As the death toll of pets from contaminated pet food rises, the U.S. Senate will conduct an open session oversight hearing Thursday afternoon centering on the continuing investigation of one of the largest product recalls in U.S. history and the regulatory mechanisms that govern the pet food industry.

As of early Wednesday, PetConnection was reporting that 3,907 pets have been reported as deceased as the result of the tainted pet food which results in kidney failure. Of these, 2,026 are cats and 1,881 are dogs. Total reports of all owner-suspected cases of food-related illness are at 12,174, according to PetConnection which cautions that the numbers have not been verified. But if even a fraction of them can be confirmed, the figures show deaths far exceeding the FDA's count of 16 pets, seven of whom died in a the feeding trial conducted by Menu Foods of Streetsville, Ontario. http://www.petconnection.com/recall/index.php

Menu Foods has admitted that it began receiving complaints from pet owners in mid-February who reported that food manufactured by the company had made their pets sick, according to Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. This has also been confirmed by Paul Henderson, CEO and president of Menu Foods.

Rather than immediately alert the public that there could be a problem with the pet food supply, Menu Foods opted to begin testing its products on 40 to 50 animals on Feb. 27, a week after it had started receiving complaints. Ultimately nine of those animals died of kidney failure, according to the FDA.

On Feb. 26 and 27, Mark Wiens, chief financial officer of the company, sold 45% of his stock in the company, or 14,000 shares, for $89,900 in what some are calling "insider trading", a $35,000 profit considering that the stock at current prices would be worth only $54,000.

Wiens claims it was a "horrible coincidence" and that he didn't hear about the contaminated food until after the first of March, after he had sold his stock.

Menu Foods did not notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until March 15 that nearly 100 brands of wet pet food was contaminated and that they were recalling nearly 60 million cans and pouches of cat and dog food. FDA told the public on March 16.

Menu Food manufacturers brand names such as Eukanunba, Iams, Science Diet and Nutro Natural Choice as well as store brands for box stores like Wal-mart, Winn-Dixie, Hannaford, Price Chopper and Publix.

After the FDA identified the contamination source as wheat gluten, additional products were recalled by Hills Pets, Nestle Purina and Del Monte.

The recall has created an intense level of anxiety and fear for pet owners throughout the United States as well as Canada and veterinarians have been besieged by owners who are concerned that the food may have affected their beloved pets. Veterinarians say that a simple blood and urine test can determine if your pet has been affected. If so, if caught early, the problem can be treated.

At Thursday's hearing to be conducted by the Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, FDA officials will be questioned about the timeline of the investigatin, the source of the contamination and the agency's regulatory and inspection responsibilities. Other experts will testify about the current state of the pet food industry.

Pet lovers whose pets have been made ill or have died from one of the recalled foods have been asked to add their pet to the PetConnection database. The form can be found at www.petconnection.com. In order for your pet to be counted, you must also report your pet's illness or death to the FDA. http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has posted a comprehensive list of all pet foods recalled in connection to a suspected wheat gluten contamination. The comprehensive AVMA Pet Food Recall List is available at http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp. This information has been posted by the AVMA to help pet owners and veterinarians more easily and quickly sort through the over 100 pet foods currently recalled.

The number and brands of pet foods that have been recalled in connection to contaminated wheat gluten has grown since Menu Foods, a private-label pet food producer based in Canada, initially announced the recall on March 16. The AVMA Pet Food Recall list consolidates all manufacturer, brand and formulation information.

The AVMA also reminds pet owners what should be done if an animal is found to be affected by these contaminated pet foods. Most importantly, pets need to be seen and treated by a veterinarian. If your pet shows signs of loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting or change in urination, consult a veterinarian immediately.

The AVMA wants all veterinarians to know that any reporting problems with the FDA complaint lines have been addressed and they should continue to call the FDA's Consumer Complaint Coordinator for their state. A list of these coordinators is available at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

Pet owners must remain informed on the latest recalls, recheck all pet food in their possession, and stop feeding their pets any of the recalled pet foods that they have in their homes. Many veterinarians have reported that animals have recently been made ill by foods recalled from store shelves weeks ago.

The comprehensive AVMA Pet Food Recall List contains all recall information that has come to the attention of the AVMA, but it is not guaranteed to be complete. The AVMA encourages all concerned to contact the specific manufacturer regarding the status of any particular pet food or treat.

For the latest news releases on the pet food recalls, visit the AVMA web site at http://www.avma.org/.

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 75,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. AVMA members are dedicated to advancing the science and art of veterinary medicine including its relationship to public health and agriculture.

On Tuesday, the FDA issued an update concerning the steps the agency is taking in regard to the pet food contamination.

FDA laboratories have found a substance called melamine in samples of recalled pet food and in the wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the pet food.

Melamine has a number of industrial uses, including use in manufacturing cooking utensils and plates. It has also been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world, but it is not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States. Wheat gluten is a mixture of two proteins obtained when wheat flour is washed to remove the starch. It is sometimes used to thicken pet food "gravy."

Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level. However, the FDA is not fully certain that melamine is the cause of the recent illnesses and deaths in cats and dogs that have eaten certain types of pet food. Research is scarce in the published literature on melamine's effect on these animals. The FDA is pursuing all available leads and using advanced forensics to try to identify the cause of the problem.

The FDA has traced the source of the wheat gluten to a single supplier, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology, of China, and has issued an import alert on wheat gluten from China (see www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia9926.html).

Records reveal that all shipments of wheat gluten from the suspect Chinese supplier were purchased by a U.S. firm, ChemNutra Inc., that supplies ingredients to pet food companies. At this time, no evidence suggests that any of the imported wheat gluten from this supplier has entered the human food supply.

The FDA says its investigation has determined that other manufacturers used the contaminated wheat gluten, leading to recall action by several other companies and expansion of Menu Foods' recall to include all products manufactured with wheat gluten purchased from ChemNutra-which Menu Foods' records show was first used on Nov. 8, 2006, and last used on March 6, 2007.

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/040807SenatePets.html
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/040707RecallUpdate.html
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/033007PetRecipes.html
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/040507RecallExpands.html
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/041007PetContamination 4-11-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette