Just when you think you’ve seen all the crazy stuff there is from FDA, this happens.
Released today – July 3, 2019 – the FDA issued a confusing warning about pig ear dog treats. The title of the FDA alert says “FDA Investigates Contaminated Pig Ear Pet Treats Connected to Human Salmonella Infections“.
The title sounds as if FDA has evidence pig ear dog treats have caused human illness, right? Nope, they don’t.
The FDA alludes that dog treats are responsible for 45 human illnesses with 12 hospitalizations. They make it sound dire. But then…the FDA admits that testing of the dog treats found a completely different strain of Salmonella. In other words, the FDA has NO connection the treats caused human illness.
? ? ?
But the FDA DOES have evidence the pig ear treats tested positive for (other strains of) Salmonella. However, NO recall has been issued.
? ? ?
Then why did FDA issue this warning?
FDA says:
“FDA is issuing this alert so that consumers can choose whether to remove pig ear treats from their homes or take steps to potentially prevent Salmonella infection.”
What? FDA is letting pet owners “choose” whether to give Salmonella positive pig ear treats or not? Are pet owners mind readers? How are pet owners supposed to know what treats have tested positive?
Review: FDA has evidence that pig ear treats tested positive for Salmonella but is not forcing a recall. FDA has no evidence the pig ear treats are linked to human illness but are telling everyone it is.
This is completely OPPOSITE behavior FDA has taken against raw pet food. In fact, FDA has a policy that is zero tolerance for Salmonella in any pet food/treat product (it’s not a law, it’s just their policy) they have utilized extensively against raw pet food. So…is FDA telling us that policy is only applicable for raw pet food – nothing else?
Pig ear treats get a personalized FDA ‘Get Out of a Recall Free’ card.
Speechless.
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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Woofielover
July 3, 2019 at 6:04 pm
The FDA would have to recall pretty much all “body parts” that the industry sells as “chews”, not just pig ears. It’s looonnnggg been known that these parts have salmonella issues. It’s not a problem for the dogs as much as for humans. This is like handling raw chicken – wash your hands, humans!
Ettore Harry Giarratana III
July 3, 2019 at 6:19 pm
Stupid is as stupid does.
J. U.
July 7, 2019 at 8:09 am
You beat me to the punch line. Does the FDA do anything right? They wonder why raw food pet owners just ignore them.
Batzion
July 3, 2019 at 6:51 pm
A special place in hell for the crooked players in the FDA behind this deliberate failure to issue a recall because we don’t matter to them nor do our pets. May they reap what they sow 100 times over.
A happy Fourth to you and yours, Susan, and to all except the soulless buffoons responsible for this at the FDA. May every one of them get volatile food poisoning over the long weekend.
T Allen
July 3, 2019 at 7:30 pm
What? WHAT? SERIOUSLY? I had to read this one for myself (not that I didn’t believe Susan, I just wanted to see it for myself!). UNBELIEVABLE. Guess I’ll be writing a bunch of emails demanding answers on this one!
Tad
July 3, 2019 at 7:47 pm
Salmonella? How about pig ebola which is set to decimate the entire population of pigs in China?
Batzion
July 3, 2019 at 8:12 pm
Spot on re “pig ebola.” Here’s a Bloomberg article on the subject: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-02/pig-ebola-virus-sends-shock-waves-through-global-food-chain
Mike
July 4, 2019 at 10:34 am
Sounds right in line with the DCM scare. On one hand they’re scaring people with the theory linking grain-free diets, and on the other hand they’re saying they don’t really know and recommend parents don’t just rush to change foods… The FDA is smoking something I think.
Debi
July 4, 2019 at 2:38 pm
I think they are maybe licking the Colorado River Toad instead, at least one does not have to “light up”
Batzion
July 4, 2019 at 12:52 pm
Here’s an alert I received this morning from The Emergency Email & Wireless Network. Note that it includes additional info and lists the states affected: http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=18000&z=63
“Never forget, tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.”. ~Daniil
Jane Democracy
July 4, 2019 at 2:32 pm
It’s based on risk… Raw food is eaten everyday for every meal therefore exposure is increased. Treats are not meant to be fed as food so therefore the quantity consumed is much smaller so the risk is proportionate.
Woofielover
July 4, 2019 at 3:26 pm
If it’s based on risk their risk assumption is out of line. People who feed raw pick up their bowls, wipe down their counters and wash their hands. Chews, including pig ears, are typically left laying out whether in the store or in the home. Yet at any slight hint of even a potential salmonella issue raw manufacturers are forced into a recall costing them thousands of dollars.
Jane Democracy
July 4, 2019 at 6:56 pm
It’s not based on a risk assumption it’s based on an actual risk analysis that has nothing to do with people picking their bowls, nor washing their hands nor counters, that is what it is most likely based on.
Karen
July 5, 2019 at 3:37 am
Thank you for everything you do.. Is it possible to have a “share” button on your articles Susan ?
Susan Thixton
July 5, 2019 at 8:14 am
Hi Karen – just below the end of the article are share buttons. Above the comments.
Tina
July 6, 2019 at 1:26 am
I thought these 3 bullet points from the FDA link were important factors in the ongoing investigation:
–Pig ear treat samples collected tested positive for several strains of Salmonella, but not the specific strain connected to the outbreak
[seems to me that the FDA should have removed the treats even though they were found to be unconnected to the current outbreak. If there is a reason FDA did not, I think FDA should explain.]
–CDC and FDA are working to determine if there are any cases of human or animal illness linked to the strains of Salmonella found in the tested treats
[sounds like no cases of illness have been reported yet due to the contaminated samples found, in humans or animals]
–FDA is also working with impacted firms to remove these pig ears from the marketplace and identify other places where they may have been distributed
[sounds like this news is an update regarding an ongoing investigation / in beginning phases. The FDA statement regarding “choice” seems to me to notify citizens like us that this is what has happened so far & as of now, we can take precautions but the FDA currently has not discovered enough info to act to recall specific instances of dog treats]
——–
Susan, I really appreciate this website & you for creating it from zero. I am a new subscriber & reader of your posts. I am a fur parent & care to educate myself about government pet food regulations & lack thereof. I know there is too much in this industry that government fails to do & care about. Speaking only for myself, I would highly appreciate if you would capture the news that you post in a manner that is as close to the reported facts as you can manage in good faith. For this particular piece of news, I read your post first before reading the original FDA post. I thought there were many discrepancies between the two. I will be sure to read the original post your post is about before making any conclusions of my own.
Thanks again for your time & intention to help.
Susan Thixton
July 6, 2019 at 8:05 am
In most cases I do “capture the news” I am quoting within a post. In all cases I do provide a link to validate what I am writing about. So, that anyone can go read for themselves just as you did. I found no discrepancies, but again – always provide the link so that others can read the information for themselves. A difference of opinion is ok. My opinion is based on years of watching FDA facilitate a way for Big Pet Feed to make billions off of selling adulterated pet foods making pets and people sick. Admittedly, I have a bad attitude when it comes to regulatory authorities.
Karin
July 31, 2019 at 9:58 pm
Why risk illness when there are plenty of other things to chew on that are not made from dead animals? Our local premium pet food store carries plant-based “pig ears”!
Tina
July 8, 2019 at 8:16 am
Here is an update: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/8313-pet-supplies-plus-recalls-pig-ear-dog-chew-for-salmonella
A free account is required to view the entire article.