When the FDA’s Office of Compliance and Surveillance subscribed to TruthaboutPetFood.com newsletter, a phone conversation with two OCS Representatives followed. The following is a recount of our conversation.
Hi Susan this is XXX and my colleague XXX; sorry I missed your call, I’m moving to a different office. I just received your article; wanted you to know that OSC/DS regularly subscribes to pet website newsletters in order to learn what is going on with pet food; monitor complaints. She assured me this was their only objective for subscribing to my newsletter.
After a few pleasantries were shared – they asked me if I had any questions for them. I said “well, since I have you on the phone, I’d like to tell you that one of pet owners big problems with the FDA is your compliance policies that allow rendered ingredients into pet food – which are a direct violation of Federal law. Most people, myself included, cannot comprehend how the FDA has authority to tell pet food its ok to violate Federal law. A comment by XXX was made regarding FDA’s interpretation of The Act. I stated “I make the analogy to this of the police making a statement that should anyone from one particular neighborhood rob the bank – they would not be prosecuted.” XXX stated “we liken it to speeding”. I stated “speeding is still a violation of the law!” He said yes it was. They both stated that FDA compliance policies was ‘not their area’.
I shared with them that if perhaps the FDA could sit down and listen to a few pet owners stories – those that have cared for a sick pet due to pet food, those that have suffered with a dying pet – perhaps they would see a different side. I asked if there could be an arrangement made for FDA officials to do a conference call or Internet radio show where they could listen to pet owner complaints. If they really wanted to learn about what is going on with pet food, talking to pet owners was the best way. I was directed to contact the FDA Communications Office via askCVM.gov.
Both FDA Representatives assured me they (the agency) is there to help. They encouraged me to encourage pet owners to report every pet food/treat related illness or death to the FDA. I do/did agree with them on this point, every pet food/treat related illness or death (confirmed or not) should be reported to the FDA and to State Department of Agriculture Representatives.
The conversation ended at that point.
The most striking point of the conversation to me was FDA’s or at least these Representatives statement “we liken it to speeding”. ‘We liken it (FDA’s Compliance policies that allow pet food to violate Federal law) to speeding’. After the moment, my brain screamed – Speeding Kills! Just like reckless drivers, reckless pet food kills!
If only pet owners had pet food police armed with radar guns ready to catch and penalize speeding pet food; making the ‘streets’ safer for everyone.
I know many of you want to support the FDA; perhaps feeling they are our only hope for safe pet food. The FDA has the ability to change pet food for the better – but will they? I told both of these FDA Representatives I will do my part to assist the FDA in this task. But I also told them the first step is theirs to take. The first step is enforcing existing Federal law. The Compliance policies that allow horrible rendered ingredients into pet food must be stopped.
What we don’t know about pet food is overwhelming. We rarely discover why puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats die from what the pet owner believes and reported to be a pet food/treat related cause. Thousands are reported with no public recall or no public answers to the cause.
We don’t know what horrendous rendered ingredients, allowed into pet food/treats courtesy of FDA Compliance policies, does to the millions of pets each day that consume these foods.
We Do know that the FDA has the authority to stop this. We just don’t know if they ever will.
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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