Diamond Pet Foods Recalls: Consumers Want Answers

What pet owners don’t know about the details of the Diamond Pet Foods recalls is a lot! And they are now demanding answers – from the manufacturer, from companies like Natural Balance, and from retailers.

One frustrated animal lover – Erich Riesenberg of Iowa Pet Adoptions – has created a petition on Change.org, seeking answers to the following questions:

How did Diamond’s quality assurance program fail to prevent, or at least detect, the Salmonella contamination?
When did Diamond first learn of the failure?
Did Diamond withhold information?
How does Diamond track reports of adverse reactions to its food?

The petition also asks for the release of plant inspection records, food test results, correspondence between Diamond and public officials, and a timeline of notifications.

To read the petition and, if you are so inclined, to add your name to the list of signees, follow this link.

Meanwhile, what do we know?

1. We know that at least 14 people have become ill with Salmonella Infantis infections. All 14 individuals were infected with a single genetic strain; that same strain was found in samples of dry dog food manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in Gaston, South Carolina.

2. We know that a massive quantity of dry pet food – including some cat food, by the way – was recalled. Please follow this link for a consolidated list of recalled products.

3. We know, courtesy of Laura Alvey, spokesperson for FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, that there have not been any confirmed cases of Salmonella-related dog illness associated with the recalled products. Alvey has acknowledged that FDA received an unspecified number of complaints of dog illnesses related to recalled product; however, these cases were not medically confirmed.

4. We know, thanks to an eFoodAlert reader, that at least one batch of recalled Taste of the Wild dry dog food was distributed in France. Alvey also confirmed that Diamond Pet Foods ships product “all over the world.”

What consumers can do:

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 to have the unused portion of the pet food tested.
Review the FDA Tips for Preventing Foodborne Illness Associated with Pet Food and Pet Treats, and follow its recommendations to keep your family and your pets safe.
Monitor eFoodAlert’s Diamond Pet Foods, Etc. Recalls – 2012 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.

Contaminated Kibble Sickens 14 People

Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at their Gaston, South Carolina manufacturing facility has been linked to fourteen Salmonella infections in nine states, according to CDC. Five people were hospitalized.

There is no indication as to how many dogs may have become infected.

The 14 confirmed outbreak cases were reported by Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1). More than three-fourths (77%) of the victims are female. The outbreak patients range in age from less than one year to 82 years old (median 48 years).

All 14 individuals were infected with a single rare strain of Salmonella Infantis. The outbreak strain was found in unopened bags of three different dry dog foods manufactured at the Gaston facility.

It was a routine test carried out by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that first pointed the finger at Diamond Pet Foods. On April 2nd, the agency’s lab found Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food that had been collected from a retail location on march 14th. CDC’s PulseNet system made the connection between the genetic strain recovered from the dog food and the strain of Salmonella Infantis that had sickened a number of people.

Interviews of the outbreak patients established that 70% of them had been in contact with a dog in the week before becoming ill. Four out of five people who could remember the type of dog food they had contacted identified a dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods.

Ohio, which reported two outbreak cases, was responsible for finding the outbreak strain from an opened package of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food collected from a patient’s home, and from an unopened bag of the same product obtained from a retail store. FDA found Salmonella in a sample of Diamond Puppy Formula obtained during an inspection of the Gaston manufacturing plant.

On April 6th, Diamond Pet Foods recalled a single production batch of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice, due to “potential” contamination with Salmonella. The recall notice assured consumers that “[n]o illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured products are affected.”

The company expanded its recall on April 26th to include one production run of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula. This time, the company acknowledged that one bag of the dry dog food had tested positive for Salmonella. And instead of its previous blanket assurance, Diamond told consumers that “[n]o dog illnesses have been reported.” Four days later, Diamond added a limited number of production codes of Diamond Puppy Formula to the recall list, again assuring that no dog illnesses had been reported.

Delivery of products manufactured at Diamond Pet Food’s Gaston location has been suspended since April 8th. Although the company hasn’t specifically said so, it’s likely that production also has been suspended while FDA carries out its plant investigation. That investigation will include environmental sampling in the production and warehouse areas, as well as additional finished product and ingredient tests. I would be very surprised if the recall is not expanded to include all dry dog food manufactured at the Gaston plant over the last several months.

This is not the first time that Salmonella-contaminated dry dog food has been the source of human illnesses. Pet food produced in the Pennsylvania manufacturing plant of Mars Petcare US was responsible for a three-year long outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund infections, beginning in 2006.

Dry dog food – kibble – is not a sterile product. As we have been reminded by this outbreak, it can be contaminated with Salmonella and should be handled with the same care as is used when handling other potentially contaminated foods, such as raw meats and poultry.

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 http://www.diamondpetrecall.com.
Follow the tips listed on Salmonella from Dry Pet Food and Treats 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 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.

FDA Pursues Chicken Jerky Treat Problem; Canada Punts

It’s tough to find a contaminant when you don’t know what you’re looking for. But that doesn’t mean FDA isn’t trying hard to figure out why chicken jerky pet treats from China seem to be making so many dogs seriously ill.

Since the beginning of 2011, FDA has received a total of 537 reports from dog owners and veterinarians of dogs that fell ill after being fed these popular dog treats. Several days ago, I asked Laura Alvey of FDA what the agency was doing to solve the mystery, and received this reply:

“Testing continues and is ongoing. We have tested samples from all over the country.

Since so many of the reports received involved vomiting and diarrhea, we were looking for microbial pathogens. We have tested for salmonella and none have come back positive. We have been testing for chemical toxicants, including melamine, melamine analogs and diethylene glycol (DEG) and none have come back positive.

Unless we detect a contaminant and have evidence a product is adulterated, we are limited in what regulatory actions we can take. The regulations don’t allow for products to be removed based on complaints. We will continue to monitor.

We have reached out to relevant competent authorities in other countries to request intelligence on increased reports of illness in dogs associated with consumption of chicken jerky treats, any investigations conducted, analyses conducted on suspect product, etc. We have received some feedback regarding our questions and some suggested collaboration/sharing of information.“

I asked the same question of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and had a very different – and far less comforting – reply from Dr. Carl Rudat, a Veterinary Program Specialist with CFIA.

“The CFIA,” Rudat said, “does not have a process that records calls about chicken jerky treats. The CFIA has not conducted analyses of these products. Pet food and pet treats are unregulated commodities in Canada. However, due diligence is being done and Chinese pet treat facilities have been inspected by CFIA veterinarians. I hope you find this information useful.”

So, Canada is NOT recording or tallying illness reports on chicken jerky treats, is NOT testing chicken jerky treats, and does NOT regulate pet food and pet treats. But have no fear, because “due diligence is being done.”

I pursued the issue further. “Was CFIA in communication with FDA on this issue?” I asked.

“CFIA is aware that the FDA is testing chicken jerky originating from China,” was his reply. “To date, nothing definitive has been determined.”

If CFIA does not regulate pet food and pet treats, what was the regulatory authority for CFIA’s policy entitled Import of Pet Food, Treats and Chews Containing Animal Products and By-Products? Why the heck was CFIA inspecting Chinese pet treat facilities? And what was meant by the reassurance that “due diligence is being done?”

I posed these questions (politely, of course), and was told that the legal framework for CFIA’s Import of Pet Food, etc. policy is the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. Animal by-products are regulated under this Act, and “…most pet food begins as an animal by-product.” Dr. Rudat added that CFIA has the authority to prevent “diseases of concern” from entering Canada. He did not elaborate on his “due diligence” statement.

Sounds to me as though pet food is regulated when CFIA finds it convenient, but not otherwise.

The situation on the US side of the world’s longest undefended border is quite different. FDA has taken a lead role in trying to find the source of the chicken jerky problem, and is continuing to pursue the issue assiduously. Unfortunately, as FDA Spokeswoman Laura Alvey reminded me, the agency cannot take regulatory action unless a contaminant has been detected and there is evidence that a product is adulterated.

I expect that FDA eventually will find the answer to this mystery. Presumably, once FDA comes up with a solution for the problem, Canada will gladly accept the fruits of a free ride.