Profile
Photos
Comments
There was a story on Nightly News yesterday about the peanut butter recall. Turns out that the company (PCA) had been distributing possibly tainted product for 2 YEARS! They'd get a positive test for Salmonella from one lab, then "shop around" until they'd find a lab that returned a negative finding for the contamination. The practice is illegal, of course, but nobody with any authority was watching.
Some pet food products had been included in the first recall, but the list is getting longer. As you'll see in the article below, the product wasn't sold directly to the consumer, so we really need to check the ingredients on anything that even might contain peanut butter. I was surprised to see that so many dog food products contain the stuff. Here's one of may articles on the subject, with a link at the bottom to a list of all recalled products.
Jan 28, 2009
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
Rockville, Md. -- The list of recalled products containing peanut derivatives, compiled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has grown over the last few days, with seven additional pet-food products being added.
Carolina Prime issued a recall for its products, sold at PetSmart, that include a two-pack of Peanut Butter Hooves, 4-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Rawhides, 6-inch Beef Shank Peanut Butter Dog Bones and 6-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter Rawhides.
PetSmart was the first pet-food seller to pull a pet-food product from its shelves voluntarily when it recalled all varieties of Grreat Choice dog biscuits. PetSmart and the 72-store Wegman grocery chain also recalled Saligs three-count packs of Healthy Hide Deli Wrap 5-inch Peanut Butter Filled Rawhides.
Other retailers voluntarily pulling items from their shelves include the 2,500-store SuperValu chain, which includes stores like Albertson's Shop'n Save, Save-A-Lot, Acme and Bristol Farms. SuperValu recalled Happy Tails' 4-pound and 26-ounce packages of multi-flavored dog biscuits and Shoppers Valu 4-pound packages of multi-flavor dog biscuits.
The FDA confirmed through testing that the source for the Salmonella typhimurium outbreak is a Blakely, Ga., plant owned by the Peanut Corp. of America (PCA). Peanut products made at the facility are distributed in 5- to 1,700-pound containers of peanut butter or 35-pound containers of peanut paste as ingredients to various food manufacturers, according to the FDA. The company does not sell direct to the consumer, and the only peanut butter included in the recall is a King Nut-brand peanut butter distributed to institutions.
No pets have been reported ill, the FDA says, but many humans have been affected.
The recall list will be updated as the investigation continues. The FDA advises pet owners to wash their hands with hot water and soap before and after handling pet foods and treats. Pet-food bowls and utensils also should also be washed after each use.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some show signs of decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Well animals can be carriers. Anyone with a pet that consumed a recalled product and has these symptoms, should contact a veterinarian.
A full list of recalled peanut-butter or paste products, including pet foods, can be found here.
