SHERBURNE, N.Y. -- Chenango Valley Pet Foods has begun voluntarily recalling pet foods manufactured with a certain shipment of rice protein concentrate, the company said Thursday.
The company, working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was informed by Wilbur-Ellis that rice protein concentrate shipped to Chenango Valley Pet Foods 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.
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.
The FDA also is sampling for melamine and related compounds in all wheat gluten, rice protein and corn gluten coming into the United States from China.
Source: Associated Press
And where was this contaminated ingredient purchased??!! I would feel my beloved pets were much safer if ingredients were purchased in the good ole USA!!
I Becky Jo Underwood i went into a save-alot store they are saling the cat food that killed my cat 1 1/2 weeks something needs to be done about it before someone lose their cat. Please Email me at b_jo67@yahoo.com. or call me at 1-713-728-8284. I would like to know if there is a group that is taking the food maker to court yet or not ? i would like to be a part of that.
I'm so sorry about the pets who have died! I am furious the food wasnt recalled sooner!! I have 27 pets and 23 of them eat cat food! I pray that I dont feed my pets that I love dearly poison! Its a shame we cant trust what we buy!