Pet Food Safety: Page 76

FDA announces inspection fees for petfood companies under FSMA

The US Food and Drug Administration announced a reduction in the hourly FDA inspector fees it will levy against petfood companies for the upcoming fiscal year under the Food Safety Modernization Act. FDA will charge US$221 per hour if no foreign travel is required and US$289 per hour if foreign travel is required.

Petco recalls petfood bowls for potential contamination

Pet product retailer Petco is recalling certain stainless steel petfood bowls sold at its store due to the potential that the bowls may contain Cobalt-60, a radioactive material commonly used in industrial gauging equipment and other uses. Petco says it doesn't know how the radioactive material got into the petfood bowls, but believes that it may have come from scrap metal used by foreign suppliers that had Cobalt-60 accidentally mixed in, and which was found to emit low levels of radiation.

President Obama's dog depicted in new campaign against petfood from China

Food & Water Watch, a group that lobbies for stricter food-import laws, has launched a campaign criticizing the safety of food and petfood imported from China, which the group hopes will attract attention with the help of a new poster figure. A recent article from Food & Water Watch features President Obama's dog, Bo Obama, in a photo in front of the White House, with the caption: “Is the First Dog being fed risky chicken treats from China?

Food & Water Watch hopes its article with Bo Obama will draw attention to the lack of regulation on the safety of petfood imported from China.

Pet Food Safety

AVMA discourages pet owners from feeding raw petfood diets

The American Veterinary Medical Association passed a new resolution discouraging the feeding of raw petfood diets to dogs and cats due to human health concerns. The association is discouraging pet owners from feeding raw meat diets because pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria can be easily transmitted to humans by handling the raw food or through contact with the animal's feces.

FDA reports indicate sweet potato treats may make dogs ill

Veterinary Information Network reported that new reports to the US Food and Drug Administration indicate that some brands of sweet potato dog treats may be causing pet illnesses. Recent anecdotal reports made by veterinarians to FDA have reported cases of dogs developing symptoms of kidney failure (Fanconi's syndrome) from three brands of sweet potato treats imported from China.

Catswell VitaKitty cat treats recalled for potential health risk

Arthur Dogswell LLC is recalling 1,051 cartons packed as either 10 or 50 packages per case of Catswell brand VitaKitty Chicken Breast with Flaxseed and Vitamins because it has the potential to contain propylene glycol. The recall resulted from a routine surveillance sample collected by the company and the Food and Drug Administration, and the company has since ceased distribution of the affected cat treats.

Chicken jerky treat lab analysis released in new FDA report

The US Food and Drug Administration issued the findings of a new report about complaints of pets suffering Fanconi syndrome-like symptoms or dying after consuming chicken jerky treats imported from China. FDA collected and tested nearly 300 jerky treat samples in the US from April 2007 through June 2012, testing for bacterial contamination, mold, chemicals and heavy metals.

Petfood safety: Fortify weak links in your supply chain

As the former director of both the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, I have seen my share of pet and human food outbreaks caused by defective supply chains. In 2007, the largest petfood recall in history resulted from a single ingredient—wheat gluten—that had been intentionally adulterated with melamine for economic gains.

Even if you are fully confident in your supply chain to provide safe and wholesome products, how certain are you that there will not be disruptions when the new Food Safety Modernization Act takes effect?

FDA improves Reportable Food Registry to enhance food safety

The US Food and Drug Administration has added a Rational Questionnaire incorporating additional data elements to its Reportable Food Registry, in an effort to improve the registry's information gathering capabilities and enhance food safety. The Reportable Food Registry is an electronic portal for industry, including petfood industry members such as petfood and treat manufacturers, to report when there is reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences, allowing FDA to track patterns in animal feed and petfood and target inspections.

CDC confirms 49 human Salmonella illnesses from recalled petfood

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 49 people have been sickened since October 2011 from a Salmonella infantis outbreak linked to recalled petfood made at Diamond Pet Foods' manufacturing facility in Gaston, South Carolina, USA. In its final outbreak update, CDC increased the number of human Salmonella cases from 22, in its previous update on June 13, to at least 49 cases linked to the recalled dog food and cat food.

Sensient Colors receives food safety, management certification

Sensient Colors LLC, provider of colorings for petfood applications, recently achieved Safe Quality Food 2000 Level 3 certification, making the company able to offer its custom color solutions manufactured under highest levels of safety and quality management standards. Sensient has received third-party certification for risk management plans, manufacturing and distribution, as well as application of comprehensive assessment, screening and analytical testing programs for raw materials and finished products.

Consumer groups urge government action on food safety legislation

Ten consumer groups are urging the Obama administration to act on parts of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which gives the US Food and Drug Administration more control over food and petfood imports and the authority to set new petfood safety standards to prevent contamination. FDA regulations needed to fully carry out the Food Safety Modernization Act have been under review since December 2011 by the Office of Management and Budget, and consumer groups say there has been no explanation for the delay.

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