A Recent Slew of Pet Food Recalls

Pet food recalls are reaching another all-time high.

Many pet parents are now wondering how to cope with the possibility that they might be feeding Fido or Boots contaminated food. Even premium pet food companies like the Amarillo, Texas based Merrick Pet Care are experiencing problems from that pesky bacteria known as Salmonella. In a July 6, 2010 notification from the FDA’s Vet Tech Institute division an alert was emailed out about Merrick Pet Care’s recall of Beef Filet Squares treats for dogs in the 10 oz. bag (item #60016, Lot # 10084TL7) with a Best By March 21, 2012 expiration date. The recall involves 86 cases of possibly contaminated dog treats. In another instance, the United Pet Group of Cincinnati, Ohio voluntarily expanded its recall of nutritional supplements for dogs and cats due to the same possible Salmonella health risk. If that weren’t enough, Feline’s Pride of Buffalo, New York has issued a voluntary recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Raw Food for cats and kittens.

What exactly is the problem with the pet food industry? And why has Salmonella become so prevalent in pet food?

For the answer let’s look at the source of Salmonella. This hardy (dare I say, indestructible?) bacteria lives in the intestines of animals. Most animal feed contains parts of slaughtered animals and these parts include intestines. As a matter of fact, the AAFCO does not even require that an animal is slaughtered in the traditional way to become part of your pet’s food. The process known as rendering allows for any animal parts, regardless of the type of animal, to enter your pet’s food chain. In the AAFCO’s Q & A regarding pet food regulations the reply to question 4 is, “Animal by-products which may include materials from animals which died by means other than slaughter are explicitly defined as adulterated unless* the materials are rendered in compliance with animal health and protein product regulations to destroy any potential microorganisms which may be in the products. The processes used are deemed to be adequate to control risk of disease.”

What’s wrong with by-products?

The term “animal by-products” sounds benign doesn’t it? However, the definition of by-products is rendered meat. This consists of animal carcasses and intestines, it also contains other ingredients such as fat derived from other more non-traditional animal parts — yes, gulp! even euthanized animals from laboratories — that are then cooked together at a high temperature. This rendering process is the first step to producing the by-product meal found in your pet’s food. This process also creates the fat added to your pet’s food. Keep in mind that both the by-product meal and the rendered fat include multiple body parts and intestines. Despite the AAFCO’s claim that rendering is an adequate method to control the risk of disease heat will not kill all strains of Salmonella bacteria.

What role does the Association of American Feed Control Officials play in pet food manufacturing?

Another interesting fact is the AAFCO’s checklist entitled Best Management Guidance Document for Manufacturing, Packaging and Distributing Animal Feeds and Feed Ingredients (download a copy of this by clicking on this link AAFCO Checklist for Best Mangement Practices). In paragraph 3 number (a) and (b), the AAFCO checklist includes appropriate clean-out procedures such as sequencing, flushing, or physically cleaning to prevent cross-contamination that may endanger animal or human health. In other words, the AAFCO recommends that before a new batch of pet food is processed all equipment be shut down and thoroughly cleaned out and disinfected before a new batch is initiated. This is a costly and time consuming procedure for manufacturers. There are no enforcing agents on the premises, so is it possible that some manufacturers are skipping this important step?

Does Salmonella affect the United States Economically?

Salmonella is not going away anytime soon, its rise will escalate as demand for manufactured and processed food grows. This bacteria’s impact on industrial countries is reaching an astronomical high. According to the World Health Organization the economic cost of food-born Salmonella in the United States hit $3 billion annually in 2001. Additionally, in Denmark the annual estimated cost of Salmonella was $15.5 million in 2001. Denmark took action and instituted a Salmonella control program that costs about $14.1 million annually but its government estimates that this saves the Danes approximately $25.5 million annually in public expenditure. Yet, there is no similar program in the United States and I suspect this is because it would be too costly to enforce.

The bottom line is that consumers need to be aware of the risks when purchasing commercially prepared pet food.

High dollar brand names will not necessarily protect your pet. But there are methods that you can take to dilute the risk. If you are feeding your pet kibble, purchase a high quality brand name, one that does not include meat by-product meal (which is a generic term for saying the meat source is unknown). Instead be certain that the first ingredient on the ingredient list is a named animal protein and not a by-product. Avoid kibble that contains grains (even rice). Next, purchase at least three bags of high-quality kibble from different manufacturers and mix these together. If you feed your pet canned food along with kibble be certain to follow the same process, alternating between brands. By doing this you are ensuring that if a product is contaminated your pet will not receive a high dosage of contamination.

Is there a method to guarantee a pet receives uncontaminated food?

There is only one certain method to guarantee that your pet eats healthy, untainted food and that is by making it yourself. My grandmother and mother were right, they never purchased commercial pet food products. All our dogs ate human-grade meat and veggies and grandmother made these nightly for Puk, one of our family’s many Springer Spaniels. My mother followed in those footsteps and Duke, our poodle, received a homemade meal every night, right along with us. I am the third generation and after owning several herding dogs who were all fed commercial pet food I have finally seen the light. My three multi-mix dogs receive a homemade meal every day, consisting of human-grade raw meats and organic vegetables. They are thriving, beautiful and happy.

* Emphasis by author and not part of the original text

About the author:

Gyvel Young is a journalist with several published books and articles to her credit. Her passion is canine nutrition and animal behavior.

Nutro Press Release Regarding Zinc and Copper Levels in Natural Choice

A: NUTRO™ products are safe and conform to the standards set by the FDA, USDA and AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). The claims regarding the safety of Nutro pet food in a recent report posted on the Pet Food Product Safety Alliance website are unfounded.

In order for a food to provide all the essential nutrition for a pet, it must exceed the minimum requirements for all essential nutrients. AAFCO has established Nutrient Profiles which identify these minimum dietary levels for all essential nutrients in canine pet food products.

Specifically, these guidelines indicate that pet foods formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of dogs contain no less than 120 mg/kg dry matter and no more than 1,000 mg/kg dry matter of zinc in order to ensure that the requirements for zinc in dogs are met. Based on these guidelines, the 260- 400 mg/kg diet levels of Zinc found in Nutro™ Natural Choice Chicken, Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula (which converts to approximately 288-444 mg/kg dry matter) are well within AAFCO recommended levels. Like zinc, levels of copper in Nutro are necessarily above the minimum AAFCO requirements and do not exceed maximum requirements; they are well within recommended levels.

The report is correct in stating that there is a small minority of dogs that are sensitive to copper. These dogs are relatively few and need to be carefully managed with the assistance of a Veterinarian. This would be the same as with any dog that has special, specific needs which make it unique from the general canine population. Furthermore, copper is a critical factor in a dog’s antioxidant defense system and so it would not be prudent to restrict copper in the general population, as that would mean that a large group of dogs would not receive their required levels.

In addition to meeting a dog’s nutritional requirements, many Nutro™ products incorporate the scientific knowledge of the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition which has researched the role of key nutrients in delivering optimal skin and coat health and consequently have levels of zinc, copper and other nutrients that are higher than industry minimums. These nutrients serve as key drivers in maintaining skin and coat health and help to make Nutro™ products nutritionally sound.

Dr. Tiffany L Bierer
Health Sciences and Nutrition Manager
Mars Petcare US, Inc

Nutro Food Update

Zinc Toxicity Suspected in Recent Nutro Food Complaints

A comment posted on this blog alerted me to a recent update on Nutro dry dog food. Complaints about Nutro food were first reported by Consumer Affairs in June of 2008. As previously stated in the SecurePet blog Nutro has maintained their pet food is 100% safe. In response to these complaints the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance (Pfpsa.org) conducted their own tests on Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice, and Oatmeal Formula and Nutro Max Puppy. Samples of these products were sent of to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab to be tested for e-coli, salmonella, and listeria, which all tested non-detected. The samples were then forwarded to the Analytical Sciences Laboratory, University of Idaho, to be tested for aflatoxin and a variety of minerals and metals. Aflatoxin was non-detected on both samples at 100 ppb.

However, the samples did reveal a number of substances with higher levels than AAFCO recommendations. The two samples scored 2 and 3 times higher than AAFCO recommendations for copper and zinc. And there are certain breeds of dogs who are highly sensitive to copper.

According to the Pet Food Safety Alliance:

The samples believed to be Nutro dry dog food tested positive for zinc at levels of 260 ppm (ug/g) and 400 ppm as fed. Assuming 10% moisture content as fed, vs. dry matter as calculated by AAFCO, the 400 ppm sample is over 4 times the recommended amount, and at half the maximum amount allowed. This would come to on the order of 40 times the amount of zinc recommended for human dietary requirements.

The symptoms of canine zinc toxicosis described in this report by the College of Veterinary Medicine is consistent with the symptoms associated with feeding Nutro dry dog food.

My recommendation? Remove Nutro products from your pet food list!

Please, keep up-to-date with the latest pet food findings by visiting the Pet Food Tracker , the Pet Food Recall Facts, and the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance as often as you can. I will keep also be happy to keep you updated on my own findings.

Keep in mind that an informed consumer is a powerful consumer. Pets rely on us for their lives and health.