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Pet Food Regulations

What they consider as risk…Pet Food or Goldfish Crackers?

A look into the twisted perspective of regulatory authorities. Pet food Salmonella is more important than Goldfish Crackers Salmonella.

A look into the twisted perspective of regulatory authorities. Pet food Salmonella is more important than Goldfish Crackers Salmonella.

From July 1, 2018 to present day (10/26/2018), the following human foods have been recalled for a pathogenic bacteria:

  1. Working Cow Ice Cream“Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination”.
  2. Bazzini’s Pistachios – “Salmonella“.
  3. Ladyfingers Country Ham Rolls – “Listeria monocytogenes”.
  4. Callie’s Charleston Biscuits – “Listeria monocytogenes“.
  5. Working Cow Homemade Ice Cream – “Listeria monocytogenes“.
  6. Ukrop’s Biscuits, rolls, salads and subs – Listeria monocytogenes“.
  7. Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts – “E. coli“.
  8. Gravel Ridge Farms Cage Free Eggs – “Salmonella“.
  9. Premo Brand Turkey and Cheese Wedge Sandwiches – “Listeria monocytogenes“.
  10. Premo, Fresh Grab Sandwiches – “Listeria monocytogenes“.
  11. Associated Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI) Dry Whey Powder – “Salmonella“.
  12. Mrs. Freshley’s, Food Lion, Captain John Derst’s Rolls and Bread – “Salmonella“.
  13. Goldfish Crackers – “Salmonella“.
  14. Ritz Cracker Sandwiches – “Salmonella“.
  15. Hy-Vee Spring Pasta Salad – “May be contaminated with Salmonella“.

Have you heard about any of the above recalls?

In the same timeframe – July 1, 2018 to 10/26/2018 – the FDA has recalled the following pet foods for a pathogenic bacteria:

  1. Performance Dog“potential to be contaminated with Salmonella”.
  2. Steve’s Real Food, Quest – “Potential Salmonella and/or L. mono contamination”.
  3. G & C Raw, Kim’s Special, Pat’s Cat – “Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination“.
  4. Rad Cat“Potential for Listeria monocytogenes”.
  5. G & C Raw, more  – “Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes“.
  6. Rad Cat – “Listeria monocytogenes or Shiga Toxin producing E. coli O121”

Of course readers here have heard about the above pet food recalls.

But there is a significant difference in human food pathogenic bacteria recalls than pet food pathogenic bacteria recalls. Massive amounts of media warnings are published about raw pet food, with little to no warnings about all other types of foods recalled for pathogenic bacteria.

 

Have you seen a FDA warning advising consumers to ‘Get the Facts! Goldfish Crackers can be dangerous to you and your family’?
…I haven’t seen that warning either.

Have you seen the CDC warning ‘CDC does not recommend feeding Goldfish Crackers to your family’?
…me either.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website states in a recent post (October 17, 2018) regarding an investigation into Salmonella contamination of food: “The outbreak strain has been identified in samples taken from raw chicken pet food, raw chicken products, and live chickens.” In “Advice to Consumers and Retailers” the CDC states the agency is NOT advising that retailers stop selling raw chicken products. But the CDC is advising the OPPOSITE for raw pet food; CDC does not recommend feeding raw diets to pets.” Consumers are capable of handling raw chicken but not raw chicken pet food? Has the CDC lost their minds?

Food Safety News today published a post from microbiologist Phyllis Entis stating (bold added) “According to a spokesperson for FDA, the outbreak strain is likely related to the Salmonella strain recovered from an adult dog that had recurring diarrhea as a result of consuming contaminated raw chicken dog food manufactured by Darwin’s.” Likely related? What’s “likely related”? Sounds like being ‘sort of’ pregnant to me. Phyllis Entis is a microbiologist – she knows better than making a statement like that…so why did she?

What is the deal? We know there is a double standard in pet food, but have they lost the ability to hide their bias or do they just not care anymore?

Can anyone, anywhere – explain why the CDC believes a human can be trusted to wash their hands after handling raw chicken but the same human cannot be trusted to wash their hands after handing a raw chicken pet food? Do they think the risk is in the pet poop? Do they think we don’t wash our hands after cleaning a litter box or picking up in the back yard?

Can anyone explain why FDA has issued multiple warnings to pet owners against feeding raw pet food when millions more pounds of kibble pet food has been recalled for the exact same pathogenic bacteria and FDA has made not a peep about a kibble warning? Do they think we are that stupid?

Can anyone explain why these people believe raw pet food is more of a risk than Goldfish crackers or any other food recalled for pathogenic bacteria?

If they can’t explain…we can’t help but think it is an outright attack on raw pet food. Their clear focus of destroying raw pet food makes me wonder how many other pet food issues are they ignoring? It’s frightening to consider.

 

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food


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5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Hannie

    October 26, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    See what happens when you have lost 2.7B in a couple of yrs? Get the FDA out there & publicly put down anything that might be healthy & stiff competition for those who grease their hands. Oh & don’t forget how grain free is causing heart problems……please, GMAFB……

  2. T Allen

    October 26, 2018 at 4:37 pm

    That statement, “According to a spokesperson for FDA, the outbreak strain is likely related to the Salmonella strain recovered from an adult dog that had recurring diarrhea as a result of consuming contaminated raw chicken dog food manufactured by Darwin’s.” is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever read on that website. I read it at least 5 times and still couldn’t figure it out. And the next line says, “The raw pet food fed to the infected dog also tested positive for Salmonella.” So it appears that Phyllis was just quoting the FDA and then trying to explain it. I totally agree that the FDA is harassing raw pet food and anyone that follows FoodSafetyNews.com for even a week will be appalled at the number of human food recalls that we hear nothing about. It’s really scary when you have a compromised immune system but I feed part raw and am not worried about that at all (NOT commercial raw without a “kill step”) compared to the fresh produce I have to buy. 🙁 Thank you for the great article Susan, forwarding!

  3. paponypal

    October 26, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    it just keeps getting worse. geesh.

  4. Pet Owner

    October 27, 2018 at 2:03 am

    “If they can’t explain…we can’t help but think it is an outright attack on raw pet food. Their clear focus of destroying raw pet food (and my edit is, protecting corporate PF manufacturers) makes me wonder how many other pet food issues are they ignoring?”

    In complete agreement and I understand the point of the article.

    The question is, why can’t the FDA recommend raw pet food? The answer is, because it has more to do with the consumer than the product. Just because we’re enlightened here, informed and capable, doesn’t mean every other pet owner is. Most consumers are still buying crud out there like PF at the Dollar Store and Corner Gas Stations, and 40lb bags from Costco & Walmart. If they don’t understand the basics of pet nutrition in the first place, how in the world can they handle raw feeding? Somebody’s going to hear, oh yeah raw food is the best thing for your dog, and then throw a raw chicken thigh into the dog’s dish. Let it sit there for a day. And forget to wash the dog’s bowl before the next feeding. Meanwhile the kids are crawling around on the floor. Making sandwiches on the counter. While a raw chicken thigh has been dribbled across the kitchen counter over to Fido’s dish.

    I don’t expect the FDA/AVA to proactively recommend raw food like it’s the answer to the mysteries of the universe. But I don’t think they need to kill the raw PF business either. Why can’t both products exist side by side. And leave the education to a mandatory product website, dealers, distributors and Vets (who if asked about alternative feeding methods) would be required to give out informational flyers, but relieving them of liability. Honestly this country is so mucked up at this point, that nothing is ever going to be done in favor of the tax payers. And those who are suffering the consequences of all this corruption.

  5. Ms. B Dawson

    November 9, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Here’s an interesting single sentence in a news article about the current salmonella outbreak, linked to turkey:

    ‘…”We are still seeing new illnesses being reported on a weekly basis,” said Colin Basler, an epidemiologist with the CDC.

    Basler noted there is a lag time between when a person gets sick and when the illness gets reported to health officials. The California Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to an email seeking additional details about the death.

    A single supplier hasn’t been identified in connection with the outbreak. The rare salmonella strain was identified in live turkeys, as well as in ground turkey, turkey patties and raw turkey pet food.’…

    I don’t know if raw pet food was always tested as part of the investigative process and simply not publicized or if this is a new directive, however this is the first time I have ever seen an AP report mention raw food in a story not directly involving pet food.

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