/27/vets-advise-avoiding-toxic-treats-while-purina-tells-vets-its-all-lies/)
Mollie Morrissette tells it like it is:
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Vets advise avoiding toxic treats while Purina tells vets it's all lies.27 May 2012
Veterinarians were advised by Nestle-Purina on what to tell their clientsIn April, Nestle Purina sent a letter to about 20,000 veterinarians nationwide, asking them to share "accurate, fact-based information" to counter what it called "inaccurate and misleading information" about chicken jerky treats, that can only be described as a slick corporate spin job:
QuoteDear Doctor:
Like you, we are pet owners and pet lovers, and we understand how important pets are in our lives. So when we say that the safety and quality of our products are our number one priorities, it's not just a promise – it's a fact.
Recently, we've seen some inaccurate and misleading information about chicken jerky treats for dogs, including the Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands, which are owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, circulating in the social media, on-line and in traditional media reports...
Waggin' Train and
Canyon Creek Ranch are among several brands that have been implicated by name in FDA complaints and whose chicken jerky has been blamed for the illness and death of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dogs are under pressure to pull their products have resisted issuing a voluntary recall despite an ongoing FDA investigation.
Quote...This can create alarm with pet owners who are understandably concerned...
But it's not just consumers are who are alarmed, veterinarians are concerned as well; a veterinarian haunted by the memory of euthanizing a once vibrant dog who developed kidney failure in April after eating chicken jerky has seen first hand the devastation warns clients to avoid them at all costs.
Dr. Tony Buffington, the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center's veterinary nutritionist, created a poster to display in the hospital for companion animals to warn clients of the potential risk of feeding their pets' chicken jerky (see below).
Quote...We know that you are often the first person a pet owner will call with a concern related to the health of their dog. That's why it is important that we share accurate, fact based information with you so that you can confidently and accurately discuss it with your clients should the need arise. We have prepared the following information for you to read and share as needed...
Meanwhile, the number of complaints is skyrocketing, surpassing 600 in the first 5-1/2 months of this year alone. The FDA has received about 1,300 complaints total since 2006, according to Laura Alvey, a spokeswoman for the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine.
Quote...We've developed five discussion points to help answer questions and reassure a concerned client if needed. Feel free to share this sheet with your clients who want more information...
The agency is continuing an intensified investigation, including stepping up surveillance of shipments of chicken jerky treats from China and scheduling inspections of five Chinese production facilities known to produce chicken jerky imported to the United States.
The findings of which have yet to be released. Alvey, in response to questions about the inspections, said: "We are limited in the information we can make public, as the investigation is active and ongoing."
Quote...FACT #1: The FDA has extensively tested chicken jerky treats and has not found any contaminants, nor a definitive cause for reported pet illnesses...
By forestalling negative publicity by publicizing a favorable interpretation of the absence of a definitive cause for the illnesses as evidence that the product is free of any contaminates is optimistic at best, at worst it is a subterfuge used to deceive consumers.
Statements such as, "they were tested for a wide variety of substances and no contaminant has been found" are misleading in that they imply that while none has been found to date; therefore one does not exist or will ever be found.
Quote...Fact #2: Waggin' Train routinely tests these treats as part of a comprehensive food safety program. As part of that program, each lot of Waggin' Train brand dog treats is tested for salmonella, melamine and ethylene glycol...
Trouble with that is, that neither Salmonella or melamine (alone) are nephrotoxic, making two out of three of those tests irrelevant to the discovery of the cause of acute renal failure or the explanation for the sudden appearance of a once rare genetic disease called Fanconi syndrome now an acquired disease regardless of a genetic predisposition.
Quote...FACT #3: Millions of happy, healthy dogs enjoy chicken jerky treats every year...
But many dogs are not happy or healthy, in fact a great many have died after being fed chicken jerky. Why some dogs are affected and others are not is not immediately apparent. Some dogs may develop problems later.
There is no specific timeline that a contaminated product follows, nor is it possible to know the consistency with which the product is contaminated. There are many factors that influence the progression of disease, all of which may not fully be understood until the investigation is completed.
Quote...FACT #4: Waggin' Train brand chicken jerky dog treats are made in China...
Does it really matter what reason they give for manufacturing in China?
It is unlikely that many consumers would appreciate any justification for manufacturing in China, as consumers have been highly wary of pet foods and ingredients produced in China ever since unscrupulous manufacturers in that country were discovered in 2007 to have deliberately spiked certain ingredients with melamine and cyanuric acid prompting the largest recall in U.S. history and was responsible for the illness and death of tens of thousands of pets.
Quote....FACT #5: Waggin' Train chicken jerky treats for dogs are safe to feed as directed. To date, there has not been a recall of Waggin' Train products...
Yet online petitions for recalls of treats made in China have gathered tens of thousands of signatures, and while the FDA continues it's investigation, the agency has repeatedly stated that there is nothing preventing the makers from voluntarily recalling the treats out of an abundance of caution.
QuoteSincerely,
Jorje Quinn
Vice President, Nestle Purina PetCareVeterinary Business
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Greetings:
23 May 2012
Diamond Pet Foods to grieving pet parent with dead dog: show us the proof or get lost (http://poisonedpets.com/2012/05/23/diamond-pet-foods-to-grieving-pet-parent-with-dead-dog-show-us-proof-or-get-lost/)
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That is, unless you have a signed letter from your veterinarian saying your dog died due to a Salmonella infection.
Because a clinical diagnosis isn't good enough for Diamond, they are demanding laboratory tests confirming the presence of the Salmonella bacteria in pets; which is precisely what a woman, whose dog died after eating a recalled dog food, was told by Diamond Pet Foods.
QuoteDespite Diamond Pet Foods' recall of over 155 formulas of pet food involving 13 brands with global distribution, an alarming FDA inspection report citing multiple failures at the pet food plant where the recalls originated, the company insists that consumers whose pets were affected provide laboratory evidence that their pet's illness or death was caused by Diamond's product.
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Seems like a
Boycott Diamond is in order just for their attitude... or just hang 'em.
A clinical diagnosis (of
salmonellosis) based on knowledge obtained by medical history and physical examination alone, without benefit of laboratory tests, is not adequate evidence that the illness or death of a pet was due to a
Diamond contaminated pet food and claims without it will be denied.
Even though FDA investigators found that
Diamond's plant failure to provide an adequate number of hand washing facilities, maintain sanitary equipment, and take all reasonable precautions to prevent
Salmonella contamination from contributing to the illness of at least 16 people in nine states and an untold number of pets,
Diamond Pet Foods expects consumers to pay for costly and unreliable blood or fecal tests for
Salmonella, which ultimately may prove nothing at all.
Unless, that is, your vet is able to get a positive test result for
Salmonella, you're in luck. If not, you're sh*t out of luck.
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Karen, a pet parent whose three collies became ill after feeding the recalled food to her dogs, one of whom died, describes her experience on eFoodAlert:
Quote"I was told that unless I had a signed note from my vet stating that a test proved the dog died from Salmonella, that they would not recognize any issues with my collies. I was stunned. I did take a poop sample to my vet, but since it was so obvious what was killing my collie, the vet didn't see the need to do the test.
What regret I have over that, even the fact that we bred collies for 15 years didn't sway the Diamond vet. Everything I said was "not an official stat" because the vet test wasn't done.
Do not throw out the food!
Double bag it like the bio-hazard it is and get with Diamond and your vet.
The CDC has the genetic DNA fingerprint of this rare strain of Salmonella Infantis. Once diagnosed, it is easy to trace it back to Diamond, which the CDC has already done for us.
When you send a sample to Diamond, DO NOT send them ALL of it. Keep a sample securely away from contact by living things in case your sample gets "lost".
Send a sample to FDA and CDC too. Until you get results, keep a small sample secure at your residence. "
Incredibly,
Diamond Pet Foods, despite the filthy conditions under which the recalled pet food was made in their Gaston, South Carolina plant and their failure to provide a safe and wholesome pet food resists accepting full responsibility by honoring all reasonable and valid claims; claims that some part of the production process created an unreasonably unsafe defect in the resulting pet food that led to the illness or death of a pet.
source (http://poisonedpets.com/2012/05/23/diamond-pet-foods-to-grieving-pet-parent-with-dead-dog-show-us-proof-or-get-lost/)
Greetings:
Diamond pet food recall
expands again,
violations found23 May 2012
Diamond Pet Foods has issued yet another recall, this time for its small breed dog food.
In case you are losing count, this is at least the eighth round of recalls in the past six weeks since the discovery of a
salmonella-tainted batch of food made in a South Carolina plant.
Since the recall 16 pet owners in 15 states - including two in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey - and in Canada became sick after handling the food and now we hear reports of two cats at a shelter in Montreal that were sickened after eating
Diamond brand food.
Eleven brands of dog and cat food are made in the Gaston, S.C. plant operated by
Diamond Pet Foods, including Costco under the
Kirkland name.
Other brands affected include
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul, Canidea and
Taste of the Wild, as well as several
Diamond brands.
The latest recall involves
Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula samples, 6 pound and 18 pound bag sizes, manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011, due to potential exposure to
Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported connected to that batch of food.
For full information on what is being recalled read the details on the
Diamond site here (http://www.diamondpet.com/information/).
We wondered why the
Pennsylvania Department of Health issued no notice of the recall nor provided the public with any information about the individuals who fell ill here and got this answer from the state:
QuoteSalmonella outbreaks are sometimes associated with food items; sometimes we cannot make the connection. When the item (or some other exposure linked to human illness) is specific to Pennsylvania or originates in Pennsylvania, we do send out "advisories" (usually in the form of a press release).
On the other hand, when a situation is occurring in multiple states across the country, and the food comes from outside PA, we generally rely on the CDC's and FDA's efforts, along with standard food recalls announced by the producer or manufacturer. In the current situation, this dog food, which was produced in South Carolina, was recalled nationally by the manufacturer in cooperation with the FDA.
A day later the Health Department issued a warning about contaminated shellfish that may or may not have been sold in Pennsylvania. When we inquired were told the difference in the two cases was that the federal government had not yet issued a recall so the state felt it needed to do so.
How would the state backing up the federal government and issuing its own statement have hurt? It certainly would have helped spread the word that two Pennsylvania pet owners were made ill by a bad batch of dog food and that consumers ought to be careful about handling pet food - whether tainted or not. Of course we have no idea where in the state the food was purchased or how ill these people were.
Perhaps readers of Philly Dawg (http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/Diamond-pet-food-recall-expands-yet-again.html) will spread the word to fellow pet owners of this seemingly endless recall.
Lab tests indicated those who fell ill were infected with a rare strain of
salmonella Infantis, which was detected Apr. 2 after a routine test of dry dog food revealed contamination, a report from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Meanwhile, the
Food and Drug Administration conducted a week-long probe and found numerous violations at the South Carolina plant, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
Quote"All reasonable precautions are not taken to ensure that production procedures to not contribute contamination from any source," its report said, noting that the factory's screening process for possible contaminants wasn't thorough enough.
Other violations: Factory workers were seen handling sensitive equipment with bare hands; there weren't enough hand-washing stations throughout the plant (even in areas where raw meat was being handled); the factory used damaged equipment with holes and cuts, which would make the tools difficult to clean properly.
Here's the timeline according to the Monitor:
QuoteDespite these findings, the company didn't issue a second recall until a week after the inspection was over, involving a single production run of its Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul brand.
On April 30, it issued another expansion of the recall, this time involving puppy food. On May 3, the federal government announced it had linked 14 cases of salmonella in adults to Diamond's dog foods. On May 4, Natural Balance Pet Foodsand WellPet LLC, makers of Wellness, announced a recall of their dog foods made at Diamond's plant. From there, the recalls kept coming.
People can become sick by handling the tainted pet food or through contact with an animal that has eaten the contaminated food. Experts advise washing hands thoroughly after feeding pets or picking up animals. Also, clean litter boxes daily.
Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact
Diamond Pet Foods toll free at
1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Recalled products should be discarded.
Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness can last up to a week and most people recover without treatment. In some cases, severe diarrhea can require hospitalization.