Another pet food scare and recall!

Crossposted at dkos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

A friend emailed me yesterday about this FDA warning (bold mine):

Recall — Firm Press Release

Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

Some of the brands are listed below.

WalMart’s main brand, Ol’ Roy, is on the list, as is Sam’s Club Natural Dog and Natural Cat. These Mars Company brands also include the popular Pedigree and Special Kitty Gourmet brands. The warning includes the risks of contracting salmonella.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.  Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

A bit on the Mars Company from wiki:

Mars, Incorporated is a world-wide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with US$21 billion in annual sales in 2006. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, the company is entirely owned by the Mars family, making it one of the largest privately owned U.S. corporations. Most of its activities in the US are based in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Also from wiki comes the reason I don’t carry the Mars brand Seeds of Change in my health food store.

The Mars family was among 18 billionaire families who lobbied Congress to eliminate the estate tax. According to Public Citizen, since 1994 the families have spent approximately $500 million on lobbying efforts.

No taxcuts for billionaires! And please check the FDA link if you use commercial pet food to see if your fur friend’s food is on their list. The contamination is extensive, and must be due to a massive failure in oversight that should have been corrected after the melamine scare.