US toddler remains ill two years after petfood Salmonella contamination

Two years after a 2012 petfood recall by Diamond Pet Foods due to Salmonella contamination, two-year-old Amy Hall is still suffering the effects of a debilitating and recurring form of Salmonella that doctors say she may not grow out of until she's five or six years old, according to a Charlotte Observer report.

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She was sickened as a newborn by the Hall family dogs, who ate contaminated dog food from Diamond's Gaston, South Carolina plant. Amy almost died then, and is now a Salmonella carrier and a health risk to everyone around her, according to health officials. She is one of around 50 victims in at least 20 states and Canada whom health investigators have linked to Diamond's Gaston plant. In 2005, the facility produced contaminated food that killed 100 dogs and sickened dozens of others in more than 20 states. Diamond eventually admitted it had not followed its own testing protocols and agreed to pay US$3.1 million to settle a class action lawsuit. In 2012, the Salmonella outbreak infected seven people in South Carolina and sent 10 people across the US to the hospital.
The Hills initiated a lawsuit against Diamond earlier in summer 2014. Mark Schell, the company’s vice president, said Diamond responded to the Salmonella outbreak by improving the health standards of its production plants. The company's legal response to the lawsuit is due shortly.

Diamond Pet Food reaches class action settlement

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit alleging Diamond Pet Foods manufactured and distributed certain petfood products that allegedly led to illness and death in some animals that consumed them. The lawsuit was first filed in 2012 by a customer who claimed the company's dog food caused one of her dogs to die and another to become ill.

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There are three subclasses of class members:

• Subclass I includes consumers who purchased certain petfood products in 2011 and 2012. Diamond Pet Foods will create a settlement fund limited to a maximum of US$750,000 to pay claims from those who purchased the petfood. Members of this subclass who submit a valid claim form will receive either payment up to a maximum value of two bags of petfood per pet; or a pro rata share of the net proceeds of the settlement fund for this subclass not to exceed the actual or estimated purchase price of up to two bags of the petfood per pet.
• Subclass II members who submit a valid claim form will receive a full reimbursement of the actual cost of veterinarian testing, care and/or treatment. The defendants will create a settlement fund limited to a total maximum of US$1.25 million to pay claims from this subclass.
• Subclass III members who submit valid claim forms shall receive one or more coupons with a face value of US$2. A maximum of 50,000 coupons will be distributed.
All class members must submit a valid form by July 11, 2014, and a final hearing will be held on September 15, 2014.

Diamond Pet Foods recognized for commitment to employees

Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Missouri, USA, was recently recognized for its outstanding commitment to employees by The Principal Group. The petfood manufacturer was named among The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security-2013.
The companies were selected by a panel of judges for recognizing that company culture and great benefits play a key role in overall company performance, with turnover rates significantly lower than others in their industry and the national average. Diamond Pet Foods will be featured in the December issue of Inc. magazine, along with the other winners.
Trends among winners include:
• Employee financial security influences company performance
• Rely on experts
• A focus on long-term financial well-being
• Comprehensive health and wellness
"These Principal10 Best Companies often view their employees as an extended family, but most also recognize there is a return on their investment in employee financial security," said Paul Spiegelman, chief culture officer of Stericycle and 2013 Principal 10 Best judge. "Employee satisfaction, customer retention, attrition rates and other key measures are quickly becoming leading indicators for success among growing businesses. This year's winners get that and are using it to adapt their company culture." 

RECALL: Diamond Pet Foods recalls select dry cat food brands due to low levels of thiamine

Diamond Pet Foods is recalling select production codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat, Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management, Premium Edge Kitten, Diamond Naturals Kitten and 4health All Life Stages Cat dry cat food formulas. Tests conducted by the company indicated the products might have a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1).
Recalled products, including size, product name, production code, best-by date and USA states the products were distributed to, include:

• 18 lb. bags; Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula; NGF0703; 10-Jul-2013; Massachusetts
• 6 lb. bags; Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula; NGF0802; 15-Aug-2013, 16-Aug-2013; Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia
• 6 lb., 18 lb. bags; Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula; NGS0101; 03-Jan-2014, 04-Jan-2014; Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma
• 6 lb., 18 lb. bags; Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula; NGS0702; 10-Jul-2013; Florida, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia
• 6 oz. samples, 6 lb., 18 lb. bags; Premium Edge Kitten Formula; MKT0901; 10-Jul-2013;
• 6 oz. samples, 6 lb. bags; Diamond Naturals Kitten Formula; MKT0901; 26-Sept-2013, 29-Sept-2013, 30-Sept-2013, 02-Oct-2013; Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
• 5 lb., 18 lb. bags; 4health All Life Stages Cat Formula; NGF0802; 14-Aug-2013, 18-Aug-2013; Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

The company says no complaints regarding the recalled cat food products have been received to date.
Consumers with questions should contact Diamond Pet Foods +1.888.965.6131, Sunday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. 

Diamond Pet Foods opens new petfood manufacturing facility

Pet food manufacturer Diamond Pet Foods recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Ripon, California, USA, creating more than 75 jobs, the company says.
The pet food manufacturing facility, the company's fourth, has created jobs in manufacturing, quality control, administration and maintenance. The company says it expanded its production to better-serve its growing West Coast customers.
Diamond Pet Foods purchased the facility, previously owned by Neenah Paper, in 2010. Diamond renovated the facility over approximately 20 months using local contractors. It was expanded to include additional buildings, including a mill tower for pet food ingredient storage. The 150-acre Ripon facility also features an on-site solar farm, which the company says provides 20 percent of its power. 

CDC confirms 49 human Salmonella illnesses from recalled pet food

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 49 people have been sickened since October 2011 from a Salmonella infantis outbreak linked to recalled pet food made at Diamond Pet Foods' manufacturing facility in Gaston, South Carolina, USA.
In its final outbreak update, CDC increased the number of human Salmonella cases from 22, in its previous update on June 13, to at least 49 cases linked to the recalled dog food and cat food. Of those human illness cases, 47 are from the US and two are from Canada. The number ill by US state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (2), California (3), Connecticut (2), Georgia (2), Illinois (4), Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (3), New Jersey (2), New York (5), North Carolina (5), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (3), South Carolina (2), Texas (1) and Virginia (2). Among the 24 cases with information available, 10 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
CDC anticipates that more cases will occur in the future because the expected shelf life of the pet food is one year.

FDA inspection at Diamond Pet Foods plant helps pet owner lawsuits

A US Food and Drug Administration inspection at Diamond Pet Foods' production plant found numerous health violations after a series of earlier petfood recalls for Salmonella contamination, which one expert says will be used to help support lawsuits against the company.
The inspection, conducted six days after the first of eight recalls by Diamond Pet Foods, found violations at the Gaston, South Carolina, USA, facility such as failure to clean and maintain equipment and a lack of contaminant screenings on raw ingredients.
According to Benjamin England, founder of consulting firm FDAImports.com, the inspection's findings do not help Diamond, which is being sued in three separate cases by human victims and pet owners. England says that if Diamond's plant was in compliance with Food and Drug Administration rules, the company would appear less at-fault. Instead, England says the inspection's findings will be used against the pet food manufacturer as the lawsuits specifically cite the inspection report as evidence of negligence and breach of warranty. "It looks to me as though there's a relationship between the violations at the facility and the adverse situations the company is facing now," England said. "You can't predict when an outbreak or recall might happen, but you can eliminate a lot of risk through compliance."
England says the administration's inspection report will be used as evidence to help plaintiffs win higher settlements, and may also be used to search for prior inspection reports for further evidence or noncompliance. England said he would be "shocked if Diamond didn't settle on all fronts."
Pointing to the lawsuits against Diamond Pet Foods, England warns pet food manufacturers: "Don't make the mistake of thinking this happens to the other guy. It happens to whom it happens to, and it could be your company. One unfortunate event can bring the entire weight of the federal government to bear upon your door."

CDC confirms 22 people infected from dry dog food recalls

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now confirmed that a total of 22 people were infected with a strain of Salmonella infantis from the recent recalls of dry dog food made at Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, South Carolina, USA, manufacturing plant.
According to CDC: 
• Of the 22 people reported ill, 20 are from 13 USA states and two are from Canada
• Of the 20 people reported ill in the USA, the number from each state is: Alabama (2), California (1), Connecticut (1), Illinois (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1) and Virginia (1)
• Among the 17 patients with available information, 6 were hospitalized and no deaths have been reported

Man suing Diamond Pet Foods over dry dog food recall

A father in New Jersey is reportedly suing Diamond Pet Foods and the place of purchase, Costco, claiming that his 8-week-old son was sickened by recently recalled Salmonella-tainted dry dog food he purchased. 
Lawyers for Nevin Eisenberg of Marlboro, New Jersey, USA, filed a lawsuit in a New Jersey federal court that alleges his infant son was hospitalized by a strain of Salmonella infantis that was found in petfood made at Diamond’s Gaston, South Carolina, USA, manufacturing plant. The lawsuit, reportedly the first linked to the recall outbreak, also involves Costco Wholesale Corp., where Eisenberg purchased the petfood, and whose Kirkland Signature brands of dog and cat food were among those recently recalled.  
Eisenberg's suit claims the infant developed severe diarrhea, fever and loss of appetite, and “[m]oreover, he was in obvious pain and was extremely uncomfortable.” 
According to Elliot Olsen, an attorney for Eisenberg, it is unclear how the infant may have contracted the illness because the family's two dogs did not get sick and laboratory tests of the family's pet food samples did not test positive for Salmonella.

RECALLS: Diamond Pet Foods recalls two brands of Kirkland Signature dry cat food for possible Salmonella contamination

Diamond Pet Foods has once again expanded its pet food recall, this time to include a brand of cat food produced at the company's Gaston, South Carolina, USA, petfood manufacturing facility, due to the possibility of Salmonella contamination.


The new recall involves two dry cat food formulas: Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula and Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula.


Recalled products have a production code with both a "3" in the ninth position and an "X" in the 11th position. Products are marked with "best-before" dates of December 9, 2012, through January 31, 2013.


The products were distributed to the following areas, but may have been distributed further through other pet food channels: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia, USA, as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico.  


Concerned pet owners may contact Diamond Pet Foods by calling +1.866.918.8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST.

Cats potentially at risk after Diamond Pet Foods dog food recall

After recalling one batch of Diamond Naturals dry dog food on April 6 for possible Salmonella contamination, Diamond Pet Foods and other brands manufactured at its plant have expanded the recall on numerous occasions, Diamond endured a week-long inspection of its Gaston, South Carolina, USA, by the US Food and Drug Administration, which found various safety issues, and most recently acknowledged that cats are also at risk.
According to a recent article, Diamond Pet Foods has done little to call special attention to the expansion of its dry dog food recalls to include a cat food that was also manufactured at the plant.
There is no specific information on which brands and batches of cat food may be affected by the recalls, though consumers may check the cat food bag's product code to find where it was made.
Recently, the Calgary Herald in Alberta, Canada, reported that two cats in a Montreal animal shelter died and another is ill after eating Diamond Pet Foods products. Also in Quebec, another person has been reported with a case of Salmonella, bringing the total number of cases to 16 in the United States and Canada caused by handling the petfood, the article says.
“The investigation is open and pending so we are limited in the information we can release to the public,” Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman, Laura Alvey, wrote via e-mail. "Diamond voluntarily shut down their facility to clean (including the two lines where the contaminated product was made) and to implement additional procedures.”

RECALL: Diamond Pet Foods recalls Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula dry dog food due to Salmonella

Diamond Pet Foods is again expanding a voluntary pet food recall to include its Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula dry dog food manufactured on August 26, 2011 in Gaston, South Carolina, USA, due to concerns the product may have been exposed to Salmonella. 


The recall applies to sample sizes, as well as 6- and 18-pound bag sizes of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula. All bags of the recalled dog food are marked with a production code of DSL0801, with "best-before" dates of August 26, September 27 and October 18. The recalled product was distributed in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, USA, but may have been further distributed through other petfood channels.


Concerned pet owners may contact the company at +1.866.918.8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.

Recalled dry dog food linked to two confirmed dog Salmonella cases

Two dogs have now been confirmed to have Salmonella infections linked to recent Diamond Pet Foods recalls, according to US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine deputy director of communications staff, Laura Alvey. 
Both dogs lived in the same house as a Salmonella infantis outbreak victim and were fed one of the recalled dry dog food products, produced at Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, South Carolina, USA, facility. So far, a total of 16 human cases of Salmonella have been linked to the recalled dog food products in Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, USA, and Quebec, Canada.
Diamond Pet Foods shut down its Gaston facility "to clean and implement additional procedures" after a link was confirmed between the illnesses and dry dog food samples manufactured at the plant, according to Alvey. 

FDA inspection finds pet food safety issues at Diamond Pet Foods’ plant

Diamond Pet Foods, the pet food company linked to recent dry dog food recalls due to Salmonella contamination, did not take "all reasonable precautions" to ensure safety at its plant, according to the US Food and Drug Administration inspection report.
The Form 483 report from the Food and Drug Administration was released after a week-long inspection that began April 12 after petfood manufactured at Diamond Pet Foods' Gaston, South Carolina, USA, plant was found to be contaminated with Salmonella and linked to an outbreak of human Salmonella infantis.
According to the report, the administration's inspectors cited four observations: 


1. All reasonable precautions are not taken to ensure that production procedures do not contribute contamination from any source. Specifically, no microbiological analysis is conducted or there is no assurance that incoming animal fat will not introduce pathogens into their production and cause contamination of finished product. Also, the firm's current sampling procedure for animal digest does preclude potential for adulteration after sampling and during storage in warehouse. On April 13, 2012, an employee was observed touching in-line fat filter and oil with bare hands.


2. Failure to provide hand washing and hand sanitizing facilities at each location in the plant where needed. Specifically, there are no facilities for hand washing or hand sanitizing in the production areas where there is direct contact with exposed finished feed/food.


3. Failure to maintain equipment, containers and utensils used to convey, hold, and store food in a manner that protects against contamination. Specifically, paddles in conveyor (south or middle conveyor leading to the screeners going to packaging) were observed to have gouges and cuts, which exhibited feed residues. The damage to the paddles may allow for harborage areas for microorganisms and are difficult to clean and sanitize.


4. Failure to maintain equipment so as to facilitate cleaning of the equipment. Specifically, firm utilizes cardboard, duct tape and other non-cleanable surfaces on equipment. These materials were observed to have residues adhering. The foam gaskets around access doors to the bucket elevators were observed in deteriorating condition and exhibited an accumulation of feed residues and dust.
The administration has not yet revealed how many complaints it has received about pet illnesses possibly related to the contaminated food.

EXPANDED RECALL: Diamond adds more brands in dry dog food, cat food recall

Diamond Pet Foods has further expanded its dry dog food recall to include several more brands of dry dog food  and cat food produced at the company's Gaston, South Carolina, USA, facility, after samples of dog food from the same plant tested positive for Salmonella infantis. 
The recall was expanded as a precautionary measure, the company says, to include the following brands: 


• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul


• Country Value


• Diamond


• Diamond Naturals


• Premium Edge


• Professional


• 4Health


• Taste of the Wild


The recalled products above have production code with the number “2” or “3” in the ninth or 10th digit and an “X” in the 11th digit and “best-before” dates of December 9, 2012, through April 7, 2013. The products were distributed in the following states and Canada, but may have been distributed further through other petfood channels: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, USA.
The expanded recall also includes the following Kirkland Signature products:


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula


• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula


• Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs


Recalled Kirkland products have production codes with a number “3” in the 10th digit and an “X” in the 11th digit and “best-before” dates of December 9, 2012, through January 31, 2013. The food was distributed in Canada, Puerto Rico and the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia, USA.


Consumers with questions may contact the company at +1.866.918.8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST, or visit Diamond's recall website.

RECALL: CDC confirms 14 human Salmonella cases linked to dry dog food

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 14 people in the US have been sickened with Salmonella infantis infections, including at least five that are hospitalized, in a nine-state outbreak linked to dry dog food.


The CDC reported that multiple brands of Diamond Pet Foods dry dog food, including several that have been recently recalled, are likely to blame for the human illnesses, which could be transmitted either through contact with the contaminated petfood or through handling an animal that has eaten the contaminated dog food. 


According to the CDC, routine tests by the Michigan, USA, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development first detected Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Pet Foods Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food on April 2, though the company has since expanded the recall to include other formulas produced at the same South Carolina manufacturing plant.


PulseNet, the national surveillance system for foodborne illnesses, then identified several cases of human Salmonella infantis infections with a genetic fingerprint identical to that found in the dog food, the CDC reported. The number of confirmed human cases of Salmonella in each USA state are: three cases in Missouri, three cases in North Carolina, two cases in Ohio, and one case each in Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Of outbeak victims interviewed, 7 of 10 said they had contact with a dog during the week before they became ill and four out of five people who could remember the type of dog food they had handled said it was a Diamond Pet Foods brand, CDC says.


Consumers should discard any recalled product immediately. Consumers with questions should contact Diamond Pet Foods at +1.800.442.0402.

Update on Premium Edge cat food recall

Diamond Pet Foods recalled certain bags of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat food in September due to a lack of thiamine, according to The Associated Press.
Since then, the company has confirmed 21 reports of thiamine deficiency in New York and Pennsylvania.
The recalled cat food was pulled from shelves on September 23 after being distributed in 18 states in the US. No incidents have been reported since October 19.

Diamond recalls two cat food brands

Diamond Pet Food recently recalled two of its cat food brands after cats were reported to have shown neurological symptoms. The reports came from the Rochester, New York, USA, area.
The petfood in question is low in thiamine, which can cause brain damage, according to a news article.
It is recommended that pet owners whose cats have eaten the food specified below contact their veterinarian.
Diamond is also asking consumers to return the potentially tainted food:
Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat with codes of RAF0501A22X (18-lb. bag), RAF0501A2X (6-lb. bag), RAH0501A22X (18-lb. bag) and RAH0501A2X (6-lb. bag).
More than a dozen cases have been confirmed.