Recall Update: Monday
By the time you read this, we hope that the problem of tainted pet food and the supply of toxic ingredients should be front-page news. Everywhere. If it’s not, it should be.
The New York Times (and the International Herald Tribune) is reporting that melamine spiking of ingredients in China has been “going on for years”. And that it’s such a widespread problem a few reporters have been able to get the participants to talk to them in the open. It’s what we’ve feared, but suspected all along.
The practice is widespread in China. For years animal feed sellers have been able to cheat buyers by blending the powder into feed with little regulatory supervision, according to interviews with melamine scrap traders and agricultural workers here.
No one knows how long we have been feeding our pets such tainted foods, and how long it has been in the human food supply. We hope someone — FDA or not — will find out everything we need to know.
Despite the apparent magnitude of the problem, the FDA and the USDA continues to wish us good eating.
To follow up on the recalls from last week:
American Nutrition says there was no deliberate deception. Says they were following customer requests. Full release after the jump.
In other recall news:
- Menu Foods got 80 tons of wheat gluten a month from another source.
- Report from Pets Need a Voice Too march.
(Thanks Jo)
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- Recalled Food List
- What to feed my pets: Cat or Dog
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NOTE: We will not tolerate hate speech, racism, fraud, or promotion of illegal activities on our comments or forums. On the other hand, thank you to the thousands of commenters who have been helpful, polite, and kind to everyone else.
American Nutrition Responds to Criticism
American Nutrition Inc.‘s announcement yesterday of its voluntary recall of certain products that contain rice protein has prompted questions concerning the labeling of those products, and about whether or not American Nutrition engaged in deliberate wrong-doing. A complete list of the products subject to the voluntary recall can be found at www.americannutritioninc.com.
To set the record straight, American Nutrition did not engage in any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct relative to the inclusion of rice protein in certain products it manufactures.
Rice protein is an ingredient commonly used in pet products to fortify protein content and provide proper texture and consistency of canned pet products. It is not harmful to animals. To the contrary, it is believed to be a healthy additive that assists in providing appropriately high protein levels without creating unacceptable levels of fat associated with meat products.
Concern exists about rice protein not because of its inherent qualities, but rather because rice protein shipped from Wilbur-Ellis to American Nutrition was found to contain concentrations of melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. To be clear, the possible existence of melamine Å“ not the inclusion of rice protein in pet products Å“ is the root source of recall concerns. The melamine in this instance unfortunately happens to have been found in the rice protein used by American Nutrition and other manufacturers.
While rice protein was used to fortify products involved in the recall, many other pet foods manufactured by American Nutrition (including their own house brands and products manufactured for several other companies) were not affected. The unaffected products rely instead on soy, corn and wheat as their primary non-meat protein sources. Conversely, the products affected by the contaminated rice protein recall had customer-driven formula specifications for non-soy, non-corn, and non-wheat ingredients. Those customers specifically required rice-based formulations, which necessitated certain fortifications to meet label guarantees. As such, American Nutrition selected a fortification source from the same family of ingredients already incorporated into the formulation (in this instance, rice).
The products subject to the American Nutrition voluntary recall are contract manufactured for other companies. American Nutrition is investigating the circumstances surrounding labeling, formulation and related inter-company communications, but it is simply false to state that American Nutrition was engaged in any deliberately deceitful and/or unlawful conduct. Labeling responsibility is a cooperative effort between American Nutrition and its customers. American Nutrition believes, for their part, that they were compliant with all applicable label regulations. Additional information will be released as American Nutrition completes its own investigation and as they continue to cooperate fully with ongoing FDA and other governmental agency inquiries.
—We want to express our deep concern over this situation. American Nutrition places a tremendous emphasis on honesty and integrity in every aspect of our business. Our utmost concern is for the health of the pets that consume our products“, said Bill Behnken, CEO of American Nutrition, Inc.
**************************************
ABOUT AMERICAN NUTRITION, INC.
Ogden, Utah based American Nutrition, Inc. manufactures pet foods under its own name and for many other companies. American Nutrition has 150 employees.
###
April 30th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
LOUIE sorry just realized youmeant Purina has recalled dog food gotcha.
April 30th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
The [Canadian] government… says that last July, the same Chinese company that supplied melamine-contaminated wheat gluten for pet food also shipped wheat gluten to a British Columbia feed mill, which turned it into food for fish farms that has since been consumed by people…
Food scientist Mansel Griffiths, with the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, said more inspections in the country won’t solve the problem.
He said Canada needs to start the process back in China “and work with the Chinese government, work with the manufacturing industry in China to try to bring them up to the standards that we expect of Canadian companies.â€
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story.....-cfia.html
April 30th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
The 16 “official’ deaths is the story the FDA is selling and they are stuck with it, we are not.
Who says that a bunch of clowns who would not even KNOW about the problems if not for use are the final word?
They are not the final word for me and I do not need mainstream media to say so, I can find a way.
I have less talking and more doing on my plans for today.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
BEIJING, Jan. 17 — China exported 31.03 billion U.S. dollars worth of farm produce last year, up 14.1 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce reported on its website on Wednesday.
As prices on world markets were much higher than domestic markets over the past two years, farm produce exports have been on the rise.
The average export prices for garlic, apples, apple juice and canned mushrooms rose more than 20 percent last year, said the ministry.
More than half of China’s farm produce exports were horticultural products, which rose 21.5 percent, and aquatic products, up 19.5 percent in the first 11 months last year, the ministry said.
China’s farm produce exports to the United States grew by 34.1 percent and exports to the European Union were up 25.4 percent year on year.
Due to Japan’s strict new standards for chemical residues, export growth to Japan slowed to 3.7 percent in the first 11 months, much lower than the 9.4 percent growth in the same period of 2005.
Japan, the largest overseas market for Chinese farm produce exports, implemented the Positive List System for Agricultural Chemicals Residues on May 29, 2006.
The new system, imposing much stricter standards on residues on agricultural products, directly affected Chinese agricultural exports worth about eight billion U.S. dollars and involved more than 6,000 Chinese enterprises.
The Ministry of Commerce wants to see farm produce exports grow by at least seven percent a year so a total of 38 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, according to its work plan.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
I don’t know what I would have done without Itchmo. Probably I would have finished the job poisoning my cat. Thank you Itchmo for helping save my cat!!!!! Words are inadequate there.
I have been doing the word of mouth thing. I keep informing people that they are poisoning their pets without their knowledge and helping them figure out how to investigate for some safer food, whatever type. I have told this to many people. I hope they tell many people. Word of mouth is an extremely effective tool for getting this out. Not everyone obsesses over the internet or even reads the paper.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Lorie,
KumpiKat works fine for my two cats who will eat it. However, the other two prefer Innova (orange bag). All four will eat Innova canned.
Had no trouble switching them to KumpiKat and Innova - no upset tummies, or any problems.
When you get your KumpiKat, if they don’t take to it right away, you might mix in a bit of home cooked chopped chicken. Many cats will eat chicken when they won’t eat anything else.
Regarding Purina, yes, I was referring to their dog food, but because of the dog food recall, I avoid all Purina foods.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
re the why now renal issue with cats
I concur that the Melamine has been there on lower levels for sometime which would explain the renal failure in especially older cats. In 2001, when a friend died, I took in his 10 year old cat who was suffering from frequent bladder infections. The cat had been on sd from the vet dry and wet. I put him through a series of antibiotics and switched him to half raw and a higher grade of kibble, Wellness,since then the cat has had
no problems and his yearly bloodwork has been perfect. Since the current recalls, I’ve changed his dry to Felidae.
My guess is the current problem came from either the greed of dumping more Melamine in or not mixing it as well as the crooks had done in the past. It may be that cats are no more likely to have renal failure than the rest of us as cats are far more likely to have the tainted food as their only source. At least my dogs have always been far better beggers at the table than the cats!
April 30th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Hello Everyone, I thought I’d give an update on my cats since I have SOOOO many! lol We have 8 kitty angels ranging in age from 1 to 11. Our 4 semi-strays include 2 very old make kitties.
They’ve been eating Pinnacle and Avoderm wet and they all love, love, love it. The transition to Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct hasn’t gone quite as well but I think they’ll eventually start eating it. I’m far more concerned about them eating wet food anyway.
Our 2 dogs were crazy about the Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct from the minute I opened the bag.
Thanks to all of you for your advice. It appears from todays posts that your efforts will soon make an impact. I’m praying it’s a huge, earth-shaking impact!
April 30th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Louie,
My cats were poisoned by Fancy Feast and started showing symptoms March 23rd, 2007 I was one of the” oh its not on the list people “still using their product. They can tell me now it is safe till they are blue in the face I know it was their food that has made my pets ill. Just hoping they like the Kumpi and that I do not get the first bag that has issues. Evy that was not a slam to you that is just me being parinoid. before ITCHMO I felt like the only person besides the 16 on the news that was affected.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I should have added that I have a 10 year old male kitty (Doobie) who survived the worst form of cancer last year. He’s been lethargic for a long, long time but since we began wet food (Avoderm & Pinnacle) he’s much more active and his fur looks amazing.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Re: changes between articles
Unless I’m mistaken, the major loss from the first article posted to the current one is that they changed “deaths and injuries of thousands of cats and dogs” to the dreaded “deaths of at least 16 pets.”
Most everything else from the first article is there, just rearranged and minor rewordings, including protecting the identity of one source. Plus there are a few additional paragraphs. I think the opening paragraph as it was posted for today’s edition better grabs the reader’s attention better than the one posted yesterday morning.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Oh they are selling that 16 ‘official” deaths very hard. That seems to matter very much to the FDA and makes me wonder if it is a way for them to downplay the toll the melamine is going to take on humans. For sure they do not give a pink rats rear end for our dead or sickened pets.
Too bad the postcard blitz failed but we just did not have the numbers of people who could read the instructions and act on them.
Maybe next time.
I wanted to give Senator Durbin both a tool he could use in his efforts and a way to get the count at least partly correct but that just did not happen, I simply could not get enough pet owners who had suffered losses in this disaster to FOCUS on one thing. So the effort was scattered and that is too bad but I am moving on.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Anyone have any experience with Evanger’s? They say they make all their food in Wheeling IL at their own plant, canned and all. I emailed to ask if they source any ingredients from China. Just wondering if anyone is feeding this and if so, how do the cats like it?
April 30th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
b-naturals.com , dogaware.com, and k9nutrition@yahoogroups.com are awesome websites for info about dog nutrition, feeding, etc. Most info is dog related. I’ve been following these sites for years and have learned alot…check them out you’ll love them.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I’ll second Anne’s endorsements above.
Those are must reads and definitely worth the investment of your time.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
E. Hamilton
Do you really think the postcard blitz failed????????????Did the mail even get delivered yet? i would give it atl east till Wednesday before you think all your hard work failed. people in California cards did not get to MD by today etc… or do you know something I missed? Very upset felt like I did a great thing sending those cards those were my kitties voice. Please explain
April 30th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Helen,
re Evangers, For the last year or so I’ve been mixing some of the Evangers canned into the kibble for my young dobe with good results. I’ve heard good reports about it from other friends. I show my young dobe and he’s always been sort of picky on his kibble and needs to keep his weight up, so I mix say half a can in with it every morning. I also vary the flavors and he seems to like them all. Evangers also cans for Felidae/Canidae. My Mother picked up a few cans for her cat last week and she is eating it and her cat tends to be picky. I think it is one of the better meat canned products. With all that’s going on at the moment I think it’s a good idea to vary the diet some, so if something is tainted they will at least have some dilution in the diet. The Evangers smells and looks like real meat. Prior to giving the young dobe the Evangers last year, I had tried the Wellness canned and he wouldn’t eat it. He’s never refused the Evangers.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Started home cooking for my boy (dog) but I want to add a single vitamin supplement. The only ones I could find in stores where only designed as a supplement to commercial food. The calcium was only 75mg, vitamin A was really low too etc. etc.
I was looking at Furoshnikov’s formula from cookforyourdog.com. Does anyone have any experience with this product? Or do you know of any other products like this that contain all the vitamins etc. I would like powdered form if possible.
Thanks for your help. I need to order this today!
April 30th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Hey, I think everyone did a good thing on the postcards, but I fear that the efforts were wasted because the arguing and the debate went on so long that we JUST DID NOT GET THE NUMBERS!
People said, with the best intentions but just not understanding what we were doing, Oh I will send cards for the 16 menu foods killed.
Fine and dandy, those 16 have been counted about a thousand times already but hey, do as you wish.
I , and every single person working on the blitz had already tried to get Oprah to be involved, go look at her site, she gets a ton of money from Proctor and Gamble and Oprah is NOT going to help us, ok?, not happening.
So, 16 posts a day or an hour from folks who just got this good idea about Oprah and get all mad that we are not gonna do that and it ALL wasted time and effort.
I have been contacted by groups that missed the whole blitz because they DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!
My fault. I know a lot better now.
The next blitz and oh yes there WILL be one very soon, is not going to be debated or buried by posts about who feeds what or anything else.
There will be an announcement about it when the final target, the lists of contacts and all that has been decided and I hope it works.
Learned a lot from the first one.
I consider the postcard blitz a failure today because not one media outlet or anyone picked up on it and we did not HAVE THE NUMBERS. Plain fact.
Some worked on the blitz, some did the blitz no favors at all and some did their damndest to stop the blitz. Also a plain fact.
I have work to do .
April 30th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
E.Hamilton…hey what about sending the psotcards to a paper as well, , or even several big papers?
Who are the stars that are big into pets and do alot of charities for animals?
April 30th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Chad, if you are homecooking for your dog, take your time deciding how to supplement. He will NOT die of malnutrition if it takes you a little while to find a supplement you think is appropriate.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
I met Rep. Rosa DeLauro on Saturday and thanked her for kicking the FDA’s a$$ the other day. I asked her that when she met the FDA officials again could she please mention to them that their website is way too slow and way to selective in the news that they reported, and that pet people wanted the number of sick and dead pets reported accurately and completely.
Only 16 dead???
April 30th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I wanted to ask how the postcard blitz went. Does anyone have an idea of the number of cards mailed? I listen to the news on and off all day. Where are the reports from vets? Where are the pet owners who lost their beloved babes? It’s insane that there are not updates and reports out there!! Instead we get Alec, Dannielynn, and bull ****!
April 30th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
E Hamilton,
Sorry about the postcard blitz. Someone here once mentioned maybe if everyone donated a buck we could take out a full page ad in USA Today. If we had some place to send the money to I’d love to have something like that happen. I’ll do at least $10 if itchmo can do something to pull it off. Any takers on this?
April 30th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Robin, Thanks! That is helpful. Waiting to see how they respond to my email also. If no ingredients from China, I will give it a try. :)
April 30th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I think running a full page ad in a top of the line newspaper is a great idea. If the media isn’t getting it right, we have to do the work for them.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I wonder, since the FDA can’t count so good, is it STILL only 1% of the pet food that has been recalled for being tainted, contaminated or whatever the euphemism du jour is for poisoned, or is that ANOTHER outdated inaccurate factoid for the press?
Rep. Rosa DeLauro is a great asset, if we ever get our info organized we might be able to help her get things done, but even our best friends are not gonna want to read a thousand pages of unorganized and troll ridden posts.
My view is that need to get the stories , the links, the info organized and into an easier to use form. Thus the forums on itchmo, a much underused tool.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Mr. and Mrs. George Bush Former President and First Lady Millie and Sadie, English Springer Spaniels
Bill Clinton US President Zeke his late Cocker Spaniel; Buddy a Labrador Retriever
Diane Sawyer Anchor Woman…. George, a Gordan Setter and Lila, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Helen Hunt Actress Johnny, a Samoyed
Jane Seymour Actress Souki a shih tzu and Crispin a golden retriever
Ray Liota Actor 3 Shar Pei, 2 English Mastiff
Martha Stewart Marth Stewart Living Chow Chows
Janet Jackson Entertainer a Chow Chow named Buckwheat and a mixed breed named Puffy
Stephen King Writer Marlowe a Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Tracey Ullman Entertainer Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Bob Dole Former Senate Majority Leader, a Miniature Schnauzer
Will Smith Entertainer Indo and Zhaki, both Rottweilers
Jim Carey Actor George a Great Dane
Conan O’Brian talk show host - NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brian Golden Retriever
Matt Lauer host for The Today Show on NBC Walden, a golden retriever
Sarah McLachlan Singer Rex, a Black Labrador
just a few I could find for right now
April 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Debbie4747 ,
great idea, please go to the forum and get started if you think it will work.
Start a thread, get info, costs, people to write the ad, a way to collect the money, where to place the one ad and it better be in a BIG paper because one ad is not much compared to the ads you see every day on TV.
BY the way, anyone STILL calling pet food companies to beg for more lies,
Are you asking why the info on symptoms that pet owners need to look out for is “somehow” NOT getting much air time, since these companies are so dedicated to the pets and all?
Nah, thought not.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
E. Hamilton,
I will go to the forum soon, or when I get get home from work…just getting ready to leave. Within the next couple of days I will contact USA Today about costs, pn the forum ask for suggestions as to what we want on the ad….I liked the Pet Ownders Rights Itchmo came up with as at least a starter…but I’m not sure how we can handle the money thing…maybe Itchmo has a paypal thing and will help. We’ll see, but I surely will get the ball rolling! Thanks for supporting me on this. It wasn’t really my original idea, but I thought it was a damned good one!
April 30th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
This magical “1%” is irritating me as much as the number 16. 1% of the pet food? The first recall was 60 million cans. There are 150 million pets. Did they mean one percent of pet food used in a day? A week? A year? I believe 1% of pet food was poison…just as much as I believe the dead number 16. Yeah, right. Just sell me a bridge.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Helen,
Please let us know if anything from China. Thanks
Another source of meat that my cats like is the canned chicken breasts from Costco. In the section next to canned tuna.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
E Hamilton: You are fabulous. You have just done so much! I’m glad you were able to save some of your babies, and have helped save many others.
If you were referring to me, I am collecting info on Evangers (trying to) from people who are and have been feeding it. I wasn’t going to rely on the reply the company gives me, but I do want to know what they will say. I don’t think it’s good for my cat to eat dry food and canned tuna only, and right now that is all she will eat that I am not scared to give her at all. I think people need to confer about what foods are not making our babies sick. I appreciate any input positive or negative on Evangers from people who are or were feeding it. My cat won’t eat raw food. Just won’t. Not going to force her. Thank you for reminding people not to rely on the claims of the lying pet companies.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
KatieKat Says:
April 30th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I am thrilled for the rich and powerful that they can afford flunkies to keep up on the recall, and I am sure that some of the people you listed have at least mentioned the issue to the servants who do the actual feeding and caring for the pets. “Keep an eye on the bad food, make sure MY pet does not suffer or you are out on your ass”. Or maybe not.
None of the celebrities or pet supporters or actors or , gee, anyone at all has come forward to help yet, have they? Getting the story out matters , just not to them.
No person ever, who claims to be an animal activist or “for the pets” will ever get a dime or a drop of sympathy from me until I see some action from them.
If anyone of them called a press conference it would help but NOOOOO.
Where were YOU when the pets were dying?
All I need to ask, only answer that matters.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Re: the Evangers question. The organic braised chicken and the holistic pheasant for cats (canned) are both a little chunker, think less processed looking, than my cats were used to. They ate it but didn’t inhale it. I kept at it because I think it is safe and good for them. I have discovered that if I mush it up really, really well and/or even put it in the blender to achieve more a consistancy they are used to they seem to think it’s fancy feast LOL. The seafood and caviar dinner is the one they really like the best, however.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
E. Hamilton Says:
April 30th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
“My view is that need to get the stories , the links, the info organized and into an easier to use form. Thus the forums on itchmo, a much underused tool.”
And therein lies the crux of the problem. Everyone keeps sharing a wealth of pertinent info here in the comments, instead of Itchmo’s forum where it could be much easier indexed and followed. I know it happens - I’m guilty of it myself. For some reason, the blogs are drawing more posts than the forum threads. Prolly because both Itchmo, Pet Connection, etc., are keeping abreast of breaking news and readers want to respond.
But PLEASE people - consider posting your great finds, pertinent information, etc., in a topic in the forums AS WELL. Those of us who have been following this story for weeks know all too well how difficult it is finding anything once the comments get buried in the blogs. You might as well give yourself a labotomy than try spending countless hours searching through old comments and blog entries for something you thought important. Why waste that valuable time when we can keep it in a more cohesive, searchable arena (the forums) where we can compile vital info for Senator Durbin, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, media, whomever?
As E. Hamilton is suggesting, let’s get things better organized and take advantage of the forums here. Please, for the sake of your pets, consider it? Comment away if that’s your preference but also post the info on the forum. It only takes a couple more minutes of your time. Is that really asking so much?
ITCHMO ADMIN: We agree. We set up the Forums so that information like this can be kept alive, so to speak. Comments are great for reactions to stories. Forums will help more people in the future.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
poster said:
China produces alot of Fish Meal and other protien sources in powder form, so I imagine that since they think Melamine is safe, I would imagine that it is in alot of the foods we feed our pets!
You bet it is! Fish meal. Cheap protein. Wellness added fish to all their new dry formulas. (my cat may be allergic to fish to begin w)
April 30th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
RE: COMPOSTING CONTAMINATED PET FOOD: READ THIS RESPONSE
From Millner
Says more research is needed as to how the melamine compound breaks down in the soil, instead of just going ahead and assuming that composting will destroy the chemicals.
http://www.farmtoday.com/lists.....l/0043.cfm
April 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
TERIC said: The Ministry of Commerce wants to see farm produce exports grow by at least seven percent a year so a total of 38 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, according to its work plan.
Not on my watch. Implementing my very own personal little Boston tea party plan.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Since I am postal.!!!!!..oh yes I am…a letter carrier.
I must tell all that I would not consider the post card blitz dead yet……
I’m guessing that most were mailed later on Saturday and since almost all first class mail takes 2 to 3 days to get there due to sorting machines…this can include a note to your neighbor….lol…most will probably be delivered tomorrow..
Don’t consider it a loss yet……It is snail mail ya know.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
How does melamine work as fertilizer? If it won’t compost, then it is poisoning all the soil it is used on, and if it won’t break down then it will just stay there waiting for a vector to a kidney somewhere.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
“ITCHMO ADMIN: We agree. We set up the Forums so that information like this can be kept alive, so to speak. Comments are great for reactions to stories. Forums will help more people in the future.”
Exactly. Thanks for agreeing. The other reason I’m begging people to consider sharing their info in the forums is for all the newcomers who keep arriving. Some are like deer in the headlights, only just now seeing what a heinous debacle this recall has developed into. Using the forums as the incredible tool they can be, will not only help us gather and organize important information & links, it also will help newcomers catch up thus saving time for the rest of us constantly seeing or explaining repeated conjecture, theories, ideas and whatnot.
I’m thrilled more people are arriving - the more the merrier! But it’s fast becoming counter productive if we aren’t able to cohesively gather together our weapons of information. Weapons being the keyword if we ever want to truly blow the lid off this powder keg.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I would have *loved* to send a postcard, too. I wish they could’ve been sent by all concerned pet owners, not just from those who lost a pet, or have a sick pet.
With the IHT article out, the two groups, sick and ill pets vs. non sick and ill pets has become one group — because, if the criminal melamine additive fraud has been going on for 15 years at least, we’ve ALL been poisoning our pets. For years.
Last May I euthanized and buried my very ill CRF cat. Now with the melamine-as-food-additive news out, maybe it’s what caused her illness, also. One Chinese man in an article stated the melamine had been going into animal feed since 1991. That’s when my CRF cat was born.
Em
E Hamilton says:
I wanted to give Senator Durbin both a tool he could use in his efforts and a way to get the count at least partly correct but that just did not happen, I simply could not get enough pet owners who had suffered losses in this disaster to FOCUS on one thing. So the effort was scattered and that is too bad but I am moving on.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Katiekat,
Heather Mills from Dancing with the Star just donate all the money she made on that show to some animal foundation.
I am also up for donating a couple buck to poast and add, will also do another postcard blitz.
I am so annoyed right now one of my husbands friend from high school just called about his wedding invites and I had mentioned about our cats being poisoned, and he is like yea I think I read about that somewhere someting like 19 died, I was lie more like 39,000 plus effected and was like oh yours was one of them EEEWWWW. Did I mention he is a heart specialist in MA. Anyway Iwas like well you are going to be seeing people dying form it soon it is inour food chain too go to ITCHMO and read you might need it someday. he pulled it up immediately and was shocked. This is someone in the medical profession totallyout of the loop
April 30th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
To: ITCHMO ADMIN
Sorry - didn’t know the best place to ask this, but is there any way you could add a forum header in the forums for “My Pet Counts” or somesuch, where we could organize the topics and threads such as E. Hamilton has suggested? Things are getting buried in the “Misc/Other Discussions” forum section and other places, so thought I’d toss this idea into the mix for what we are trying to do. It might help keeping these topics together in their own forum? Just a thought.
ITCHMO ADMIN: Added. Make a difference: http://64.79.216.38/~itchmo/fo.....board=64.0
April 30th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Should we set up a Webshots account with photos/names/food eaten of all affected pets? Sort of like an electronic version of the postcards, that we could send to anyone and everyone.
April 30th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
E. Hamilton,
The Barbi twins, as they are referred to, are sueing Menu Foods for either killing or sickening their pet(s). Can’t remember specifics, but they were affected. It’s the only “celebrity” incidence I’ve yet heard.
On Oprah’s dog-related show episode last week, she had about 5 minutes dedicated to the pet food recall, in the tone of, “There’s been a recall or something, right? What’s that all about?”
I lost all respect for her right there.
Either she’s painfully i.q.-challenged, covering up (most likely what it was) or hears no news at all. So, now it doesn’t surpise me that she’s “owned” by Proctor and Gamble, so to speak.
And then on the show, I saw that she homecooks for her dogs. So I guess it’s not her worry, either.
Em
April 30th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
From Teric’s post today 2:15 p.m.:
Due to Japan’s strict new standards for chemical residues, export growth to Japan slowed to 3.7 percent in the first 11 months, much lower than the 9.4 percent growth in the same period of 2005.
Japan, the largest overseas market for Chinese farm produce exports, implemented the Positive List System for Agricultural Chemicals Residues on May 29, 2006.
The new system, imposing much stricter standards on residues on agricultural products, directly affected Chinese agricultural exports worth about eight billion U.S. dollars and involved more than 6,000 Chinese enterprises.
……………………….
If Japan can tighten its food safety standards and HOLD China to them by refusing to import products unless the standards are met, SO CAN THE U.S.
Guess who probably bought the eight billion dollars worth of cheap (most likely contaminated) foods and is still dealing with those 6.000 Chinese enterprises that couldn’t meet Japan’s food safety standards?
Do the powers at the helm plan on letting the poor quality, contaminated foods stream in from China with no restrictions? If so, I’ll bet they’re heavily investing in every company that manufacturers kidney dialysis machines. Oh, BTW, that’s the latest stock tip!
Well, ramp up production on those machines. We’re going to need them!
Too bad the hogs that went to Tyson foods are not being recalled. Cold cuts anyone?
I say, euthanize the contaminated hogs still on the farms, pay the hog farmers for their losses, and keep the pork out of our food supply. I’ll even chip in to pay the hog ranchers myself. (And, don’t compost the hogs’ carcasses into our soil because it’s unclear how melamine and CYANURIC ACID break down, if they do ever break down.)
What is WRONG with our government? We must be the laughing stock of the world — playing with peoples’ lives like this.
We might as well realize that WE ARE DIGRESSING TO A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!
April 30th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
E. Hamilton, why are you appearing to self-sabotage the post card blitz? I do not understand at all. It was a great idea. Many people I know personally sent them, and “followed directions”. It is yet way too early to know how many postcards were delivered, or will be, within the next day or so that were mailed from cities and hamlets across the US. Or, to know what their impact may ultimately be. When I first read about the blitz I thought immediately of the POW bracelets from the Viet Nam era. (I know, I am dating myself.) The bracelets put a name and identity to an abstact idea. There are people today who still wear their missing POW’s bracelet. I think the postcard blitz also helped put a name and fuzzy face to abstract numbers of pet deaths and injuries. Every postcard sent was important, heartfelt by the person who mailed it, and WILL make a difference. Please chill.
April 30th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
SmileOnADog Says:
April 30th, 2007 at 6:04 pm:
“On Oprah’s … show …. had about 5 minutes dedicated to the pet food recall, in the tone of, “There’s been a recall or something, right? What’s that all about?â€
If you review E. Hamilton’s comment made above at 4:08pm:
“every single person working on the blitz had already tried to get Oprah to be involved, go look at her site, she gets a ton of money from Proctor and Gamble and Oprah is NOT going to help us, ok?, not happening.”
This is another expample of why E. Hamilton, myself, Itchmo Admin & others are urging people to share their information in the forums. The Oprah thing has come up at least 15 times. Not yelling at you purringfur, just illustrating a point and another plea to share on the forum as well, so tid-bits of info like this don’t constantly get buried or missed.