I’m the companion of a much-loved puppy and a six year-old cat. I want clear, straightforward information about the ever-growing pet food recall, which is scary, dangerous, and confusing. And P&G is to be commended for providing information in MSM and on its website’s homepage.
The full-page ad (you can download the PDF on this page) that P&G is running in 59 major North American newspapers is signed by the Iams and Eukanuba employees and P&G Pet Care.
Frankly, I’d feel better if it was signed by P&G’s chairman and its employees. Because right now, I want to know that people at the highest level of the company are involved in this issue.
The ad says it’s part of P&G’s genuine effort “to help address growing confusion and anxiety among pet owners in the wake of Menu Food’s widespread recall of wet-style pet food affecting more than 90 brands including Iams and Eukanuba.”
The letter states that “P&G Pet Care has taken important steps to address the situation, including:
* Working with retailers to remove all affected wet can and pouch products from store shelves.
* Suspending production of all our foods manufactured at the affected Menu Foods Plant. Our production remains suspended.
* Sharing all our data and cooperating fully with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which is leading this important investigation.
* Convening a task force of prominent North American veterinary healthcare experts to review the recall.
* Establishing a council of leading veterinarians and healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date learning on how we can continue to enhance all pets’ quality of life and disease prevention.”
“As Iams and Eukanuba employees, we feel deeply for everyone affected by the Menu Foods wet food recall involving 95 brands, including our own. We are heartsick that any of our Iams and Eukanuba products were involved. We have added more customer service support people to respond to our call lines and have added a dedicated veterinarian hotline to address further questions. Our commitment is to respond personally to everyone who contacts us.
We again want to assure you that Iams and Eukanuba dry foods were not affected by this recall and continue to be endorsed by veterinarians as the highest-quality nutrition for cats and dogs. We make our own dry dog and cat foods using high-quality animal-based protein and they do not contain wheat gluten.
Additional information is available in FAQs from the American Veterinary Medicinal Association
There has also been an additional recall, which did not make headlines:
Petrapport, Inc., a New Jersey-based manufacturer of dog treats, is voluntarily recalling pig ear dog treats it imported from a Chilean company because the pig ears have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, the company announced March 23.
Benny has eaten those. Sigh.
Too little, too late.
Iams and Eukanuba were high-quality pet foods – before they were bought out by Proctor & Gamble, who are notorious for doing unnecessary animal testing.
Not surprisingly, Proctor & Gamble started testing Iams and Eukanuba foods on animals – dogs and cats, specifically. These dogs and cats are confined in barren, steel cells without toys, humane companionship, or even air conditioning in the hot summer or veterinary care when they’re sick.
I’d like to see Proctor & Gamble apologize for THAT.
The pet food company who should be commended in my opinion is Innova/Nutra, who have pledged to: “Either acquire or build a canning plant so that the company can exercise complete control over its product lines.”
Unlike the crap they put in Iams/P&G pet food, Innova formulas use human grade meats, and are among the highest rated dog foods. It’s what I’ve fed my dogs without worry for years.
Other good brands are Timberwolf Organics, Solid Gold, and Orijen.