Dog Food Meat Supplier Aces Inspection; Investigation Ongoing

Questions remain on source of euthanasia drug in Evanger’s and Against the Grain pet food

The Food and Drug Administration has completed its investigation into the supplier that furnished meat used in recalled canned dog food that was found to contain the animal euthanasia drug pentobarbital.

As yet unidentified, the supplier provides meat used in Evanger’s brand Hunk of Beef and Nutripack’s Against the Grain Pulled Beef brand dog foods, both of which are under recall. At least five dogs have required medical treatment and one died.

The FDA determined that the supplier appears to “… have systems in place to ensure that euthanized animals are segregated from animal protein going for animal food use,” an agency spokesperson said Thursday.

An FDA Form 483 Inspectional Observations report, however, will not be issued because such reports are only filed when investigators note deficiencies, which they did not do regarding the supplier for Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co.

Such animal protein meat suppliers are regulated by FDA and may also be subject to state jurisdiction, depending on the state in which they are located. No sub-agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over this industry sector.

USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) oversees slaughterhouses and meat processors that produce meat for human consumption. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has no involvement in meat inspection at all, except for assisting suppliers with export certifications if they are exporting to other countries, according to a spokesperson for APHIS.

In a Feb. 19 letter addressed to “Dear Pet Parents” and posted on the Evanger’s web site, the company described its supplier as “USDA-APHIS inspected.” Staff from APHIS are now working with Evanger’s to clarify its authority, according to the APHIS spokesperson.

On Feb. 21, Evanger’s notified its customers that an independent test of the contents of a can of Hunk of Beef revealed the presence of horse and cow DNA in the product. The Sher family, which owns Evanger’s and Nutripack, cast blame on the meat supplier for the pentobarbital adulteration.

This is in contrast to FDA’s report that cans of Hunk of Beef obtained from the owner of the sickened dogs and from the retail location where the pet food was purchased contained beef. No Against the Grain samples were tested for species identification.

The cans of Hunk of Beef pet food were examined by a USDA-FSIS lab at FDA’s request. According to the test protocol, available on the FSIS website, the contents of a can of food would have been minced or diced and thoroughly mixed before analysis to ensure that the portion used for testing was representative of the entire can.

When asked to comment on the apparent discrepancy between Evanger’s independent DNA test result and the results reported by FSIS, a spokesperson for USDA-FSIS said the government did find trace amounts of pig and horse in the dog food.

“Although this was not an FSIS regulated-product, FDA requested that FSIS conduct speciation testing for Evanger’s Hunk of Beef dog food product,” the spokesperson said. “FSIS was contacted by FDA after they had determined that the Pentobarbital dog food product was adulterated with Pentobarbital. Agency speciation testing confirmed that the adulterated product was bovine (beef). Trace amounts of pork and equine were also found, but both were less than 2 percent and therefore not reportable.”

These trace amounts are consistent with incidental cross-contamination that can occur when meat from different species are processed on the same production line. The trace amounts of pig and horse do not explain the source of the pentobarbital-adulterated meat in the Hunk of Beef and Against the Grain dog foods.

The investigation so far

In a Feb. 17 consumer advisory, the FDA cautioned the public not to feed the recalled Evanger’s and Against the Grain canned dog food products to their pets. The products in question were recalled on Feb. 3 and Feb. 9 by Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company Inc. and Against the Grain, respectively, after pentobarbital was confirmed in samples of both products.

In conjunction with the advisory, FDA released two Form 483 Inspectional Observation reports. The reports detailed the conditions found by inspectors during visits to Evanger’s production facility in Wheeling, IL, and to the facility belonging to Nutripack LLC in Markham, IL.

On Feb. 21, Evanger’s notified its customers that the company was planning to expand the recall of Evanger’s and Against the Grain pet foods to include all outstanding production of Hunk of Beef, Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy, and Against the Grain Pulled Beef. Company officials told FDA they expect to release the official announcement of the expanded recall by the end of this week.

Kosher for animal use

In addition to marketing its pet foods as “human grade” and made with “USDA-inspected meats,” Evanger’s, citing an endorsement from the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), promotes many of its products as “Kosher for Animal Use.”

A spokesperson for the cRc said the endorsement doesn’t mean the pet food is kosher in the traditional sense, but does mean certain expectations are met.

“When we provide a kosher endorsement we expect not only that all kosher laws are observed, but that the company acts in an ethical manner. While we cannot comment directly on this incident, we call upon all companies to maintain the highest standards of business,” the cRc spokesperson explained.

“Also, please be aware that Evanger’s’ products are NOT kosher in the regular sense. It is not kosher to consume, for anyone that observes kosher. It is endorsed by the cRc to feed it to one’s pet. Now animals of kosher observant individuals are not required to observe kosher — or any other commandment.

“The issue, and reason for the cRc endorsement, is that there are a few foods that not only may not be eaten by someone that is kosher observant, but one may also not derive any tangible benefit from them. An example would be leavened bread — Chometz — on Passover. It is those foods that a kosher observant person may not serve to their pets. The cRc endorses certain Evanger’s’ products that they are free from this concern, i.e. they do not contain any foods that a kosher observant person may not derive benefit from. It is for this reason that we do not allow Evanger’s to use the cRc standard kosher logo, to differentiate it from a standard kosher product.”

The cRc spokesperson further clarified that the presence of non-kosher species such as horse meat or pork would not be a concern in pet food.

Unanswered question

The FDA investigation into the Evanger’s case is still open and active. FDA has reviewed the customer list for the meat supplier and is in the process of following up as appropriate, according to a spokesperson.

While it may be comforting to the meat supplier’s other customers to learn that FDA found no deficiencies during the course of the recent inspection, the results leave a major question unanswered: Where did the pentobarbital-contaminated meat come from?

FDA continues to encourage consumers to report problems with Evanger’s products through the Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting a Consumer Complaint Coordinator. Please retain empty cans or partially used cans of food to facilitate collection of specific lot number information. Additional information is available on the FDA web page, How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.

This article first appeared on Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Evanger’s Blames Supplier, FDA, for Pentobarbital in Dog Food

FDA says beef suppliers are not registered; Evanger’s hints at expanded recall

Breaking news: Evanger’s reveals presence of horse DNA in its Hunk of Beef dog food in a Wednesday letter to its customers. The company will recall all of its Hunk of Beef, Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy and Against the Grain Pulled Beef. The formal recall announcement will be issued this week.

Consumer complaints continue as the FDA digs deeper into operations at Evanger’s pet food after discovering evidence that none of the company’s meat suppliers are registered with USDA. Evanger’s owners blamed their suppliers and the FDA in the wake of findings that their dog food contains a barbiturate used to euthanize animals.

At least one dog has died and at least four others required medical attention after eating Hunk of Beef canned dog food from Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company Inc., which is owned by the Sher family. Evanger’s and Nutripack LLC, another pet food company owned by members of the same family, have recalled certain lots of certain flavors of their canned dog food.

“The guilty party has turned out to be one of our most trusted meat suppliers. A USDA-APHIS inspected supplier who we had done business with for over 40 years, and whose plant we had visited numerous times over the years,” said Evanger’s owners Holly and Joel Sher in an online statement posted Sunday. “We have taken it upon ourselves to lead the campaign to force the FDA to put an end to allowing drugs like pentobarbital to enter the raw material stream and contaminate our pets’ food and endanger their lives.”

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration do not agree with the company’s contention that the agency is responsible for the pet food being contaminated.

“The detection of pentobarbital in pet food renders the product adulterated in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Therefore, it is not acceptable to use animals euthanized with a chemical substance in pet or animal foods,” an FDA spokesperson said Tuesday.

“It is the responsibility of the animal protein ingredient suppliers to implement practices at their facilities to ensure that euthanized animals are either not accepted at the facility, or to determine how they died and ensure euthanized animals are segregated from animal protein going for animal food use.

“Further, it is the responsibility of the pet food manufacturer to ensure that the food they produce is safe for consumption and properly labeled. One way that a manufacturer can do this is by taking steps to verify the identity and safety of the ingredients they receive from their suppliers.”

During the course of their investigation, FDA inspectors discovered a bill of lading from Evanger’s supplier, which listed “Inedible Hand Deboned Beef – For Pet Food Use Only. Not Fit For Human Consumption.”

While FDA cannot reveal the identity of the supplier, an agency spokesperson described it as one that, “…provides materials from animals that are not fit for the human food supply, for a variety of reasons.”

Evanger’s sources the meat for its pet food from more than one supplier. According to the FDA spokesperson, the agency’s “… preliminary assessment indicates that none of these suppliers are USDA-FSIS registered facilities.”

Those findings are in direct contrast to statements from Evanger’s and Nutripack LLC about their pet foods, which they say are made with human-grade food. FDA inspectors also found incomplete information on Evanger’s brand and Nutripack’s Against the Grain brand production records.

According to FDA, inspectors were unable to determine from company records whether any of the beef that was used in the recalled Evanger’s and Against the Grain production lots was also used in any other products. In a letter to its customers released Feb. 21, Evanger’s indicated the recall could be expanded to include all products containing chunk beef, “out of an abundance of caution.”

The investigation so far

In a Friday consumer advisory, the FDA cautioned the public not to feed the recalled Evanger’s and Against the Grain canned dog food products to their pets. The products in question were recalled on Feb. 3 and Feb. 9 by Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company Inc. and Against the Grain, respectively, after pentobarbital was confirmed in samples of both products.

In conjunction with the advisory, FDA released two Inspectional Observation reports — Form 483 reports — which detailed the conditions found by the agency’s inspectors during visits to Evanger’s production facility in Wheeling, IL, and to the facility belonging to Nutripack LLC in Markham, IL.

The Wheeling operation had last been inspected by FDA in November 2012. According to a spokesperson with FDA, the Illinois Department of Agriculture performed an inspection in 2016 and classified the Wheeling facility as ‘No Action Indicated.’ However, the plant was not operating at the time, and the inspector was unable to observe the normal day-to-day activities. Nutripack had not been inspected either by the state or by the FDA prior to February 2017.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the federal agency tasked with oversight and inspection of slaughterhouses and meat processing operations. To be deemed “Fit for Human Consumption,” any meat that enters interstate commerce must have been produced under USDA-FSIS supervision. Slaughterhouses and meat processing operations that do not engage in interstate commerce come under the supervision of the department of agriculture in their home state.

Evanger’s is a private company, incorporated in Illinois. Its President and Agent of Record is Holly Sher, who owns the business together with her husband, Joel Sher.

Nutripack is a Limited Liability Company registered in Illinois. Its Agent of Record is Brett Sher, son of Joel and Holly Sher. Nutripack is managed by Sher Services Company Inc. Joel A. Sher is both the agent of record and the president of Sher Services, while Holly Sher is the secretary. The Against the Grain trademark is registered to Chelsea Sher, daughter of Joel and Holly Sher. Chelsea Sher also is listed as Secretary of Evanger’s.

In their online letter Sunday, the Sher family’s reference to their supplier having been “USDA-APHIS inspected” suggests they may not understand what agencies have jurisdiction over their pet food operations.

According to the USDA website the primary role of APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) in the U.S. food safety network of agencies “is to protect against plant and animal pests and diseases. APHIS also administers the Animal Welfare Act and carries out wildlife damage management activities.”

On the other hand, according to USDA, the FSIS is “responsible for ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of meat, poultry, and processed egg products and ensures that it is accurately labeled.”

As its investigation continues, FDA reports it has received additional complaints from consumers who fed Evanger’s Hunk of Beef to their dogs, in some cases exclusively.

As consumers tend to throw out or recycle empty cans, obtaining specific lot number information has been difficult. The agency continues to encourage consumers to report problems with Evanger’s products through the Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting a Consumer Complaint Coordinator. Additional information is available on the FDA web page, How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.

This story first appeared on Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Recalls and Alerts: February 16 – 18, 2017

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

Allergy Alert: Chapis Spice & Tea (Los Angeles, CA) recalls various Chapis brand Bread Crumbs due to possible presence of undeclared wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts or soybean. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products, all of which were distributed through retail stores in Los Angeles and adjacent cities in Los Angeles County.

Allergy Alert: Licata Enterprises (Huntington Beach, CA) recalls The Supreme One/Theravits 100 multiple vitamin (all lots) due to undeclared fish oils and other labelling issues. The recalled products were distributed in Southern California, Ohio and Pennsylvania through health food stores, and also sold in Wyoming, Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Texas.

Allergy Alert: Ditos (Anchorage, Alaska) recalls Heart Plastic Platter Strawberries w/ Dip with Chocolate Frosting 32oz, and Heart Plastic Platter Mixed Fruit w/ Dip with Chocolate Frosting 40oz (Use by dates: 02/14/2017, 02/15/2017, 02/16/2017, 02/19/2017) due to undeclared soy and/or milk. The product was sold at seven Walmart stores in Debarr, Dimond, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Kenai, Midtown, and Wasilla.

Allergy Alert: Price Chopper recalls Market 32 Elegant Dessert Apple Crumb Tart (5.5 oz) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Biery Cheese Company recalls various specialty Longhorn Colby cheeses due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed between November 11, 2016 and January 4, 2017 to distribution centers in Georgia, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of products.

Food Safety Recall: Saputo Inc. recalls certain Great Midwest brand Applewood Smoked Gouda cheese (Sell by MAY 22 17) and Dutchmark brand Pasteurized Processed Smoked Gouda cheese (Best when used by 11-18-17) that may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: Sargento Foods Inc. (Plymouth, WI) expands its earlier recall to include additional products and production dates due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes that originated from the facility of its supplier, Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC. Sargento also has terminated its relationship with the supplier. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Schlabach Branch, recalls various cheeses and cheese-containing items due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected items.

Food Safety Recall: Hallmark Management Services, Inc. (Columbus, OH) expands its February 2, 2017 recall to include approximately 11.25 pounds of additional Chicken Tikka Masala that was produced without the benefit of inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details.

Food Safety Recall: Papa John’s Salads & Produce recalls Colby Cheese Half Moon, Colby Jack Cheese Half Moon, Monterey Jack Cheese Half Moon and Pepper Jack Half Moon (Use by dates for all products: 1/10/17 through 5/9/17), because the products contain cheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were sold in Fry’s and Smith’s stores.

Food Safety Recall: Index Fresh recalls Index Fresh Avocados (UPC 76101-40154; Pack date 2/13/17; 4ct. bag) because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled avocados were sold in Ralphs stores.

Food Safety Recall: Meijer recalls Ham Sub on Artisan White Baguette (UPC 7-13733-76499-5; various expiration dates from 11/2/2016 through 12/30/2016) because the product contains cheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: GraceKennedy Foods recalls La Fe Papa Criolla Yellow Potatoes (14 oz; All date codes) due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold at Stop & Shop stores.

Food Safety Notice: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has closed some shellfish harvesting beds in Beaufort County due to a sewer overflow.

Food Safety Notice: Oregon has closed recreational and commercial mussel harvesting from Cape Arago, south of Coos Bay, to the California border, due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins. Coastal scallops are not affected when only the adductor muscle is eaten.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Figues et Romarin (Blainville, QC) recalls Minestrone Soup (500 mL and 1 L sizes) due to undeclared wheat.

Europe

Allergy Alert (UK): Poundstretcher recalls Chocolate Crème Oreos (176g; pkg of 4; Best before April, May, July and August 2017) due to undeclared wheat and milk.

Allergy Alert (Northern Ireland): Heatons recalls a consignment of Toblerones (100g; Best before 8 September 2017; Batch code 00Y4062333) due to undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall: Morrisons recalls Ready to Eat Peppered Beef Slices (150g; Use by 21 February 2017) because Listeria monocytogenes was found in the product.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall website.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains

**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

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The investigation so far

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