Reuters AlertNet Lite - Dry pet food implicated in North American recall

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Dry pet food implicated in North American recall

31 Mar 2007 20:13:52 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - A major recall of pet food in North America has expanded to two more companies and now includes dry food for the first time, U.S. federal health authorities and the companies said.

The Food and Drug Administration said late on Friday it notified Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. that tests had detected byproducts of a suspect chemical in the wheat gluten it used to make Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food.

The FDA concluded earlier on Friday that melamine, a chemical used in fertilizers in Asia and forbidden in pet food, had been found in some wheat gluten used by a Canadian company at the center of the recall two weeks ago.

Ontario-based Menu Foods <MEW_u.TO> makes pet food sold under several popular labels. The FDA and Menu said the suspect wheat gluten came from a Chinese supplier, which was not identified.

Menu recalled certain batches of wet pet food in mid-March after the products were blamed for the deaths of at least 14 animals -- mostly cats.

The FDA, which is continuing its investigation, found that wheat gluten from the same company that supplied Menu Foods was used to make the Hill's product, the first time a dry food had been implicated.

Hill's, a unit of Colgate-Palmolive Co. <CL.N> based in Topeka, Kansas, has voluntarily recalled the product sold through veterinarians. The company confirmed the recall in a statement.

Separately, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. announced in a statement it was voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes.

Nestle Purina, based in St. Louis, said it learned on Friday that "some quantity" of wheat gluten from the same supply company linked to Menu and Hill's was used on a limited basis at one of its facilities.

No Purina brand dry pet foods were affected by the recall.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• China profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• GlobalMedic responds to Sri Lanka
DMGF

• ADRA Welcomes New Vice President for Finance
ADRA - International

• President of ADRA International Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee
ADRA - International

• US/Brazil Biofuel Plans May Destroy Livelihoods, Promote Food Shortages, Warns ActionAid
ActionAid - USA

• US/Brazil Biofuel Plans May Destroy Livelihoods, Promote Food Shortages, Warns ActionAid
ActionAid - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

• Dry pet food implicated in North American recall

• Olmert plays down chances of military action in Gaza

• Olmert plays down chances of military action in Gaza

• INTERVIEW-Filmmaker on mission to save sharks

• Rights group blasts "rendition" of Somalis

MORE >>

Last updated:Sat Mar 31 20:14:48 2007