The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that there is no evidence that any wheat gluten contaminated with melamine has entered the human food supply.

The FDA has provided an update on the recall on pet foods from the Canadian firm Menu Foods and reported its latest findings in its ongoing investigation into the recent outbreak of cat and dog illness and death associated with pet food manufactured with contaminated wheat gluten.

The FDA says it launched an investigation within 24 hours after being notified by Menu Foods of its recall over nearly 100 brands of wet pet food and investigators arrived at the company's plant and searched for possible sources of contamination.

The same day, FDA consumer complaint coordinators nationwide began taking calls from consumers and veterinarians who reported illnesses potentially associated with the contaminated pet food. FDA has received over 12,000 reports in the last three weeks-more than twice the number of complaints typically received in a year by the consumer complaint coordinators.

In an effort to trace all of the contaminated product, the Agency conducted numerous inspections of manufacturers and warehouses identified as recipients of the suspect product. FDA has also been working with the affected firms to assist them with their product recall efforts.

FDA's investigation identified the distributor of the contaminated wheat gluten as ChemNutra, of Las Vegas, Nevada. FDA worked with the firm to trace the suspect product, and identified its Chinese source.

FDA has asked the Chinese government to help us with the investigation which continues to determine how the melamine may have gotten into the wheat gluten. FDA is currently sampling 100 percent of all Chinese wheat gluten being offered for import.

FDA Field laboratories confirmed the presence of melamine in shipments of wheat gluten received from a source from China. This was done through testing of samples of finished product and raw materials. Melamine is a product used as a fertilizer with other industrial and commercial uses.

FDA laboratories have conducted over 400 sample analyses, and to date have found 21 samples that were positive for melamine. To date, voluntary recalls of pet food products have been conducted by Del Monte Pet Products, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, P&G Pet Care, and Sunshine Mills. On April 5, Sunshine Mills, Inc. of Red Bay, Alabama, voluntarily recalled a portion of its branded dog biscuits made at its Red Bay, Alabama biscuit plant during part of March 2007. In addition, Menu Foods, Inc., voluntarily expanded its pet food recall for selected "cuts and gravy" pet food products, manufactured back to Nov. 8, 2006. Both firms issued press releases which are accessible on the FDA website.

This is an ongoing investigation. FDA is conducting recall audit follow-ups to ensure an effective recall. FDA continues to work with federal, state, and local partners, veterinarians, and members of the public as part of this investigation.

Understanding the role of melamine in each of the dog and cat illnesses will require an extensive analysis of the information, assistance from outside sources, and perhaps further research. FDA says its priority now is to assure that all contaminated product is identified and removed from store shelves. They clalim that all the contaminated wheat gluten has been traced, and all the pet food manufacturers who have received contaminated ingredients have been identified and have initiated recalls.

The FDA has a dedicated pet food recall page on its website which has all of the current information including all press releases issued, frequently asked questions, as well as contact information for FDA consumer complaint coordinators. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

On April 6, as a precautionary measure, Del Monte Pet Products modified its voluntary recall list to include additional select code dates in the U.S market only. No new brands are included in this update. http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/delmonte04_07.html

The product codes and dates are in addition to the codes and dates previously identified in the Del Monte Pet Products voluntary recall:

Del Monte Pet Products customers can visit their website, www.delmonte.com, or contact the Consumer Hotline at (800) 949-3799 for further information about the recall and for instructions on obtaining a product refund.

As an update, the following companies have initiated voluntary recalls of their pet food products:

On March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. recalled dog and cat foods produced at its facilities in Emporia, Kansas and Pennsauken, N.J. between Dec. 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The products are sold by many different distributors under a number of different brand names. A full listing of all the recalled products can be found at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/. The affected products are moist (packaged in pouches) and canned diets. The products have been described as "cuts and gravy" style pet foods.

On March 16, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company announced that as a precautionary measure, it was voluntarily withdrawing its 5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from Dec. 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007. On March 30, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company voluntarily recalled all sizes and varieties of its ALPO® Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/purina203_07.html. Consumers can call 1-800-218-5898, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT or visit http://www.purina.com/ to receive more information.

On March 30, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., voluntarily recalled Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01599.html . The cat food is sold exclusively through veterinarians. Consumers can contact Hills at 1-800-445-5777 or visit http://www.hillspet.com/ for more information.

On March 31, Del Monte Pet Products voluntarily recalled select product codes of its pet treat products sold under the Jerky Treats ®, Gravy Train ® Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels ® brands as well as select dog snack and wet dog food products sold under private label brands http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/delmonte03_07.html. A complete list of affected brands and products can be found at http://www.delmonte.com/petfoodrecall.html. Consumers can contact Del Monte at 1-800- 949-3799 for further information about the recall.

On April 5, Menu Foods expanded their recall to include 27 more varieties of products with earlier production dates, but no additional brands.

Additionally, Sunshine Mills Foods has recalled dog biscuits sold by Wal-Mart under the Ol'Roy name made with contaminated wheat gluten which is the center of an investigation into the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs due to kidney failure and responsible for the illness of hundreds more pets. Sunshine Mills, a branded and private-label pet food manufacturer based in Red Bay, Ala., has voluntarily recalled a portion of its branded dog biscuits made at its Red Bay plant during part of March 2007.

These brands include: Nurture Chicken & Rice, Nurture Lamb & Rice, Pet Life Large, Pet Life Extra Large, Pet Life Large Variety, Pet Life Large Peanut Butter, Lassie Lamb and Rice, and Pet Life People Pleasers Dog Treats. Private label biscuits for six of Sunshine's customers were also affected. A complete list of affected biscuit brands, sizes, and codes is at their website, www.sunshinemills.com. The company says that Sunshine's other biscuit brands and products that include small and medium sized biscuits were not affected nor are dry dog and cat food and soft and chewy treats for dogs or cats manufactured by Sunshine are not affected and not included in this recall. http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/sunshinemills04_07.html. Consumers may contact Sunshine's customer service number at (800) 705-2111 for further information about the recall and for other instructions on obtaining a product refund.

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to use American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews manufactured and distributed by T.W. Enterprises of Ferndale, WA., because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

In a move unrelated to the Menu Foods/wheat gluten recall, Eight In One, Inc. of Hauppauge, NY, a division of United Pet Group, Inc., has recalled nationally all lots of Dingo® Chick'n Jerky treats due to company concerns that the jerky treats have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

The products affected were sold at Target, PetSmart and other retailers. The products subject to this voluntary recall are Dingo Chicken Jerky 3.5 oz. and 8 oz. for dogs and Dingo Kitty Chicken Jerky 1.5 oz. for cats and Dingo Ferret Chicken Jerky 1.5 oz for ferrets.

Laboratory testing has shown that some samples of these chicken jerky treats were contaminated with salmonella. Consumers who purchased any of the above-identified treats should discontinue use of the products and should discard the unused portion. Consumers can obtain information on receiving refunds by contacting the Eight In One consumer affairs department at 1-888-232-9889.

FDA laboratories have found a substance called melamine in samples of pet food and in the wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the pet food. Additionally, Cornell University scientists have found melamine in the urine and kidneys of deceased cats that were part of a taste testing study conducted for Menu Foods.

Melamine is a small, nitrogen-containing molecule that has a number of industrial uses, including as an industrial binding agent, flame retardant and as part of a polymer in the manufacture of cooking utensils and plates. Melamine has additionally been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world. It is not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States.

Wheat gluten is a mixture of two proteins obtained when flour of wheat is washed to remove the starch. One use of wheat gluten is as a filler and binder in wet-style, cuts-and-gravy-type pet food. It provides a gelatinous consistency and is used to thicken pet food "gravy." It also has uses in human food products as a stabilizer or thickener. It is not generally associated with food contamination.

The association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and melamine in the food they consumed is undeniable. Additionally, melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level. However, FDA says it is not yet fully certain that melamine is the causative agent.

There is a scarcity of research in the published literature on melamine exposure in dogs and cats. The FDA says its aware of a 1945 published article in which dogs were administered 125 mg of melamine/kg body weight. The study reported melamine as having a diuretic effect, but no toxic effects were noted. We are not aware of any studies in the published literature involving the administration of melamine to cats.

At this time, it is not known how the melamine got into the wheat gluten. The source has been traced to a single supplier, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology, of China. FDA is requiring 100% sampling and review of import testing of all shipments of wheat gluten from China. http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia9926.html

Import records, and records obtained during follow-up investigations reveal that all shipments of wheat gluten from the suspect Chinese supplier were purchased by a U.S. firm that supplies ingredients to pet food companies. At this time, we have no evidence to suggest that any of the imported wheat gluten from the suspect firm has entered the human food supply.

FDA is collecting and analyzing samples of dry dog and cat food in response to calls from veterinarians and pet owners.

FDA says if your pet food is not listed at its website, the pet food is not affected by the recall and you can continue to feed it to your pets; however, if your pet exhibits a sudden on-set of symptoms including loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, stop feeding the pet food and contact your veterinarian. If the pet food is one of those being recalled, do NOT feed it to your animals. Feed your pets another pet food that is not included in the recall.

If the pet food you have is on the recall list, do NOT feed the pet food to your animals. Return the pet food to the store where you purchased it and ask for a refund. Stores generally have a return and refund policy when a company has announced a recall of its products. If you cannot return the pet food immediately, store the food in a secure place where pets and children cannot get to it.

If your pet shows signs of illness (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting), you should consult with your veterinarian immediately. "The American College of Internal Medicine (ACVIM) has recommended that pets (dogs and cats) that ingested pet food that was on the recall list, whether showing signs of illness (lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, etc.) or not (asymptomatic) should be seen by their veterinarian for baseline blood chemistries and urinalysis in order to ascertain the status of their renal (kidney) function. (The ACVIM is the Official Organization of the Veterinary Specialties of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Large Animal Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, and Oncology. http://www.acvim.org/)."

If your pet is diagnosed with renal failure, we suggest you hold onto the food if the brand and lot numbers match the recall. If your dog or cat ate some of the recalled food, its hard to say when you would see any symptoms but usually within a couple of days. The important thing is to monitor your pet closely for signs of lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting. If your pet shows any of these signs, please consult your veterinarian.

FDA has dedicated each of its 20 district offices to this investigation and approximately 400 + employees are involved in sample pet food collection, monitoring of recall effectiveness, and preparing consumer complaint reports. At least 3 field laboratories are directly involved in active sample analyses and each field laboratory is highly capable and standing by to conduct additional analyses as needed.

FDA's Veterinarians and Toxicologists from the Center for Veterinary Medicine and elsewhere in the agency have been researching potential causative agents, analyzing possibilities, evaluating scientific and analytical information, and guiding and supporting the overall efforts.

FDA is working with its regulatory partners in all 50 state agriculture and health agencies to inform them of the status of the investigative and analytical efforts.

Consumers and veterinarians who wish to report adverse reactions or other problems can go to the FDA internet page at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to obtain contact information for the FDA complaint coordinator in their state. When reporting an adverse event or complaint, please try to have the following information:

Brand name, lot numbers and UPC code for the pet food fed to your dog or cat when it was ill. A lot number is a separate number assigned to each production lot of product. These are typically stamped on the bag/pouch or on the can lid. Lot numbers usually consist of a series of letters and numbers.

If your pet received treatment by a veterinarian, the name, address, and telephone number of attending veterinarian; date illness first noticed; signs displayed and any veterinary reports available. Veterinarians who have case files and post mortem results relative to cases where renal failure is involved and the clients were feeding food involved in the recall are encouraged to contact FDA through the complaint coordinator in their state http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. FDA is gathering as much information as possible to identify the nature and the extent of the problem.

The FDA's regulation of pet food is similar to that for other animal feeds. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires that pet foods, like human foods, be pure and wholesome, safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. In addition, canned pet foods must be processed in conformance with the low acid canned food regulations to ensure the pet food is free of viable microorganisms (see Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 113). There is no requirement that pet food products have premarket approval by FDA. However, FDA ensures that the ingredients used in pet food are safe and have an appropriate function in the pet food. Many ingredients such as meat, poultry, grains, and their byproducts are considered safe "foods" and do not require premarket approval. Other substances such as mineral and vitamin sources, colorings, flavorings, and preservatives may be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or must have approval as food additives.

The FDA regulations require proper identification of the product, net quantity statement, name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor, and a proper listing of all the ingredients in order from most to least, based on weight. Some states also enforce their own labeling regulations. Many of these regulations are based on a model provided by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

There have been other recent pet foods recalls, just not of the magnitude of this one. In February 2007, FDA advised consumers not to feed Wild Kitty raw cat food to their pets after Salmonella was detected during routine testing performed by FDA. Wild Kitty eventually recalled the product In December 2005, Diamond Pet Foods initiated a voluntary recall after aflatoxin was discovered in its product.

FDA has not been able to confirm aminoptrein in samples it has tested. FDA says it cannot account for why New York State labs found aminopterin in the pet food but FDA did not.

FDA said it was getting reports of illness in both dogs and cats. However, the evidence seen from the initial consumer complaints and from the Menu Foods taste tests indicate that cats appear to be more affected than dogs.

Lawsuits are being filed fast and furious across the nation and legal experts say a pet owner's chance of recovery may be better by joining a class action suit.

Two class action lawsuits were filed this week in Florida and California by Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP, against Menu Foods, Inc., the Canadian manufacturer responsible for producing pet food that has killed dogs and cats across America.

According to the lawsuits, after receiving numerous complaints from concerned customers, Menu Foods belatedly recalled the toxic food. The poisoned pet food has sparked a national panic among pet owners and overwhelmed veterinarians. As of March 27, members of a Web site for U.S. veterinarians had reported at least 471 cases of kidney failure among pets in the previous 10 days. Experts and veterinary organizations estimate the final death toll could exceed 10,000.

The class action suits seek to compel the company to establish a multi-million-dollar fund to compensate grieving pet owners for the loss of pets, veterinary bills and medical monitoring and the expense of replacing poisoned food.

The suits were filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and San Francisco, California. The Florida suit was filed on behalf of Christina Troiano, whose two cats, Angel and Piesche, died after eating cat food manufactured by Menu Foods. The California suit was filed on behalf of Sherry Ingles, whose dog, Smokey, died on March 3 after eating a brand of wet dog food manufactured by Menu Foods.

To view the Florida complaint see http://www.lerachlaw.com/cases/menufoods/complaint_FL.pdf

Another class action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in New Jersey by Audet & Partners, LLP. Further information about this suit can be found at http://www.audetlaw.com/pet-food/index.html In addition, the firm has put up an internet "memorial" for bereaved pet owners. That memorial is here: http://www.audetlaw.com/petstories2/guestbook.php

Several lawsuits are already underway such as one by Myers & Company, PLLC, 206-398-1188, ext. 103 or 105. Another has been filed by Blim & Edelson, LLC, 312-913-9400 www.menufoodscase.com

When contacting the law firms, include your complete personal contact information, plus your animal companion's name and age, your animal companion's species, whether or not the animal received treatment or is deceased, where you purchased the contaminated food. 4-07-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette