Updated Info on Food Recall

[Ilghaus]

Natural Balance recall

Natural Balance pet food recalled
By Julie Schmit and Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY

The industrial chemical melamine has been found in more pet food, and suspicion is falling on a second pet-food ingredient imported from China as the source of the contamination.

Natural Balance Pet Foods said Tuesday it found melamine in samples of some of its food, which led to a recall. The company suspects melamine was in a rice protein concentrate used as an ingredient, said President Joey Herrick in an interview.

Melamine is the chief suspect related to the Menu Foods recall, first announced four weeks ago for more than 60 million cans and pouches of wet dog and cat food. The melamine in Menu's products was in wheat gluten imported from China and sold to Menu and several other pet-food makers, which also did recalls.

The rice protein concentrate was imported from China by San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis. Herrick says the concentrate, which is being tested, is suspected to have melamine, as it was the only new ingredient. Recalled Natural Balance products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and dry dog foods, dog treats and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.

Wilbur-Ellis CEO John Thacher said his company sold the concentrate to five pet-food makers, but that most of it went to two firms. One of the primary companies was Diamond Pet Foods, which packs some of the Natural Balance product but doesn't use the concentrate in any Diamond-made foods, says Diamond spokesman Jim Fallon. The other major customer, which Thacher would not name, tested the rice protein and found no melamine, Thacher says. Natural Balance's rice protein concentrate is mixed with venison meal, Thacher says.

Natural Balance has received about 10 reports of sick pets, mostly dogs, since Thursday, Herrick says. It started testing the foods Friday, when it also asked retailers to pull the products. As in the Menu recall, some of the pets developed kidney failure, Natural says.

Natural Balance was co-founded in 1989 by actor Dick Van Patten, according to the company's website.

The Food and Drug Administration offered no comment Tuesday. It said Monday that Natural Balance had informed the agency of the issue. Thacher says it told the FDA on Sunday that it had detected melamine in some rice protein concentrate imported from China about a week ago. Wilbur-Ellis has ceased importing the ingredient from the Chinese firm, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, Thacher says.

Along with Diamond, pet-food makers Nestlé Purina PetCare and Procter & Gamble said Tuesday that they don't use rice protein concentrate in their foods.

No other Natural Balance products include the ingredient, the company says.

Melamine is not allowed in human or pet food. It is an industrial chemical used in plastics worldwide and also sometimes as a fertilizer in Asia, the FDA says.

While melamine is not highly toxic, the FDA is investigating whether it, or something related to it, is responsible for pet deaths in the Menu recall.

Updated 27m ago

[Ilghaus]

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

Contact:
Consumer Inquiries:
(800) 829-4493
Media Inquiries:
Daniel Bernstein
310-275-0777

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Pacoima, CA -- April 17, 2007-- Natural Balance, Pacoima, CA, is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall for all of its Venison dog products and the dry Venison cat food only, regardless of date codes. The recalled products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. Recent laboratory results show that the products contain melamine. We believe the source of the melamine is a rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance has confirmed this morning that some production batches of these products may contain melamine.

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints received by Natural Balance involving a small number of cats and dogs that developed kidney failure after eating the affected product.

Dogs or cats who have consumed the suspect food and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should be seen by a veterinarian. We recommend our customers immediately stop feeding our recalled venison products regardless of date code and return unused product to their retailer for a full refund.

The products are packaged in bags, cans and zip lock treat bags and sold in pet specialty stores and PetCo nationally.
No other Natural Balance products are involved in this voluntary recall as none of our other formulas include the rice protein concentrate.

Although the problems seem to be focused on a particular production period of the venison products, over the last four days we have notified our distributors and retailers by phone and e-mail to immediately stop selling and return all recalled Venison dog foods and treats and the Venison dry cat food. Venison canned cat food is not involved.

The source of the melamine appears to be a rice protein concentrate, which was recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination.

None of Natural Balance’s other dry formulas, none of our other canned or roll products and none of our other treats are involved with this voluntary recall.

We continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-829-4493 or email info@naturalblanceinc.com.

[SistaHelen]

WARNING ON RICE PROTEN/RICE GLUTEN

Another ingredient imported from China for use in pet food is now causing concern.

From DogAware:
Information on Pet Food Recall
Do not feed ANY dry food, canned food, or treats that contain wheat gluten or rice protein (rice gluten)!

Natural Balance has recalled their Venison and Brown Rice dry food, canned food and treats for dogs (as well as their Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula) after receiving reports that it caused vomiting and kidney problems in a few dogs. This product does not contain wheat gluten, but they suspect that a rice protein concentrate ( http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-04-17-premium-pet-food-recalled_N.htm )used in these foods was also contaminated with melamine.

http://www.dogaware.com/

Okay TJ, now I'm concerned.  What constitutes "rice protein?"  The main food in Charlie's mix (Nutro Ultra) contains whole brown rice and rice bran.  But the Hundenflocken has brown rice and rice bran as well.  Help?

Once I get settled in Colorado, I'll start adding the Hundenflocken to my combination and build it up to the main component.

[Ilghaus]

Brown rice and rice bran are fine.  Rice protein (rice gluten) is a product made through an enzyme action.  It is not the rice protein itself that is in question, but the source and what they put into it. Again the suspect product is made in China -- at this time I do not know if it is the same place that made the wheat gluten of the other recall. This product will be labled "rice protein" right there on the ingredient list. And not all rice protein is being watched at this time but only that from this one source.

[SistaHelen]

excellent.  Thank you  :cheesy:

[SistaHelen]

Heartgard Chewables and Pill Pockets both contain wheat gluten.  The wheat gluten in Pill Pockets comes from the United States and not from the contaminated source, and S&M NuTec reports Pill Pockets (and Greenies) are safe.  Merial (Heartgard) reports that they did not obtain gluten from the suspect source, but are "examining the products to confirm the absence of any contaminants."

[Ilghaus]

Blue Buffalo Company Recall
http://bluebuff.com/#

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Voluntary Recall of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food

Dear Pet Parents:

The Blue Buffalo Company has undertaken a voluntary recall on one production run of our Spa Select Kitten dry food. The production code on the recalled product is:

"Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B."

We have taken this action because the rice protein concentrate used for this one production run was obtained from Wilbur-Ellis, the same company who supplied this ingredient to Natural Balance. Test results received late last evening (4/18) indicated that this rice protein concentrate tested positive for melamine. This is the first and only time our manufacturing partner sourced an ingredient from Wilbur-Ellis, and we had no knowledge that they had imported the ingredients from China.

We have advised the FDA of this finding and will be working closely with them on this issue.

Of the 5,044 bags produced in this one run, we were able to prevent the majority from ever entering retail distribution. We are working closely with our retail partners to remove this product immediately and will be re-stocking the shelves with Spa Select Kitten dry food that was produced without any rice protein sourced from Wilbur-Ellis as soon as possible.

If you currently have a bag of Spa Select Kitten dry food, please check the code date and if it matches the one shown above discontinue use immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If your cat has eaten any of the recalled food, please call your veterinarian immediately to discuss if there are any risks to your pet.

Should you have a specific question call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-919-2833 or email us at info@bluebuff.com. We understand your desire for immediate answers and we will be working to get back to you as quickly as we can.

No other Spa Select cat food or dog food, canned or dry, is included in this recall.

As a family owned company whose reason for being is to provide cats and dogs with the highest quality natural foods, we are extremely upset by this recall and can't begin to apologize enough to our customers. From our perspective, it is unacceptable to produce even one bag of food with the potential to cause a pet to become ill, and we will further tighten our ingredient sourcing and quality assurance procedures as a result of this incident.

Sincerely,

Bill Bishop
President
The Blue Buffalo Company

[Ilghaus]

Royal Canin recall
http://www.royalcanin.us/

April 19, 2007

Dear Royal Canin USA Customer,

It is with sincere regret that I inform you of a new and unfortunate development with some of our pet food products.

Although we have no confirmed cases of illness in pets, we have decided to voluntarily remove the following dry pet food products that contain rice protein concentrate due to the presence of a melamine derivative. 

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)

Dry Dog Food
- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET™ (available only in veterinary clinics)

Dry Dog Food
- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™
- Canine Skin Support SS21™

Dry Cat Food
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected.

Pet owners should immediately stop feeding their pets the Royal Canin USA dry pet food products listed above. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet. No other Royal Canin diets are affected by this recall and CONTINUE TO BE safe for pets to eat.

In addition, Royal Canin USA will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of our vegetable proteins. 

This decision to recall some of our dry pet food products is driven by our philosophy that the “Pet Comes First”. The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is Royal Canin USA’s top priority. Pet owners who have questions about this recall and other Royal Canin USA products should call 1-800-592-6687.

On behalf of the entire Royal Canin family, our hearts go out to the pet owners and everyone in the pet community who have been affected by all of the recent recalls.  We are as passionate about the health and happiness of our customers’ pets as we are of our own, so we are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.

Sincerely,

Olivier Amice
President and CEO
Royal Canin USA

[magolin]

Oh !  I use Blue Buffalo cat food as training treats for Diesel!  I haven't given him the specific one listed, but I guess that's going in the trash now...

[SistaHelen]

April 23, 2007


Dear Nutro Customers,

We know many of you have questions about the FDA's latest reports that melamine was found in rice protein concentrate (also referred to as rice gluten). We want to address those concerns as well as provide you with information on our use of corn gluten, which we include in some of our pet foods as an ingredient in the form of corn gluten meal.

Our customers have also brought to our attention confusion that has been caused by the media in reporting the new recall of some Natural Balance pet foods.  Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. is not in any way affiliated with Nutro Products nor Nutro's Natural Choice®, MAX® or Ultra™ brands.   

I hope the following information is helpful in clearing up any confusion you may have.

Regarding Rice Protein Concentrate:

(1) Nutro uses rice protein concentrate in some of its products because it provides an important source of protein for pets, especially for those with digestive sensitivities and allergies.

(2) Independent laboratory tests have confirmed that the rice protein concentrate (also known as rice gluten) used in Nutro's pet foods does not contain melamine.

(3) It has been reported that the Natural Balance recall is focused on products containing rice protein concentrate provided by Wilbur-Ellis Company.  Nutro has NEVER purchased or used rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis Company in any of our pet foods.

Regarding Corn Gluten:

(1) Nutro uses corn gluten meal in some of its pet foods because it is a source of sulfur amino acids, which are important for skin and coat health.  Corn gluten meal also helps as a natural urine acidifier that is important for both cats and dogs.

(2) All of the corn gluten meal that Nutro uses in its products is produced in the United States.

Nutro customers may check Nutro's website (www.nutroproducts.com) or contact our Consumer Hotline -- (800) 833-5330 -- for further information about our products.  We will continue to post updated information on our website and our customer service representatives are working diligently to respond to each and every call and email personally.

We understand that the pet food recall has caused continued confusion and frustration and we are doing everything we can to provide you with the information you need about our products.  We will continue to keep you updated.
 

[Ilghaus]

Drs. Foster & Smith Food Recall

Quote:
Drs. Fosters & Smith Products Recalled Due to Rice Protein
Another pet food maker — Drs. Fosters & Smith — is issuing a recall due to the use of Wilbur-Ellis rice protein (scroll down their page to view the notice).

The recalled products are:

Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Dog Food
Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Cat Food
Oddly, the manufacturer says they received the recall advice today from Wilbur-Ellis, not last week as we have heard.

Rice protein concentrate has been indicated as a possible source of melamine recently found in pet food products. As a precautionary measure Wilbur-Ellis company, the supplier of rice protein concentrate, is voluntarily recalling all lots of rice protein concentrate. We received notification from the manufacturer today, April 25, 2007, suggesting we issue a precautionary recall.

Full recall notice after the jump.

(Thanks Patti)


Precautionary Rice Protein Recall: Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Dog and Adult Dry Lite Cat Food

Rice protein concentrate has been indicated as a possible source of melamine recently found in pet food products. As a precautionary measure Wilbur-Ellis company, the supplier of rice protein concentrate, is voluntarily recalling all lots of rice protein concentrate. We received notification from the manufacturer today, April 25, 2007, suggesting we issue a precautionary recall.

Two of our products: Adult Lite Dry Dog (Item #’s 14178, 14179, 14180, 14262, 14263) and Adult Lite Dry Cat foods (Item #’s 12855, 12856, 13864, 13865) contain rice protein concentrate. Only the Adult Lite Dry Dog and Adult Lite Dry Cat foods contain rice protein concentrate.

Preliminary test results for melamine contamination have been negative. Final test results from the FDA are expected within two weeks. Please check the Adult Lite Dry Dog food or the Adult Lite Dry Cat food product pages on the DrsFosterSmith.com website for any updates.

If your pet has consumed either the Adult Lite Dry Dog food or the Adult Lite Dry Cat food and shows signs of illness (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting), you should consult with your veterinarian immediately.


For the rest of the article
http://www.itchmo.com/read/drs-fosters-smith-products-recalled_20070425#more-511

[SistaHelen]

April 27, 2007 – Yesterday, a number of pet food companies announced recalls of pet food products reportedly tied to a pet food manufacturer, American Nutrition, Inc. and rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis Company. We want to assure our customers that American Nutrition does not manufacture anything for Nutro Products and that Nutro does not obtain rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis. None of Nutro's pet foods are connected with these latest recalls.

Among the companies announcing recalls yesterday, April 26, was Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. Natural Balance is not in any way affiliated with Nutro Products nor Nutro's Natural Choice®, MAX® or Ultra™ brands.

For more information about Nutro's pet foods and/or answers to any questions you may have, please go to www.nutroproducts.com or contact Nutro's Customer Service representatives 1-800-833-5330.
 
 
Copyright ©2007Nutro Products, Inc. All rights reserved. 

[Kirsten]

Two more foods added to recall list:

Western Family Canada Chunks of Chicken/Gravy canned cat
food dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (374g)

Western Family Canada Chicken Cuts/Gravy canned dog food
dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (624g)

[Kirsten]

"Nutra Nuggets" is recalling their 40 pound
Lamb Meal and Rice Dry Formula for Dogs. The contaminated
batch's product code is #NLR0404 and the Best Buy dates
are October 9-10, 2008. Tests on a bag of Nutra Nuggets
brand dog food purchased from Costco tested positive for
melamine.