Pet Food Safety: Page 87

Merrick recalls Doggie Wishbone treats due to Salmonella

Merrick Pet Care is recalling 248 cases of its Doggie Wishbone pet treats because of potential Salmonella contamination. The affected treats are marked as follows: ITEM # 29050, UPC code 2280829050, Lot 11031 and a "Best By" date of January 30, 2012.

US FDA launches PETNet petfood incident tracking

The Partnership for Food Protection and the US Food and Drug Administration launched the Pet Event Tracking Network, PETNet, which is a secure, Web-based information exchange system for petfood-related incidents. PETNet’s voluntary information exchange, surveillance and alert system provides real-time information sharing about emerging petfood-related illnesses and product defects among FDA, and other federal and state agencies.

Market Trends and Reports

Nestle Purina recalls adult cat food for Salmonella contamination

Nestle Purina is voluntarily recalling bags of its Purina One Vibrant Maturity 7+ dry cat food due to concerns the petfood could be tainted with Salmonella, according to the company. Purina is recalling select 3.5- and 7-pound bags of the petfood, marked with a "Best by" date of May 2012. Recalled 3.5-pound cat food bags have production codes of 03341084 and 03351084, with UPC codes of 17800 01885.

'Business Day' petfood safety segment to re-air in August

The petfood safety segment on "Business Day with Terry Bradshaw" will air again in select US regional markets in August. In the Huntsville, Decatur and Florence, Alabama, USA markets, the petfood safety segment will re-air on Saturday, August 6, 13, 20 and 27, at 8 a.m. on the Fox WZDX-TV channel.

Pet insurance company offers petfood and nutrition tips for consumers

Pet insurance company Petplan's online blog offers consumer guidelines on selecting a petfood, as cases of petfood contamination and recalls have become more frequent. A report from Packaged Facts predicted the sales of natural and organic petfoods to grow three times faster than regular petfoods through 2015, though the pet insurance company warns consumers that the two terms are not the same.

Pet Food Safety

Target petfood safety with process hardware

Petfood manufacturers are looking for innovative ways to modify existing facilities and processing lines to accommodate the safest petfood processes possible. But as the recent Nestlé Purina recall of dry cat food due to Salmonella contamination demonstrates, there are significant challenges in manufacturing, packaging and delivering these products in the supply chain.

Every aspect of the petfood facilityâ€”from product movement through the plant and contamination from outside sources to equipment designâ€”all require rethinking in light of recent FDA regulations, sanitary practices and GMPs.

FDA wants food-safety law funds in fiscal 2012 budget

The US Food and Drug Administration wants the US government's fiscal 2012 budget to include US$1.4 billion in funds for FDA's food-safety law that guides FDA regulation in cases of petfood contamination, according to Bloomberg.com. In June, the US House voted to cut FDA’s fiscal 2012 food-safety budget by 10% to US$752 million, which FDA says would slow progress of Food Safety Modernization Act implementation.

PFIA confirms South African dog deaths from aflatoxin contamination

The Pet Food Industry Association in South Africa confirmed that dog deaths continued into May, after three dog food brands were ordered to be removed from store shelves in April due to aflatoxin contamination, according to reports. The Department of Agriculture ordered the Hi Pro, Buddies and Legends petfood brands be removed from store shelves, following the initial deaths of 12 dogs in Gauteng, South Africa.

AVMA issues alert for chicken jerky treats from China

In June, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association notified the American Veterinary Medical Association that CVMA had received reports of Fanconi syndrom-like symptoms in dogs, similar to those cases reported in 2007 by AVMA that were found to be associated with chicken jerky treats made in China. AVMA issued an alert to its members, recommending vigilance for any suspected cases in the US, as well as to state veterinary medical associations and allied organizations.

Video: 'Business Day with Terry Bradshaw’ includes segment on petfood safety

The cable TV show "Business Day with Terry Bradshaw" featured a segment on petfood safety in the June 18 episode. The petfood safety segment, sponsored by Extru-Tech Inc., discusses reasons why petfood safety is so important and covers measures being taken to ensure food safety, including the Food Safety and Modernization Act recently implemented by the US Food and Drug Administration.

AVMA publishes report on Salmonella in petfood

A report in the June 1 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association outlines recommendations for pet owners on how to avoid pets being sickened with Salmonella from petfood. The report, written by Kate S. KuKanich, DVM, Ph.D., details the circumstances under which Salmonella organisms are most often ingested and includes a history of Salmonella outbreaks associated with petfood and treats.

FDA unveils global food safety strategy

The US Food and Drug Administration unveiled its new global strategy for increasing food safety inspections under the Food Safety and Modernization Act. FDA's report, "Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality," outlines four main approaches the agency will take to better monitor foreign food suppliers.

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