Rat Poison in Menu Foods?

[One Beagle Girl]

ABC News U.S.

March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

here's a link to the story:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=29...page=1&US=true

I have no words for this.

[Hunter's_owner]

Oh my...that is horrible:sad: :sad:

[Prin]

omg! :sad: :sad: How do they know the other foods are safe then?

[technodoll]

oh my freaking GAWD...

[mafiaprincess]

Gee have a lot of trust in all those good brands using menu foods now...
Nice quality control and cleaning processes...

[One Beagle Girl]

There's going to be a news conference this afternoon.

This whole thing makes me sick.

[technodoll]

"we use Menu plants to make our foods but we don't use wheat gluten, the contaminated product" - now all that marketing spin looks pretty stupid, eh? SHAME on them!!!

[Prin]

:sad: :sad: :sad: I hope people stop thinking that the major pet food companies (or even the little ones) are in it for the animals after this.:sad:

THREE months! Three months of tainted supply.

Whatever happened to Canada's wheat? Why did a Toronto-based company buy wheat from China?

[krdahmer]

[technodoll]

Originally Posted by prin

Whatever happened to Canada's wheat? Why did a Toronto-based company buy wheat from China?

easy. it's cheaper :sad:

[Prin]

The head of the lab that did the taste testing that killed 8 animals confirmed that 1/6 of the lab animals died from the food. How then can they justify parading this "15" number to all of us? How can there be 7 animals out of the MILLIONS who are eating those poisoned foods when there are 8 in one small lab who died? And I bet those 8 were healthier and younger than most of the pets out there eating this food.

This is just terrible. Time for food companies to stop "spinning" and become open books. If Cape Cod potato chips can let you tour their factories without killing anybody, why can't dog food companies do the same? Why can't they just be honest!? Or if that's too hard, then SLIGHTLY honest!? :sad:

[Scott_B]

Its all about confirmed deaths. All the reported deaths arent confirmed by I assume the FDA. I still think they should be reporting at least how many suspected cases there are.

[mummummum]

From

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/195391

Mar 23, 2007 11:56 AM
canadian press

ALBANY, N.Y. – Rodent poison has been found in pet food made by a Canadian company blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the U.S State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.

Spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden would not identify the chemical or its source beyond saying it was a rodent poison.

State agriculture officials scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to release laboratory findings from tests on the pet food conducted this week.

The deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods (TSX: MEW.UN) and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been reports of kidney failure, some fatal, in pets that ate the recalled brands. The company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.

Stock in Menu foods shot up more than 26 per cent after the announcement, gaining $1.04 to $4.94 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Units of the fund had been beaten down from $7.40 a week earlier before the recall was announced.

The company, whose headquarters are in Mississauga, Ont., last week recalled "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food. The recall sparked concern among pet owners across North America. It includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site: http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm.

The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information – (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.

The company also makes foods for zoo cats, but those products are unaffected by the recall.

The company's chief executive and president said Menu Foods delayed announcing the recall until it could confirm that the animals had eaten its product before dying. Two earlier complaints from consumers whose cats had died involved animals that lived outside or had access to a garage, which left open the possibility they had been poisoned by something other than contaminated food, he said.

Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, the FDA said.

[Prin]

They added the new info to the old article?

I hate how they say Canada all of that but don't say where the food was actually made, because it wasn't made in Canada, was it?

[Cram]

Amazing. I just posted the link in the pet recall thread in Dog Health section (without knowing about the thread here). I am also angry about the whole using imported wheat for their foods, but not surprised. Still, I'm perhaps not as angry at the natural pet food companies like Natura and Wellness because they don't use such crappy ingredients and I understand the need to out source canned products, but hopefully now they'll realize they should let their contract with Menu run out and chose a different manufacturer for their canned product- preferably a smaller one and not such a huge conglomerate, despite their good past record (which is clearly shattered now). I want to continue to support these manufacturers because I don't want to lose all of the options for pet food we have now, but I also don't want them to continue to use Menu.

That said, it makes me feel better about supporting a Canadian and local company that uses regional, human grade ingredients in their foods (Orijen) and I'm excited to try them out. Another regional pet food manufacturer has just started up in Saskatchewan, so we'll be trying their grain-free product as well when it becomes available.

I'm so so sorry for everyone who will be affected by this. It's an absolutely terrible thing to have to go through and Menu foods should be held responsible.

[mummummum]

Originally Posted by Prin

They added the new info to the old article?

I don't know Prin, I didn't see the original Star article. I just checked the FDA and the Menu websites ~ neither have been updated.

[kathryn]

As soon as I saw the story on ABC I came here nad posted it right away. This is too horrible!! Are they too stupid to clean the wheat before processing? This seems so ridiculously stupid!! and they purposly fed the contaminated food to lab cats/dogs is what still really gets me.. the pet food industry needs to be more regulated now!!

[Prin]

This part is from the original article around the 16th of March, before they knew anything...

The company's chief executive and president said Menu Foods delayed announcing the recall until it could confirm that the animals had eaten its product before dying. Two earlier complaints from consumers whose cats had died involved animals that lived outside or had access to a garage, which left open the possibility they had been poisoned by something other than contaminated food, he said.

Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, the FDA said.

I don't know why they left that in there...

[Spirit]

Does no one remember that whole hullabaloo about IAMS funding animal experiments/testing? After that, I can't believe how popular this food still is, or how so many people can still think it's top of the line quality! Marketing makes money. Sadly.

This wheat glutten thing has been going on for much longer than 3 months. The animals who died after testing, happened back in december. Of course it was all covered up, and now it's reason is still trying to remain protected. Contaminated wheat glutten from China now? Uh huh.

[worrier]

I don't understand, a day ago they didn't know it was rat poison, why are they only recalling wet food? How do they know the dry food is not affected if they didn't even know what was causing it as of 12 hours ago??

[rainbow]

Greedy, friggin bastids, importing wheat from China.

And, I hate how they always make their announcements on a Friday. I'll bet they knew this earlier this week.

[Shamrock]

UN-believable! Rat poison, and wheat from China! Hadnt heard this news.. will watch the news conference.
I dont even know what to say.... It's all too much.. :sad:

As they switched in Dec. apparently.. where did they get their wheat from before, I wonder?
It's all about profit...

[worrier]

I just called Menu foods and asked if it was possible that dry food was contaminated... The answer was "I have no information on that." Then I asked if it has been excluded?? "No" !!!

They also told me they have no information on the timetable. It could be any foods made at Menu at any time.

Okay, so what I need now from you guys is a list of dry foods not made at Menu plants (is Wellness for sure made at Menu foods???).

Also, I have heard about a way of switching a dog over to a new food using a method of feeding a very small amount of food... any info on this would be appreciated.

[rainbow]

I answered your questions in the other thread you posted.

[worrier]

thanks rainbow

does anyone know what was said at the press conference?

[Prin]

lol I answered that in another thread.

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=38153
(well, it's mainly the sciency part, not the corporate part, though)

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by Prin

Whatever happened to Canada's wheat? Why did a Toronto-based company buy wheat from China?

I wouldn't be surprised if most of Canada's wheat gets exported. We do it with a lot of different products, like our wood. We have some of the best wood in the world, but very little of it stays here. I was in the Dominican recently as well, and I've heard the same thing happens there with their cigars. It would definitely explain why their cigars are cheaper in Canada then they are in their own country.

[normag]

I am sick to my stomach with all of this, Im thinking of going back to the old ways, when I was a kid the dog/cat ate the same food we did, my mom filled there bowls the same time she made are plates up.

[CyberKitten]

First, re articles online often have info added - it is a different world out theree now. You can read a Globe and Mail article for ex and in a few hrs, new info is added. Much different than in the old days when newspapers had to wait until the next day to "print" their material. Now - virtually at least, they can scoop their broadcast counterparts - but with 24 hrs nes channels, that is a whole different situation as well.

Now, as to the other - it all makes me ill too!!!! This is a poison not used that much in North America - and not what we think of when we think of rat poison if we ponder it all which I don't. No rats and my cats don't chase mice either. (which is prob just as well!)

The ingredient is actually Aminopterin and I was somewhat scandalized to realize I know of it as an antineoplastic medication used in chemo in for certain types of cancer!! In fact, it was developed by Sidney Farber, a hero among pediatric oncologists because he developed many of the drugs that created the modern age of chemo, especially in relation to childhood leukemia! Think of the Dana Farber Institute in Boston - he was not weven an oncologist - was in fact an pathologist at Children's in Boston where I did ,my Residencies in pediatrics and hematology and my PhD in biochem. He is actually called the father of modern chemotherapy!

Tjhis medication is not used much now in Noetrh America - we have better medications but he was the first to show chemo could actually bring about remission in pediatric leukemia - which is a large part of my work so I am in shock to think it is THIS substance that is causing all this havoc!!! I was there long after the clinical trials of the drug at Harvard but it is a well known medication!!

Amazing to think of it as rat poision!! I gather they must use it as such in Europe or somewhere? Granted, tylenol would prob kill rats as well come to think of it. So I am at a loss to understand why they are calling it rat poison when we don't use it here for that - we don't really use it at all now. It would be akin to say using some really strong anesthetics when much better ones are available now.

As an aside, it was also used in the US (not sure about Canada - not where I live I know) to induce abortions in pregnant women.

I can see how it would kill animals - it seriously affects the immune system - as many neoplastic drugs do but also inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It was going out of vogue when I started to practice and I myself have never used it. But it will not kill people but where pets are so small, it would wreck havoc- as it obviously has- with their tiny little systems - and cause renal failure and God knows what else. Everything I know tells me it is not just renal failure. Even causing probs to a cat or dog who had been ill before might be seriously affected by this drug in the future. Scary stuff!!!!!!

I read that the CEO of the company (Paul Henderson - that's not THE PH is it????) said they would take responsibility for bvet bills if it can be proven it was their company's product that caused the illness. But I think that's easy for him to say - it is going to up to ppl to do that and with this medication, I can see all sorts of things happening that are even more than kidney disease and even less dangerous illnesses that may overall affect a pet's life time. Gawd!!! I can't believe this!

[mafiaprincess]

Not just wet food anymore?

http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-u...lness_20070323