Guest Blog: It was a Product Pull

The following Guest Blog first appeared on Truth About Pet Food, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of its author, Susan Thixton.

Per Iams it was a Product Pull

The recall notice posted on the Price Chopper website, then promptly removed was “posted erroneously” according to a Iams Customer Service Representative. The notice that three varieties of Iams pet food tested with “elevated aflatoxin levels” wasn’t meant for public notice. It was a product pull, not a recall. Thanks to Price Chopper for doing right by petsumers or we wouldn’t have even known about this.

For those new to this website (and the truth about pet food), there is something you should be aware of. It is known in the industry as a ‘product pull’. We call it a silent recall. A product pull/silent recall is when a pet food manufacturer discovers a problem with a food – which could be serious or could be something insignificant – and in turn the pet food manufacturer alerts retail outlets to ‘pull’ the product from store shelves and return to the manufacturer.

Iams Customer Service told me this was a “product pull”. She stated “a small number of bags did not meet our specifications”. “This was not a consumer recall”. She also stated that Price Chopper “posted erroneously” the Iams notice to remove some pet foods from store shelves.

The same product pull notice “might have been sent to a couple of other stores” – but we don’t know who those other stores are.

But we do know (thanks to Price Chopper) that these three foods tested with “elevated aflatoxin levels”…
Iams Original with Chicken Cat Food
UPC 1901403915
Lot Number 12794177D3
Size 6.8 lbs.

Iams Original with Chicken Cat Food
UPC 1901410504
Lot Number 12794177I5
Size 4 lbs.

Iams Lamb Meal with Rice Dog Food
UPC 1901403735
Lot Number 12794177J4
Size 15 lbs.

Aflatoxin are “commonly found in corn, peanuts, cottonseed, milk, and tree nuts. After ingestion, aflatoxins are absorbed and carried to the liver via the circulatory system. They are then converted by the liver into toxic reactive epoxides which bind covalently to intracellular macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and protein enzymes, resulting in damage to liver cells. In addition to their hepatotoxic properties, aflatoxins are also carcinogenic. Mycotoxin contamination in pet food poses a serious health threat to pets.”
From “Mycotoxins and the pet food industry: Toxicological evidence and risk assessment” by Herman J. Boermans and Maxwell C.K. Leung.

Thank you to Price Choppers for doing the right thing and posting the notice that these pet foods contained elevated aflatoxin levels! You bothered to warn consumers that had already purchased these pet foods. That shows real concern and integrity in my book.

Iams, I would love to hear from you (I’m sure my readers would too) on just exactly what the ‘elevated levels of aflatoxin’ were. I will be glad to share your side of the story with everyone.

Two years ago, thousands of pet owners wrote and called their pet food companies asking to put an end to Silent Recalls. We asked all pet food manufacturers to participate in a program called Pet Food Recall First Alert; which meant the pet food manufacturer would agree to notify customers of any product pull or concern with a pet food. The following companies agreed…

Nature’s Logic Pet Food
Mulligan Stew Pet Food
The Honest Kitchen Pet Food
Wysong Pet Food
Complete Natural Nutrition
Solid Gold Pet Food
Dogswell Pet Food
Dr. Harvey’s Pet Food
Fromm Family Pet Foods
Redbarn Premium Pet Products
Canine Caviar
Kumpi Pet Foods
Raw Health Pet Food
Champion Pet Foods (Acana and Orijen)

Thank you to the above companies. Petsumers deserve to know if a pet food tests for elevated aflatoxin levels and any other possible health risk.

Silent recalls or product pulls are NOT good for anyone. Please – all pet food manufacturers – just stop for a moment and think about the pets and the families of those pets that might already be eating foods that you quietly remove from store shelves. Don’t those pets and those families deserve to know what is going on?

About the author: Susan Thixton is the publisher of TruthaboutPetFood.com. Dubbed The Caped Crusader for Safe Pet Food, she reports to a world of pet lovers the ‘truth’ behind the pet food label.

And in a final footnote to this story, I queried Price Chopper about the Iams “recall”, and received the following response earlier today:

“Thank you for your recent email.

For the most up to date information on the Iams recall, we would suggest you contact the manufacturer directly at 1-800-675-3849 or through their website at http://www.iams.com.”

If anyone has purchased one of the above Iams pet foods – same lot numbers, same UPC codes – please email Susan or post a comment below.

Chicken Jerky Pet Treat Alert

FDA is warning pet owners that chicken jerky products imported from China may be associated with the development of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs who have been fed the treats on a regular basis.

In the last 12 months, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has logged an increase in the number of complaints filed by dog owners and veterinarians.

FDA first reported a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products – also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats – in September 2007. The first illnesses were noted in 2006 (6 reports). The number of illness reports peaked in 2007 (156 reports), according to FDA Spokeswoman Laura Alvey, dipped to 41 incidents in 2008, and have fluctuated ever since.

In June 2011, the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association (CVMA) notified CVMA members by email that several veterinarians in Canada had reported dogs with Fanconi-like symptoms that could be associated with the consumption of chicken jerky treats manufactured in China. The email included the following warning:

Recently, several veterinarians in Ontario have reported cases of dogs that have been showing signs similar to Fanconi syndrome. All dogs in the reported cases had been fed chicken jerky treats that were manufactured in China.

Signs of Fanconi syndrome can include decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Blood tests may show increased urea nitrogen and creatinine. Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). The problem is that this can be confused with diabetes.

The CVMA also notified the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), which transmitted the advisory to US veterinarians. At the time of the notification (June 17, 2011), AVMA had not received any reports from its members of similar incidents of Fanconi-like syndrome associated with chicken jerky treats.

That situation has changed.

FDA has received a total of 70 reports of Fanconi-like syndrome associated with chicken jerky treats from pet owners and veterinarians so far this year – up from 54 reports in all of 2010. “FDA,” Ms. Alvey reported to me by email, “is actively investigating the matter and conducting analysis for multiple different chemical and microbiological contaminants. We have tested numerous samples of chicken jerky products for possible contaminants including melamine. The complaints received have been on various chicken jerky products but to date we have not detected any contaminants and therefore have not issued a recall or implicated any products. We are continuing to test and will notify the public if we find evidence of any contaminants.”

There does not appear to be any rhyme or reason to the source or timing of the reports – there is no indication that the problem is clustered in a particular state or region – or to the monthly number of complaints, Alvey reported in response to my questions. She suggests that part of the upsurge may be due to increased awareness on the part of US veterinarians and pet owners as a result of the Canadian advisory.

Alvey emphasizes that “no causal link” has been established between the illnesses and the consumption of chicken jerky products. No one has yet been able to find any component in the chicken jerky treats that could account for the illnesses. Nevertheless, at least one recent report offers epidemiological evidence that regular consumption of chicken jerky treats may be behind the illnesses. Veterinarians Hooper and Roberts, writing in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, described four illnesses in small-breed dogs. This is the Abstract of their published report (emphasis added):

Four small-breed dogs were diagnosed with acquired Fanconi syndrome. All dogs ate varying amounts of chicken jerky treats. All dogs were examined for similar clinical signs that included, but were not limited to, lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, and altered thirst and urination. The quantity of chicken jerky consumed could not be determined; however, based on the histories obtained, the chicken jerky treats were a significant part of the diet and were consumed daily by all dogs. Extensive diagnostic testing eliminated other causes of the observed clinical signs, such as urinary tract infection and rickettsial disease. Glucosuria in the face of euglycemia or hypoglycemia, aminoaciduria, and metabolic acidosis confirmed the diagnosis of Fanconi syndrome. All dogs received supportive care, including IV fluids, antibiotics, gastroprotectants, and oral nutritional supplements. Three dogs exhibited complete resolution of glucosuria, proteinuria, and the associated azotemia; however, one dog remained azotemic, resulting in a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.

There have been two prior clusters of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs. The 2007 cases were linked to melamine contamination of treats that were manufactured in China. And in 2009, a number of cases in Australia were linked to the consumption of chicken treats or dental chews made with corn, soy and rice.

FDA has published following information and advice for pet owners:

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Evanger’s “Muddy” Duck Story

In the latest twist to the duck tale, Susan Thixton, writing in Truth About Pet Food, reports the following clarification from Genetic ID, the third-party lab that tested Evanger’s Duck dog food:

“Genetic ID NA, Inc., the lab used by Evangers Pet Food, confirms the food tested was Grain Free Duck pet food – appearing to be the same food tested by the FDA.”

Susan adds that, as yet, she has been unable to obtain confirmation from FDA that the lot number of the Duck dog food tested by the agency matches the lot number tested by Genetic ID. Evanger claims that both FDA and Genetic ID tested samples from the same production lot of Grain Free Duck pet food.

Evanger’s web site contains the following update to their initial comments on FDA’s Warning Letter:

It has come to our attention that we used the term, “Super Premium Duck” in our response referencing the product that was tested. The product that was tested by both FDA and Evanger’s was “Grain Free Duck” in a 6 oz can, Lot #2401E02DK2. The term “Super Premium” refers to the Evanger’s line of food that the Grain Free Duck is categorized in. Again, both references refer to Evanger’s brand 6 oz duck can Lot #2401E02DK2.

For anyone who is curious about the lot numbering system used by Evanger, “24” refers to December; the third digit (in this case, “0”) represents the last digit of the year of production, meaning that the product in dispute was manufactured in December 2010 – just as Evanger indicated. “DK” – of course – identifies the product as duck. I have been unable to verify the meaning of the remainder of the lot code; I’m still waiting for an answer from Brett Sher on that. I suspect that the day of the month is identified by the pair of digits that follow the letter E.

Assuming that FDA and Genetic ID ran their analyses on samples from the identical batch, we are still left with a significant mystery; namely, how can two supposedly competent labs arrive at diametrically opposite test results using similar analytical methods on two samples from the same production batch?

Also, if FDA didn’t find any duck in the Grain-Free Duck product, what type of meat did they find instead?

I have been in touch with FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, and I am hoping for an answer to these questions in fairly short order. Please stay tuned.