And…the FDA admits pets are a waste disposal system for industry.
Dr. Steven Solomon is the Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. Just a few days ago (September 17 – 19, 2018), he spoke at the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) event “Feed and Pet Food Joint Conference” held in St. Louis, MO. Pet owners are NOT going to like what Dr. Solomon told the pet food industry.
Quotes from the PetFoodIndustry.com story about Dr. Solomon’s speech to industry (bold added)…
The cycle of pentobarbital-related recalls needs to be halted with preventive controls, he said, but noted new evidence suggests that the problem may be more pervasive than originally thought.
The most mind boggling statement from Dr. Solomon…
“Most of us probably think that pentobarbital contamination comes from a few bad actors,” he said. “New evidence is showing it may be a much more pervasive problem in the animal food supply than originally thought.”
Why don’t consumers know what this “new evidence” is?
We don’t know why the FDA felt it was necessary to alert industry to this serious pet food problem yet fail to alert consumers. But we did learn something VERY significant from Dr. Solomon’s words to industry. We learned something FDA has NEVER admitted to pet owners. We learned exactly why FDA allows euthanized animals, condemned animal material, disease and non slaughtered animal material into pet food (bold text added to emphasize what FDA feels about our pets):
Although Solomon said he believes that rendered products may be a source of pentobarbital in pet food ingredients, he also recognized that rendered products are valuable to the pet food industry and reduce strains on the environment.
There is it...FDA finally admitted it. With no disclosure to the consumer – the FDA openly allows illegal waste ingredients including but not limited to euthanized animals into pet food – BECAUSE it’s cheap for industry to purchase and it doesn’t overload landfills.
Your Pet – My Pet – Everyone’s Pet
is considered a waste disposal system by FDA.
Is it OK with you that FDA disrespects pets this way? Is it OK with you that FDA allows law to be violated so industry can source cheap (but illegal) ingredients? Is it OK with you that FDA allows waste euthanized animals, diseased and non-slaughtered animals, condemned animal material into pet food?
If this is unacceptable to you – right now, email the FDA and tell them how you feel.
Email address: askcvm@fda.hhs.gov
Example email:
Dear FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine,
Your Director – Dr. Steven Solomon – recently told industry that illegal euthanized animal material, illegal condemned animal material, illegal diseased and non-slaughtered animal material is “valuable to the pet food industry and reduces strains on the environment”. This is an absolutely unacceptable statement. My pet is not a waste disposal system.
Please explain to me why this law is ignored in pet food: “if it is, in whole or in part, the product of a diseased animal or of an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter“.
Please explain to me why FDA considers the value of ingredients to the pet food industry more important than law.
Please explain to me why FDA considers the pet food industry more important than the health of my pet.
I am expecting FDA to fully enforce law in pet food, I accept nothing less.
I expect FDA to provide me a timely response to this email. Thank you.
[your name]
FDA’s response might be something similar to what they told industry…
F.D.A. officials are currently working to address the problem of pentobarbital in pet food, Solomon said. The current draft of “Hazard Analysis and Risk Preventive Controls for Food for Animals” guidance document (GFI #245) now contains advice on dealing with the issue of pentobarbital.
But…this document does NOT tell industry pentobarbital contaminated meat is a violation of law.
The FDA guidance document “Hazard Analysis and Risk Preventive Controls for Food for Animals” ONLY gives manufacturers “Aids to Identifying Animal Food Hazard”. FDA ONLY reminds industry pentobarbital is a ‘hazard’. In no place in this FDA guidance document does it specifically state euthanized animal material, illegal condemned animal material, illegal diseased and non-slaughtered animal material is a violation of law. No where. FDA ONLY reminds industry pentobarbital is a ‘hazard’.
Enough is enough. No pet should be treated as a waste disposal system for FDA to dump illegal material into.
Just so you know: Federal law: Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
Title 21, Chapter 9 – Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act – Subchapter IV Food – Section 342 Adulterated Food.
“A food shall be deemed to be adulterated (a) Poisonous, insanitary, etc., ingredients (5) if it is, in whole or in part, the product of a diseased animal or of an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter;”
Please send the FDA your message. We MUST stop them from making our beloved pets a waste disposal system.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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pamroussell
September 21, 2018 at 2:59 pm
Thank you for your tireless commitment to exposing the truth and educating consumers! #mypetisnotawastedisposalsystem
Aman Patel
September 21, 2018 at 3:10 pm
PENTOBARBITAL IN PER FOOD, WHY??? ?
landsharkinnc
September 21, 2018 at 3:19 pm
semms that a waste disposal system/incinerator would/could produce enough energy to justify it’s existence and have enough to share with the grid system in the area. Would/could be available for all waste products in the area … we have a ‘wood energy’ plant here that takes the waste from our International Papercomany mill and pays for itself and the mill, and has enough to share with that ‘end of the county’ …
Susan Thixton
September 21, 2018 at 3:21 pm
That is exactly what needs to happen. This waste could go to produce energy.
suzanne hartwigsen
September 21, 2018 at 4:24 pm
Susan Thank you again! I sent an email today!
Rebecca Bruce (Gardngnomebecca)
September 21, 2018 at 6:01 pm
You have taken this out of context in my opinion. He is not condoning this in the slightest. The FDA is greatly understaffed and cannot be there when every single bit of pet food is made. They are having to do what they can as they do further testing and research. Your article makes it seem as if the FDA doesn’t care about pets and that is far from the truth. You do realize most FDA employees are pet owners too. They want what is best for pets but the pet food industry is doing a lot of shady stuff and trying to get it under the radar. The pet food companies are the ones who don’t care about our pets. That is where you should be focusing your anger.
Susan Thixton
September 21, 2018 at 6:23 pm
Rebecca – would you consider this to be ‘of concern of pets’? “POLICY:
Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.”
This an FDA Compliance Policy. They did not HAVE to write this policy – they CHOSE to. Allowing pets to consume diseased and non-slaughtered animals is not done with concern – at least not in concern of pets. We’ll have to agree to disagree.
Rebecca Bruce (Gardngnomebecca)
September 21, 2018 at 6:33 pm
This does not automatically mean the meat is harmful to pets. There are diseases that are not communicable between species. The pet food companies are the ones stretching this policy past its intended meaning. Why do you have such a hatred for the FDA?
Susan Thixton
September 21, 2018 at 6:44 pm
I do not hate FDA. I hate that pets die because FDA ignores law. You must be new to this website. You need to read more of what FDA has done.
Rebecca Bruce (Gardngnomebecca)
September 22, 2018 at 9:03 am
I do not need to read all the erroneous information you guys believe. I actually know many FDA employees and they are very diligent and work so hard to protect us. Your vendetta against them is misplaced. Focus that anger toward the pet food companies themselves.
Susan Thixton
September 22, 2018 at 10:49 am
How can you know the information is “erroneous” if you haven’t read it, haven’t checked my links provided in each post as evidence?
And I actually know many FDA employees too – I’ve worked with them for years at AAFCO meetings. They are very nice people (most). It’s not the individuals – it’s the agency. FDA – the agency, not the individual people – allow law to be violated and one way or another, consumers are going to keep complaining and pressuring them until law is enforced. Just read this – it’s the FDA website: https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm074710.htm. Then maybe you’ll understand why pet owners here are very frustrated with FDA’s behavior.
SARAH s.
March 2, 2019 at 11:40 am
I think both the pet food companies and the FDA are at fault. It doesn’t help that companies like “Hare Today” refuse to initiate a recall of contaminated products.
See: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/01/raw-pet-food-company-hare-today-alleges-fda-mishandling-of-samples-fda-responds/
SARAH s.
March 2, 2019 at 11:31 am
With you saying people here have “vendettas”, you sound like you work for the FDA.
Vicky
September 21, 2018 at 6:43 pm
I agree with Susan. Multiple examples where they let the big pet food industry skate and then put heavy focus on other smaller companies that are producing higher quality products with unannounced inspections etc. I am certain Susan could provide the actual stats. They barely follow-up when there are horrible infractions found in the big producers. Look, I realize everyone has a tough and busy job. They (like everyone else) are understaffed. I have problem with deliberate activities. At a minimum they could at least force these these companies to clearly label what they are sourcing for their products so consumers at least are aware of what they are buying but the lobbyists are great at convincing the FDA to leave them be. Doesn’t seem like the true aim is to protect pets. Look at the number of “ex” FDA that go to work for the big industrial pet food companies (just like in pharmaceuticals) Just my opinion. Like Susan…..agree to disagree.
Peter
September 23, 2018 at 7:59 am
Rebecca, I’d suggest that yes, rotting corpses or “filth” (an FDA definition) would indeed, be “harmful” and that pathogens/bacteria are “communicable between species.” You may be interested to know that the corpses of pigs who drowned on factory farms in North Carolina last week—floating in polluted water— are targeted for recovery and diversion into pet foods. So-called experts assert this is an appropriate environmental choice.
The FDA, charged with administering federal food safety laws—which were established after the death of 100 people who consumed tainted (unregulated) “medicine,” specifically allows that the law be violated with respect to animals, that are specifically covered by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Under pressure from industry lobbying groups, it’s fair to assert that the FDA today performs as though held in “regulatory capture”: created as a state regulatory agency to act in the public interest, but instead advancing commercial or special interests that dominated the industries it was charged with regulating. As a “failure of government,” regulatory capture ultimately encourages a business model wherein large firms impart negative economic and moral social costs on consumers (the third party in the relationship). That’s us: consumers.
Jim
September 21, 2018 at 7:00 pm
You are right on one point and that is the pet food companies doing shady stuff. But not all, many have come out with good products, a bit expensive though and even those sometimes cut corners and why not, there are no controls. What are controls? Controls are legal laws and groups of people that watch over a product, like the FDA or AAFCO. The average Joe thinks they are watching over for them, but they have turned their heads, I know for the most part they don’t have the authority to shut a company down or to arrest, but they can inform Joe. Instead it seems because more Joe’s are seeing what is happening and more joesJ are asking questions, now the FDA wants to halt the recalls, really? So just let Joe stay uninformed? I think it’s time for a new group, the FDA has never protected Joe at all. The thing is, when your kids ask for a puppy or you want that good bud by you and you raise them, you want what’s good for them, you don’t want poison in their food, pet food shouldn’t cost a fortune either, you should be able to buy a good can or bag of food at a decent price, but until this rendering and PENTOBARBITAL is under control Joe will have to spend alot of money on food or go back to what our pets used to live on…..joes food.
Cloelottie
September 21, 2018 at 9:44 pm
Rebecca as much as I’d like to believe that the good people at the FDA care, on an individual level they do. But I’ve worked in the cosmetic industry for 30 years and I can tell you, there is not enough funding nor resources or infrastructure for them to handle this type of oversight. It’s up to us consumers to call out the companies who are practicing these behaviors and boycott them. That’s how change is made.
Dominic
November 1, 2018 at 1:19 am
how would you know “most FDA employees are pet owners?” ? ? ? ? ?
Beth Marousek
September 21, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Thanks for the FDA contact info you provided. I am writing to them.
Jim
September 21, 2018 at 6:35 pm
PENTOBARBITAL in pet food is not a new issue, anyone that has a pet (mostly dogs or cats) should do research on food to be a good parent and to save money in the long run by vet visits wondering why is he/she sick or dying much too early. Dry skin, tumors, cancer, hair falling out and much more have led back to the food. At one time there was no internet but there is now, do your research, there’s much information out there, dogfoodadvisor.com is a great way to see what food your feeding Fido is rated at and what’s in it, read labels, anything that says meat by-product is a sign that it may have rendered animals in it, see what rendering is, search YouTube or Google for it and watch it no matter how disgusting it is, find how PENTOBARBITAL make it to your pets bowl. I can tell you right now why…….greed, everything has a price tag. Bottom line, rendering should be stopped, period. Supporting a cause to do it and keeping people in place to watch them are essential.
Vicky
September 21, 2018 at 6:48 pm
My letter was sent, adapted with a few changes from Susan’s. Copy below. Just got the auto reply from the FDA.
Dear FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine,
Apparently your Director, Dr. Steven Solomon, recently told industry that illegal euthanized animal material, illegal condemned animal material, illegal diseased and non-slaughtered animal material is “valuable to the pet food industry and reduces strains on the environment”. This is an absolutely unacceptable statement and reveals the true nature of the FDA. My dogs should not have substandard food because the government cannot figure out how to deal with waste.
Per current law, [USC03] 21 USC 342: Adulterated food,
[USC03] 21 USC 342: Adulterated food
this should not be permitted but has been happening for quite some time, all with the FDA ignoring this activity. Is there a good reason why this law is not enforced in pet food manufacturing?
It appears that “Big Pet Food” is permitted to circumvent the law. Please explain to me why the FDA considers the value of ingredients to the pet food industry above this standard. Does it have anything to do with the lobbying power of the pet food industry? Interesting how the smaller manufacturing groups that are producing higher quality products using high grade ingredients seem to always be targeted by inspections etc at a far higher rate that the “big guys” producing cheap kibble using adulterated,” illegal” meats. How many animals need to be poisoned (either killed or with serious health issues) by pentobarbital, other chemicals, mycotoxins in garbage grains etc.?
Please explain to me why FDA considers the pet food industry more important than the health of my pet? At a minimum, if the FDA continues to allow these ingredients to enter the food supply, it should be CLEARLY labeled so that consumers know exactly what they are getting for their dollars. Perhaps the puppy mill owners think it is okay to feed their animals these types of products but I nor anyone I know think that it is appropriate. At least with labeling the consumer/pet owner could make the choice rather than have it forced on unsuspecting owners who believe the FDA truly wants to protect the public and their pets.
I am expect FDA to do their job and fully enforce law in pet food.
Thank you.
Susan Thixton
September 21, 2018 at 6:53 pm
Awesome letter (better than mine!). Thank you so much.
Vicky
September 21, 2018 at 7:21 pm
You are my hero Susan. Thank you for everything you do for us and our pets.
Terrence S.
September 22, 2018 at 6:35 am
You should add Sec. 321(f) to you legal citation to the code:
Sec. 321(f) The term “food” means (1) articles used for food or drink for man or other animals…
Susan Thixton
September 22, 2018 at 8:11 am
Thanks – good add.
Floss Smith
September 22, 2018 at 1:33 pm
My Pug was murdered by Smuckers and the poison they put in their food! They should be held accountable for their actions for all people who have lost a family member to their greed! We trust them to keep our pets safe and they are failing us because if greed. It’s not just them, it’s other companies also. When it comes right down to it, it isn’t just pet foods, it’s food for humans also, all they want is big profits, they don’t care about anything else. It’s not only dog and cat foods, but feed for parrots also. Check it out. The next Pug I get I will be cooking all the food for, no more lining the pocjets of corporate greed.
Barbara
September 22, 2018 at 1:45 pm
This is why i feed my dogs homemade cooked food but i feel bad for all the ones that are fed this crap.
intothelightchurch
September 23, 2018 at 12:32 pm
if the FDA is Allowing this Sick Addiction to allowing All this into the PET FOOD, that’s one thing,BUT WHAT IS THE FDA ALLOWING INTO OUR FOOD,I THINK IT’S TIME THAT WE HAVE THE FDA STEP DOWN, AND ALLOWING A JUDGE WITH A COURT ORDER, ALONG WITH CHOSEN CITIZENS, TO SEIZE EVIDENCE FROM THE FDA WITHOUT THEM BEING ALLOWED TO DESTROY IT,BEFORE WE CAN GET TO THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!! REVEREND JEFFREY SCOTT ORRELL, OGDEN,IOWA
B.Marron
September 25, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Our government has failed us!
Rrdred
October 3, 2018 at 5:52 pm
The FDA IS A corrupt organisation that looks out for interests of corporations and not consumers!
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