The FDA is advising pet owners that recalled pet food may still be on the shelves in some stores. The agency is urging retailers across the country to be vigilant in removing all products associated with the pet food recall, which began on March 16, 2007.
To verify the effectiveness of the recall, FDA has conducted approximately 400 checks of retail stores across the country. Based on the checks, FDA believes most companies have removed the recalled product; however, some have not. FDA said it will continue to monitor retailers' efforts to remove these items from the shelves.
"FDA's priority is to make sure that cats and dogs have safe food to eat," said Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "Many of us are pet owners and animal lovers, and we want pet owners to feel assured that we are doing everything we can to make sure that all contaminated food is off the shelves."
Yesterday, Menu Foods and Nutro Products expanded their recalls of pet food.
Menu said its latest recall was prompted by reports from the US Food and Drug Administration about the presence of melamine in cans of cuts and gravy pet food produced in Menu Foods' Canadian production facility, Menu Foods said it undertook an accounting of all recalled wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc. to Menu Foods in the United States.
As the result of that review, Menu Foods said it has identified a single interplant transfer of the ChemNutra supplied wheat gluten, shipped from Menu Foods' plant in Emporia, Kansas, to its plant in Streetsville, Ontario. The wheat gluten was subsequently used in the production of pet food in December, 2006 and January, 2007, which is being recalled by Menu Foods.
The new varieties in the United States and Canada have been added to the recall list. The latest recall group is listed below, and a complete list of recalled products, including the new items can be reviewed at www.menufoods.com.
Nutro Products said it's ordering all its wet pet food product made with wheat gluten removed from store shelves -- regardless of production dates.
"Pet owners are fed up with confusing information regarding the Menu Foods recall," Dave Kravis, President and CEO of Nutro Products, stated in press release. "I had previously ordered a broader recall of affected products than what Menu Foods had suggested. Given this new information from Menu Foods, I have ordered all wet pet food products containing wheat gluten to be removed from store shelves. Our dry pet food is not made by Menu and remains unaffected by the recall."
Kravis said his company has also suspended all shipments to retail stores of Nutro's wet canned and pouch products that contain wheat gluten it's able to confirm their safety. He asked customers with the following Nutro wet pet food products (which are made by Menu Foods and contain wheat gluten) regardless of "best by date," to immediately stop feeding the products to their pets:
- All Cat Pouch Food Products
- Listed Cat 3.0 oz can products
- All Dog Pouch Food Products
- Listed Dog 12.5 oz Canned Products
Kravis said Menu Foods' recall does not include Nutro's dry pet food. Nutro's dry pet foods are not produced by that Canadian company and do not contain wheat gluten. Nutro's dry pet foods, biscuits and treats, are not involved in the recall and remain safe for pets to eat, Kravis said.
Menu Foods, he added, only manufactures wet, canned and pouch products for Nutro.
Menu Foods Update
| Brand | Look For This Date On The Bottom of Can or Back of Pouch | Variety Description | Can / Pouch | UPC |
| Americas Choice, Preferred Pet | Jan/2/10 | Flaked Tuna 3oz | Can | 54807-59114 |
| Your Pet | Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 72036-29026 |
| Nov/06/09 | Sliced Variety Pack 3oz | Can | 72036-40013 | |
| Pet Pride | Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 11110-86264 |
| Nov 06 09 | Sliced Variety Pack 3oz | Can | 11110-86003 | |
| Laura Lynn | Jan/2/10 | Flaked Tuna 3oz | Can | 86854-02407 |
| Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 86854-02406 | |
| Nutriplan | Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 41130-06755 |
| Price Chopper | Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 41735-12828 |
| Publix | Jan/2/10 | Flaked Tuna 3oz | Can | 41415-08327 |
| Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 41415-08827 | |
| Stop & Shop Companion | Jan/2/10 | Flaked Tuna 3oz | Can | 88267-00286 |
| Winn Dixie | Dec/19/09 | Sliced Beef/Gravy 3oz | Can | 21140-19419 |
| J.E. Mondou | Jan/2/10 | Flaked Tuna 85g | Can | 71127-54202 |
| Medi-Cal | Jan/8/09 | Dissolution Formula 170g | Can | 70705-21280 |
| Nutro Products | All Dates | Chicken Cacciatore 3oz | Can | 79105-35205 |
| All Dates | Orleans Seafood Jambalaya 3oz | Can | 79105-35206 | |
| All Dates | Beef Ragout 3oz | Can | 79105-35207 | |
| All Dates | Alaskan Halibut/Rice 3oz | Can | 79105-35221 | |
| All Dates | Kitten Chicken/Lamb 3oz | Can | 79105-35202 | |
| All Dates | California Chicken 3oz | Can | 79105-30011 | |
| All Dates | Lamb/Turkey Cutlets 3oz | Can | 79105-30014 | |
| All Dates | Salmon/Whitefish 3oz | Can | 79105-30013 | |
| All Dates | Beef/Egg 3oz | Can | 79105-30015 | |
| All Dates | Turkey/Chicken Liver 3oz | Can | 79105-30016 | |
| All Dates | Seafood/Tomato/Bisque 3oz | Can | 79105-30017 | |
| All Dates | Hunters Stew with Duck 3oz | Can | 79105-30018 | |
| All Dates | Hunters Stew with Venison 3oz | Can | 79105-30019 |
