Petco stops selling China-made pet treats

Petco has announced that it has completely removed all China-made dog and cat treats from shelves at more than 1,300 retail stores throughout the US, including Unleashed by Petco stores and online at Petco.com. The move makes Petco the first national pet specialty retailer to complete this transition and affirms the company’s commitment to listening to customers and putting the health and safety of pets first, according to reports.

“As a trusted partner for pet parents, we believe this is the right thing to do, and we’re proud to take this step in the best interest of pets,” said Jim Myers, Petco CEO. “What we feed our pets matters, and this milestone supports the company’s steadfast commitment to putting our customers, partners, animals and the communities we serve first.”
Petco has not carried any dog or cat food items from China for several years. The decision to discontinue the sale of China-made treats allows Petco to expand the assortment of safe and healthy alternatives that are made in the US or in other regions around the globe that support complete pet health, says the company.
“Customer response to our expanded assortment of treats has been great,” said Myers. “And we are equally pleased at just how responsive our vendor partners have been in helping us source an entirely new line-up of high-quality, predominantly US-made treat and chew alternatives.”

Muyang changes brand name to FAMSUN

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.

test
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.

Nestle Purina, Walmart sued by pet owner over chicken jerky dog treats

Nestle Purina Petcare Co. is being sued by a man from Chicago, Illinois, USA, who claims his dog died from eating the petfood manufacturer's Waggin’ Train dog treats. 
According to a complaint filed in a Chicago federal court, Dennis Adkins says his 9-year-old Pomeranian became sick and died of kidney failure as a result of eating Waggin' Train's "Yam Good" chicken-wrapped treats. 
“Waggin’ Train has spent millions of dollars in promoting trust and confidence among consumers in its pet food products,” Adkins says in the complaint. “The product was not wholesome, was not nutritious and was unhealthy.” 
Adkins' complaint says that he purchased the treats on March 11 and fed one per day, in pieces, for three days, beginning March 13. He says he made no other changes to the dog's diet, but that the dog became ill on March 15 and died of kidney failure on March 26. Adkins also says in the complaint that his other 9-year-old Pomeranian did not consume the treats and did not become ill. 
According to an emailed statement from Nestle Purina, the company feels the Waggin' Train treats are "safe to feed as directed."
"We believe the claims made in the suit to be without merit and intend to vigorously defend ourselves,” Nestle says.
Additionally, Adkins is suing Walmart, where he bought the treats, for compensatory and punitive damages, alleging the companies breached warranties that guaranteed the treats were suitable for consumption.  
“At Walmart, we’re committed to providing our customers and their pets with safe and affordable food,” says Greg Rossiter, a Walmart spokesman. Rossiter says that all of the company’s petfood suppliers are required to comply with all applicable government safety regulations, and says the company is aware of the chicken jerky product concerns and is in contact with the Food and Drug Administration. 
Adkins is also asking the court to recognize a class of plaintiffs made up of consumers who bought Nestle or Waggin’ Train- brand dog treats containing chicken imported from China within the past four years and a sub-class of those who made the purchases from Walmart.
“Thousands of persons purchased the dog treats at issue, and hundreds of dogs died as a result,” says Adkins.

Chinese pet owners import American-made pet food for safety

Amid calls by American pet owners for the US Food and Drug Administration to recall chicken jerky treats from China, Chinese pet owners are importing "made in America" petfood in an effort to prevent their own pets from becoming sick by eating pet foods made in China.
A number of US pet food companies currently export pet food to Hong Kong,  according to a recent article, which says that petfood manufacturers Innova, Solid Gold, Pinnacle, Canidae/Felidae, Nature’s Variety, Oma’s Pride, Wellness, Castor & Pollux Pet Works, Holistic Select and Best Breed all export to distributors in Hong Kong.
"The more well-to-do pet owners in China want the best,” said a US dog food manufacturer in the article. “That means food that is made and sourced in the United States. We have just sent off our first shipment to Hong Kong because we have to keep up with our competitors. 
“The purchasers don’t even want the ingredients translated to Mandarin, because it would appear suspicious to Chinese customers,” the pet food manufacturer said.

Vet warns dog owners of China chicken jerky products in PetMD blog

In a new blog post on PetMD, a Colorado, USA, veterinarian is warning pet owners about a possible link between chicken jerky products imported from China and illness in dogs.

At the end of 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration cautioned dog owners of a "potential association between development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats." However, even after testing for microbial and chemical contaminants in the products, FDA has been unable to identify a specific cause for the illnesses.
 In November, FDA warned dog owners again of the potential link between illnesses reported in dogs and consumption of chicken jerky products from China, as cases of dog illness after consuming the jerky products are rising again.
The veterinarian says that dogs that have consumed the chicken jerky products from China and become sick often exhibit Fanconi syndrome-like symptoms, such as vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea (sometimes containing blood), lethargy, and increased thirst and urination. She also urges pet owners to file a report with FDA, which will help the agency in tracking the source of contamination.

US FDA commissioner says China is improving food, drug safety

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said China is improving oversight of its exporters after a number of a complaints about substandard or tainted food and drugs, including petfood ingredients.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said she spoke with Chinese officials on a recent visit who were pursuing a "common agenda" to improve manufacturing practices and regulation of complex supply chains for the food and drug industries.
"I leave feeling very encouraged by the partnership we've developed here," Hamburg said. "This is a priority for China as it is for the United States."
FDA set up offices in three Chinese cities and is cooperating with officials on training, joint inspections and improving accountability. Currently, less than 1% of the expected 20 million FDA-regulated products imported this year are inspected.