Apr 27, 2007 10:17 am US/Eastern
N.Y. Pet Food Company Issues Voluntary Recall
SHERBURNE, N.Y. (CBS/AP) ―
Companies in Missouri and New York have started voluntarily recalling pet foods manufactured with shipments of possibly tainted rice protein concentrate.
Diamond Pet Foods, of Meta, Mo., said it was withdrawing a limited number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition, a pet food plant in Utah that received potentially contaminated rice protein concentrate from China.
The recall was limited to 13 ounce cans of Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Puppy Formula and 51/2-ounce cans of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Kitten Formula.
No other Diamond brand or Chicken Soup brand canned or dry pet food formulas were affected by the American Nutrition recall, the company said.
The company said it had received no reports of stricken pets.
Chenango Valley Pet Foods also issued a recall after its supplier, Wilbur-Ellis Co. of San Francisco, said some of the rice protein concentrate it shipped may be contaminated with melamine. Melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, may lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed.
The pet foods were sold to customers in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, who in turn sold the products to their customers through catalog mail orders or retail outlets.
The following dry pet foods are involved in the recall:
--Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food. It was sold in containers with net weights of 5, 12.5 and 25 lbs. with code dates best used by Jan. 24, 2009, Feb. 8, 2009, Feb. 26, 2009, April 10, 2009, and April 17, 2009.
--Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Cat Food. It was sold in containers with net weights of 3 and 7 lbs. with a code date of best used by March 13, 2009.
--Lick Your Chops Lamb Meal, Rice & Egg Cat Food in packages with a net weight of 4 lbs. and a code date best used by April 29, 2008.
--Bulk Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food sold to one consignee, SmartPak, in a 2,000-pound tote with a ship date of Feb. 9, 2007.
No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. Pet owners who purchased the products should immediately discontinue using them and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund, company officials said. Pet owners also are advised to consult with a veterinarian if any health concerns with their pets arise.
Consumers with questions may contact the company at: 610-821-0608.
Also, SmartPak Canine is voluntarily recalling a batch of its LiveSmart-Weight Management Formula dog food because rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis was used in the product. SmartPak said only 45 pet owners received shipments of the affected product, all have been contacted, and there have been no reports of pets becoming ill.
The company said the following LiveSmart formulas do not contain either of the ingredients affected in the recall (rice protein concentrate or wheat gluten) and remain available for sale in portion paks: LiveSmart Adult-Chicken and Brown Rice; LiveSmart Senior-Chicken and Brown Rice; LiveSmart Puppy-Chicken and Brown Rice; and LiveSmart Adult-Lamb and Brown Rice.
Overall, pet food companies have recalled more than 100 brands of cat and dog food since the first reports of animal deaths a little over a month ago.
Investigators have found melamine in at least two imported Chinese vegetable proteins used to make pet foods. The chemical may have been used to skew analyses that measured the protein content of the ingredients, wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate.
China said Thursday it has banned melamine from food products after the chemical was found in exports of vegetable protein shipped to the United States, but rejected it as the cause of dozens of pet deaths in North America.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials say they suspect the substance, which is a chemical found in plastics and pesticides, is to blame.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
