Menu Foods And Wal-Mart Placing Recalled Cat Food Back On Shelves
Menu Foods has re-supplied Wal-Mart with previously recalled pet food after placing a new UPC code over the previous UPC codes. They claim that the re-shelved foods are completely safe and that the packaging is the issue, not the food inside. The decision to place new stickers over the old UPC code was reportedly made together with Wal-Mart.
Menu Foods said all of the contaminated food was returned back to them after the pet food recalls in March. In order to put a “safe” product back on the shelves, Menu Foods and Wal-Mart put a laminated sticker with a new product code over the original UPC on the new pouches of pet food.
Menu Foods acknowledges that the original product code that is on the packages is on the recall list. But company officials say recalls are also tied to production dates and that all Special Kitty cat food with the new laminated product codes are safe.
They added that all of the Special Kitty cat food made after the recall has “QA OK” (Quality Assured Okay) placed on the pouch.
UPDATE: A few readers have also commented that they have seen Ol’ Roy dog food from Wal-Mart with a new sticker over the old UPC code that was on the recall list.
Source: WSFA
Photo: Carol
(Thanks Carol)
August 24th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
It is interesting that this news comes on a Friday. IMO… also interesting is that yesterday was one of the larger trading days in Menu Foods stocks..231,200 . The last time that happened is when company officials sold stock before the recall was announcecd
http://tsedb.globeinvestor.com.....l=MEW.UN-T
August 24th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I just can’t help wondering why they would put the “safe” food in the same packaging as the “unsafe” food—I wonder if cost had anything to do with that. Wouldn’t you think that after 5 months they could correct their packaging? The dates are imprinted on the puches so why couldn’t they change the UPC as well. Just putting little white labels would be a nice fix? This just shows how little they really think of us. They shoud have a lot of money to change their packaging as they haven’t paid any vet bills that I have heard of—mine is still waiting and of course we know they put the claim forms for us on line only days before they got “a court order” to not talk to us! Just another coincidence I guess.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
What is also troubling is that what brought this story out in Alabama was the fact that all 4 cats were sick and the symptoms sounded oh so familiar!! I would love to have some feedback to see if indeed these poor cats indeed have acute renal failure and if so, what the heck are the dates on the pouches???? One ill cat could be just a coincidence, but all 4???
August 24th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
THANKS FOR THE “HEADS-UP” ITCHMO.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
so does that “Q OK” actually mean anything other than the food was produced after the recall?
and it was a money issue using the old packaging i guess. they needed the product on the shelf so they could make some money . . . .
August 24th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
effing crony capitalist murderers
August 24th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
what part of lying liars don’t we understand??????
lets see them eat the food–that’s the only thing that would convince me
(under oath, on camera with independent consumer watchdog referrees)
August 24th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
way to go itchmo! the word is going out as we speak
August 24th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
so lets see: does 1+1=2? of course it does.
what happened to the raw ingredients stored in the pittsburgh warehouse?
is it now in menu’s murdering meals?
does 1+1=2?
August 24th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
What the hell does that mean? It’s safe to buy recalled food now? That doesn’t make any sense to me. I would not buy any pet food at Walmart under any brand name after this announcement. I have had it with the pet food industry do they think we are all a bunch of fools?
This makes me so angry I can’t think straight. I only have one sick kitty left and I sure will not be killing her with Walmart/Menu Foods.
I have been buying Newman but I think I will not be again I need to get something not manufactured by Menu.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Has anyone heard about Iams and Eukanuba again?!Containing highly toxic aflatoxins. It’s also NOT on the FDA recall list. I have a friend who lost a whole healthy litter to it, and the food was tested, so were the puppies, they had growths on their Liver!
August 24th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
This is UNACCEPTABLE.
Walmart kept KILLING treats on the shelf for 27 days AFTER they KNEW it contained POISON.
Walmart- IT IS ON!
Full on boycott!
Do not shop at Walmart for ANY reason, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell strangers, tell anyone and everyone you can.
Old Roy pet food has salmonella in it and the dog treats are POISON and all of that is true and reason enough.
Shopping at Walmart is suicide or murder, take your pick.
We took millions from P&G bottom line, can we do better and take MORE from Walmart?
BOYCOTT, picket if you can, call into radio shows, write letters. And TAKE YOUR MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!
I swear , on all that I hold Holy, that I will never buy a single item from Walmart, nor associate with those that do.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
and, uh, we all know the petfood could never ever make an itsy bitsy teeny weeny mistake accidentally on purpose.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
billie do you have a link for this?
August 24th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
have you poisoned your remaining pet today? wal mart has a plan.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
yes the peoples republic
of walmrt where
you can kill you pet for less
we don’t ask what’s in it
if they pay us
we just guess
August 24th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I hope somebody gets one of these bags tested. If it is tainted, we should be able to put Menu out of business.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
How many of you go to church on Sunday?
Have you done your duty by telling the church members about the poison sold at Walmart?
Do you drink at a bar, or bars, on Saturday night? Have you told your drinking buddies about the poison pet food for sale at Walmart? Talk about the knockers on the new waitress later but for 5 minutes you can talk about getting away with murder because you know, we ALL know a killer, it squats there on the corner and KILLS and if you buy a single item from Walmart then you are PAYING them to KILL!
Walmart is begging you, much like a deranged serial killer, STOP ME BEFORE I KILL AGAIN. So I will.
In fact, I am so tired of this crap that I think we ought to stop buying EVERYTHING, from ANY store, for a WEEK, shut down the economy for ONE week, nothing but food and damned little of that. No gas, no NOTHING, just stop, sit home and see if THAT makes the TV news!!
If all I am is a consumer to be fleeced like a sheep to these a$$holes then I can STOP CONSUMING.
From August 30 to September 6 I will spend NOTHING. I have food that is getting older in my cabinets and freezer as it is, this will teach me to buy only what I NEED. I NEED a vacation from spending more than I need anything else.
This is gonna be fun!
More homecooked food, more TIME, cleaner house, husband smiling big for reasons that are not your business, big smile on my face for reasons also not your concern, less traffic stress, I am looking forward to THIS next week!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
E. Hamilton unfortunately it is almost impossible to boycott Walmart in small towns, they have bankrupted and shut down any other stores. Can we say Monopoly….
August 24th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Can you give a ride to neighbors to other stores? There are ALWAYS a million reasons why something cannot be done, you one only need the ONE way to get the impossible done.
Don’t you wish that Walmart had been stopped before they did this STRANGLEHOLD on you? I bet there are LOTS of folks regretting that deal with the devil.
Walmart exists only to me as a defendant in further legal actions.
There are ways, the world turned just fine for millions of years without Walmart and I have food recipes to look at- what can I do with all those tomatoes?
August 24th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
I don’t know mcuh about everyone here, but how about taking the time to prepare your own pet food. It only makes sense.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
nice thing about nyc, NO WALMARTS ALLOWED! *grin*
i’ve been to the grocery store maybe 3 or 4 times since the recall and not once was for a big shopping. eating local is very doable as are many other things that take $$$ away from the big corps.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
There were NO Walmarts in the Rocky Mountains when the west was settled, no Walmarts when this country fought a war for independence and NO Walmarts when I was born.
What you do is up to you. A big shopping trip to another town would be my choice, it may not be yours.
I have neighbors to call, block party BBQ!! This is gonna be so fun!
Labor day this year is going to last ONE WEEK!
Freedom is a good thing, but you have to reach out and TAKE IT!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
tomatoes?! make sauce and freeze it for later. or just crush and freeze so you can use them in different types of recipes. if you have some cucumbers and sweet onions, you can make a tasty summer salad. OR, make up some spicy tomato juice and do some bloody marys!! lol!~
thanks for the reminder! i have 15lbs in the kitchen that need to be dealt with tonight :)
August 24th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
All those HOURS are MINE again-no shopping of any kind is…an amazing relief, once you get past the shock.
I am going to take an EPIC bubble bath and read by candlelight for hours!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
straybaby says:
August 24th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Thank you, I just looked and you know, why should I go out and stand in line for a Sunday brunch when I can do Bloody Mary’s myself and have a scrumptious brunch, at home!
This is going to be a great week and the neighbors are all excited too!
Spend no money-have more fun!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
i think it incredibly stupid to use the bags with the codes associated with the recall-if indeed that’s the truth of what they did.
but what is the truth? because none of these companies has provided a full accounting of what they knew, when they knew it and what actually was put in the food that poisoned it, are they shocked that no one believes anything they say? have they already gotten away with so much damage that they think no one bothers reading those production codes? is it just one more deadly scam they have the audacity to think they’ll get away with to recoup their losses?
beyond the packaging and any irregularities thereof, the truth of the matter is no one who spends any time investigating the matter is convinced your food is safe-no matter what you rechristen it , no matter how you doll up the bags or fit the word ‘ natural’ or Q OK in there. explain yourself,.pay up. apologize.prove scientifically that your food is safe. reveal exactly what went wrong with your food. your word /spin is not good enough.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Completely disgusted with Walmart, boycott as much as I can and I m homecooking away for my pets! Screw the monoplies!
August 24th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Surely this MF can’t think we are this dumb? I am just stupified that they would think they could get away with this. The arrogance of both Walmart and MF is just astounding!
Did MF think that what they put us through in March would ever fade from our memories?
Does Walmart think we will put a cheap deal ahead of the health of our pets?
Does MF and WM think we are this dumb not to notice the taped on UPC code?
Do they think we would just blow of the real UPC code that is on the recall list?
I am just dumbfounded how they think they can get away with this!!!!
I started boycotting WM years ago. Not for reasons connected with pet food, though. I started having panic attacks every time I went into a Walmart. All the people, the noise, the bad attitudes of the employees, fighting your way down the aisles and to top it off, having to stand in line between bunches of screaming children is just not worth it to save a buck or two. Sorry, my sanity is worth more than that.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
WHY are people still shopping for pet food at Wal-Mart?????
I’m not condoning the actions here, but I’m sorry… you buy crap, you can expect crap. Iams, Eukanuba, Whiskas, etc… it’s all CRAP.
Home cooking is not a suitable alternative for everyone, but there are alternatives. Orijen, Prarie Raw Instinct, NRG, Wellness, Wellness Core, EVO, California Natural…. but you can’t pay 49 cents a can and expect it to be top quality! Expect to pay $20-30 for 5lbs of dry food or $1.20-$3.00 a can for good quality (especially grain free) food.
STOP shopping at Wal-Mart.
How many more recalls are necessary before people get it?
August 24th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Deb Johnston on the other thread about Wal-Mart today at 7:29 is backing Wal-mart. You might want to read it, sounds like trol(sp) to me.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I was watching a show called “If Walls Could Talk” on HGTV a little while ago. They had a get your kid a cheap laptop WalMart ad. Unfortunately, their customer service line is closed until Monday. I will be calling them to tell them I won’t watch a channel that accepts money from Wally World. (865-694-7879)
August 24th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
As soon as I read this I went right to Walmart (Seffner, FL) and sure enough tons of Special Kitty packs with new UPC labels stuck on them. I picked out 5 and pulled the new label off one and sure enough the cash register locked it out and said do not sell. So I handed over the label I had pulled off and said ‘what about this?’ and lo and behold it rang up just fine. I asked for the manager and informed her they were selling tainted pet food and needed to remove it from the shelves immediatley. As soon as I got home I called the local TV station and they seemed interested and asked me to forward the email. I hope they are at Walmart *right now* exposing the dirty truth. It boggles my mind MF would attempt this. WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO BE INDICTED FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY?!?!?!
They asked me if I wanted a refund. Hell no I am not giving up the proof! I have 5 packs of this food along with the receipt for proof of date, location and time. Just sickening …
August 24th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
I think I’ll make my first ever trip to Walmart, buy some of the Special Kitty, rip off the new label, and then sue them for selling me the recalled food. I’ll have a dated receipt and a recalled UPC code, let them prove different.
Seriously boycott Walmart, if 20% of pet owners did this they would be gone in 2 months.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Anyone with a special kitty pouch with this sticker take a picture of it so some of us know where and what to look for? I went to walmart today and looked at the pouches but I didn’t notice anything. My friend feeds her cat Special Kitty food She is also my hairdresser, so while she was doing my hair I told her about it.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
E., Straybaby gave you good advice. Now is the time to get your gr. beans & pot., maybe broc., peppers & etc. Pretty soon the fall veg. will be comming in. I have almost enough (even with cooking for the dogs) until next summer.Get a “Ball Blue Book” (around $5.00) to keep your family safe. Things have changed over the years about keeping food. I am now going to follow Keki’s advice & get some good meat & my 4th, freezer. I don’t know where you live but it shure is nice when snow & ice is on the ground & the farmers need the help.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
http://action.walmartwatch.com.....puppyemail
“Tell Wal-Mart: Stop Selling Toxic Products
“Over the past two weeks, Mattel has recalled over 10 million Barbie, Polly Pocket, Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street toys for hazardous lead paint and dangerous magnets.
“Yesterday, test results from two Chinese-made dog treats sold at Wal-Mart stores showed traces of the deadly chemical melamine. That’s the same chemical that was blamed for dozens of pet deaths in March and caused a massive recall of pet food from Wal-Marts and other stores across the country.
“As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart sets the standard for product safety - and by bullying companies to produce products at bottom dollar costs, it’s pushing American companies into shady overseas operations.
“Tell Wal-Mart to care about its customers’ health, and demand a higher quality for its products:”
http://walmartwatch.com/img/bl.....safety.pdf
Importing Danger: How Wal-Mart’s Massive Food Imports Endanger America’s Food Supply
August 24th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
BTW Expiration dates are printed on the packaging as it comes off the rolls, right before it goes into the machine that seals the pouch up. Ditto codes. But I guess they’re expecting the average Walmart customer to just eat up the “oopsy!” story.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
um, menusux,
“That’s the same chemical that was blamed for dozens of pet deaths in March and caused a massive recall of pet food from Wal-Marts and other stores across the country.”
could you get that changed from dozens to thousands? ;)
August 24th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Yeahhhh riiiiight I really believe MF and walmart’s claim the food is safe and it is just the packaging. Are they out of their minds?!?!?! Do they really think people will feed their pets food that has an original UPC that is on the recall list?!?!? Sure just trust MF and wally world … they would never mislead consumers …
August 24th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I don’t know if news of this lawsuit is old, but it was just sent to me today. Looks like it was filed 3-27-07. Posting for anyone who didn’t know about this earlier:
Berding & Weil, LLP has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all pet owners nationwide who purchased the pet food that was manufactured by Menu Foods, Inc. and sold under various brand names, including IAMS, and whose pets have become ill or died as a result of eating such food. Menu Foods has recalled all of its “cuts and gravy” wet style of cat and dog food, which was produced in its plants between December 3, 2006 and March 2007.
LEARN MORE: http://www.bwclassaction.com/menu-foods.shtml
August 24th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
“could you get that changed from dozens to thousands? ;)”
Just read it–(don’t write ‘em)–still it’s an organization trying to do something about W-M. They have a W-M battle plan at this link:
http://walmartwatch.com/battlemart
August 24th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Menusux will you do me a favor & tell Deb on the other thread what you said above. you are better on the computer than me. Thank you. Jenny
August 24th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
How thing just sounds REALLY REALLY fishy. Their explanations just dont jive.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Oklahoma here!
Just got four packages of Special Kitty at the local w*l m**t.
New UPC codes on a sticker over the original.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:20 am
Iowa HERE! I will be heading to a local Wal-mart tomorrow and look for that Special Kitty POISON. If I find it, I WILL call all three local TV channells to see if they are interested and also the local Register (paper). Tallyho!
August 25th, 2007 at 12:36 am
I used to work in a grocery store myself and when something is put into the store computer like all the recalled pet food was then they have to change the upc codes afterward. Menu used old packages and put on the new dates and covered the upc codes so that the computers would accept them.
This lady said that her pets were ill and this is what worries me. Not Wal Mart or menu foods.
All that pet food was RECALLED!!! Wal Mart took it off its shelves!
So… if this ladies pets are truly ill then it is not recalled food but the new shipments that we have to be concerned about!!
Everyone is talking about recalled pet food and menu trying to resell it but what about the melamine in our cattle, pigs, chickens, and fish now?
Some of you have mentioned buying better brands of pet food like wellness, etc. but have any of you thought that these tainted cattle, pigs, chickens and fish will be in that food!
Dogs have been tested for melamine and they know about how much they can stand but there have been no test at all done on cats!!!!
This melamine in our food will be in our pets food and when they mix the products some cans will be more lethal then other cans.
If this ladies pets are getting sick then it is new shipments we have to be concerned about not th old. The FDA was to make sure they distroyed them.
Now it is true that menu could try to resell tainted food but they would get caught doing this. Too many pets would get sick again and then they would have criminal action against them for sure.
I do not think they would try this because they are already losing too much money.
I have great concern about the food our pets and we are eating right now and we all should think about this.
Why won’t anyone give me the answer of how much melamine is too much for my cat!
My vet said give my cat science diet and she has ate it all of her life. She is over ten now and will not eat fresh products. I have tried and tried to feed her other things but she will not touch them. I tried the organic dry and she will not eat it either. I have spent all kinds of money trying to get her to eat something else. She won’t! So what am I to do? She won’t eat wellness or any of the raw things. She won’t eat fresh chicken. she throws it up right afterward. I have lost my dog and one cat and I only have her left.
I worry about her every day and wish she would just try something better for her. It is easy for all of you to say what is best to feed our pets but what if your pet will not eat any of these things. Believe me I have tried them all! I have got to the point of being tired of throwing pet food out because she will not eat it. I can’t afford to keep throwing out stuff.
What is this that I read on the FDA sight about having to wash our hands after handling pet food? What does this mean now? so many things going wrong with the food.
So many animals at risk any more.
I do not believe this is the end of all of this. I truly feel that this melamine in our meats are going to harm our pets. Especially cats!
August 25th, 2007 at 1:07 am
EVERYONE please contact your State Attorney General about this FRAUD and re-selling of contaminated food!! If anything shows how SCUM this Menu Foods bunch is, this is it!!
August 25th, 2007 at 2:23 am
Oh my God! Of everything that Menu Foods has pulled since this pet food debacle, this has got to be the lowest. The resale of contaminated pet food by trying to trick pet parents shows that they are lower than scum. And Wal Mart, is it really true that they know about and condoned this practice? Because if they do, they are just as bad as Menu Foods and deserve our distain. Oh Wal Mart, how low you have sunk. You had better start treating your pet parents better, or your stock may start sinking like that of Menu Foods.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:23 am
I still think the important story out of this —if the food is safe and they just used the bags—what is the result of the 4 cats in Alabama that triggered this whole story!!! I guess if Menu was too cheap to make new packets and had to use the old ones then Walmart had to have some UPC to scan that would work so I think the explanation may sound okay (although I will never feed anything by Menu again) but if these 4 cats are ill at the same time from this “safe” food—it’s a whole new ballgame!