Add'l Voluntary Pet Food Recalls Following FDA Mar 30 Findings

• On March 30, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. announced it is voluntarily recalling a single product -- Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food -- its only product containing wheat gluten.

  In a March 30 company release, Hill's said it is doing so as a "precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests of wheat gluten samples from this period show the presence of a small amount of melamine." The release continued:

  Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry represents less than one half of one percent of all Hill's products. This is the only product Hill's currently sells in the United States and Canada that contains wheat gluten from any supplier. No other Hill's Prescription Diet® or Science Diet® products are affected by this voluntary recall. Hill's Science Diet Savory Cuts Feline canned cat foods, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution. Together with this earlier withdrawal, less than 1% of all Hill's products have been affected." [end update]

• On March 30, Nestle Purina PetCare issued a statement voluntarily recalling its ALPO Prime Cuts in Gravy wet Dog food in cans with specific date codes. In a company release, the firm said:

  Nestlé Purina PetCare Company today [Mar. 30] announced it is voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO® Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. The Company is taking this voluntary action after learning today that wheat gluten containing melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by the same company that also supplied Menu Foods. The contamination occurred in a limited production quantity at only one of Purina's 17 pet food manufacturing facilities.

  Earlier today the FDA announced the finding of melamine in products related to the March 16 Menu Foods recall, and advised Purina of the source of the contaminated supply. Purina then determined that it had received some quantity from the suspect supplier. The company proactively notified the FDA and immediately began this recall process

  Purina is confident that the contaminated wheat gluten has been isolated to this limited production quantity of ALPO Prime Cuts canned products.

  The recalled 13.2-ounce and 22-ounce ALPO Prime Cuts cans and 6-, 8-, 12- and 24-can ALPO Prime Cuts Variety Packs have four-digit code dates of 7037 through 7053, followed by the plant code 1159. Those codes follow a “Best Before Feb. 2009” date. This information should be checked on the bottom of the can or the top or side of the multi-pack cartons.

  Purina's 5.3-ounce Mighty Dog® pouch products, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution on March 16 as part of the Menu Foods recall. ONLY Mighty Dog pouch products and specific date codes of ALPO Prime Cuts canned dog food are being recalled.

  Importantly, no Purina brand dry pet foods are affected by the recall – including ALPO Prime Cuts dry. In addition, no other Purina dog food products, no Purina cat food products, Purina treat products or Purina Veterinary Diet products are included in this recall, nor have been impacted by the contaminated wheat gluten supply.

  Consumers should immediately stop feeding ALPO Prime Cuts products with the above-listed date codes to their dogs and consult with a veterinarian if they have any health concerns with their pet.

  LBReport.com has separately reported in detail -- with on demand audio -- the March 30, 2007 FDA teleconference.

  To access our coverage, click LBReport: FDA Finds Previously Unnamed Chemical In Wheat Gluten From China In Recalled Pet Food, Says It Can't Confirm Different Chemical Claimed By NY State Agency; We Post Audio Of FDA Teleconference; Pet Food Maker Holds News Conf., Delivers Statement

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