Dog and Cat Lovers: Pet Food Recall in America

[thorfourwinds]

Diamond Pet Foods
Recall Information

Diamond Pet Foods : Information



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



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.





Wellness has recalled one recipe due to being made in the same South Carolina plant as Diamond. See info on their website.

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






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.






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

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:





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.?








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

[Shasta56]

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

[thorfourwinds]

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

[undo11]

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.

[thorfourwinds]

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:

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.

Sure sounds like radiation poisoning.

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.

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

[Amaterasu]

I wonder if We are or ever were irradiated and then Salmonella was blamed...  Nah.  They would NEVER do THAT!

[Littleenki]

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

[undo11]

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

[Amaterasu]

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!

[undo11]

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

[undo11]

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.

[Amaterasu]

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!

[undo11]

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.

[undo11]

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:

If 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.

[Shasta56]

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.