Chenango Valley Pet Foods has launched a recall of pet foods manufactured with a specific shipment of rice protein concentrate because they might be contaminated, the company has announced.
The New York-based Chenango Valley said April 26 that it has been informed by supplier Wilbur-Ellis that the rice protein concentrate shipped to the company might be contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.
The pet foods were sold to retailers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, who then sold the products to their customers through catalog mail orders or retail outlets.
The following dry pet foods are being recalled:
- Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Cat Food, sold in containers with net weights of 3 and 7 lbs. with a code date of best used by March 13, 2009.
- Lick Your Chops Lamb Meal, Rice & Egg Cat Food in packages with a net weight of 4 lbs. and a code date best used by April 29, 2008.
- Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food, sold in containers with net weights of 5, 12.5 and 25 lbs. and with code dates best used by Jan. 24, 2009, Feb. 8, 2009, Feb. 26, 2009, April 10, 2009, and April 17, 2009.
- Bulk Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food sold to one consignee, SmartPak, in a 2,000-pound tote with a ship date of Feb. 9, 2007.
Melamine ingestion can lead to illness or fatalities in cats and dogs if consumed; however, no illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. Pet owners who purchased the products should immediately discontinue using them, and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund, Chenango Valley officials said.
Pet owners also are advised to consult with a veterinarian if any health concerns with their pets arise. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (610) 821-0608.
So far, more than 100 brands of dog and cat food have been recalled since the first reports of animal deaths in mid-March. There have been dozens of reports across the United States and Canada of cats and dogs becoming sick and/or dying because of eating tainted food.
The pet food recall problem’s source has been traced to melamine in at least two imported Chinese vegetable proteins used to make pet foods. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it believes the melamine might have been used to artificially inflate the protein count of the ingredients wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate.
In the time since melamine was identified as a contaminant in the pet foods, the FDA has been sampling for melamine and related compounds in all wheat gluten, rice protein and corn gluten coming into the United States from China.
For a complete list of pet foods under recall, click here. For more CatChannel articles on the pet food recall, click here.