truthaboutpetfood

Mars Petcare issued a limited recall of Pedigree dog food.  The recall is limited to Southern California and Las Vegas, NV.  A “component” of the food that tested positive for Salmonella contamination “was inadvertently shipped to our
Tracy, California facility and used in the production of 100 bags of PEDIGREE(R) Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites with best buy dates of 07/2009.”  Products recalled were shipped to California and Nevada.If you or any pet owners you know that live in the recall area who feed Pedigree dog food, please alert them.  Here is the link to the press release of the recall: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mars-petcare-us-voluntarily-issues/story.aspx?guid=%7B32A1D75C-B54D-473E-A728-20CE0974B68F%7D&dist=hppr

This pet food recall has everything to do with lack of quality control – not specific to Pedigree or Mars Petcare, but specific to the pet food industry itself.  Similar circumstances caused the December 2005 dog food recall of Diamond Pet Foods.  Just like Pedigree’s Salmonella contaminated component was ‘inadvertently shipped’ to manufacturing instead of destroyed, safety procedures at Diamond Pet Foods were in place, they just were not followed.  In Diamond’s case it was the detection of a deadly mold that was overlooked.  Over 100 dogs died because someone did not follow testing and quality control standards. 

AAFCO – American Association of Feed Control Officials – is the organization responsible for the rules of pet food manufacturing.  Currently pet food manufacturing quality control guidelines – developed by AAFCO - are only ‘recommended’.  There are NO uniform nationwide quality control regulations that pet food manufacturers are mandated to follow.  This new Pedigree ‘limited recall’ and Diamond Pet Foods recall of 2005 (and who knows how many in the future) could have been prevented if AAFCO and the FDA would step up and accept the responsibility to develop and implement uniform quality control standards that every pet food manufacturer is required by law to follow. 

Pet owners are left with a side stepping responsibility dance between AAFCO and the FDA.  When a problem arises and someone tries to hold them accountable for lack of proper regulations, each organization has their standard reply.  AAFCO’s avoidance dance is claiming the organization ‘only recommends’ their pet food regulations, ingredient definitions, and manufacturing guidelines to the FDA and each U.S. state’s Department of Agriculture.  The FDA’s avoidance dance is typically not enough resources and not enough staff. 

Every company regardless if their product is pet food or toilet paper – makes mistakes.  However when the product is food for our furry family members, recommended quality control just doesn’t cut it.  FDA and AAFCO…perhaps it’s time to stop making recommendations and make some strict laws instead.  Perhaps if pet food manufacturing quality control was mandated, along with some stiff penalties and fines for mistakes – fewer mistakes would happen.  Whenever there are police equipped with radar guns on the highway, amazingly everyone slows down.  It’s time for radar guns in the pet food manufacturing plants.  

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