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Hill’s Pet Nutrition is voluntarily recalling 62 bags of Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food due to possible Salmonella contamination. The bags were part of a single-production run that was accidentally distributed to 17 veterinary clinic and pet store customers in California, Hawaii and Nevada, according to the company.
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"Hill’s has contacted the 17 affected retail customers and is now in the process of retrieving the recalled bags and notifying consumers who may have purchased any of the affected products," said the company. The recall is limited to 62 15.5 lb. bags of Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food with the Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU) code of 9097, “Best before” date of 08 2015 and production code M094.
There have been no reported illnesses related to this product to date.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about some frozen rodents sold as reptile food that have been linked to Salmonella.
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A total of 37 people have become ill with Salmonella infections after handling frozen “feeder rodents” sold at PetSmart stores, according to FDA’s warning.
The Arctic Mice brand frozen rodents were distributed nationwide to PetSmart stores by Reptile Industries Inc. The Naples, Florida, USA-based company has declined a recall of all of affected products, according to FDA.
As of May 13, a total of 37 illnesses connected to the mice have been reported in 18 states since January 2014, and five people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A strain of bacteria called Salmonella Typhimurium was detected in one of the feeder mice in the home of someone who fell ill in Oregon, USA, and testing conducted by FDA identified the outbreak strain in two frozen feeder rodent samples collected during an investigation at the company's facility. Two-thirds of the ill people interviewed reported contact with multiple types of reptiles, including snakes and lizards, and 15 reported exposure to frozen feeder rodents.
If you think you've been sickened by contact with the product, call your doctor. If you have any of the Arctic Mice frozen rodents, dispose of them by placing them in a sealed container in the trash so that animals and pets cannot reach them.
Visit FDA’s website for tips on safely handling feeder rodents.
Muyang Co. Ltd. has changed its brand name from Muyang to FAMSUN starting May 2014. The move was prompted by the idea of better illustrating the company’s business and the farm-to-table industry chain it serves, according to the company. It is consistent with Muyang’s global strategy and its aim of becoming an integrated solution provider in the agro-industry.
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FAMSUN originates from “famous, farm, family, sun and union;” it implies Muyang’s development concept and vision, which is to build a green and healthy supply chain from farm to table together with its customers and to convert traditional agriculture into a modern, profitable and sustainable business with its integrated solutions in feed manufacturing, grain milling, grain handling and storage, food processing, as well as industrial automation.
The creative design of the FAMSUN logo features a beveled letter “F,” a curvy letter “A,” a stretching letter “S” and a friendly letter “U.” It will be the only signage representing Muyang’s business, products, service and solutions. Meanwhile, the company will continue to operate in its current structure, provide follow-up service based on relevant agreement, and its business contacts will remain unchanged.
FAMSUN made its public debut at the 12th China Animal Husbandry Expo on May 18–20, 2014 in Qingdao, China, and VIV Europe 2014 on May 20–22 in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Petco will stop carrying China-made dog and cat treats at its more than 1,300 store locations nationwide, including Unleashed by Petco stores and online at Petco.com, by the end of 2014.
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"We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in China, especially chicken jerky products, and we've heard their concerns," said Jim Myers, Petco CEO. "As a leader in the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we're eager to make this transition and to expand our assortment of safe and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the US. Very simply, we feel this decision is in the best interest of the pets we all love and, ultimately, for our business."
Since 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has periodically cautioned consumers about a potential link between reported illnesses in dogs and the consumption of jerky products made in China. However, the FDA has been unable to identify a direct link between the reported illnesses and the China-made treats, and has not recommended a recall of jerky products.
"We've been following the FDA warnings and related customer concerns closely, and we've been actively reducing our China-made assortment and expanding our American-made offerings for several years now," said Myers. "We know the FDA hasn't yet identified a direct cause for the reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation outweighs the lack of actual proof. It has taken some time and careful thought to get to this point, but we're proud to make the change and we believe our customers will be pleased with it as well."
The final stage of the transition will begin in September and is expected to be complete by the end of 2014, marking the end of a multi-year process in which Petco has been working with vendors and suppliers to offer more safe and healthy alternatives to treats made in China.
Pet parents looking for alternatives to China-made dog or cat treats will find a broad selection of USA-made products at Petco. The company also carries a number of safe and long lasting treats and chews from other regions of the world on its shelves, including New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Pet jerky treats, mostly imported from China, are now linked to three human illnesses in addition to the more than 1,000 dog deaths and 4,800 dog illnesses reported, according to reports.
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Unfortunately, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it still can't identify a specific cause for the illnesses and deaths, in spite of seven years of testing and investigation. “The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky treats are not required for a balanced diet and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets,” said FDA.
The humans who consumed the treats included two toddlers who ingested them accidentally and an adult who may have been snacking on the questionable products, which include chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats, an FDA official said. One of the children was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection, and the other developed gastrointestinal illness and fever that mirrored the symptoms of dogs in the house that also ate the treats. The adult reported nausea and headache.
About 60% of the cases (which overall include 5,600 dogs and 24 cats) involve symptoms of gastrointestinal trouble and liver disease, 30% involve kidney disease and about 10% involve other complaints, including neurological and skin conditions, said the FDA. About 15% of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare disease that has been associated with the treats. The FDA plans to join with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a study similar to epidemiological traceback investigations used with people, comparing foods eaten by sick dogs with foods eaten by pets that did not get sick.
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53% of dogs are overweight or obese. Unfortunately, only 22% of dog owners believe that their dog is overweight. In an attempt to offer solutions to this problem, Purina Dog Chow Light & Healthy conducted a nationwide survey focusing on dog owner perceptions of their pet's weight, management, exercise and feeding habits.
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Even when owners acknowledge that their dog may be overweight, Purina survey findings suggest that many may struggle with how to tackle the problem. Of dog owners surveyed who believe their dog is overweight, almost one-fourth (24%) said they don't know how they should manage their dog's weight, and 22% have taken no action to do so. Of those surveyed who have taken action, more than one-third (36%) reported feeding smaller portions of the same dog food. However, this may leave the dog feeling less than satisfied and the owner feeling guilty, according to Purina.
"Providing a healthy, low-calorie diet should be the first step owners take to help their pet slim down," said Christina Schneider, brand manager for Purina Dog Chow. In conjunction with feeding a low-calorie dog food, regular exercise can benefit both the dog and owner. Of dog owners surveyed who report having a healthy weight dog, 61% reported exercising regularly themselves and 77% said they give their dog exercise more than three times per week. Having a canine companion also can be one of the best motivators for staying active, according to the survey. In fact, 79% of survey participants said they would rather exercise with their dog than with a personal trainer, and 68% would choose exercising with their dog over a friend.
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has named participants of its seven Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) work groups as the 2014 Members of the Year. In total, 83 members from 60 member companies were honored during a ceremony at AFIA's Board of Directors meeting in Arlington, Virginia.
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The Member of the Year Award is bestowed to an AFIA member who has exhibited amazing support over the year to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Since 1985, 33 individuals have received this award. "AFIA chose to honor the sizable group due to their efforts in assisting the association with the review and preparation of comments of the FSMA proposed regulations," said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman. "FSMA is undoubtedly the largest set of rules to affect our industry in years and we could not have submitted such comprehensive comments to FDA without this group of people."
The work groups provided feedback on proposed rules, reports and guidance documents on FSMA areas including foreign supplier verification; third-party certification; Current Good Manufacturing Practices, hazard identification and preventive controls; and records and registration. "The Hazard Identification and Preventive Controls Work Group established eight subgroups alone when the animal food rules were proposed in October 2013," said Richard Sellers, AFIA senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. "The group tirelessly waded through 400-plus pages of rules and more than 40 questions provided by FDA in addition to CGMPs (not required by FSMA) in the proposed regulation during very short time constraints. Not one, but this entire group is incredibly deserving of being this year's Member of the Year."
