Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Recall Roundup: April 29, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


United States
  • Food Recall: Lion Pavilion, Ltd. recalls approximately 16,213 pounds of seasoning products, which contain cattle by-products from China that were ineligible for import to the U.S.
  • Dietary Supplement Recall: Nature & Health Co. recalls Libimax, a product marketed as a dietary supplement, that contains tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction drug.


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Putting Mexican Swine Flu In Perspective

April 29, 2009

Ninety-one years ago, the world was on the precipice of what was to become the most devastating influenza pandemic in recorded history. 

By the time it burned out, 20% of the world's population – including 28% of the US population – had been infected; an estimated 20 million to 100 million people died. The death rate was a staggering 2.5% (see Footnote). 

The US population in 1918 (excluding members of Armed Forces serving overseas) was approximately 103 million. This means that almost 29 million Americans were infected by the 1918 pandemic flu strain, and more than 720,000 of them died from their infection. The impact of the 1918 pandemic was so severe that the US population decreased by approximately 60,000 in 1918. In comparison, the country's population increased by 1.3 million people in both 1917 and 1919.

In contrast to the 1918 pandemic, seasonal influenza outbreaks in the years 1976-1999 were responsible for an average of 34,470 deaths annually. This toll represented 19.6 deaths per 100,000 population. The 1918 death toll of 720,000 translates to 699 deaths per 100,000. The 1918 pandemic strain – based on US statistics – was 35 times more lethal than the typical seasonal influenza strains that pop up each year.


How does the Mexican swine flu strain fit this picture?

Taken on the surface, the latest official World Health Organization statistics from Mexico seem frightening – 7 deaths out of just 26 confirmed human cases; a 27% lethality rate. But these numbers are deceiving. Mexico does not have the lab facilities to confirm swine flu cases. Its initial samples were sent to Canada's national reference lab, located in Winnipeg, for analysis. 

The Mexican government suspects that the current outbreak may be responsible for as many as 2,498 illnesses and 159 deaths. More than one-half of the suspected swine flu victims – 1,311 people – are still hospitalized. But these number don't account for the likelihood that many more Mexicans have suffered milder symptoms and either never consulted a doctor or were seen by a doctor but did not require hospital treatment. 

The story that is evolving outside of Mexico may eventually give us a better picture of the lethality of this latest influenza strain. As of this morning, cases of Mexican swine flu have been confirmed or classified as "probable" in a number of countries:


According to a report released this morning by the Texas Department of State Health Services, the US death involved a 22-month old child from Mexico City who was visiting family in Brownsville, TX. The child fell ill 4 days after leaving Mexico City with his parents, was hospitalized in Brownsville, and then transferred to a Houston-area hospital for treatment. The child, who had other underlying health issues, passed away while in the Houston-area hospital. No one who was in close contact with him has developed symptoms of influenza.

The potential of this influenza strain to cause illness should not be underestimated. But neither should we panic. Certainly, canceling or postponing travel to severely affected areas is appropriate. Avoiding large crowds in confined areas is appropriate. Staying home when ill is appropriate. Paying careful attention to personal hygiene – frequent hand-washing, covering nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, avoiding touching one's eyes or nose with one's hands – is appropriate.

Wearing a face mask is of limited value. Face masks, if fitted correctly, can stop aerosols and large dust particles on which the influenza virus may have hitched a ride. But a face mask is not able to filter virus particles out of the air and may give its wearer a false sense of security.


What about the risk of eating pork?

The influenza virus is a respiratory virus. People become infected by inhaling it. Countries – Russia, Ukraine, China, and others – that have placed an embargo on Mexican and US pork are acting based on politics, not science. And Russia's announced ban on US beef and poultry because of the current outbreak is completely out of line.

USDA announced yesterday that the Mexican swine flu virus has not been detected in any swine herds in the United States. Indeed, not one infected swine herd has been found in any areas where human cases have been reported. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, in part,

"I want to reiterate that U.S. pork is safe. While we in the U.S. are continuing to monitor for new cases of H1N1 flu, the American food supply is safe.

There is no evidence or reports that U.S. swine have been infected with this virus. USDA is reminding its trading partners that U.S. pork and pork products are safe and there is no basis for restricting imports of commercially produced U.S. pork and pork products.

This is not an animal health or food safety issue. This discovery of the H1N1 flu virus is in humans. Any trade restrictions would be inconsistent with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines."


What's next?

More countries will confirm cases. The number of new confirmed cases worldwide will increase, peak, and decline. There will, sadly, be more deaths. It's too soon to speculate on the ease with which the virus spreads person-to-person, or how lethal it will prove to be. 

The virus might remain in circulation, might mutate further, or it may simply disappear into the background noise of other influenza strains that have popped up and then faded away. 

And, sooner or later, another new influenza strain will appear to test our pandemic preparedness.

Footnote: The statistics quoted in the introductory paragraphs are taken from Gina Kolata's excellent book, "FLU: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It", published in 1999 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Nutro Products: FDA Speaks Up - Denies Investigation

April 28, 2009

This evening, FDA released the following statement, which is self-explanatory.

"April 28, 2009

FDA Statement on Nutro Products, Inc.

FDA is clarifying that Nutro Products, Inc. is not currently under investigation.  FDA does not typically confirm or deny the existence of an FDA investigation.  It has recently come to our attention, however, that a media report incorrectly concluded and reported that Nutro Products, Inc. was the subject of an investigation."


This unusual statement was provoked by a report published last week by ConsumerAffairs.com, claiming an FDA investigation of Nutro was in progress. The company promptly denied the report. 

Last week, an FDA representative told us promptly, unequivocally, and for the record that Nutro was not under investigation by the agency. It wasn't hard to obtain the statement. All it took was an email request.

Perhaps ConsumerAffairs.com should be a little more careful in its reporting.

Recall Roundup: April 28, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


Pistachio Product Recalls


United States
  • Allergy Alert: McCormick & Company recalls Lawry’s Fajitas Spices & Seasonings packages due to unlabeled milk ingredients. The recalled items were distributed nationally to grocery stores. This is FDA's news release for a recall that was issued by McCormick late last week


Canada
  • Food Safety Alert: Piller Sausages and Delicatessens Ltd. recalls Piller's brand Maple Flavoured Smoked Ham and Hickory Smoked Turkey Bacon due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes


Europe, Including the United Kingdom
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Jolly Good Food recalls numerous additional products due to the presence of undeclared allergens, including  peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, cow’s milk or gluten.
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury's withdraws its Strawberry Pencils (75g), because the product contains undeclared wheat gluten. 
  • Food Safety Alert (UK): Food Trac withdraws some Lar brand frozen cooked diced chicken, because it might be undercooked. The affected two batches were distributed by Lomond Foods


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Salmonella Saintpaul: Updating the Sprout Outbreak

April 28, 2009

Unlike other sprout-related outbreaks that occurred earlier this year, the current Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak has made it onto CDC's web site radar screen.

CDC reported yesterday that 35 people in seven states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul since mid-March.

Illnesses have been reported in Michigan (17), Minnesota (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (6), South Dakota (2), Utah (1), and West Virginia (2). Two of the Michigan victims were hospitalized. Fortunately, there have been no reported deaths.

According to CDC, the present outbreak may be a continuation or extension of the sprout-linked Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that sickened as many as 140 people earlier this year. 

Many of the outbreak victims – including 10 of the Michigan victims – ate raw alfalfa sprouts in a restaurant; others purchased them at retail and consumed them at home. The sprouts came from several different growers, indicating the likelihood that one or more contaminated batches of alfalfa seeds are in circulation.

FDA has issued a general alert, advising consumers to avoid raw alfalfa sprouts. The agency has not identified any implicated producers by name, simply saying that contaminated sprouts have been traced to "... multiple sprout growers in multiple states." But based on recent recall announcements, the following sprout growers probably are among those involved in this two-stage outbreak:


More recalls undoubtedly will follow, as will more reports of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella Saintpaul.

Avoid becoming a statistic. Don't eat raw sprouts.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Recall Roundup: April 27, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


United States
  • Allergy Alert: Battenkill Valley Creamery (Salem, NY) recalls all Cookie Dough Ice Cream sold in 1-quart, 1-pint and 12 ounce containers due to the presence of undeclared allergens, eggs and soy
  • Precautionary Class II Recall: Mucci’s Food Products, Inc. recalls frozen meat and poultry pasta products which are adulterated and misbranded because they were prepared without the benefit of federal inspection
  • Food Safety Recall: Jonathan's Sprouts, Inc. recalls Jonathan's Organic Alfalfa Sprouts due to possible contamination with Salmonella


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Food Safety and Swine Flu - Update #1

April 27, 2009

A deadly outbreak of "swine flu" may have killed as many as 149 victims in Mexico so far, and sickened hundreds more. Twenty-six of the Mexican deaths have been confirmed as swine flu victims.

Confirmed cases of swine flu – none of them life-threatening – have been reported in the United States (40), Canada (6) and Spain (1). Health agencies in several more countries – including Australia, BrazilFranceIsraelNew Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland – are investigating suspect cases.

The World Health Organization has declared a "Level 4" pandemic alert, indicating that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but that a pandemic is not inevitable. Governments around the world have issued travel advisories, and many countries have instituted airport screening of passengers arriving from Mexico. Schools in Mexico and all 14 schools in one Texas district have been closed and many public events in Mexico cancelled.


What is swine flu and how is it spread?

Live pigs can become infected with an influenza virus, just as humans can. The form of the virus that typically infects pigs – swine flu – occasionally is passed from infected pigs to humans. As with other influenza viruses, individuals become infected by breathing contaminated air – not by eating contaminated meat.

The virus that is behind the present outbreak is not a pure-bred swine flu virus. It is a hybrid virus that contains portions of swine, bird and human influenza viruses. Health professionals are still in the dark as to how easily this particular virus can be transmitted from person to person, how dangerous it is, and how much protection the current influenza vaccine provides. Fortunately, the virus appears to be sensitive to anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu.

While monitoring airline passengers who arrive from Mexico and other countries that have confirmed cases of swine flu is a sensible precaution, and placing an embargo on the importation of live pigs from affected countries is understandable, some countries have gone overboard in their efforts to prevent the disease from crossing their borders. 

Since swine flu is not transmitted by eating contaminated pork meat, why have Russia and China embargoed the importation of pork meat from Mexico and the United States? According to Tom Johnston, reporting in Meatingplace.com, Thailand, Jordan, Indonesia and the Philippines have taken similar steps. Ukraine has gone even farther, adding Canada and New Zealand to its embargo list, even though New Zealand has yet to confirm a single case of swine flu.  There is no scientific basis for these embargoes.

It's understandable when individuals who are not schooled in medicine or microbiology make panic-based decisions. It's unconscionable for national health authorities to do so. 

Swine flu is not a food-borne disease.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Cholera Chronicle: April 26, 2009

Welcome to the eFoodAlert Cholera Chronicle. Every Sunday, we'll present a summary by region of cholera news from around the world.

Cholera is spread through human fecal contamination of food and water supplies. It is a frequent Disease of Disaster, accompanying famines, floods, wars, and other natural- or man-made disasters. Its victims typically are destitute, displaced or debilitated. And, all too often, dead.



Central and South America
  • Paraguay, April 26 – The government has confirmed an outbreak of cholera that has infected five individuals, including four members of one family.


Asia, Including Russia
  • Vietnam, April 22 – Health authorities are scrutinizing dog meat restaurants after the first cholera case of the season was confirmed in Hanoi. The victim, who is recovering, reported having eaten dog meat, shrimp paste and fresh vegetables the day before he fell ill.
  • Myanmar, April 24 – Unofficial sources are reporting an outbreak of cholera in Yangon that has killed five people and sickened many more. While there has been no official confirmation, authorities reportedly have closed roadside food stands in the affected areas.


Africa
  • Namibia, April 24 – The worst flooding in 40 years has Red Cross workers fearing an outbreak of infectious diseases, including cholera. The international aid agency's emergency response unit has set up facilities to provide sanitation needs for 20,000 people. But more than 54,000 Namibians remain temporarily homeless six weeks after the beginning of seasonal flooding.


Cholera can be treated successfully, if adequate medical facilities are available. More importantly, outbreaks can be prevented, by providing communities with safe drinking water, and with sanitary disposal facilities for human waste.

Last year – 2008 – was the International Year of Sanitation. The World Health Organization partnered with other agencies to promote improvements in sanitation in underdeveloped areas of the world. But it will take many years before these efforts make a significant dent in the problem.

Meanwhile, cholera will continue to follow in the wake of world disasters.

Salmonella Saintpaul Sprouts Up Again

April 26, 2009

Another sprout-linked Salmonella outbreak is under investigation by FDA and CDC. Thirty-one people in seven states have been infected with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul that was behind the multi state outbreak we reported on in early March.

Sixteen of the 31 confirmed victims are from southeast Michigan, including the City of Detroit. Ten of the Michigan victims reported having eaten raw alfalfa sprouts at sandwich shops. The Michigan victims reported illness onset dates of Mar 23 to April 6, 2009.

According to Bill Marler, FDA informed the sprout industry yesterday that the agency soon would be issuing a news release on the subject.

The Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that flared up earlier this year was linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Sunsprout Enterprises, a Nebraska company. Sunsprout recalled several production lots of its Alfalfa, Onion and Gourmet sprouts after 140 people in four states became infected with the same strain that has ignited the current outbreak.

Last week, the California Department of Public Health advised consumers that alfalfa sprouts distributed by Los Angeles Calco, Inc. (Arcadia, CA) were being recalled due to the risk of contamination with Salmonella. The sprouts had been produced for Los Angeles Calco by Arizona Hydroponics (Arizona Hydroseed, LLC). CDPH indicated that no illnesses had been traced to the recalled sprouts.

Neither CDC nor FDA have yet issued a public comment on this latest outbreak. We don't know whether all of the 31 outbreak victims reported having eaten alfalfa sprouts or not. We don't know whether all of the sprouts came from one producer or from multiple sprouting operations. We don't know whether Sunsprout's alfalfa sprouts are involved again. And we don't know whether the California recall is linked in any way to the current outbreak investigation.

In December 2004, FDA issued a guidance document on Growing Sprouts in Retail Food Establishments. The following paragraph, extracted from the guidance document, explains why seed sprouts are a recurring source of foodborne illness outbreaks:

"Often seeds are not identified as seed for sprouting during harvest but are considered an agricultural commodity that will probably be used to plant and grow additional fields of that crop. Consequently, the seeds may be mishandled or stored under conditions unsuitable for a food item. Sprouts are considered a ready-to-eat food with little additional processing. There is no single treatment so far that has been shown to completely eliminate pathogens on seeds or sprouts that cause foodborne illness without affecting germination or yield. Therefore, every precautionary measure should be taken to prevent high levels of bacteria from growing on the seeds or sprouts. Using the following retail sprout industry "Best Practices" will help ensure a safe and healthy product."

In addition to the usual Good Manufacturing Practices and sanitation procedures, FDA's "Best Practices" include:
  • At least one disinfectant or antimicrobial treatment of the seeds prior to sprouting, and
  • Testing sprout irrigation water for the presence of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.

But even following all of the precautions recommended by FDA does not guarantee that a producer will not encounter an occasional contaminated batch of sprouts. As we said last month, 

"The only way to avoid contracting a food borne infection from eating sprouts is to refrain from consuming raw sprouts."

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Recall Roundup: April 25, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


Pistachio Product Recalls


United States
  • Allergy Alert: McCormick & Company, Incorporated recalls Lawry’s® Fajitas Spices & Seasonings packages, due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall: The Kroger Company recalls Spicy Yakisoba Noodles (1 lb size) due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was sold in QFC stores only.
  • Food Safety Recall: TOPS Friendly Markets recalls Marco Polo brand Pure Multiflower Honey due to the presence of a banned antibiotic (sulfamethoxyzole).


Canada
  • Allergy Alert: La Boucherie Jacques Saint-Pierre recalls sausages and lasagna entrées due to the presence of undeclared gluten.
  • Food Safety Recall: Vertical Sales & Marketing Inc. recalls Ventera Ranch Kung Pao Chicken, due to possible contamination with metal fragments. The recalled product is sold in Costco Canada warehouse stores.

Europe, Including the United Kingdom
  • Allergy Alert: Jolly Good Food has recalled some Organic Puffed Rice because the product might contain undeclared nuts


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Friday, April 24, 2009

More NUTRO News

April 24, 2009

"FDA is not investigating Nutro Products, Inc.," according to Laura Alvey (Deputy Director, Communications Staff, Center for Veterinary Medicine). 

eFoodAlert contacted Ms. Alvey by email on April 22nd, after Lisa McCormick of ConsumerAffairs.com reported that an investigation was in progress. Ms. McCormick added, in a follow-up article, that a Nutro spokesperson had denied the existence of an FDA investigation.

Nutro Products, Inc. was purchased by Mars, Incorporated in May 2007. Mars Petcare, the pet food arm of Mars, Incorporated, struggled with Salmonella contamination issues in 2008. But there does not appear to be any connection between the Mars Salmonella problem and reports of illnesses in Nutro-fed pets.

We urge any pet owner whose animal has experienced an adverse reaction after being fed a Nutro product – or, for that matter, any brand of pet food or pet treat – to report the incident to FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. All it takes is a phone call to get the process started. 


To register your report, please follow these instructions, provided by Laura Alvey of CVM:
"To report complaints about pet food (and other animal feed), please contact the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator(s) for your state. Contact information can be found at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. When reporting, please include as much information as possible, including the specific product name, lot numbers, veterinarian's report and diagnosis, etc."

Even if it's too late to save your own precious animal companion, please take this step to help save others from experiencing the same grief you went through.

Recall Roundup: April 24, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


Pistachio Product Recalls
  • Ricci & Company updates details for recall of Roasted & Salted Natural In-Shell Pistachios and Raw Shelled Pistachios

United States
  • Allergy Alert: Alternative Baking Company recalls Cookies With Chocolate Chips, due to presence of undeclared milk. The recalled cookies were distributed nationwide
  • Allergy Alert: Brent and Sam's recalls "Simply Enjoy" Pina Colada White Chocolate Gourmet Cookies, due to undeclared pecans. The cookies were sold in Stop n Shop stores in New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
  • Health Hazard Alert: Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) issues public health alert regarding Salmonella Saintpaul infections among people in southeast Michigan who reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts. 
  • Food Safety Recall: Los Angeles Calco, Inc. recalled Salmonella-contaminated alfalfa sprouts manufactured by Arizona Hydroponics in Eloy, Arizona for Los Angeles Calco, Inc. and distributed to two produce firms – Brostoff Celle, and Banana Company – in Los Angeles.


Canada
  • Health Hazard Alert (Québec): The Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) warns the public not to consume raw milk cheese produced by La Ferme du Coteau (349, 5e Rang, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Québec), as consumption of dairy products made raw milk presents a significant health risk. Sale of raw milk, and dairy products made with unpasteurized milk, is not permitted in Québec. Additionally, La Ferme du Coteau was producing dairy products for human consumption without being licensed by the Province.


Europe, Including the United Kingdom
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Memory Lane Cakes Ltd recalls some Nestlé FUNtastic Chocolate Cake, due to the presence of undeclared whole egg. The recalled product is sold at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Nisa and Shoprite stores. 


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Recall Roundup: April 23, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.


Pistachio Product Recalls

United States
  • Allergy Alert: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company recalls Simply Enjoy Pina Colada White Chocolate Gourmet Cookies, due to the presence of undeclared pecans.
  • Food Safety Recall: Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese recalls Oaxaca soft Mexican-style cheese due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. 
  • Dietary Supplement Recall: Universal ABC Beauty Supply International, Inc. recalls 34 different Dietary Supplement Products found by FDA labs to contain the undeclared appetite suppressant drug, Sibutramine. Incorporation of Sibutramine into these dietary supplement products was not approved by FDA.


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A Nutro News Update

April 22, 2009

One year ago, eFoodAlert reported that a number of pet owners claimed their pets had become ill – in some cases, fatally ill – after being fed a Nutro product. Our story was triggered by a report published on Consumeraffairs.com that described the experiences of these pet owners, and the lack of any substantive response by Nutro, a Mars PetCare company.

In the 12 months since we posted that report, we've received comments from several pet owners who described the illnesses suffered by their Nutro-nourished dogs and cats. Yesterday, the following comment was appended to our year-old posting:

On 11 Mar 09, I lost one of my best friends, an appx 8 year old hound mix. Two days later I almost lost my other dog. Both dogs were lethargic, vomiting, had severe diarrhea, and the one that died experienced early stages of renal failure. My vets could not figure out the source of the problem and to this day attribute the illness/death to some underlying toxicity. The common theme with my 2 dogs is that I fed them both Nutro Natural Senior dog food. I still have some of the food remaining.


After urging the author of this comment to report his experiences to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, we decided it was time to follow up on this story. As luck would have it, Lisa McCormick, who broke the original story a year ago, published an update earlier this week. 

According to McCormick, who writes for Consumeraffairs.com, FDA has just declined a Freedom of Information request for documents pertaining to Nutro complaints, on the grounds that release of these documents would possibly impede the progress of an active investigation that is currently underway. 

An unidentified source within FDA, when contacted by telephone, confirmed to Ms. McCormick that an investigation was in progress, but declined to reveal the nature of that investigation. This is in keeping with FDA's standard policy of not commenting on open investigations. Nutro, however, has denied, in an email to Consumeraffairs.com, that the company is the subject of any FDA investigation. We are trying to obtain our own corroboration from the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the existence of an active investigation.

Pet owners who complained about Nutro mentioned symptoms that included lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and bladder or kidney-related problems. Some pets have died from acute kidney failure.

Until Nutro products are either confirmed to be the source of the illnesses reported by pet owners or are cleared of any involvement, we urge pet owners who use Nutro to watch their dogs and cats for any signs of illness or discomfort, and to stop feeding Nutro if there is any change in their pet's health or behavior.

We'll continue to monitor this story and post updates as more news becomes available.