A $5 Million Conflict of Interest?

Mars Petcare recently opened a new pet food plant in Lewisburg, Ohio. The new plant was opened on the same grounds where Mars has a “pet health and nutrition center” since 2014, otherwise known as a research facility evaluating their pet foods on cats and dogs.

The state of Ohio welcomed the new Mars Petcare pet food plant with open arms, providing Mars with “$3.5 million in grants, and the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 10-year Job Creation Tax Credit” worth another $1.5 million dollars.

So…with the state of Ohio being $5 million dollars invested in this pet food plant, will the state properly regulate the pet foods made there?

As with most states, the Ohio Department of Agriculture not only regulates pet foods made and sold in their state – they also promote the state to attract new agriculture businesses. The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Ohio Proud program is who provided Mars Petcare with the $3.5 million grant money.

The same government agency in most US states – the State Department of Agriculture – performs dual tasks that could conflict with each other. One division of the agency promotes the pet food industry in the state; another division of the very same state agency regulates the products sold in the state.

Could one government agency do both tasks without bias? Or would that government agency tend to look the other way in compliance efforts to defend products made in their state? Such as ‘fix the problem, don’t let it happen again, and we’ll just walk away’.

History shows us another state agency promoting and regulating pet food definitely looked the other way.

The conditions at the Mars Petcare plant in Joplin, Missouri were reported to Missouri Department of Agriculture in 2012/2013. Employees at the plant informed the state agency of pesticides (phosphine) being used on ingredients without following state regulations resulting in employee illnesses and risk of contamination of the pet foods produced.

Employees of this plant reported to Missouri Department of Agriculture in 2012 that phosphine treated ingredients were releasing phosphine gas in the plant exposing employees to dangerous (deadly) fumes. Obtained from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Missouri Department of Agriculture, the state agency did their due diligence…on paper. Missouri asked the company if pesticide fumigants were used at the plant, Mars Petcare managers signed statements to the agency confirming that no phosphine treatments of ingredients were performed at the pet food plant. (Red line added in images for emphasis.)

But, other documents provided in the FOIA from Missouri Department of Agriculture evidenced these managers at the pet food plant were less than honest with Missouri Department of Agriculture. Thus, Missouri Department of Agriculture KNEW the information the pet food managers gave was false.

This second document evidences that pesticide fumigants were added to ingredients ON THE Mars Petcare manufacturing grounds.

So…Missouri Department of Agriculture had evidence pesticide fumigants were being used at the pet food plant, and had evidence that managers of the pet food plant gave false information in their investigation (violations of state law).

And what happened? What did Missouri Department of Agriculture do when they discovered that the managers at Mars Petcare in Joplin, MO gave them false information, what did Missouri do about law violations they were aware of?

Nothing.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture looked the other way.

As well, this pet food plant had a large hole in the roof directly over the mixer (where ingredients are combined prior to extrusion). With each rain, bird feces from the roof would flow directly into the mixer. I discussed this hole in the roof with a Missouri Department of Agriculture representative at the time, he dismissed the issue stating: “It wasn’t raining the day we inspected.”

Is there a potential for conflict of interest when one state agency promotes (gives $5 million dollars) and regulates pet food? History tells us yes.

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