Mars Petcare is recalling over 40 brands of its pet food due to salmonella contamination. Last month, California and Nevada recalled pet food made by Mars Petcare. The Mars press release says the recall only affects 31 states in the U.S. Only?! They are recalling all dry pet food products made in Everson, Pa. between Feb. 18 and July 29.
These are the brands affected by the recall. Be sure to check the chart on the Mars Petcare website to see which varieties and lots are included.
- Country Acres
- Doggy Bag
- Members Mark
- Ol’ Roy
- Paws & Claws
- Pedigree
- Pet Pride
- PMI Nutrition
- Red Flannel
- Retriever
- Sam’s Club Natural
- Special Kitty
- Wegman’s Bruiser
- Wegmans’ Buju & Ziggie
Here is good information on the symptoms & treatment of salmonellosis in dogs & cats. The FDA has information on how to safely handle salmonella contaminated pet food. The Center for Disease has a very informative page on salmonellosis in humans.
Rat droppings
Feds seized undisclosed pet food products at an Illinois PETCO warehouse at the request of the FDA because they were stored in unsanitary conditions. In April, the FDA found “widespread and active rodent and bird infestation”. Apparently PETCO didn’t take these findings too seriously since a second inspection in May found “continuing and widespread infestation”—including “live and dead rodents and birds on or around the food containers, some of which had been gnawed and defiled by excrement”.
This one warehouse supplies 16 states:
- Alabama
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wisconsin
Although no illnesses have been reported yet, the FDA warns that people who have handled PETCO products in these states should thoroughly wash their hands in hot, soapy water. Surfaces and food bowl that came in contact with PETCO products should also be washed. Products packaged in can and glass containers should also be thoroughly washed.
If your pet has become sick from eating PETCO food, you need to file a complaint with your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator. I would assume that this also applies if people have become sick as a result of handling these products.
At this time, PETCO has nothing on its website about the raid.
Menu Foods has reached a tentative settlement in the class action suit brought by owners of pets killed or sickened due to contaminants in Menu Foods products. Del Monte Foods Inc., Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. in Pixian, China, and Suzhou Textile Import & Export Co. in Jiangsu, China were also named in the suit.
In 2007 cats and dogs began falling ill and dying from kidney problems. The FDA eventually found melamine and cyanuric acid in many different pet foods. New recalls were being announced daily and over 60 million containers of food were recalled.
You can find out much more on previous recalls on my Pet Food Recall Archive Page.
ChemNutra a food, feed, and pharmaceutical ingredients importer in Las Vegas and two companies in China have been indicted in the melamine contamination of numerous pet foods that possibly killed thousands of pets in 2007. Executives and owners from the three companies are also facing charges.
Xuzhou Anying Biologic is charged with 13 felony counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 felony counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce, Suzhou Textiles is charged with mislabeling 800 metric tons of melamine contaminated wheat gluten manufactured by Xuzhou to avoid inspection in China and not declaring the wheat gluten as food material, and ChemNutra is charged with taking possession of the tainted wheat gluten in Kansas City and distributing it to numerous pet food manufacturers. ChemNutra is charged with 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Check out video on the indictments.
Read more about the massive pet food recall on the pet food recall archive page.
