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http://www.merrickpetcare.com/about_us/news_article.php?tid=434

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2, 2010 recall of 10oz "Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold'Ems)" pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of "Texas Hold'ems" (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Prior story, see here.

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Thank you, Elissa, for helping to spread the word on the importance of differences in quality of various pet foods!

http://www.examiner.com/x-56360-Fairfax-...Readers-Respond

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Detailed information here:
http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/recall_message.html

Overview of Affected Food Types:
---If you feed any of these, please check the above link for bag sizes and lot numbers to see whether your item is included ---

Eukanuba Dog Bg Pure
Pure Turkey
Pure Adult Maintenance
Pure Puppy Growth
Pure Adult Large Brd
Pure Puppy Growth
Pure Adult Maintenance

Eukanuba Dog Custom Care
Custom Care - Sensitive Skin

Eukanuba Dog Dry Naturaly Wild
Adult Salmon & Rice
Adult Turkey & Multigrain
Adult Venison & Potato

All Naturally Wild Samples

Iams Veterinary Formula Cat Dry Bag
Iams Veterinary Formula Dog Dry Bag
Int Low Residue Breeder Bag
Intestinal - Low Residue
Joint
Optimum Weight Control D
Puppy Intestinal Low Residue
Renal Early Stage
Renal Multi-Stage
Skin & Coat Response Ko
Skin & Coat Response Fp
Skin & Coat Response Ko
Urinary 0 - Moderate Ph/O
Urinary S - Low Ph/S
Weight Loss Restricted Calorie

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This is an update to a prior news post:
http://forums.dogfoodproject.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=33199

From the FDA website:
United Pet Group Voluntarily Expands Recall of Nutritional Supplements For Dogs to Include Additional Tablet and Powdered-Form Products for Dogs and Cats Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

The following brands and items are affected, please see the above link for details on batches, sizes and expiration dates.


DDS Dental Breath Mints Breath Control
DDS Dental Breath Tabs Breath Control
Doctors Foster and Smith Brewers Yeast Mega-Tabs with Garlic and Essential Fatty Acids
Doctors Foster and Smith Brewers Yeast Tablets for Dogs and Cats
Doctors Foster and Smith Cran Health Support Normal Urinary Tract Health
Doctors Foster and Smith Dis-Taste Small Dog Tablets
Doctors Foster and Smith Ear Powder
Doctors Foster and Smith Extra Strength Dis-Taste Tablets
Doctors Foster and Smith Fresh Breath Tablets for Dogs
Excel 3 in 1 Ear Powder Ear Care
Excel Adult Multi Vitamin
Excel Adult Multivitamin
Excel Advantage Adult Multi Vitamin
Excel Advantage Glucosamine Advanced Strength
Excel Advantage Glucosamine Plus
Excel Advantage Puppy Multi Vitamin
Excel Advantage Senior Multi Vitamin
Excel Advantage Skin and Coat Essentials
Excel Brewers Yeast with Garlic Skin and Coat Care
Excel Calcium Daily Supplement
Excel Calm-Quil Calming Tablets Behavior Aid
Excel Deter Coprophagia Treatment Behavioral Aid
Excel Flare-Away Joint Tabs
Excel Gas Preventative Digestive Aid Digestive Care
Excel Glucosamine Joint Care
Excel Glucosamine with MSM Joint Care
Excel Joint Ensure Advanced Care
Excel Joint Ensure Moderate Care
Excel Lutein Vision Maintenance Eye Care
Excel Pupply Multi Vitamin
Excel Senior Multi Vitamin
Excel Small Breed Multi Vitamin
Nature's Miracle Pet Mess Easy Clean-up
PR Excel Brewers Yeast with Garlic Skin and Coat
Petco Breath Tabs for Dogs Liver Flavor
Petco Ear Powder For Dogs
Pro-Pet Anti-Stress Calming Tabs
Pro-Pet Breath Mints
Pro-Pet Breath Tabs
Pro-Pet Brewers Yeast Daily Supplement
Pro-Pet Daily Vitamin Supplement Powder
Pro-Pet Gas Relief Digestive Aid
Pro-Pet Glucosamine Advanced Joint Care
Pro-Pet Glucosamine Advanced Joint Powder
Pro-Pet Glucosamine Joint Care
Pro-Pet Glucosamine Plus Joint Care
Pro-Pet Puppy and Small Breed Daily Vitamin Supplement
Pro-Pet Senior Daily Vitamin Supplement
Pro-Pet Stool-Eating Preventative (Corprophagia Treatment)

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http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm217086.htm

Dear Mr. Merrick:

On December 2, 2009, FDA collected a sample of Merrick Beef Filet Squares manufactured by your Plainview, Texas facility and repackaged by your Hereford, Texas facility. Analysis of this dog chew revealed the product to be contaminated with Salmonella meleagridis. Representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted inspections of your pet treat manufacturing facility located at 901 County Rd Y, Plainview, Texas 79073, on December 29-31, 2009, and your pet treat packaging facility located at 1977 E US Highway 60, Hereford, Texas 79045 on December 28-29,2009 and on January 13-14, 2010. These inspections confirmed that you offered pet treats for sale as food that were adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. 342(a)(1) and 402(a)(4) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4). You can find the Act and its associated regulations on the Internet through links on the FDA web page at www.fda.qov.


Pet treats bearing or containing Salmonella spp., including Salmonella meleagridis, a known animal and human pathogen posing an acute danger to human and or animal health, are considered adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 342(a)(1). A food, including food for animals, is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(4) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4), if it has been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth or may have been rendered injurious to health. Our inspections revealed that the manufacturing processes used by your firm to manufacture pet treats are not controlled and that contamination of these products may occur through inadequate treatment or through recontamination of the treated products due to improper storage or handling after processing.

Specifically, your firm could not provide evidence that your manufacturing processes eliminate pathogens such as Salmonella during processing because your firm does not consistently monitor critical factors in the process such as time and temperature; nor could you provide evidence demonstrating that recontamination was not likely to occur post-processing. Further, your firm could not provide evidence supporting the adequacy of your in-house sampling and testing program, for example, explaining the location and number of samples collected for each lot of finished product.


We recognize that your firm initiated a voluntary recall of Merrick Beef Filet Squares by letter to your customers dated January 11, 2010. The recall was initiated following FDA sampling and your firm's internal sampling, both of which revealed the presence of Salmonella. However, your recall strategy may be determined to be ineffective to the consumer level for the following reasons:


• Your firm delayed your public communication to alert consumers who may have the recalled product in their possession until after FDA issued an FDA Health Alert on January 14, 2010.


• Your recall communications to distributors, retailers, and consumers only included case lot coding 9323, which was different from the lot coding on some of the individual bags. Due to a labeling error, some of the affected bags were coded with the lot code 9333.


• Your recall letter did not identify the hazard involved. Your letter to wholesale and retail consignees indicated the product was recalled because it "may not have been processed properly." Recalls can be less effective if the recall communication does not concisely explain the reason for recall and the hazard involved.


FDA acknowledges the written responses we have received following our inspections. Separate letters, both dated January 18, 2010, were received addressing the observations made during the inspections we conducted at your locations in Plainview and Hereford, Texas. Although your letters indicate that your firm has taken steps to address our observations, they did not contain enough detail for us to evaluate. For example, your response letters did not include a copy of your validation protocol. We recommend that your validation study, in addition to establishing a specific profile for each dryer, also account for process and product variation including fat content, initial product temperature, and product size and location. We also recommend validation of your rework process. The corrections your firm has implemented at both sites will be evaluated and verified during our next inspection. We also acknowledge your letter of January 29, 2010, discussing your views on the applicability of the Reportable Food Registry to this situation.


You should respond in writing within 15 working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should outline the specific steps you are taking to correct these violations. You should include in your response, documentation and useful information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.

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http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm216903.htm

United Pet Group Voluntarily Recalls Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement for Dogs Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –- June 22, 2010 – United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily recalling all unexpired lots of its PRO-PET ADULT DAILY VITAMIN Supplement tablets for Dogs due to possible Salmonella contamination. The Food and Drug Administration is aware of this recall.

The product was sold nationally at various retailers. The product comes in 100-count white plastic bottles with a light blue label, and UPC code 26851-01800. These products are being removed from retail stores and consumers should immediately stop feeding these supplements to their pets. The affected products are those with expiration dates on or before "06/13". The expiration date can be found imprinted vertically on the right side of the product label.

Laboratory testing has revealed that one Lot of this vitamin product was contaminated with Salmonella. The company is recalling all unexpired Lots of the product out of an abundance of caution.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

People who handle dry pet food and/or treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, 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.

Consumers who have purchased the product are urged to contact United Pet Group or the place of purchase for further direction. Consumers may contact United Pet Group at 1-800-645-5154 ext. 3, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST.

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