Playing BIG!

Check www.petfoodtracker.com for updates...

2007-04-30T21:20:00.000-06:00

I'm posting mostly over at www.petfoodtracker.com these days, so make sure to check there for updates.

Thanks!

Kim

Menu Foods' future clouded by recall

2007-04-21T08:26:00.000-06:00

Reported in today's Toronto Star... (my comment in italics, and emphasis is mine)

The value of Menu Foods Income Trust Fund units recovered slightly this week as short sellers reduced their positions in the belief the worst of the pet food recall might be coming to a close.
(I don't believe this is the case, time will of course tell)
But problems at the underlying operating company, Menu Foods Inc., are far from over.
A month after issuing one of North America's largest pet food recalls, the Mississauga-based company faces a slew of lawsuits from angry consumers and an uncertain future.
The recall affects 60 million units of "cuts and gravy style" dog and cat food, sold in cans and foil pouches. They're sold under a variety of brand names through virtually every major supermarket chain, pet specialty retailer and mass merchant in North America, from Wal-Mart to Loblaws to Petsmart.
Production for one of its biggest customers, Procter & Gamble's Iams/Eukanuba brand, remains halted.
Well that's good news.
All of which will have "a significant impact" on the company's financial results this year, chief executive officer Paul Henderson acknowledged in a press conference last month. The hit could reach $40 million, the company estimated.
Investors will get a better glimpse of the initial cost once the company publishes its quarterly results for the period ending March 31. The period includes the first two weeks of the recall.
The company has yet to announce when it might release those results. By law, it has until May 15 to do so.
But the impact on Menu Foods and the wider pet food industry could last much longer as it struggles to regain consumers' trust amid reports the death toll reaches into the thousands.
"We expect to see a severe financial impact on Menu's business," Mary McKee, an analyst with CIBC World Markets, wrote in a research report shortly after the company issued the recall March 16.
She cited both the immediate cost of the recall, future cost of defending itself against legal action, and the longer-term damage to its reputation.
Officially, only 16 pets died as a result of consuming wet pet food containing "adulterated" wheat gluten imported from China. But veterinary groups in Canada and the U.S. report the number is far higher.
The ingredient, used to thicken wet pet food sold in cans and pouches, was found to contain melamine, a substance used to make plastic, fertilizer and fire retardant. U.S. investigators are probing the possibility it was deliberately added to boost the protein content of the wheat gluten to accepted levels.
On March 16, the day Menu Foods announced the recall, its unit value plunged 25 per cent.
It was a tough blow for a company that had just completed a major turnaround. Already hammered by federal tax changes that hurt all income trusts last fall, Menu Foods had recently recovered from a difficult period that saw sales and profits hurt by a rising Canadian dollar and higher aluminum costs.
Few pet food owners had ever heard of Menu Foods before the recall. That's not surprising, given that all of its business involves making pet food for sale under other retailers' and companies' brands.
Founded in Streetsville 35 years ago by Donald Green, who bought the plant from Quaker Oats Co., Menu Foods was largely a regional player until former Loblaw executive Robert Bras got involved in 1977.
Bras, who had worked alongside Dave Nichol at Loblaw, saw Menu Foods' future in the burgeoning market for private label. Once scorned by consumers as cheap second-rate products, store brands were just emerging as an attractive alternative to big national names. Cheaper than the big brands, but more profitable for the stores, it was a win for both retailers and consumers. Nichol was a big part of that story as the marketing whiz behind Loblaw's President's Choice label.
By the time Menu Foods went public in 2002, it boasted $234 million in sales, based on an annual compound growth rate of 21.2 per cent a year. Its customers included most of the top supermarket chains, mass merchants and pet specialty retailers, from Wal-Mart to Petsmart.
But some original owners, now in their 70s, were seeking to cash out. The company went public amid the income trust craze, raising $129 million. Soon after, Bras unexpectedly died.
Serge Darkazanli, a director of Menu Foods General Partners and former CEO of Westfair Foods Ltd., came out of retirement to head the company.
Over the next two years, Menu Foods invested heavily in new plants and equipment, according to its annual information form filed with regulators last month. The company expanded further into foil pouches, a new style of packaging favoured by higher-end brands. It bought a wet canned food manufacturing facility from P&G/Iams in South Dakota and entered an exclusive five-year contract to meet the pet food giant's needs.
It raised another $85 million (U.S.) in senior secured notes and $36.5 million in trust units to pay down debt and fund further expansions, including the purchase of two warehouses in Kansas and New Jersey.
But by mid-2005, the company was in trouble, breaching covenants with lenders as it missed targets amid a rising Canadian dollar and higher aluminum costs. Darkazanli retired and was replaced by Henderson.
During 2006, the company initiated several price increases and sales and profits improved. In February 2007, it had renegotiated the terms of its loans and secured senior debt.
The future looked rosy.
The North American market for pet food, at $15.5 billion a year, seemed to have nowhere to go but up as more households adopted pets and more pet owners shifted to premium brands.
While the recall has set the company back, analysts said, Menu Foods' sheer size may be its saving grace.
The company dominates the $3.2 billion a year wet food segment. Its rivals are mainly local or regional players who can't compete effectively for space on national retail shelves.
As well, it's no longer alone in this mess. Two rival pet food makers, Del Monte Foods and Nestlé-Purina, have disclosed problems in their own facilities with the same ingredient in the weeks since Menu Foods first came forward.
Menu Foods "continues to enjoy the confidence and support of its creditors and lenders," said spokesperson Sam Bornstein.

Well, it was going good until that last comment.

FORBES - Misnavigating the Pet Food Crisis

2007-04-09T11:14:00.000-06:00

Thank you Forbes! I couldn't agree more...

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2007/04/09/pet-food-recall-oped-cx_meb_0409advice.html

Misnavigating The Pet Food Crisis
Marc E. Babej and Tim Pollak
The tainted pet food crisis has roiled a passionate market. And the story isn't dying: As the recalls mount, and the threat moves from cuts-in-gravy to staple dry food and even to treats, feeding pets seems like Russian roulette. How have the pet food companies involved reacted? Too little, too late--and, for the most part, the wrong way.
For most pet-owning families, their pets are family. This is hardly news to the nation's pet food manufacturers, but it might as well be. They've been strangely, almost eerily, silent. Such behavior consumers might expect from a big, impersonal corporation, but not from the people who make the food for their beloved pets.
A recent tour of their Web sites was almost surreal. As you might expect, the worst offender was Menu Foods, maker of the majority of the food affected by the recall. Rather than a heartfelt apology, the Menu Foods site displays puppies joyfully eating out of bowls emblazoned with the corporate name.
The consumer brands aren't doing much better. The home pages of Hill's Pet Nutrition, Del Monte Foods and Nestlé Purina PetCare offered links to press releases that sound like the product of a chemist, a lawyer and a publicist huddled around a conference table. MasterFoods trumpeted its non-involvement. Iams also led with good news: "This recall does not affect any Iams or Eukanuba products marketed outside of the U.S. and Canada." But what about their North American customers? Two more clicks, and buried in a page of technical copy is the following line: "We want you to know that we care deeply, and we continue to take action on your behalf." Sounds good--but what actions are they taking?
To Iams' credit, so far alone among this caring crew, it ran a national newspaper ad acknowledging the crisis. It expressed the sentiment that its employees were "heartsick that any of our products were involved," but provided little in the way of reassurance to jittery pet owners. Worst of all, the ad said nothing of substance about the steps being taken to ensure this would never happen again.
So far, pet food brands have been hiding behind each other, feeling secure in the knowledge that their collective market dominance leaves pet owners with few options. Sure, there are alternatives--high-priced organic specialty foods such as Merrick or Abady, or the fresh, refrigerated dog foods being rolled out to national retailers by Freshpet. Even homemade recipes have been getting a lot of attention. But these options can't possibly satisfy the hunger of an estimated 100 million America dogs and cats.
What should the industry be doing?
First, say you're sorry. Act like you really care about the animals. You may not think you owe an apology, but in pet owners' minds, you do.
Second, offer to replace the pet food in people's pantries, even it it's not your brand. Every new recall announcement creates more doubt about the food that's already out in the market. It might not be the cheapest solution, but it would buy a lot more goodwill than an ad campaign.
Third, stop being defensive. Simply reassuring people your other products are safe isn't very reassuring. After all, a few weeks ago, you were de facto assuring that all your products were safe. Do you trust the guy who says "just trust me" right after he messed up? Probably not. To regain consumers' trust, pet food brands have to give consumers reasons to trust that their food is safe.
Fourth, offer some substance. Explain what really happened, and what specific steps you are taking now to prevent something like this from happening again.
Fifth, send a message from the top. Jim Burke, the legendary head of Johnson & Johnson (nyse: JNJ - news - people ), personally managed the 1982 Tylenol crisis. The pet food manufacturers are all hiding behind their brands--to wit, the full-page ad signed by "The Employees of Iams and Eukanuba Pet Foods," not by A.G. Lafley, the CEO of Procter & Gamble (nyse: PG - news - people ), which owns both brands. The pet owners of America deserve to hear from the CEOs to whom they entrust the health and well-being of their pets. There are differences between this crisis and Tylenol's, but there is no less need for corporate courage, integrity and leadership.

Unraveling the Pet Food Mystery - TIME steps in

2007-04-05T21:16:00.000-06:00

Good to see TIME covering the story.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1607483,00.html

The fear and outrage surrounding the death of beloved Fidos and Fifis around the country from contaminated pet food isn't going away. Another recall was announced on Thursday, as officials added pet treats made by Sunshine Mills, a company based in Red Bay, Alabama, to the list of retracted products, because of the possibility it may have used contaminated wheat gluten. And Menu Foods Ltd. — which announced its first recall of 60 million dog and cat food products packaged under various brand names three weeks ago — extended the recall date to foods made between Nov. 8 and Mar. 6.
Since the scare began, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed 16 pet deaths, although anecdotal evidence suggests thousands more may have died because of the poisonous food. The FDA points to the inexplicable appearance of melamine, an industrial binding chemical used in plastic furniture, cookware, and in fertilizers overseas, as the likely cause. Lab tests found it in wheat gluten, a gravy thickener used in wet pet food. (Melamine is also used in human food such as baked goods and meat substitutes, but there is no indication the tainted wheat gluten has made it into human food.) "The association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and melamine in the food they consumed is undeniable," says the FDA on its website. "Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level."
Still, the FDA says it cannot be sure melamine is the culprit. Here are the chief unanswered questions in the continuing pet-food mystery.
What Caused the Deaths?
Richard Goldstein, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, who is part of a Cornell team investigating the cause of death, says he would not normally expect melamine to kill a pet. Research on melamine's effects on animals is very limited: only a few dated studies have been done on dogs and just one on cats, which showed limited poisonous effects and no kidney damage. And melamine has a very low level of toxicity to rodents. "It looks like it [the melamine] is causing direct cell death in the kidneys and this is not something we would have expected to happen," says Goldstein. "I don't think it's pure melamine. Maybe there is some kind of reaction with the metabolism of melamine that would cause this."
A growing number of complaints about sick and dying animals who ate only dry food, which typically does not contain wheat gluten, is another reason some authorities question whether melamine is the real culprit.
Bruce Friedrich, Vice President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged the FDA to test for excessive levels of vitamin D; last year a manufacturing error led to too much of the vitamin in Royal Canin pet food, causing kidney failure and death in several animals. But Goldstein says excessive vitamin D is unlikely, since blood tests would show high calcium levels, which haven't been found. Says an FDA spokesman: "Our analysis of the premix indicates that vitamin levels were appropriate." Other theories floated to explain the bizarre deaths are aminopterin, or rat poison, which would cause the kind of kidney damage seen. An Albany lab found the substance in two pet food samples of canned foods, but the FDA has ruled these out because no other lab has been able to confirm the results.
Are Pet Food Standards Tough Enough?
The FDA, which is in charge of regulating pet food, claims the standards are as stringent as those for human food. But some authorities disagree and the FDA website admits they have limited enforcement resources. "The FDA is an agency under siege with no money and resources," says Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, who is writing a book on pet food. "They're not going to make pet food the priority when they have so much to do to make human food safe." That's disturbing news to animal lovers, since many furry pals are part of the family. The FDA requires that pet food must be pure, wholesome, sanitary and safe to eat — but the agency has no obligation to approve the food before it goes to market. "The FDA doesn't inspect the plants or the food, but leaves that up to AAFCO [Association of American Feed Control Officials], which is a body that has no regulating power," says Friedrich of PETA. "So it really becomes self-policing."
Critics of the pet food industry point to two factors that may contribute to unsafe food: the centralization of the process for making food and the use of unsanitary material from rendering plants. The recall brought to light that the wheat gluten, which was eventually recalled, came from a single Chinese company but ended up in over 100 brands of pet food. ChemNutra Inc., based in Las Vegas, bought 873 tons of gluten from the Chinese company, farmed it out to three pet food makers and one distributor that services the industry. A highly centralized process may be cheap, but "at that size and scale if something goes wrong it goes wrong big time," says Nestle.
Rendering plants, which boil down dead animal carcasses from slaughterhouses into fats and proteins, sell cheap material that often ends up in pet food. The "meat" in your cat's kibbles could be any kind: there's no law against even using rendered material from cats and dogs in pet food. Plants can mix in anything from road kill to supermarket deli meats, and investigations by KMOV-TV in St. Louis and the Los Angeles Times have suggested that pets killed in animal shelters just might make it into the slop. The Pet Food Institute, whose members create most of the dog and cat food sold in the U.S., told the Times that pets are not allowed in their products. But the FDA has admitted to finding "very, very low levels" of sodium pentobarbital — the chemical used to euthanize animals — in some brands of dog food. Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the U.S. said the allegations need more scrutiny. "The pet food industry is not the most transparent of industries and it has been really difficult for the public to obtain information," he says.
What Should You Feed Fido?
Besides staying away from recalled products, pet owners might want to consider using natural food from smaller companies. "I would suggest feeding pets organic instead of commercial dog food from big companies who are focused on filling food at the cheapest price," says Friedrich from PETA. Some pet lovers are bypassing store food altogether, serving up home cooked meals — everything from bone-shaped biscuits to homemade hamburgers. Sales of cookbooks for cats and dogs have increased dramatically, according Nielsen BookScan. But Goldstein of Cornell warns against cooking for your pet. "I would hate for people to stop using commercial pet food, because it's the healthiest diet in the long term for dogs and cats who need multiple vitamins at the proper ratios."

Current Pet Food Deaths: Over 3,000 deaths and counting

2007-04-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

From petconnection.com today on the numbers...

As of 5:12 a.m.. PT: 3,057 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 1,657 are cats, and 1,400 are dogs.

and

Every time we see the 12-14-16 “official” number of dead pets the FDA has reported in the media … we wonder what happened to the ability of most in the media to report a story.

The Oregon state health veterinarian reports 35 dead pets, and Oregon has 1.2 percent of the U.S. population.

Now, the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association is reporting 38 dead pets, and Michigan has 3.4 percent of the U.S. population.

The Veterinary Information Network has reported numbers that suggest deaths in the thousands, as the L.A. Times and NBC News have reported.

Even the FDA will no longer speculate on the numbers dead, saying in a media conference last Friday that more than 8,800 reports had been made to the FDA, but ” we have not had the luxury of confirming these reports.”

So … can we get off the 16? Most of those animals died in the feeding trial, by the way.

Tainted wheat gluten found in U.S. food plants

2007-04-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

We knew it was just a matter of time... first two paragraphs quoted below...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/03/business/pets.php

The tainted wheat gluten that triggered a massive pet food recall also ended up in processing plants that prepare food consumed by people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

While agency leaders offered assurances Monday that the U.S. food supply remains safe, they said they cannot yet completely rule out contamination of human food by the suspect wheat gluten, which contained melamine, a chemical found in plastics and pesticides.

And here is a great post on the political blog dailykos.com.

The Tainted Wheat Coverup at FDA, Guised as a "Pet Food Recall"

Want to know more about wheat gluten?
http://catmanager.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-wheat-gluten/

FDA Hiding Info In Pet Food Epidemic, PETA Says

2007-04-02T23:07:00.000-06:00

From the North County Gazette in New York comes this commentary:
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/040207HidingInfo.html

The pet food recall has scared the nation.

More than that, it has seriously placed the credibility of not only the pet food companies but that of our own government at issue.

Despite Menu Foods having been responsible for the deaths and sickness of hundreds of pets, they're encouraging the public to keep buying their product because after all, while they recorded nearly a $6 million profit in the last quarter of 2005, for sure their bottom line is going to take a hit in the first quarter of 2006.

Pet food companies like Purina were busy saying buy me, buy me, we're not part of it only a few days later to have Purina tell us that they too were included, recalling one their Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy, a popular dog food. And then followed Del Monte, and Hill's. Who can you trust anymore?

It seems that virtually every day another company joins the recall and the $64,000 question remains, just what company is the one that the FDA says is the one to whom melamine-contaminated wheat gluten had been shipped which manufactures dry pet food. They refuse to name the company and in our view, that's totally irresponsible, to say the least. If the government in the body of the FDA knows a company's products may contain contamination, they have a responsibility to tell the public so that the public stops using that product.

Just what is the priority of the federal government, trying to save the lives of helpless pets or looking out for the bottom line of pet food manufacturers? Never mind, we think we already know the answer.

In this particular problem, it is said that cats are more susceptible because of their size. What if the contamination affected food for human consumption? What if 16 human beings had died? What if the entire human population was at risk because of imported wheat gluten instead of "ONLY" the entire nation's pet population?

Where is the outrage? Is it because people say, so what, it's only an animal? This is a country that condones using animals for laboratory testing. Why is the Congress and the President apathetic towards this issue? What if it's found that this same wheat gluten used in pet foods is being using in foods for human consumption? How do we know it's not. We as a nation should be more concerned about what the government is NOT telling us than what they are.

... Apparently FDA wasn't concerned enough to tell the public who the manufacturer is they have identified whose dry food is contains the contaminated wheat gluten. Hill's, the only manufacturer so far to have called dry cat food, says it's not them.

In this pet food recall, at first we were told it was confined ONLY to 95 brands of wet dog and cat food, that absolutely dry pet food was safe. Wrong, the federal Food and Drug Administration then identified melamine in wheat gluten used in dry cat food produced by Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. of Topeka, Kan., and on Friday, that food was recalled. Just think how many pets may have been affected.

Worse yet, just think how many pets continue to be affected because their owners have diligently watched the recall list and think they are feeding their pets safe foods only to be informed within days that that food too is being recalled.

How safe are we, how safe are our pets? FDA officials tell us that while wheat gluten is also used in some human foods, they have supposedly found no indication that the contaminated ingredient had been used in foods for human consumption.

To reiterate, the scary part to us isn't what they're telling us, it's what they're not telling us. After all, the government is pretty good at cover-ups, particularly when they are protecting entire industries, in this case, the pet food industry. Dog and cat food sales in the U.S. reached over $14.3 billion in 2005, according to the Pet Food Institute that represents manufacturers of commercial pet foods.

The president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for the resignation of Andrew von Eschenback, FDA commissioner, after the FDA refused to name the dry pet food maker. http://www.peta.org/pdfs/IGCFax.pdf

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk says that two independent laboratories are claiming that the FDA was wrong when it determined that the agent causing kidney failure in cats and dogs was wheat gluten contaminated with melamine. FDA has yet to recall the dry food that is reportedly killing dogs and cats. What are they waiting for? To see how high the death toll will rise? Do they feel secure because they think they can't be held liable, that cats and dogs are considered personal property and that there can be no damages awarded by a court for emotional distress, intentional emotional distress caused by our own government?

Although the FDA says that melamine was found in pet food and that it may have been the ingredient making animals sick, PETA points out that at the FDA news conference on March 30, the agency did not report the fact that the New York Department of Agriculture and a top Canadian agricultural laboratory -- Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph - both dispute the FDA's finding.
...

"A house-cleaning of the FDA is overdue," writes Newkirk. "Cherished animals are dying horrible deaths because of a fat, callous industry, and you have forfeited the public trust by siding with it to the detriment of the public."

PETA has also called for criminal investigations of Iams, Menu Foods and other companies to determine if there were delays that may have caused more suffering and deaths of animals. Menu Foods president Paul Henderson has already confirmed that the company delayed its recall until weeks after the first complaints were made about the pet food, in order to confirm that cats and dogs were dying from eating the pet food and not from other reasons.

PETA has charged that Menu Foods reportedly knew of this potentially deadly food as early as Feb. 20. When reports surfaced that its dog and cat food might have caused severe illness in customers' animal companions, PETA spokesmen say Menu quietly conducted lethal toxicity tests to confirm the contamination. Dogs and cats were allegedly forced to ingest toxic and lethal food in Menu's laboratory before the company announced the recall of pet food from stores nationwide nearly one month after the initial illness were reported. During this critical time, countless animal companions may have been at risk of getting sick, and many may have died, PETA says. http://www.peta.org/
...

While the finger pointing for the contaminated wheat gluten has been directed at China, on Monday China denied that the pet food ingredients exported to the U.S. are to blame for the pet food recall.
...

New Home for Pet Food Tracker

2007-04-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

I set up a new site and blog just for the Pet Food Tracker, to keep it separate so it's easy to find and reference. I'll be copying over posts and comments as soon as I can!

http://www.petfoodtracker.com

FDA Import Alert - Tainted Wheat Gluten Sold as "Food Grade"

2007-04-02T11:14:00.000-06:00

This FDA Import Alert ("DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND INTENSIFIED COVERAGEOF WHEAT GLUTEN DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MELAMINE") issued Friday alerted us to the fact that the Wheat Gluten was Food Grade.

And now (some of) the press finally starts covering this like a real story. (Thanks Carol!)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-goldstein/tainted-wheat-gluten-sold_b_44743.html

Tainted Wheat Gluten Sold as "Food Grade"
by David Goldstein

Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten used in several of its recalled pet food products was supplied as a "food grade" additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten might have entered the human food supply.

"Yes, it is food grade," Del Monte spokesperson Melissa Murphy-Brown wrote in reply to an e-mail query.
Del Monte issued a voluntary recall Saturday for several products under the Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Pounce, Ol' Roy, Dollar General and Happy Trails brands.

Wheat gluten is sold in both "food grade" and "feed grade" varieties. Either may be used in pet food, but only "food grade" gluten may be used in the manufacture of products meant for human consumption. Published reports have thus far focused on tainted pet food, but if the gluten in question entered the human food supply through a major food products supplier and processor, it could potentially contaminate thousands of products and hundreds of millions of units nationwide.

Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this "with 100 percent certainty." Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours.

The FDA announced today that it has traced the contaminated wheat gluten to a single processor, Xuzhou Anying Biological Technology of Peixian, China, but has not released the name of the U.S. distributor who supplied the product to Del Monte, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina, and Hills Nutritional. In all, more than 70 brands and over 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food are now part of this massive recall, as well as at least one brand of dry cat food.

Public statements have indicated that the contaminated gluten was distributed by a single U.S. company, but since the FDA refuses to name the supplier, it is not yet known if this company also supplies human food manufacturers. It is also not yet known if Xuzhou Anying sells direct to food manufacturers in the U.S. or abroad.

While cats seem particularly susceptible to the effects of melamine poisoning, there is little research on the substance's human toxicity. Unless and until the FDA determines otherwise, one cannot help but wonder if our sick and dying cats are merely the canary in the coal mine alerting us to a broader contamination of the human food supply.

Congress and Senate get involved - and Media Conference today

2007-04-01T10:28:00.000-06:00

If the calls and letters to the FDA won't do anything, and calls and letters to the media won't do anything...

lets put all our support behind the people who ARE starting to do something. Time for more calls and letters to Congress and the Senate.

From Gina at petconnection.com/blog this morning:

I’m trying to get confirmation from C-SPAN, CNN and Fox that at least one of them will air Sen. Durbin’s media conference 1:30 p.m. CT today in Springfield. Here’s contact information if you want to urge full coverage:

C-SPAN: events@c-span.org
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/dotcom/
Fox: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html

And speaking of political action (which we have been, click here), reader Mike reminders everyone that:

[…} every Rep will be up for re-election in ‘08, and one-third of the Senators. What’s going into my letters will be some statement to the effect that “I will be supporting a candidate on election day Nov 4 who is working to further this legislation…..”

From Steve posting over on petconnection.com last week:

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) sent a letter to the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration March 23 asking for full details of the investigation into the pet food contamination.
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/Durbin-Menu-Foods-letter-3-26-07.pdf
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) sent a letter to the president and CEO of Menu Foods Income Fund March 23 asking for detailed information explaining the contamination and subsequent recall of Menu Food’s pet food products.
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/Kucinich-letter-Menu-foods.pdf

DEL MONTE Pulls TREATS and WET Dog Food - Includes POUNCE cat treats

2007-03-31T19:35:00.000-06:00

Shocking even me by their timing, Del Monte announces a recall at 7pm Saturday night. Looks like the FDA didn't manage to inform them until this morning.

I will once again update the Pet Food Tracker - as soon as I get back from the store.

March 31, 2007 07:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As a precautionary measure, Del Monte Pet Products is voluntarily recalling select product codes of its pet treat products sold under the Jerky Treats®, Gravy Train® Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels® brands as well as select dog snack and wet dog food products sold under private label brands. A complete list of affected brands and products is below.

The Company took this voluntary recall action immediately after learning this morning from the FDA that wheat gluten supplied to Del Monte Pet Products from a specific manufacturing facility in China contained melamine. Melamine is a substance not approved for use in food. The FDA made this finding as part of its ongoing investigation into the recent pet food recall.

The adulteration occurred in a limited production quantity on select product codes of the brands below. This recall removes all Del Monte pet products with wheat gluten procured from this manufacturing facility from retail shelves.

No other Del Monte Pet Products treats, biscuits or wet dog food products are impacted by this recall, and no Del Monte dry cat food, dry dog food, wet cat food or pouched pet foods are subject to this voluntary recall. The affected products comprise less than one-tenth of one percent of Del Monte Pet Products’ annual pet food and pet treat production.

Del Monte Pet Products has proactively engaged and fully cooperated with the FDA since the start of its investigation. The adulterated ingredients were used in limited production over the last three months for those items identified by specific product codes. Del Monte Pet Products has not used wheat gluten from this manufacturing facility in China in any other pet products except those described below.

Consumers should discontinue feeding the products with the Product Codes detailed below to their pets.

Del Monte Pet Products are 100% guaranteed and all returned product will be refunded.

Del Monte Pet Products customers can visit our website (www.delmonte.com) or contact our Consumer Hotline at (800) 949-3799 for further information about the recall and for instructions on obtaining a product refund.
...
As part of the pet community, we value the health and well-being of pets, and we deeply regret this unfortunate situation. We will continue to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the quality and safety of our products.

The Pet Food Institute and their Members

2007-03-31T10:05:00.000-06:00

Part of the problem... the Pet Food Institute

Since 1958, the Pet Food Institute has been the voice of U.S. pet food manufacturers. PFI is the industry's public education and media relations resource, representative before the U.S. Congress and state and federal agencies, organizer of seminars and educational programs, and liaison with other organizations. PFI represents the manufacturers of 97 percent of all dog and cat food produced in the United States.

PFI is dedicated to:

Promoting the overall care and well-being of pets.
Supporting initiatives to advance the quality of dog and cat food.
Supporting research in pet nutrition and the important role of pets in our society.
Informing and educating the public on pet proper feeding and pet care.
Representing the pet food industry before Federal and State governments.

Who are the members? Click on the links for Company and Contact information!

Active Members - makers of dry, canned, and semi-moist dog and cat foods and treats for dogs and cats. Click here for a list of Active Member webpages.

Affiliate Members - suppliers of ingredients, equipment, and services to the pet food industry. Click here for a list of Affiliate Members websites

A lot of people have a lot at stake. Don't mistake them for being on the side of pets or pet health, take a look at their March 23rd press release - almost exactly what Menu Foods said. (Trust us while we kill your pets.) Um, no thanks.

The industry, the problem, the background : not sure where they've been in all this, but some good info here:
From API (Animal Protection Institute)

What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

The Players

The pet food market has been dominated in the last few years by the acquisition of big companies by even bigger companies. With $15 billion a year at stake in the U.S. and rapidly expanding foreign markets, it’s no wonder that some are greedy for a larger piece of the pie.

Nestlé’s bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare Company (Fancy Feast, Alpo, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Puppy Chow, Kitten Chow, Beneful, One, ProPlan, DeliCat, HiPro, Kit’n’Kaboodle, Tender Vittles, Purina Veterinary Diets).
Del Monte gobbled up Heinz (MeowMix, Gravy Train, Kibbles ’n Bits, Wagwells, 9Lives, Cycle, Skippy, Nature’s Recipe, and pet treats Milk Bone, Pup-Peroni, Snausages, Pounce).
MasterFoods owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin (Pedigree, Waltham’s, Cesar, Sheba, Temptations, Goodlife Recipe, Sensible Choice, Excel).

Other major pet food makers are not best known for pet care, although many of their household and personal care products do use ingredients derived from animal by-products:

Procter and Gamble (P&G) purchased The Iams Company (Iams, Eukanuba) in 1999. P&G shortly thereafter introduced Iams into grocery stores, where it did very well.
Colgate-Palmolive bought Hill’s Science Diet (founded in 1939) in 1976 (Hill’s Science Diet, Prescription Diets, Nature’s Best).

Private labelers (who make food for “house” brands like Kroger and Wal-Mart) and co-packers (who produce food for other pet food makers) are also major players. Three major companies are Doane Pet Care, Diamond, and Menu Foods; they produce food for dozens of private label and brand names. Interestingly, all 3 of these companies have been involved in pet food recalls that sickened or killed many pets.

Many major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of gigantic multinational corporations. From a business standpoint, pet food fits very well with companies making human products. The multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products; and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients.

The Pet Food Institute — the trade association of pet food manufacturers —has acknowledged the use of by-products in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: “The growth of the pet food industry not only provided pet owners with better foods for their pets, but also created profitable additional markets for American farm products and for the byproducts of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption.”

Recalled Pet Food Tracker - National Brands Updated 3-31

2007-03-31T09:19:00.000-06:00

***For the Pet Food Trackers (there are 2 now) please go to http://petfoodtracker.blogspot.com/***

The Recalled Pet Food Tracker for National Brands has been updated:

http://localhostr.com/files/4de1dee70dc78a2630e9.pdf

***Updated March 31, 2007***

Foods Added:

Alpo cans (3-30)
Hills Prescription m/d DRY Cat Food (3-30)

Information Added/Changed:

Parent Company information has been added next to each brand
Brands are listed by order of Parent Company, so are in a different order
Page numbers

This is a summary (PDF file) of the pet foods recalled by 5 of the most commonly found National Brands (Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro, Mighty Dog) . (Other brands will be added soon... in the meantime make sure to check http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ for brands not yet listed here.) The summary is 5 pages, and includes FDA contact information for every state.

Take this into stores to make sure products are not still on the shelves. If they are, call the FDA (phone numbers included). Then contact your local media.

Clicking on the link will open the file for easy printing, right click on the link to open in a new window.

Another recall: Alpo Prime Chunks in Gravy

2007-03-31T09:13:00.000-06:00

I was looking at the Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy cans last night at CVS, and told the store manager they would be next to be recalled.

If for some reason you’re still feeding your pets canned food by any of these companies, at least stop feeding any ‘gravy’ varieties.

Here's the release (released at MIDNIGHT!!! These companies are out. of. control. )

Nestle Purina PetCare Company today announced it is voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO(R) Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. The Company is taking this voluntary action after learning today that wheat gluten containing melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by the same company that also supplied Menu Foods. The contamination occurred in a limited production quantity at only one of Purina's 17 pet food manufacturing facilities.

I couldn't agree more with what Itchmo said, especially the stuff in red:

The FDA announcement stated that one other manufacturer received the same wheat gluten. After the Hills announcement, and now Purina, we would like to know who else is using this tainted wheat gluten. And for the love of our pets, pet food companies, please speak up now to save our pets’ lives. FDA, do you even know who is using this food?

It’s like a cancer that is spreading.

*Sarcasm* Purina, thanks for releasing your news in such a timely fashion — especially doing it in the middle of the night. We appreciate you taking the time to do it on the 2 week anniversary of the Menu Foods recall. How thoughtful. We would like you to know that the Official Pet of Itchmo will be tossing out his Purina ProPlan food.

...

P.S. Hours after this posting, the FDA site still did not have this news listed. (3/31 4 am EDT)

Menu Foods - more lies

2007-03-30T15:18:00.000-06:00

paul henderson does it again. Shows his belief that we are all stupid. Um, nope, not gonna trust a word you say. (Lack of caps on his name to show my disdain for the man.)

To quote one of my favorite characters on TV (Matlock) - JACKASS.

Here's what he and Menu Foods had to say for themselves today. (right click on the link to open it in a new window so you can come back here afterwards and read more.)

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/070330E%20Opening%20Statement%20-%20March%2030%202007.htm

If you're not angry yet, read this, and the things they had to say for themselves 9 days ago. http://playingbig.blogspot.com/2007/03/pet-food-recall-menu-foods-president.html

Note to readers: sensing a bit more emotion in my posts today? Yep, that's right. You are. Even after getting away from it for awhile and watching 10 episodes of Heroes yesterday I'm angry all over again today. And I'm okay with that.

I figured out some tools to manage the anger, rather than having it manage me. I'll post some helpful tips on that later today or tomorrow, including an audio you can listen to if you're furious and need a break from it.

as for paul henderson - we're in it for the long haul. And we will see you prosecuted for criminal charges before this story is over.

FDA Press Conference - more Partial Truths

2007-03-30T10:53:00.000-06:00

FDA reports more partial truths. News media stop coverage mid-stream. Menu Foods announces another Friday press conference - for News Media with credentials only.

And this is only the beginning.

We now know melamine has been found in wheat gluten. We now know this SAME wheat gluten was shipped to (at least) one manufacturer of DRY pet food.

FDA won't release the name. Um, Hello FDA - we have a right to know NOW. You really don't want to mess with pet lovers.

Apparently this manufacturer is so behind-the-times that they don't know whether they've used any of it yet in pet food. Um, I don't believe you. You're LYING.

So take note.

To: Menu Foods, the FDA, Pet Food Manufacturers, and assorted huge conglomerates that make pet food.

From: Me, and hundreds of thousands of pet owners

You're LYING and we know it. We're not stupid. And we're pissed. And we're grieving. You made a mistake thinking this would blow over. You severely underestimated the nature of our love for our pets. We will find the truth, and we will make you pay.

Some of us will do it the 'light / love-based' way - by focusing on our pets and by taking our business to organic pet food manufacturers or making their food ourselves.

Some of us will do it the 'dark / fear-based ' way - by legal action and protests and boycotts and pushing for congressional hearings and criminal prosecution. Just wanna repeat that last one - CRIMINAL prosecution. Because that's what you are. Heartless CRIMINALs.

Me? What camp will I be in? I'll be in both.
Light - because I have to maintain that energy - it's who I am. And because I will go crazy if I totally give in to the anger I feel at you.

Dark - because that's all you'll notice. And because I've got enough anger at you for 40 lifetimes.

For all the coverage you need on today's news, see http://www.petconnection.com/blog/.

I'll add links and quotes later. One you must see now though, because it is absolutely chilling:

In an FDA press conference this morning, a reporter asked the FDA’s Dr. Stephen Sundlof if people could be feeding unsafe food to their pets right now, because the FDA won’t reveal the name of a company - that makes dry “kibbled” food as well as “wet” pet food - that received wheat gluten from the same source Menu did.

The response? “It is possible, but I think we’ve been following every lead that we can. My sense is that we have gotten most of it under control.”

You're LYING. And you're WRONG.

And you should see this one right away too.

Karen Roebuck of the Pittsburg Tribune-Review, who broke the story earlier this morning that melamine, not aminopterin, had been found in the tested foods, asked if any of the wheat gluten had found its way into the human food supply.
The response: “At this point we are not aware that any of that went into human food.” They do know the company that supplied the contaminated wheat gluten, and are tracking its shipments, but they aren’t disclosing the name of the company.

They are, however, doing “100 percent review and sampling of all wheat gluten from China.”

Dry Food Illness/Death Numbers Reported by Itchmo

2007-03-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

After just a few days of collecting reports of dry food illnesses and deaths, itchmo has reported the results.

Is it 'proof'? Maybe not. But it sure as hell convinces me.

http://www.itchmo.com/read/voluntary-dry-food-reports_20070328

Number of Specific Cat Food Brand Reported:

Iams: 17
Purina: 6
Science Diet: 5
Nutro: 4
Special Kitty: 3
Royal Canin: 1

Number of Specific Dog Food Brand Reported:

Iams: 21
Nutro: 14
Ol’Roy: 5
Science Diet: 4
Eukanuba: 2
Pedigree: 2
Purina: 2
Authority: 1
Beneful: 1
Natural Balance: 1
Trader Joe’s: 1

Recalled Pet Food Tracker - National Brands Available Now

2007-03-28T10:55:00.000-06:00

First project - DONE.

This is a summary (PDF file) of the pet foods recalled by 5 of the most commonly found National Brands (Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro, Mighty Dog) . (Other brands will be added soon... in the meantime make sure to check http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ for brands not yet listed here.) The summary is 4 pages, and includes FDA contact information for every state.

Take this into stores to make sure products are not still on the shelves. If they are, call the FDA (phone numbers included). Then contact your local media.

If the media won't do it, and the manufacturers won't do it, and the retailers won't do it, we need to check store shelves ourselves!

Clicking on this link will open the file for easy printing, right click on the link to open in a new window.

http://localhostr.com/files/3c87768e1d1c3ac43614.pdf

NEXT Project: Pet Food Tracker for Premium Natural and/or Organic Brands that have nothing to do with Menu Foods

(www.petfoodtracker.com and www.petfoodtracker.blogspot.com coming soon)

2,237 deceased pets, still just the tip...

2007-03-28T10:10:00.000-06:00

This morning from the PetConnection database (8:30 a.m. PT): 2,237 deceased pets (1,257 cats, 980 dogs). These are self-reported numbers, as you all know by now.

Why do I say it's still just the tip? Because none of the agencies involved in this seem to know what they're doing. Tragically, because of this, the numbers reported to the press are low, the numbers they report are low, so the story isn't covered the way it should be. Hasn't been from day one and still isn't.

Cats and dogs are dying unnecessarily this week because these agencies don't have their shit together. This cannot happen again.

Petconnection.com discusses this today, and calls for action. (Most bold and highlighting in red is mine)

Throughout the unfolding pet-food crisis, the vetcetera blog has provided the necessary counterpoint to what we’ve been reporting here on Pet Connection. In thoughtful, well-reasoned posts, that blog (written by a veterinary practice manager whose wife is a board-certified feline specialist) has looked at what we were doing and questioned the good and the not-so-good of it. His contributions have been valuable, especially his evaluation of what our PetConnection database of self-reported numbers really means.

This story has always been about the numbers. It is the nature of business to downplay bad news, and the nature of government to proceed with bureaucratic caution. But when thousands of pets are being sickened and killed, the need for the swift sharing of information is essential.

We were told early on that sick and dead pets should be reported to the FDA. Next, we were told that they should be reported to the FDA and that veterinarians should report to their respective State Veterinarians, who would then report to the FDA.

How well did that work?

Anyone who called the FDA directly knows how hard it was to get through. So what about the veterinarians who tried to report to the state?

Breaking truly new reporting ground — OK, we’re a little in awe, and wish we’d thought of it — vetcetera looked at the actions of the State Veterinarian in each state. And found, in most cases, they were in full-on Heckuva Job, Brownie mode. In other words, they made the FDA look good by comparison. With the notable exceptions of Oregon and Georgia, few states made much effort to share critical information, to let veterinarians know they should report in, or to take reports volunteered by veterinarians.

This is beyond scandalous. Getting and sharing this kind of information is a serious issue of national security. Veterinarians are a critical component of the public-health system. Even if you don’t care about animals, you ought to care about the ability of veterinarians to be part of a system that reports developing problems with animal health.

Because, well, some of those problems can quickly become human problems. Anyone ever hear of Bird Flu?

We must push for a national system to for the rapid two-way sharing of information on a health crisis among our animals.

Today, call or write (don’t e-mail — they bat those away like gnats) your elected representatives at the state and national level and demand a system be put in place.

Okay, you all catch that Bird Flu reference? If this situation doesn't already scare you, it should.

And maybe "Bird Flu" is the magic phrase needed to get this situation handled better.

Science Diet Withdraws ALL Products made by Menu Foods

2007-03-27T21:50:00.000-06:00

Good to see them do this. They've only added 3 oz cans to the list, but it's a step. Another company steps up...

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Announces An Update On The Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods.

Topeka, Kansas (March 27, 2007) - As you know, Hill's makes all of its products with an overriding commitment to the health and well-being of pets. With this in mind, on March 21 we notified you of our decision to issue a voluntary precautionary recall of a very small number of canned cat food products in the United States that were manufactured by Menu Foods, which had announced a recall. This involved a very small portion of Hill's total product line.

To ensure that our customers continue to have absolute confidence in all of Hill's products, Hill's has decided to voluntarily withdraw from the market all Science Diet® Savory Cuts® Feline products.

THESE ARE THE ONLY PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY MENU FOODS FOR HILLS PET NUTRITION. NO OTHER HILL'S SCIENCE DIET PRODUCTS AND NO PRESCRIPTION DIET PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED.

ASPCA: Likely to be more than one cause

2007-03-27T18:36:00.000-06:00

From my post last Friday

"My first thought: I've seen reports online by vets based on their own tests and autopsies that seemed to indicate a different/additional cause. I still believe there will be more bad information to come."

I didn't want to be right on this one.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_032707_2

NEW YORK, March 27, 2007—Since Menu Foods announced its massive pet food recall on March 16, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has been flooded with calls from concerned pet parents and animal welfare professionals alike. Call volume at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), which is based in its Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill., has increased significantly over the past 10 days—approximately 14 percent—and the ASPCA’s veterinary toxicologists have been carefully analyzing data from these calls.
Today the ASPCA reports that, based on these data, clinical signs reported in cats affected by the contaminated foods are not fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison containing aminopterin that, according to Menu Foods, is at the “root” of the contamination issue.
“We’ve seen reports coming in from all around the country that animals that were eating the contaminated foods are definitely suffering from renal failure,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president with the ASPCA, who manages the ASPCA’s Midwest Office, including the APCC. “But the data that we’ve been collecting do not conclusively prove this connection, which is why we strongly recommend that those involved in the investigation continue to search for additional contaminants.”
Dr. Hansen continued, “Aminopterin has been used to treat cancer in people, since it is able to disrupt rapidly-growing cells. In animals, it should result in effects that mimic this function, and these include bloody diarrhea, bone marrow suppression, abortion and birth defects. Further, renal damage—which has been seen in the affected animals—can occur at high doses.
“However, to be consistent with the effects of aminopterin, we should also be seeing a significant number of affected pets showing the accompanying signs of severe intestinal damage, as well as bone marrow suppression, including ‘leukopenia,’ which is a serious reduction in white blood cells.
“This is the missing connection that we want to alert veterinarians around the country to. We are asking all veterinarians treating cats affected by these products, to report their findings to the U. S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).”
Although Menu Foods announced last week that aminopterin was at the “root” of the contamination issue, the FDA, the agency leading this investigation, has not corroborated this finding.
“There are so many inconsistencies in the purported link between aminopterin and the animals affected, that we urge veterinary toxicologists and veterinary pathologists at diagnostic laboratories to continue looking for additional contaminants,” said Dr. Hansen. “Only continued rigorous testing will uncover the real reason or reasons for this crisis among our pet population.”
The ASPCA strongly recommends that pet parents should have their pet examined by their veterinarian if any signs of illness occur following consumption of the recalled foods, including loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption or changes in urination.
Adverse effects or deaths of pets conclusively linked to eating the contaminated foods should be reported to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.
Additionally, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a wealth of resources at http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp.

LA Times, now AP Finally pick up the real story

2007-03-27T15:45:00.000-06:00

Finally. Our exhaustive efforts over the past 48 hours paid off.

Now we can turn our attention back to the next thing - getting the poisoned recalled food off the shelves.

I'll have something posted back here later today that will make it easier to check shelves in your area.

EMAIL the AP - It's time to report the REAL numbers!

2007-03-26T08:55:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: Well, looks like AP Reporter Mark Johnson didn't see fit to include any new information after all. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/26/ny_state_lab_doing_further_testing_of_tainted_pet_food/

So, back to contacting the AP. Here's a link to the Names, phone numbers and email addresses of every AP Bureau Chief - one for each state. It's on the AP website... happy typing and calling.

http://www.ap.org/media/pdf/CoBContactList_08.08.pdf

Added at 12:00pm MT: I heard back from the reporter, forwarded that information to petconnection.com and now understand from them that Dr. Becker is in touch with AP members and is working with them so they are able to present the full story.

Added at 10:21am MT: I just emailed the AP Reporter who wrote the article my local paper ran on Saturday. I also emailed the New York City and Albany AP Bureau Chiefs. I'll keep you updated... If USA Today can report the full story, why can't the AP?

The AP and other media are still not reporting the real numbers. It's time to change that. Here's my email to them, feel free to copy it. It's not the best I can do, but it's the best I can do right now. (Note: I left out any 'quote' formatting so it's less likely to turn to gibberish when you cut and paste.)

Once you send it to the AP, go into your Sent Items folder, and forward it to your local News Media. See below for what I said.
+++++++++++++++++

To: AP info@ap.org

Every day I watch the news and wait for the AP to issue a report that has something other than the carefully manipulated numbers presented by Menu Foods.

Why are you not reporting these numbers? I am losing more faith in your service every day, as are thousands of pet owners who ARE aware of the magnitude of this story.

And because the AP is not reporting the correct numbers, the following is happening, as reported on petconnection.com

"This afternoon, we got an e-mail from a person in the news
department of a radio station, who pointed out to his boss that
other media — such as USA Today and ABC NewsClick to view image —
have been reporting a potentially much higher death rate, and asked
to change the AP's "rip-and-read" radio copy. He was told he could
not, and until the AP decides to do more than parrot the FDA line,
the story will remain largely under-reported. That means it will
soon die."

If you love a cat or a dog, please read the following, go to the petconnection.com blog and then report the real story!

BEGIN FULL TEXT OF Latest entry at http://www.petconnection.com/blog/

The Associated Press continues to report 16 dead pets, without even mentioning the possibility that there are hundreds if not thousands more. So does Newsweek, in this otherwise excellent piece on how to feed pets, featuring the esteemed Dr. Tony Buffington of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

So far, both the Animal Medical Center (the “Mayo Clinic” of veterinary hospitals) and Banfield The Pet Hospital, with more than 600 locations all connected by a central database, have both gone on the record saying there could be thousands of pets sickened or killed by recalled food.

So what’s up, AP?

This afternoon, we got an e-mail from a person in the news department of a radio station, who pointed out to his boss that other media — such as USA Today and ABC News — have been reporting a potentially much higher death rate, and asked to change the AP’s “rip-and-read” radio copy. He was told he could not, and until the AP decides to do more than parrot the FDA line, the story will remain largely under-reported. That means it will soon die.

From tomorrow’s edition of USA Today, now up on its Web site:

The Food and Drug Administration has received more than 4,400 calls from pet owners about the recalled, contaminated dog and cat food that has reportedly sickened and injured animals across the USA.

But the agency has yet to follow up on the calls, so it doesn’t know how many represent sick animals or simply concerned owners, says Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Many pet owners are questioning the reported number of animals that have died from consuming contaminated pet food found in some of the more than 60 million recalled cans and pouches.

Menu Foods, which produced the food, has listed 16 deaths: 15 cats and one dog. The FDA is listing only 14 confirmed dead.

[…]

There are still questions about how many animals have died. With no national reporting system for animal injury or death, official numbers are impossible to come by.

However, data from the nation’s largest chain of pet hospitals, Banfield, suggest it is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the food was on the market.

During that time, the more than 600 Banfield hospitals in 43 states saw 200 to 250 cases of kidney failure in cats above the usual number that would have been expected, says Hugh Lewis, president of Data Savant, Banfield’s data collection arm.

During that period, Banfield vets saw 100,000 cats. Extrapolating to the entire cat population of the USA, that could mean “we’re probably talking several hundred cats a week across the country being affected,” Lewis says.

Our self-reported database, by the way, is now reporting 1,716 dead pets as of 9 p.m. PT.

I honestly have to wonder: Would the Associated Press accept only official government information if the deaths were people? Is this because these are “just pets”?

As long as the AP continues to report only 15 dead pets, the story will not be taken seriously. And that means there will be little interest in changes.

Report your pet’s loss to the FDA. Also, ask your veterinarian to report your pet’s loss to the state veterinarian for reporting to the FDA. Additionally, if your pet has eaten one of the recalled foods and become sick, add your pet to our database.

And yes, Menu Foods has now recalled all of its previously recalled labels, regardless of manufacturing date. Here’s a longer explanation of why, from the American Veterinary Medical Association. The AVMA says it’s not because foods beyond the recall range are suspected of being tainted, but because it’s easier to pull entire brands off the shelves instead of checking each can or pouch. In any case: Don’t buy or feed these brands, regardless of manufacture date.

Bottom line: We want your pet to be counted, everywhere. And we want your pet’s death to count for something, in hopes that in realizing the true scope of the problem changes will be made so something like this is less likely to happen again.

END FULL TEXT OF Latest entry at http://www.petconnection.com/blog/

++++++++++++++++++++++

Forward to Local Media:

On the Pet Food Recall…

I’ve been staying on top of this story since the beginning, and would really like to see more complete coverage in the (insert name of your local media here). The scope of this is much larger than the AP or any agency has reported. See my email to the AP below. The numbers of deaths is already in the thousands.

Probably the best site for you to get the real information is www.petconnection.com/blog Their most recent entry is pasted below in the email to the AP.

Recalled Food Still on Shelves? Let me know about it here

2007-03-25T13:09:00.000-06:00

I saw this yesterday at PETCO, and again today at Walgreens. Recalled food sitting on the shelves, and the managers pleading ignorance.

Have you found recalled products at a retailer in your area? Post a comment here or Click Here to Email me with the details. Include the Retailer name, city, and if possible the products found.

These Products should not be on shelves (I'll add the flavors soon. For now, right click on the links to open up a separate window)

Mighty Dog
All 5.3 ounce Pouches recalled

Hill's Science Diet CAT
5 Savory Cuts Feline canned products

Nutro CAT:
19 Cat Pouch Products

Nutro DOG:
6 Pouch Products
16 12.5oz Canned Products

Iams CAT:
12 Select Bites 3 oz Pouches
8 Cat Slices and Flakes in Cans, both 3 and 6 oz

Iams DOG:
10 Select Bites 5.3 oz Pouches
4 Small Bites 6 oz Cans
9 Chunks 13.2 oz Cans

Eukanuba CAT
8 Morsels in Gravy 3 oz Pouches
5 Cat Cuts and Flaked in 3 oz Cans

Eukanuba DOG
8 Bites in Gravy 5.3oz Pouches
5 Chunks in Gravy 5.5 oz Cans

Pet Lover ill after eating recalled food - Canada

2007-03-25T09:41:00.000-06:00

It was just a matter of time. I'm actually glad to see this story - maybe even more people/companies will take this seriously now.

From the Montreal Gazette:

An Ottawa woman is recovering after eating dog food and then becoming violently ill, in a case possibly related to the rat-poison-laced pet food that has killed 14 dogs and cats and sickened dozens more across North America.
Elaine Larabie said yesterday she ate some dog food last week in an effort to convince her terrier, Missy, to do the same.
Soon afterward, both Larabie and Missy found themselves in the hospital - Larabie at an after-hours emergency room, and Missy at Ottawa's Alta Vista Animal Hospital.

Retailers need to pull ALL Pouches and Cans made by Menu Foods

2007-03-24T18:37:00.000-06:00

First Pet Food Express, then Trader Joe's, and now Krogers. Kudos to them all.
Why aren't the manufacturers and every other store that sells pet food doing the same thing? Do they think we won't act with our wallets? I for one am paying very close attention to how every company is handling this, and I will not give a single dollar - ever again - to any company risking a pets life by their actions (or lack of action).

KROGER ELECTS TO SUSPEND THE SALE OF PET FOOD MANUFACTURED BY MENU FOODS IN CANS AND POUCHES

Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 2007 - The Kroger Co. has elected to remove from sale pet food manufactured by Menu Foods that is sold in pouches and cans, including Pet Pride and IAMS brands in pouches and cans, Mighty Dog pouches and All Natural Life brand cans.

Kroger's action goes beyond products recalled in the past week. We are taking this step as an added precautionary measure until we are satisfied that Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the products, can assure Kroger that these specific products are safe for consumption by our customers' pets. This elective recall does not include dry dog food products.

Customers who have products included in Kroger's elective recall may return them to one of our stores for a full refund. They may also call Kroger's Customer Center at 1-800-697-2448.

And here's what Pet Food Express says (the new gold standard in my opinion).

March 23, 2007 1:00 P.M.

UPDATE ON MENU FOODS RECALL

The NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced earlier today that a rat poison, aminopterin, was found in the Menu Foods-produced foods that have been recalled. Aminopterin is not approved for use in the U.S. for rodent control but is used in other countries. It is possible that the wheat used in the tainted foods may have been imported from such a country although state officials did not say how it got into the food.

We welcome this new finding and hope that it will allow us to get fully back into business soon but we are still waiting for more definitive word before we release all non-recalled foods for sale. We are monitoring the situation closely and will act as soon as we believe that it is safe.

Thursday, March 22, 2007- 1:30 p.m.

The latest update on Pet Food Express and the Menu Foods recall…

PFE’s current sales policy on wet dog and cat food is as follows:

NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE

We are not selling:

Any item that has been recalled.
Any wet foods, recalled or not, from brands that were made by Menu Foods and that had a significant number of recalled products
The brands affected are: Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro

AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON A RESTRICTED BASIS

These are brands that are produced in whole or in part by Menu Foods but for which we have spoken to the manufacturer and been assured that:

Their products are not produced in the suspected plants.
None of their products are being recalled
They have had no reports of sick, dying, or dead pets.
Their products do not contain wheat gluten.

We are selling these brands only if a client is fully aware of the recall and the potential risk posed by feeding a product made by Menu Foods. Although we have been assured that there is no problem with these foods, we cannot and do not vouch that they are safe.

The brands included are: Nature's Variety, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Newman’s Own Organics, Wysong, Innova

Easy to Use Lists of Recalled Products

2007-03-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

After going into a local PETCO today and being shocked and confused by all the products still on the shelf, I came home and tried to find an easy-to-use checklist of which Iams / Eukanuba / Science Diet / Mighty Dog / Nutro products should NOT be on store shelves. It was much harder than I expected.

I'm focusing on these brands because they are found in many stores, rather than being local or store brands. It's a total of 7 pages total if you print each one out.

Nutro dog/cat on same pages: http://www.nutroproducts.com/mfproductlist.asp

Iams dog/cat and Eukanuba dog/cat all on same page: http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/product_article/ProductRecallList.htm

Hills - Science Diet CAT food: (only the "Savory Cuts" cans recalled) http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

Mighty Dog 5.3oz POUCHES Only: http://www.mightydog.com/voluntarypouchwithdrawal.aspx

While initially the recall information included date codes, yesterday the recall was expanded to include all dates of the products in question, which makes the lists smaller and easier to read because no date codes are needed. [On Saturday the date expansion was denied, then after a couple of they-can't-really-be-doing-this-hours, announced again. Okay. Uhuh. Whatever. NONE of these foods should be on the shelf. If you want to read the full story on their back and forth, the best place is over at http://howl911.com/]

***Added*** Seems like we all need something we all can take into our local stores to make sure they do not have recalled food on the shelves. I'm thinking I'll put the above lists, along with the Menu Foods press release into a single PDF file for easiest printing. If you like the idea, and would find it helpful, let me know. Comment here or click the email link on the top right of this page. Thanks.

1541 Pets now reported dead (updated 8pm )

2007-03-24T10:57:00.000-06:00

Heartbreaking. And I remain convinced this is still just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the latest update at petconnection here

The latest numbers from our database (8 p.m. PT): 1541 dead (885 cats/646 dogs). As always, let us remind you: These are self-reported numbers.

DRY Food reports continue - NUTRO, IAMS

2007-03-24T10:25:00.000-06:00

Nutro Dry Foods - I've now read several first person accounts of a pet dying who only ate Nutro DRY food.

I have a bag in my kitchen. I would cut off a piece of my arm and feed it to my cats before I would give even one nugget to them.

Is that a shocking enough statement to convince you? I hope so.

Go here to read more about Dry food reports over on itchmo.com

He's asking that you email DRY food reports here: tips@itchmo.com

Need a Vet? Try Banfield - offering a 25% discount for Pet Food Recall treatment

2007-03-24T09:34:00.000-06:00

If you're in a new place and / or don't yet have a vet you know and trust for your pets, you might want to consider Banfield. They're offering a 25 percent discount, and have set up a fund to assist clients. They're the first, and as far as I know the only vet organization to step up this way.

I posted about them a few days ago, I'll repeat it here:

Banfield, The Pet Hospital is providing a 25 percent discount off the recommended medical treatment plans received at participating Banfield hospitals across the nation. Specialists and other experts have developed these specific treatment plans to screen for and treat kidney problems seen in patients who have eaten the tainted foods.

In addition, the Banfield Charitable Trust has created an emergency fund and donated the first $50,000 in funding to financially assist clients with Pet medical costs incurred at Banfield that are associated with the Menu Foods product contamination. Banfield Charitable Trust funds from this grant can be applied for at Banfield hospitals.

I never would have thought to take my pets there, but I've found out this week that all of their vets are networked together, so they are able to share information nation wide, and learn from each other. This is a huge benefit in this situation.

You can search by location here http://banfield.net/health/search.asp

RECALL EXPANDED to ALL DATES

2007-03-23T18:30:00.000-06:00

**Updated Sunday 3/25 Menu Foods has finally posted this information on their website: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/PRESS%20RELEASE03241409.htm

From an AP report here

After the announcement, the company that produced the food expanded its recall to include all 95 brands of the "cuts and gravy" style food, regardless of when they were produced.

The company expanded the recall — which initially covered only cans and pouches of food packaged from Dec. 3 through March 6 — after the FDA alerted it that some products remained on store shelves.
...
Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by the manufacturer and found aminopterin in two of them. The two labs are part of a network created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation's animals and food supply safe.

(Note that there have been reports of deaths prior to last DECEMBER.)

If you think your pet ate affected food - GET TO A VET

2007-03-23T17:11:00.000-06:00

I'm still seeing posts and comments online asking what to do if your pet might have eaten affected food.

I am not a veterinarian, I am a cat lover and owner who has had too many cats die because I hesitated to take them to a vet. So, with all my heart, and it's breaking as I write this, I say this:

If you believe your pet has eaten any of the affected food, take him or her to a vet IMMEDIATELY. Don't post a question here, don't post a question on a message board, don't post a question on a Yahoo Group. Don't ask your friends, don't ask a pet food store. Take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY.

If they show signs of this poison or kidney failure but they've eaten different food, take them to a vet immediately.

If you don't have the money, go to or call Banfield. They set up a fund to help owners pay for treatment. See if your vet will test/treat first and accept payment later. Ask another vet! And another! Or ask your parents, your children, your friends, your neighbors if they will cover the upfront costs.

If you don't and your pet dies, you will never forgive yourself. There are thousands of us, at the very least, who have to live with the guilt of 'what-might-have-been' every day. Thousands more joined that list this week.

Please, you do not want to be a member of this club. If you've done everything you can you will still grieve, but you will at least have the peace of knowing you did everything possible.

Pet Food Recall - ABC Reports on both Press Conferences

2007-03-23T16:18:00.000-06:00

The full article is here.

Some excerpts...

Investigators, meanwhile, are looking into whether the rat poison came into the United States on an ingredient used in the recalled food. ABC News has learned that Menu Foods bought wheat gluten, the only ingredient changed in its plants, from China. That possibility raises questions about the safety of pet and other food products in the United States.

The chemical can cause kidney failure in dogs and cats, said Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, during the conference.

Scientists at the state's food laboratory in Albany, N.Y., made the discovery a week after Menu Foods issued its recall.

"This is one step in a long process that will lead us to know what has happened and how it has happened," Smith said.

Aminopterin is not registered for use as a pesticide in the United States, and it has been known as a potential source of birth defects in humans.

ABC News first reported that the rodenticide may have been present in the wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods, according to a source close to the investigation.

...

Investigators also have not yet determined whether aminopterin is the only contaminant in all the recalled food.

"If it is not the only culprit, as I suspect, the problem isn't over," McGill said, adding that it is also uncertain as to whether the finding will be much help to veterinarians.

According to McGill, even if the aminopterin is the culprit, "most veterinarians have never heard of this product. There will need to be more information put out to suggest therapeutic regimens."

Pet Food Recall - Press Conference State Agriculture Dept

2007-03-23T15:58:00.000-06:00

Here's the link, I'm just watching it now...
(Added - the site is getting hammered so keep trying)

- joint collaboration between Cornell and Lab in Albany

- they have just analyzed the processed food, they did NOT have any of the individual ingredients that went into the food
- they are just beginning to test the individual ingredients now.
- this is food the company provided through the feeding trial a couple of weeks ago.
-

Menu Foods Press Conference - They do NOT know the SOURCE

2007-03-23T15:34:00.000-06:00

In this press conference, they stated they do NOT know the source of the poison.
http://www.9wsyr.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=193689

Highlights (I'll continue adding these as I watch the video. I'm shocked by so much of what they're saying that it's hard to type though. ):

- Products are from TWO manufacturing facilities, one in Kansas and one in New Jersey.
- Both facilities are STILL IN OPERATION (what is WRONG with these people???!)
- They do NOT admit to negligence on their part.
- They evaded a question about the number of pets that have died.
- The reporters are stunned that they are still manufacturing food at these plants.
- Reporter is stunned that they expect customers whose pets have died to remain loyal to them

Basically, this is a fairly useless CYA press conference, meant more to reassure investors than pet owners.

Menu Foods Statement. Plant to be closed temporarily?

2007-03-23T15:07:00.000-06:00

ADDED 3:31pm - link to the raw footage of the press conference by Menu Foods
Added 3/24 10:50am I've seen others report the plants are to be closed for a few days, but I haven't seen that information for myself, I thought I heard the opposite.

They finally make a statement,

Menu Foods responds

Globe and Mail Update

A statement prepared for and expected to be read by Paul K. Henderson,
President and CEO, Menu Foods Income Fund, at a news conference Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen:

Thank you for assembling on such short notice.

I have some brief opening comments. And then we will take questions.
The news conference will conclude at 4:30 sharp.

The Globe and Mail

My name is Paul Henderson, and I am the President and CEO of Menu Foods.

With me today is Dr. Richard Shields, Executive Vice President of Menu
Foods. Rick is head of Menu's technical services that includes
research & development, regulatory and quality assurance. Rick is a
PhD in Animal Nutrition.

We are happy and relieved that the experts from the New York State
Department of Agriculture and Cornell University have discovered the
root of the issue that has harmed North American cats and dogs. This
important discovery caps an unprecedented search by top experts.

Dedicated and knowledgeable researchers at universities, independent
laboratories, and our own veterinary consultants worked tirelessly to
defend and protect our cats and dogs.

Over the past seven days, we have spoken with almost two hundred
thousand consumers. They were scared. Some, like myself, are angry.
They demonstrated a level of care and concern that only those of us
who are pet owners can understand.

Our hearts go out to the many thousands of pet-owners across Canada
and the U.S. for their losses and their worry. We are grateful to them
for their patience as we hunted for the root of the problem.

I can anticipate some of your questions, so let me address them briefly.

Q. How did this substance get into our products?

A. At this stage, we do not know. Our immediate next steps will be to
begin testing of all suspect raw materials with the goal of quickly
identifying the means through which this substance entered our supply
chain.

Q. Which specific products made by our company contain this

substance?

A. Again, we do not know with certainty. This morning, the

researchers advised us of their discovery as they investigated the
recalled product. At this time we have no reason to suspect that this
matter goes beyond the recalled product.

Q.What should pet-owners do?

A. Until we have these answers, we have the following advice for
consumers:

– We want to reinforce our view that all consumers should immediately
stop using the recalled product.

– If your pet is showing any signs of illness after consuming any
recalled pet food, see a veterinarian immediately

Q.What about the future of Menu Foods?

A. We have a strong, sustainable business, and we're confident about
the future. Our customers and partners have been understanding,
supportive and loyal. And for that, we are grateful.

As I have explained, we have a lot of work to do. And we are eager to
get back to it. But we will take questions for about 20 minutes.

Other reports coming in the their plant is to close (temporarily). I'll update this as soon as I find more.

What Dry Food Should I Feed my Pet?

2007-03-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

ADDED 1:49pm: This applies to wet foods too.

I'm putting together a list of foods that have nothing to do with Menu Foods, including where you can buy them, list of ingredients, etc. I'll also have a tracking sheet so you can keep track of what your pet eats, when, whether they like it, how they are after eating it, etc.

In the meantime, one option is to use the information from these two sites below, about
brands that have nothing to do with Menu Foods. (And until we know more I'd
avoid anything that has wheat in it.)

http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

If you just can't look at another list, or make another decision, I
personally am going to buy Natural Balance. I've bought it before and my
cats like it. They have two different dry formulas. Most specialty pet
food stores and *some* PetCos carry it. The specialty pet food store near
me (Critters and Me, which has other stores in the country) usually has
small free sample sizes of the Venison and Green Pea dry food.

http://naturalbalanceinc.com/

There ARE other natural, trustworthy brands that I would feel safe buying today. Natural Balance is first on my list because I have bought it before and know my cats will eat it. More on other brands later.

Poison Source Not yet Confirmed

2007-03-23T12:51:00.000-06:00

http://www.wmur.com/family/11346835/detail.html

Earlier, ABC News reported that the chemical was on wheat imported from China. However, at the news conference Commissioner Patrick Hooker and Donald Smith, dean of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, said that they could not confirm the source of the contamination.

Hooker also said that the toxin is not registered for legal use in the U.S. for rodent control.

They also said that the Food and Drug Administration and Menu Foods had been notified of the finding. Both stressed that the results were just one step in a process to determine how the food became contaminated.

Smith said the news conference was called to provide information to the public, as well as other researchers looking into the situation.

They said that they tested final products, not individual ingredients.

Pet Food Recall - ABC Announces RAT POISON

2007-03-23T09:11:00.000-06:00

Sources Tell ABC News Rat Poison Has Been Found in Some of the Contaminated Pet Food That Has Killed Scores of Animals

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.

Watch "World News" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.

A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state's food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.

The chemical is called aminopterin.

What investigators can't say so far is whether this is the only contaminant in all of the recalled food.

There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.

Aminopterin is used in the United States in, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.

For a week, investigators have been looking for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths tied to contaminated pet food. Many animal doctors, including those at New York's Animal Medical Center, suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after they learned about an additional 200 reported cases of kidney failure in animals.

Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.

"I was shocked and surprised — acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC News. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."

So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals had not pointed to a cause until today.

"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School said earlier this week. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."

Investigators had already begun looking at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used to produce the Menu Foods dog and cat food.

The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.

"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."

And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that may not end for weeks.

"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months," Langston said. "It's not over."

My first thought: I've seen reports online by vets based on their own tests and autopsies that seemed to indicate a different/additional cause. I still believe there will be more bad information to come.

But hang on a second - these results were found by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state’s food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued. How could Menu Foods not have found this after testing for over a month?

Natura Pet (Innova, California Natural, Healthwise) Responds to My Email

2007-03-23T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is an email direct from Natura Pet, the company that makes Innova, California Natural and Healthwise. I've been buying wet and dry food from all of these brands .

Turns out they do use Menu Foods to manufacture some of their canned products. No one knows yet what caused the contamination. So how could ANY company who has ANY products made by Menu Foods have 100% confidence in their product?

I’ve been recommending Innova to everyone for a couple of years. No longer. Their food is probably safe (as stated they make their own dry food) but
1) I’m not taking a chance and
2) I will never again spend a single dollar with a company that contracts out ANY of their food production to Menu Foods. Period. Added 3/25 10am: I remain extremely disappointed at how Natura Pet has handled this recall. By taking the road of deniability they have lost the chance to re-earn my trust and my business.

I added carriage returns to their email response to make it easier to read. I changed no words.

-----Original Message-----
From: Customer Service [mailto:custserv@naturapet.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 1:22 PM
To: 'Kim Duke'
Subject: RE: Menu Foods makes your food?

Natura Pet Products owns and operates two manufacturing facilities, including a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Fremont, Nebraska. Our plants are AIB Certified “Superior”, Organic Certified, USDA APHIS Registered and ISO 9001:2001 compliant.

Natura does utilize Menu Foods to manufacture canned products; however, Natura maintains final review and strict approval of all formulation designs, including the types and quality of ingredients included.

Menu Foods is responsible for quality control in its facilities, based upon their Good Manufacturing Practice process; a copy of which is on file in our offices.

Natura has a complete and documented Product Quality reference on hand detailing the quality standards for each formula and can size produced under Natura’s labels. Each of our canned products are routinely reviewed and compared to the standards set out in this reference material.

It is important to emphasize that: 1) the Menu Foods recall is specific to “cuts and gravy” products WHICH NATURA DOES NOT SELL, and; 2) Natura’s canned products are made at a facility which has NOT BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE RECALL.

Since being notified of the recall, Natura has been in direct contact with Menu Foods management and have a 100% confidence level that our canned products in the market are healthful and safe.

From: Kim Duke [mailto:kim@playingbig.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 2:50 PM
To: custserv@naturapet.com
Subject: Menu Foods makes your food?

According to this, http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78&Section=About Menu Foods makes your food.

Is this true? If it is, I am absolutely horrified. I’ve felt safe feeding my cats Innova brands for the past year or so, and to hear you don’t make your own food is shocking. Please confirm or deny…

Pet Food Recall - ABC Report tonight

2007-03-22T21:23:00.000-06:00

It sure took a long time for a major news agency to pick up this story.

Doctors Caution Thousands More Pet Deaths Expected

March 22, 2007 — - As investigators look for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths, doctors at New York's Animal Medical Center suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after learning of an additional 200 cases of kidney failure in animals.

Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.

"I was shocked and surprised, acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC's David Kerley. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."

So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals has yet to point to a cause.

The usual suspects, mold or a heavy metal, have already been eliminated.

"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," said Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."

Chemical Involved?

Investigators now look at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used in Menu Foods dog and cat food.

The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.

"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."

And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that will not end for weeks.

"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months%2

More than 1,000 pets reported dead so far

2007-03-22T21:18:00.000-06:00

This is the latest entry from Pet Connection. I'm including all of it because there is very important information here. I've highlighted a couple of important things below. You can go read this at their site by clicking here.

I’m sad to say we’ve passed a milestone. We now have more than 1,000 pets reported as deceased into our PetConnection.com database.
Again, we must put things in perspective. These are self-reported numbers. We have asked everyone if they checked the brand against the recall list, and have also asked them to provide a veterinary reference. We felt that this would give us a better chance of having numbers that reflect reality. Most people both named their veterinarian and named the brand.

We have said from the first that we put the database up because we believed based on all the anecdotal evidence we were seeing — in our e-mail boxes, and on forums and blogs — that the number of dead pets was far greater than what the government was, as is, reporting.

We still believe that to be the case, and today we finally started to see other experts agree with us. We believe there will be more, and the “official” count will grow.

We also have from the first encouraged people to report their information to the FDA and to the companies and the manufacturer. You can find all those links here. In the meantime, we continue to keep our database open for entries.

Tomorrow, we’re going to try to get some perspective on all this. Where do we go from here?

In the meantime, if you haven’t checked your pet’s food — “wet” food only is listed — against the recall list, you must do so. If you even suspect your pet has eaten any of the recalled product — even if the animal seems fine — call your veterinarian about a diagnostic test of kidney function. It’s an investment in your peace of mind that may save your pet’s life. (Read our piece on kidney disease for more information.)

If you had been feeding a product that has been recalled and your pet is OK, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation of what’s right for your pet now.

And speaking of veterinarians, we’d like to note that if you’re a client of Banfield The Pet Hospital, here’s some news:

Banfield, The Pet Hospital is providing a 25 percent discount off the recommended medical treatment plans received at participating Banfield hospitals across the nation. Specialists and other experts have developed these specific treatment plans to screen for and treat kidney problems seen in patients who have eaten the tainted foods.

In addition, the Banfield Charitable Trust has created an emergency fund and donated the first $50,000 in funding to financially assist clients with Pet medical costs incurred at Banfield that are associated with the Menu Foods product contamination. Banfield Charitable Trust funds from this grant can be applied for at Banfield hospitals.

Here’s the link to the announcement.

We have heard there may be some news on the “what caused this?” front coming soon, maybe even tomorrow, and also that the FDA is working to make reporting easier. More on these angles when we know more.

In parting, we want to share one criticism we received, telling us we should report only information released from the government or trade associations.

I guess it comes down to whether you want the media to be lap dogs or watch dogs. Us? We’re going to keep barking, like watch dogs.

Hug your pets, and goodnight for now.

Pet Food Recall -IAMS DRY? FDA in FL and CA receiving complaints about dry food

2007-03-22T16:33:00.000-06:00

Update 8:06pm I'm reading more and more reports from people whose pets died after DRY Iams food. If you feed your pets any Iams food... well, I wouldn't do it.

This is anecdotal for now...

From the Yahoo Group (listed several posts below) there have been reports from people who spoke with the FDA in both Florida and California. In both cases the FDA representative said that they are receiving reports from pet owners who only feed their pets dry food.

In the California case they fed their cat Dry Iams Lamb and Rice food.

Pet Food Recall - Newsweek article

2007-03-22T14:58:00.000-06:00

Not really any new information, but at least coverage is starting to spread.
Recall: Is pet food properly regulated?
A tainted food scare linked to the deaths of at least 16 animals raises questions about the regulation of pet foods.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

By Matthew Philips

Newsweek

Updated: 6:09 p.m. MT March 21, 2007

Pet Food Recall - NO notice to Vets

2007-03-22T12:07:00.000-06:00

Vets weren't notified either.

Just too upsetting to even comment on. This is an educational and frightening blog entry from a vet blog.

Pet Food Recall - Updated 2:40pm numbers sick and dead

2007-03-22T09:21:00.000-06:00

Trying to keep the emotion out of this, but this is so heartbreaking it's impossible. I am SO sorry for everyones loss...

From the PetConnection.com database. 11:20 a.m. PT:

Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1715
Deceased pets: 845

Of those:

Cats, deceased: 500
Dogs, deceased: 345

*****

Updated numbers From the PetConnection.com database. Thursday 6 a.m. PT:

Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1529
Deceased pets: 769

Of those:

Cats, deceased: 460
Dogs, deceased: 309

As we’ve written before, these are self-reported numbers. But we asked people to check the food against the recall list, to list the food and give us the names of their veterinarians. The majority did all of this.

Other brands and dry food affected?

2007-03-21T23:14:00.000-06:00

I'll post more about this tomorrow, but I just couldn't go to sleep tonight without saying something.

Over the past couple of hours I've read numerous comments and posts on various websites, and a disturbing number of them are talking about their pet or pets sudden illness and death - after eating foods that are not (yet?) on the recall lists. Several were pets that only eat dry food.

I'm not making any recommendations here. But, I can tell you that first thing in the morning I'll be going to the grocery store and buying food so that I can make food for my cats here at home for the next few days.

This is a short term decision and action right now, there are a lot of things to consider before deciding to change your pets diet. I'll add that information and some links tomorrow. My cats are used to a lot of variety in their diet, so it won't be too difficult a switch for them. For yours it might be. So stay tuned.

Thanks to Carol for this link - it has the easiest instructions for making pet food at home that I've seen.
http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com/nutrition.htm

I hope that all your loved ones are healthy and safe, and that they stay that way.

Kim

Trader Joe's recalls food and a great site

2007-03-21T22:03:00.000-06:00

http://www.traderjoes.com/action_issues.asp#PetFood

Here's another great resource... I think I have all the information here, but there is so much information that it's getting harder to wade through. http://howl911.com/

Pet Food Recall - Who manufactures what

2007-03-21T20:07:00.000-06:00

***Updated Link 3/22 11:54am***
The petsitusa.com blog has posted some more info about food that is or is not manufactured by Menu Foods.

Menu Foods & President Paul Henderson - Get Angry

2007-03-21T19:38:00.000-06:00

Things that should make you even more angry...

Menu Foods issued its first news release on Friday, 16 March, 2007, “Not for release over US newswire services”

This tells you that Menu Foods deliberately timed the release to be buried in all but the most aggressively investigative news outlets because
1) CCNMatthews, which issued the release for Menu Foods, is a business wire service; its releases go to the business sections of the media, not the general news.

2) Bad news about business is usually issued on a Friday afternoon - Saturday because the stock exchanges are closed (so the stock won’t immediately tumble) and a lot of bad news is absorbed and/or dismissed by the next week.

Again, they specifically said it was NOT to be released over the US Wire Services!

Here's the beginning of it, the link will take you to the full release

March 16, 2007

Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -

NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES

Attention Business/Financial Editors

Want more? In one article today

Menu Foods President Paul Henderson calls the deaths "a puzzling and troubling experience."

In another

Menu Foods CEO and President Paul Henderson said Wednesday that the company is still investigating the cause of the kidney failure because the food linked to the deaths has shown no signs of contamination. He apologized for the worry that the recall has caused.

Excuse me? Puzzling and Troubling? The worry?

And this Animal death reports did not initially trigger alarm bells-pet-food CEO

It's "an unfortunate reality" that animals die of various causes, Henderson said, but the company, which ships millions of cans and pouches of wet pet food each week, did consult the veterinarians responsible for the care of those pets.

"They identified that those particular animals were either outdoor cats or animals that may have gotten into the garage, the implication being that they may have gotten into something that they shouldn't have and that was the cause of their death," he said.

It was only later during routine taste tests the company was notified that some of the animals had become sick from the "cuts-and-gravy" style food, he said.

"It wasn't until the feeding studies that happened in the beginning of the second week of March that the issues essentially triggered alarm bells within the company and we began an investigation."

and

Henderson refused to comment on reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the company knew as early as Feb. 20 that there were issues with its products.

and

Despite engaging "top North American experts" and an investigation by the FDA, Henderson insisted there was no obvious cause of the animal illnesses.
"All the tests that we have done to date have indicated that there is nothing wrong with the product," Henderson said.

The illnesses coincided with the introduction of "an ingredient" from a new supplier, but Henderson refused to identify it.

and

"Our hearts go out to all of the pet owners across North America for any of their losses and certainly for any of the worry that this event has caused," Henderson said.

"We're also grateful for them for their patience as we hunt down and try and discover what the root cause of the problem is."

And from earlier statements/reports:

Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what happened. He said that the company had received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall would cost the company, which is mostly owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, an estimated $26 million to $34 million.

Right, our pets - our family members - are dying and he talks about the cost of the recall?

"We take these complaints very seriously," Paul Henderson, Menu Foods' president and CEO, said in the statement. "We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards."

Um, how do any of their actions reflect this statement?

Pet Food Recall - Class Action Lawsuits - Links

2007-03-21T19:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a few sites related to Class Action claims against Menu Foods.

This Yahoo group is for pet owners that have lost a pet, or their pet became ill due to renal (kidney) failure from eating Menu Foods cat or dog food.
Yahoo Group

Class Action based in Seattle, WA

LawyersandSettlements.com

And here's a petition, 1228 signatures so far:
Menu Foods must Reimburse Pet Owners

ADDED: Another petition

Pet Food Recall - Over 500 dead

2007-03-21T19:31:00.000-06:00

Still just the tip of the iceberg...
Pet Connection updated numbers

As of 5 p.m. PT, with 1120 reports into the PetConnection.com recall database:

Cats, deceased: 313
Dogs, deceased: 189

More than 500 dead pets. Same caveats as before: This is self-reported information. But any way you look at it, even if half the reports don’t meet the standards of an “official” count because the pets died before the recall, people weren’t sure exactly what food they bought, etc., it’s pretty darn clear that those “official” numbers from the FDA will be heading much higher than they are now.

Pet Food Recall - More than 241 dead so far

2007-03-21T09:34:00.000-06:00

Pet Connection reports first count of their database - 241 reported dead so far. I believe it's going to get much, much worse.

As of 6 p.m. last night, more than 600 people had reported a pet illness or death into the Pet Connection database. Of those, 241 pet deaths were reported.

Please, if you or anyone you know has lost a pet or has a sick pet and you suspect it's related to this recall, take a minute and add it to the Pet Connection database. That's the only way we'll ever understand the magnitude of this tragedy.

And if you're not a fan of my blog but want up to date information, if I had to pick one source it would be Pet Connection.

Pet Food Recall - Cause still UNKNOWN

2007-03-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

So, they haven't figured out what is causing the deaths of so many dogs and cats. They thought it was the wheat gluten, but tests of it do not confirm it is the problem.

Yet, Menu Foods is still making food!! WTF is wrong with them and the FDA??! Read this

(USA TODAY) -- The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is aware of 14 confirmed animal deaths related to a major recall over the weekend of 91 brands of pet food, but the agency is getting "lots of telephone calls" from worried consumers.

The cause of contamination is still being investigated, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "We have no firm leads," he said, but suspicion remains focused on a possible contamination of wheat gluten, used to thicken gravy in the "cuts and gravy" cat and dog foods sold in pouches and cans.

Pet food maker Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, recently changed its supplier for wheat gluten, and that is "the only change that coincided with the reported deaths," Sundlof said during a briefing. The broker who sold wheat gluten to the company got it from a variety of sources, he said, and the FDA is trying to trace it back to the source. Sundlof would not identify the broker.

The company is still making dog and cat food, said David Elder, an official with the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs. "They are in production, and the change they made was changing the supplier of wheat gluten," he said.

Pet Food Recall - Chicago Woman Sues Over Pet Food Recall

2007-03-21T09:14:00.000-06:00

This is still just the tip of the iceberg. The first lawsuit has been filed, and I will keep this space updated with the most current information.

WASHINGTON — A Chicago woman sued Menu Foods on Tuesday, alleging the pet food manufacturer delayed announcing a recall of 60 million containers of dog and cat food despite knowing its products were contaminated and potentially deadly.

Dawn Majerczyk, 43, said her orange tabby, Phoenix, fell sick last week just two days after he ate a single package of Special Kitty. It is one of 95 cat and dog food brands recalled by Menu Foods of Canada. Friday's recall came two weeks after nine cats died during routine company taste tests of its products, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Majerczyk said she took the 9-year-old cat to its first-ever veterinarian visit the day of the recall. The cat had lost six pounds in four days and was lethargic, dehydrated and nearly blind. She returned over the weekend to have him put down after his organs began to fail. Her suit, filed by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, seeks class-action status.

"I want my vet bills and I want some compensation for what they did to my kids _ and for the company's neglect," Majerczyk, a medical assistant in a dermatology office.

The company said it had not seen the suit and had no comment. The FDA had no comment on the company's delay in announcing the recall.

The FDA so far has confirmed the deaths of 13 cats and one dog that had reportedly eaten the company's "cuts and gravy" style pet food. The wet food was sold throughout North America under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels like Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

FDA has sent inspectors to company plants in New Jersey and Kansas. Most complaints stem from products made at the latter factory, though both received shipments of wheat gluten, identified as a likely source of contamination, from the same supplier, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian. The ingredient is a protein source used to thicken the pet food gravy. The FDA is screening pet food samples for substances known to be toxic to the kidneys, like toxins produced by molds.

Pet Food Recall - Other Brands made by Menu Foods

2007-03-20T15:38:00.000-06:00

Like so many of you I’m shocked. And I'm pissed. The more we learn the worse it gets.

According to this, Menu Foods makes some of the HIGHEST END foods available. They even make the Innova, Wellness and Wysong brands. I noticed earlier today that the Innova website did not say that their foods are not manufactured by Menu Foods, so I’m assuming this information is true. I emailed the company asking them to confirm or deny. (Not the nicest email I've ever sent, hopefully they'll respond anyway.)

Why am I so upset about this? Several reasons. First, I've trusted these companies. They represent themselves as caring, and their food as high quality, natural, unlike other foods. Second, see the PETA report on the life of cats and dogs at Menu Foods. Warning - it's horrifying. I will never again buy any food made by Menu Foods. Third, I really believed that they made the food themselves. I had no idea that something as important as the food we feed our beloved pets was farmed out to a contract manufacturer. It's mind boggling to me.

I'll have a lot more information here in the next few days about what pet food companies make food that is healthy and safe, AND who make it without harming other animals in the process.

One food which consistently meets these criteria is Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance. I've yet to find a negative review on Natural Balance, though it might take some pets awhile to adjust to the taste. My cats will only eat it some of the time. Felidae and Canidae look like another good option - I'll report more on them tomorrow.

As of now, I've discontinued feeding my cats Innova (Natura Pet), Wellness and California Natural (also Natura Pet). While I don't think these foods are affected by this particular recall, I found enough comments about unexplained pet deaths that I'm very concerned. Given these foods are made by Menu Foods, it's a no-brainer for me to stop buying them.

http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78&Section=About
(Note - big kudos to Pet Food Express, not only are they the only ones providing this information, they responded immediately to my email. If you're in the Bay Area in California, stop by their stores. They definitely have integrity. (I shopped there for years before moving to Santa Fe last year.)

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 10:00 a.m.

A recap of what is going on with the Menu Foods recall…

Menu Foods, the largest North American manufacturer of wet pet foods, has recalled canned and pouched food products that contain wheat gluten that they manufactured between December 2006 and March 2007. They took this action based on reports they received of animals that died or became ill with kidney problems associated with certain foods manufactured by Menu Foods.

After examining their records, Menu Foods observed that the dates of the complaints coincided with the date that they switched their supplier of wheat gluten. From this they concluded that the wheat gluten must be the cause of the problem. There is still, however, no definitive proof of what caused the problem. According to Menu Foods, tests of the wheat gluten did not turn up any problem and other ingredients are being looked at as well.

Because we are not yet certain what the cause of the problem is, Pet Food Express has stopped selling all cans and pouches made by Menu Foods as a precaution, whether they contain wheat gluten or not. Furthermore, we are ceasing sales of all cans and pouches of every manufacturer we represent until we are able to ascertain whether they were produced by Menu Foods, even if they have not been specifically recalled, and if there have been any reports of problems with them.

Brands made by Menu Foods and withheld from sale are:

IAMS/Eukanuba
Science Diet
Nutro/Nutro Ultra

Brands not made by Menu Foods and available for purchase are:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
Canidae/Felidae
Breeder's Choice/Pinnacle (except for Chicken and Oats formula which is made by Menu)
Castor & Pollux
Natural Balance
Solid Gold
Triumph/Evolve
Merrick
Kal Kan (Pedigree, Cesar, and Whiskas)

Brands made by Menu Foods that have not been recalled, do not contain wheat gluten, have no reports of sick or dead pets, and available for purchase with your informed consent are:

Nature's Variety
Wellness
Newman’s Own Organics
Wysong
Innova

(Please be aware that we cannot definitively vouch for the safety of these products at this time because as yet there is no specific evidence of what caused the problem.)

Pet Food Recall - Deaths in Tasting Trials in February

2007-03-20T13:32:00.000-06:00

There are two key points in the following article. The 1st - Consumers See That Premium, Private-Label Products Can Come From Same Place.

**Note: When I posted this this morning I did not realize the extent of this, and thought only the low and middle-end foods were made by Menu Foods. It now looks like some of the very high-end and 'natural' brands are also made by Menue. See the other entry for more information, and more information will be coming as soon as I find it.***

The 2nd piece of information is more confirmation that Menu Foods knew about this problem back in February, yet waited to announce it until now.

Recall Sheds Light on Pet Food Industry's Little Secret

The massive national pet-food recall stemming from deaths of at least 10 pets is also letting consumers in on one of the industry's well-guarded secrets -- that some of most premium pet-food brands in the U.S. use the same manufacturer that processes dozens of low-price private-label products.

Though the formulations may be different, canned or pouch pet food for Procter & Gamble Co.'s Iams and Eukanuba, Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s Science Diet and Nestle Purina's Mighty Dog brands have been caught up in the same recall by processor Menu Foods as private labels for retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Food Lion and Meijer.

Deaths in 'tasting trials'
The deaths of nine cats and one dog confirmed so far all were reported by Menu Foods. At least seven of those came in "tasting trials" the Canadian manufacturer began on about 40 or 50 pets in February, a week after it first heard of consumer complaints about the food, officials of the Food and Drug Administration said in a conference call with reporters yesterday.

"We anticipate those numbers [of deaths] will increase as the investigation continues," said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. The recall affects 60 million products in all, produced between Dec. 3 and March 6 and sold under more than 80 brands, the vast majority of them retailer private labels. He said the affected products include about 1% of all pet food sold in the U.S.

While there have been widespread pet-food recalls in the past involving food that killed pets, they've been limited to private-label or fairly minor brands. Most recently, in late 2005, a dry product produced by Diamond Pet Food led to the deaths of 100 dogs.

Same stuff, higher price
"Branded companies for years when they used co-packing arrangements have tried to keep that their little shoppers' secret," said Burt Flickinger, principal with the consulting firm Strategic Resource Group. "But now this whole scandal can dismantle the pricing architecture for branded products when consumers can see that branded is essentially the same stuff with a higher price point."

"Most consumers will give them the benefit of the doubt that they must have separate formulas for expensive Eukanuba," said Laura Ries, president of marketing consultancy Ries & Ries. "In many cases you know with private labels that those products are coming off the same belts as the branded products, and in some cases there is very little difference. ... But most people want to believe in brands, buy brands and trust brands."

Depending on how long the story stays in the news, however, she said more consumers may "become a little more wary about spending extra for the premium brands."

P&G said in a statement that "Iams and Eukanuba dry products are not manufactured at Menu Foods and are not affected by this recall. Only a small portion of our wet canned and foil-pouch products for dogs and cats are affected by this recall." A spokesman declined to comment on whether the company had been contacted directly by consumers about the problem. The spokesman also declined to comment on what effects the scandal could have on the Iams and Eukanaba brands.

Recalling 68 items in total
In all, P&G is recalling 43 Iams items and 25 Eukanuba items in what appears to be the most extensive list of products from any single marketer involved in the recall. But wet food is a relatively small part of P&G's $1.8 billion overall pet business.

In its statement, Menu Foods said its largest customer, which it declined to name but said represented 11% of the company's annual revenue of $300 million plus, "received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. ... For the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products [the type involved in the recall] on hold."

According to Menu Foods' 2004 annual report, it entered into a 10-year agreement at the end of 2003 with P&G to supply all of the company's canned and pouch pet food in the U.S. and Canada. In 2004, P&G accounted for 12.7% of Menu Foods' volume, according to data in the report.

Besides P&G, Colgate and Nestle Purina were the only other companies to issue separate recall notices, and they had far fewer products listed in their recalls.

Five Science Diet items
Colgate's Hill's Science Diet also declined to comment beyond its statement, which listed five Science Diet items affected by the recall. Like Iams, Science Diet mostly sells dry pet food unrelated to the recall.

A spokesman for Nestle Purina noted that 5.3-ounce pouches of Mighty Dog moist food were the only products in the company's assortment affected by the recall. "We have no indication of any quality or safety issue related to that pouch product," he said. "No other premium products are involved or affected in any way. ... Mighty Dog canned products are not affected. ... The pouch variety is a part of the business where at this time we don't have the existing capacity at our facilities to make it, so it makes sense to use a co-manufacturer."

The other major players in branded pet food -- Mars and Del Monte -- so far have escaped any association with recalled products or Menu Foods. But FDA officials said on Monday that the issue remains under investigation. As part of that investigation, officials are looking into whether a supplier of wheat gluten suspected as a possible cause of the problem may have supplied any other manufacturers.

Started a month ago
FDA officials said Menu Foods received its first report of a problem with the food Feb. 20 and began conducting "tasting trials" with pets eating its products a week later, on Feb. 27. On March 2, one pet in the trial died, and at least six more in the trial died subsequently, FDA officials said. Menu issued the recall two weeks later -- March 16. The names of all the brands involved weren't reported until March 17.

Neither Menu Foods nor the FDA is sure of the exact cause of the sometimes-fatal renal failure in affected pets, though Menu Foods said the problem coincided with it contracting with a new supplier of wheat gluten.

Pet Food Recall - Concerns began in December?

2007-03-20T01:36:00.000-06:00

A Canadian website reported on Saturday that Menu Foods has been aware of concerns with the pet food since DECEMBER.

"Starting in December, concerns began filtering back to the company through toll-free customer lines about the "cuts and gravy" style pet food.

Callers complained their animals had fallen ill after eating the food, although no direct link was established.

One large customer in the United States initiated its own recall after receiving complaints and put future orders for the products on hold."

This makes me ill to even think about.

Pet Food Recall - Advice to Pet Owners

2007-03-20T01:29:00.000-06:00

I'm posting parts of this Press Release by the AVMA because it includes some information about what type of treatment might be required, as well as information about being able to contact AVMA to find a specialist if necessary.

***Updated 3/23 5:04pm***

If you believe your pet has eaten any of the affected food, take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY. Don't post a question here, don't post a question on a message board, don't post a question on a Yahoo Group. Don't ask your friends, don't ask a pet food store. Take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY.

If they show the signs below but they've eaten different food, take them to a vet immediately.

AVMA Offers Advice to Pet Owners after Nationwide Food Recall

— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in response to a national pet food recall, offers the following information and advice to concerned pet owners:
...

If you suspect that your pet has been affected by a recalled food, do the following three steps to help your veterinarian with your pet's diagnosis:

Retain food samples for analysis.
- Retain 4 cans or 1 kg of dry food, when possible.
- Freeze when possible or store at room temperature in airtight bags.
Document product name, type of product and manufacturing information.
- Retain all packaging.
- Identify date codes or production lot numbers.
- Retain purchase receipts.
Document product consumption.
- Dates products or products were fed.
- Consumption and palatability history.
- Time of onset of clinical signs.
- Detailed dietary history (ie, all products fed and feeding methods).

Although the exact cause is not currently known, animals that have become ill after consuming these products have shown signs of acute kidney failure.

Dr. Sandra Willis, DVM, a board certified diplomate and communications chair with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and member of the AVMA Council on Communications, advises that signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption and also changes in urination. Anybody who has a pet that exhibits these signs should take the animal to a veterinarian.

"Owners shouldn't panic, because there can be a wide variety of reasons a pet might exhibit these symptoms," Dr. Willis explained. "But it's always prudent that, when a pet is exhibiting any signs of illness, the pet owner should contact their veterinarian immediately."

A veterinarian may call for a urinalysis and blood work, and might also perform additional tests, such as an x-ray or ultrasound, to rule out other possible problems such as bladder and kidney stones. If it has been determined that the cat or dog has been affected by consumption of the recalled pet food, a veterinarian could decided to treat the illness with medications and/or intravenous fluids.

"If the kidney disease is severe, such as the animal is not urinating at all, the veterinarian can refer or consult with a specialist from the ACVIM for more specialized care," Dr. Willis explained.

Owners of pets affected by the recalled pet foods who wish to report the incident should contact the FDA, by going to the FDA Web site at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to find the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.

Please monitor the AVMA Web site (www.avma.org) for the latest information on the recall. Consumers with questions for the manufacturer can contact Menu Foods, Inc. at 1-866-895-2708. A list of veterinary specialists can be found at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine at www.acvim.org, or by calling 800-245-9081.

Pet Food Recall - Report if your pet been affected

2007-03-20T01:07:00.000-06:00

I'm afraid this is going to be much more widespread than originally reported.

Pet Connection is compiling a database of pets who have been sickened or killed by eating contaminated food. I urge anyone here with a sick pet to enter their info in the database, to help get a more accurate picture of the scope of this issue.

Connect with other Pet Owners, Get Support while Grieving

2007-03-19T23:22:00.000-06:00

Read about other pet owners and/or post your own experiences, on the msn message boards here. MSN Message Boards - Is your pet's food safe?

Grieving over your pet that died?
http://petloss.com/ is a caring community devoted to Pet Loss Grief Support.

And here's a list of Pet Loss Support Hotlines, provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dog and Cat Food Recall - The Newest Information

2007-03-19T21:59:00.000-06:00

The most recent article from MSNBC news services has some new information. I've included some of the article below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/
...
Menu Foods told the FDA it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs from pet owners on Feb. 20. It began new tests on Feb. 27.

During those tests, the company fed its product to 40 to 50 dogs and cats and seven animals — the mix of species was not immediately known — died, Sundlof said. The contamination appeared more deadly to cats than to dogs, he said.

The recall now covers dog food sold throughout North America under 51 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands, including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was sold under both store and major brand labels at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers.

The FDA has yet to tally how many reports it has received of cats and dogs suffering kidney failure or death. The company has reported 10 deaths, of nine cats and a single dog, but Sundlof told reporters on Monday that he expects the number of pet deaths to increase as the agency probes the cause of tainted pet food.

Testing comes up short
Menu Foods spokeswoman Sarah Tuite told Associated Press Radio the company was “still trying to figure out the cause.”

“We’re testing and testing, but we can’t identify the problem in the product,” Tuite said.

Other companies — Nestle Purina PetCare Co., Procter & Gamble and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. — said that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site, http://www.menufoods.com/recall. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information — (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708. The lines have been swamped by callers.

Tuite said the company has added more people and lines to cope with the calls. Callers who get a recording saying the line is out of order should try again, she added.

The company became aware of a potential problem after it received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products.

Menu Foods has said the timing of the complaints coincided with the use of an ingredient from a new supplier. Use of that ingredient, which was not named, has been discontinued, it said.

The FDA said it believes it knows who that supplier was, but has not yet confirmed its name.

“We’re trying to find out whether or not that company may have supplied other companies,” Sundlof said.

**********************

I'm horrified that the company knew about this a full month ago. My heart goes out to everyone who lost a pet, especially when it looks like this at least some of the deaths could have been prevented.

Tomorrow I'll have information for you about the top 5 or so easily available and reputable high-end cat foods.

I usually give my cats Innova EVO and California Natural dry foods, and Wellness, Innova, Natural Balance and California Natural wet foods. I use other high-end dry foods as treats, instead of Whisker Lickins, Pounce, etc.

Pet Food Recall - All the information I can find

2007-03-19T20:55:00.000-06:00

First, an apology. I had several cats die in the past 3 years, in large part because of the food I gave them. Just over a year ago I decided to put together a package of information on Cat Food - so that no other people (or their kitties) would have to suffer like I did.

Unfortunately, though I worked on it on and off, I never finished it. I was still grieving for my kitties, and it was painful every time I thought about it.

With the huge recall going on now though, I've cleared my schedule - getting this information out to people is my number one priority. [I'm calling this the "Cat Food Tracker", email me if you want to be notified when it is available.]

I've spent all day today searching online for up-to-date accurate information about this current recall. I'm shocked at how little information has been provided, and how slowly it's being updated. Websites have links going to other websites that have links going to other sites, with no or little information provided by any of them. The Menu Foods website http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ has little new information, and their phone number 1-866-895-2708 reportedly has been busy since Friday. So many people with ill pets are desperate for information and are having trouble getting any answers.

Sadly, MANY more than 10 pets have died. I've read of at least 50 others today, mostly posted in comments on various news articles and blogs. I've included some of those links below.

I'll do my best to keep this updated, hopefully I can make it easier for you to find the information you need.

At this time they still do NOT know what is causing the problem.

Even more shocking, according to news reports, both Menu Foods and the FDA are testing this by giving the food to healthy cats and dogs to verify that it is killing them. 1 out of 6 animals have died after being given the food in this supposedly controlled testing environment.
http://cbs5.com/consumer/local_story_078190940.html
http://www.wmgt.com/node/1655

There have been other recent Pet Food Recalls - this is an ongoing problem and not going away any time soon.

Questions and answers about the pet food recall - from www.newsday.com

Q: What brands and types of pet food are being recalled?

A: The recall involves Ontario-based Menu Foods' "cuts and gravy" style cat and dog food packaged from Dec. 3 to March 6. The wet food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, is packaged in cans and small foil pouches. The food was sold under numerous brand names _ 40 cat food brands and 51 dog food brands as of Monday.

Q: What happened to the food that led to this recall?

A: The recall started after reports that at least 10 pets _ one dog and nine cats _ suffered kidney failure and died after eating the food, according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA on Monday said that as many as one in six animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country.

Q: Where was this food sold?

A: The pet food was sold throughout North America under both store and major brand labels at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers.

Q: What should I do if I have some of this pet food in my cupboard?

A: The FDA says stop feeding it to your pet. Many of the major store chains are also granting refunds for returned food.

Q. How do I know if my pet is sick as a result of eating contaminated food? What are the symptoms?

A: Signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

Q. What should I do if I already gave some of this food to my pet? Do I need to take my pet to a doctor?

A: It's best to seek advice from a veterinarian in such situations, according to the FDA.

Q. Who can I call with questions?

A: Menu Foods has a consumer hot line at 1-866-463-6738 and 1-866-895-2708. The FDA is asking those with sick or dead pets to call FDA state complaint coordinators. A list of contacts for such coordinators is available at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html .

Q: What precautions are being taken to make sure it doesn't happen again?

A: The company says it changed suppliers as of March 6, and has increased testing of raw materials and finished goods.

RECALLED CAT FOODS

Detailed List, including lot numbers by distributor

Americas Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion; Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat, Shep Dog; Food Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Good n Meaty; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Li'l Red; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Sophistacat; Special Kitty; Springfield Pride; Sprout; Total Pet; My True Friend; Wegmans; Western Family; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.

RECALLED DOG FOODS

Detailed List, including lot numbers by distributor

America's Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol'Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President's Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.

ADDITIONAL RECALLS

Hills Science Diet
1. Science Diet® Kitten Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 3 oz. and 5.5 oz.

2. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Beef 5.5 oz.

3. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

4. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 5.5 oz.

5. Science Diet® Feline Senior Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

Click on the above link for details

Purina Mighty Dog products
5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007.

Procter and Gamble "Iams" and "Eukanuba" products.
Procter & Gamble announced the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197. This covers food made between December 13th and March 14th.

TYPE OF FOOD COVERED

"Cuts and Gravy" canned food "Moist Packet" types of some brands Food covered varies by label.

SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY FAILURE

Vomiting

Not eating normally

Changes in drinking habits

Changes in urination

If you notice changes, you should contact your vet immediately.

Vetenarians can do blood and urine tests for kidney function, and if problems are discovered early enough, animals with kidney problems can be treated.

WHAT TO DO WITH RECALLED FOOD

If you find you have recalled food in your home, do not feed it to your pet. Most retailers will refund your money if you return the items to them.
If you pet has shown symptoms, you may want to keep the food as proof you purchased food covered by the recall.
If you do so, clearly mark the food so you don't use it by mistake.

Check out this new Feature!

2007-02-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing these on a regular basis, this is just practice!

Like the Audio capabilities? Want it for yourself? Click here!

What "The Secret" Doesn't Cover

2007-02-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

I think "The Secret" does a good job - of the things it covers. And for people that haven't heard these concepts before it will be very eye opening. But it left some very critical things out... including that you have to take Action on the things you want in your life - thought alone won't do it.

So....

Yes, we are each a Spirit, in a body.

1. We each have our own energy frequency or vibration. ("Oh man, I'm so low energy today", or "I just don't have the energy".)

2. We have an energetic field that extends outside our body. This is often referred to as your aura, or your 'space'. ("He's in my space, it's driving me crazy") ("She just lit up the room the moment she entered".)

3. Every place has an energy. ("The second I walked in the door I felt at home". "I couldn't stand that place, I had to get out of there".)

More coming soon!

Computer Crash, Connecting with Like-Minded People, "The Secret"

2007-02-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

So, my hard drive crashed 10 days ago, leaving me offline for a full week. It so disrupted my day-to-day life that I was forced to do a lot of thinking about what IS in my life, as compared to what I WANT in my life. I even wondered for a few days if it was normal or healthy to have my computer be my main (most frequent) connection to the world. As days passed, I felt more and more lost.

I normally visit a dozen or so message boards daily, and check/write email throughout the day. I check my computer first thing in the morning, and it's usually the last thing I do at night. All of a sudden that was gone - and using a computer at the library for an hour or two just isn't the same.

And my friends noticed the difference - even those I talk to 'live'. My friend Jennifer said "I caught myself emailing you to tell you I got your voicemail that your computer crashed". And after I asked my friend Holly to check my email for me in the morning I started to say "I'll IM you when I see you online in the morning (to remind you to check my email)."

With this happening frequently, I decided to look at the energy. Have you ever wondered why there are times when you can be on the phone with someone, and you're still instant messaging them at the same time? Or you're IMing, then you talk on the phone, hang up and IM with them some more?

We do that because we're connecting with a different part of ourselves when we IM with someone. It's an entirely different energy than talking on the phone. IMing can be like being in the same room with someone, with you both doing different activities yet maintaining a closeness and a connection. Or, it can be an intense one-on-one conversation where you pour out your deepest feelings. And of course anything in between. Sometimes it is just the quickest and easiest way to tell someone something. (No more trying to get their voicemail so you don't have to talk calling)

Close your eyes and look for yourself. Visualize a line of energy between you and another person (someone you talk to in person, on the phone and via IM.) Let there be a line for each way you connect with them. What color is each line? What is the feeling of each line? Where do the lines connect? Which line is more 'Spirit to Spirit'? Which line is more "Heart to Heart"?. Does that change?

When you're on this 'energy' path and connecting daily with other like-minded folks, a lot of your communication becomes silent - Spirit to Spirit. If you're on the phone when this is happening there can be a lot of long, silent pauses. It can feel a little odd, because you feel 'something happening' (energy moving) but you're not verbally saying or doing anything. With IMs though, you expect pauses, so it's not as noticeable.

With most of us used to being online and communicating via email and IM, it *is* very important to maintain that online connection. It can't be the only thing in your life, but it is now a part of our lives and important to maintain. So, back up your data. Keep your computer healthy. Do whatever you need to do to keep this communication channel open - especially if your business is online! If you're not doing these things, you're not taking your business seriously. And that's a good question to ask yourself right now - "How seriously AM I taking my online business?". Then ask "what do I need to do to change that?" Then do it.

And... back to my being offline and feeling a little lost...
Fortunately I'd started my Psychic Energy Group (BEAMers) back in December, we meet on the phone a couple of times a week and look at all things energy. Having an energy-connection with like-minded folks is absolutely critical to maintain - and all of your 'connection to spirit' cannot be via one method of communication. Much more on this coming soon!

My conclusion towards the end of that week is that I do need to build in more in-person activities - so as we move out of the cold snowy weather into spring I'll do more and more things outside, with other people. Even just talking to a like-minded neighbor over the fence can help you stay connected and in the stream of things.

On a similar note - the movie "The Secret" is being shown / talked about on Oprah today. This movie does a very good job of explaining a lot of the principles behind the work I do. (Though they don't even mention the whole psychic thing). If you haven't seen it, you can watch it on youtube.com, just search for "The Secret".

If you like and believe the concepts covered in the movie but aren't quite sure what to do to next - stay tuned! I have lots of tools and information that will help and they'll be available in the next week or two.

Enjoy your day!

Kim :-)

P.S. As soon as I find the instructions I'll get an RSS feed set up so you can get updates automatically.

Just for Laughs - Why Why Why?

2007-01-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

The Unplanned Weekend - Procrastination or Purpose?

2007-01-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

You ever plan to spend a whole weekend doing one thing, and end up doing something completely different?

My plan was to spend all weekend working on websites - setting up simple one page sites for a bunch of different domain names and also getting playingbig.com up and running.

Instead, after a couple of hours on the phone with godaddy.com Customer Service, I found out that they have completely changed their websight tonight software. IMHO, the new version sucks. This happened Friday evening, and I let it get me completely off track.

Notice that "let it get me"? That's one of those things that is so easy to see with hindsight. What I could have done instead was re-group, by saying to myself something like "okay, I'll have to change my plans a bit, but I can still accomplish most of what I wanted to, I'll just have to do it differently than I'd planned."

What did I do instead? Well, after a great session with a client Saturday morning, I started watching the 6th episode of Season 3 of "24", and didn't stop until I'd watched the rest of the season, somewhere around midnight. Sunday morning I listened to about 3 hours of Teleseminar Secrets, then started on Season 4 of "24", and watched through episode 12.

It wasn't until 8pm Sunday night that I 'remembered' I needed to make some money for the week, and that I'd planned to spend the whole weekend doing that.

So what happened? Simple, I lost FOCUS.

I spent two thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing days just wandering from one thing to the next - and I *love* doing that. In addition to the stuff I've already mentioned I did some cleaning, organized coupons and my desk, shoveled some snow, cuddled my cats, spent some time doing strategic business planning and did a bunch of energy work.

But I did not do what I needed to do to earn income for this week. I lost Focus.

Now, I could make a great case for my needing to have a couple of days of 'down' days. And I do feel refreshed. So, did I spend my weekend doing what I needed, or did I 'waste' it?

More later on the energy of what happened, and how to do it differently from now on.

Enjoy your Monday!

Love and Light,

Kim

ASK the Spirit Guys

2007-01-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Spirit Guys: Do you get credit for starting a blog if you only tell one person about it?
Signed,
Still Hiding my Light

Dear SHML: Absolutely! You get credit even if you didn't tell anybody. By getting it created, you worked through the majority of the energy that was keeping you from moving forward. Once you do that, it takes a little while to 'recover' from that burst of growth. As spirit, we can change energy in the blink of an eye - but it takes our physical bodies (and our thinking) a little longer to adjust sometimes.

Continue making entries to your blog, and the right people will be attracted at the right time. Write what you feel guided to write, let yourself be 'guided by the Universe'. You're on your path...enjoy it.

It starts today...

2007-01-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just have to stop planning, and act. Take Any Action. Make Any Move. Get it out of your head and into the real world, whether you're ready or not.

For those of us that like to plan it all out in our heads first, making it real can be scary. And for us perfectionists - Yikes! It feels so permanent to put something in writing that other people can read... what if I say the wrong thing? Take the wrong action? Do something stupid? Or, for me, the biggie - What if I look like I don't have it all together?

Well, today that head-game-stalling-tactic ends. Part of my purpose here is to be open about my life, so as of today I'm taking the leap - admitting that not only don't I have it all together, I never will. Huh. Interesting - it's actually a relief to admit that. So much so that I'll say it again - I will *never* have it all together. (Okay, now I feel a bit like throwing up. lol)

Anyway, stick around - this is going to be one hell of a journey... you'll learn a lot, create the life you want, and have a bunch of fun in the process.

More about who I am and what we'll be doing here - soon!