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Six Degrees of Pet Food Manufacturing

Based on the ‘six degrees of separation’ theory, I propose a quest for all readers. The recent Centers for Disease Control report on a Mars Petcare pet food plant proves there are many concerns we are just beginning to learn about in pet food. Let’s put the ‘six degrees’ theory to work in our favor and get valuable inside information directly from employees of pet food manufacturing.

Based on the ‘six degrees of separation’ theory, I propose a quest for all readers.  The recent Centers for Disease Control report on a Mars Petcare pet food plant proves there are many concerns we are just beginning to learn about in pet food.  Let’s put the ‘six degrees’ theory to work in our favor and get valuable inside information directly from employees of pet food manufacturing.

Wikipedia explains “Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of a friend of a friend statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.

Now…just imagine what we would learn and what we could do to hold pet food manufacturers accountable if we just learned more information from those who work in the pet food plants.

The perfect example (and perhaps a very good starting point for us) is the Mars Petcare plant that was located in Joplin, Missouri.  If you recall (click here to read recent post) – the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) just released a startling report of employee health hazards in pet food manufacturing.  This report titled “Evaluation of health concerns at a pet food manufacturing facility – Missouri” – looks at employee (bold added) “concerns about vomiting, seizures, and breathing difficulties, as well as problems with their kidneys and livers, possibly related to substances used in the manufacture of pet food and dog biscuits and/or possible phosphine exposure,…”

This report from CDC mentions aflatoxins, molds, and pesticides found at this plant – but focuses on employee health – not on the health of the pets consuming the foods produced at this plant.  Certainly any employee of pet food should be provided with safe work conditions;  at the same time – pet food consumers deserve to purchase safe pet food/treat products.  If employees are at risk – as the CDC report appears to point out – wouldn’t the pets eating these products be at risk too?

I’ve asked for a statement from the Governor of Missouri, the Director of the Department of Agriculture of Missouri and the FDA regarding the safety of pet food – based on the CDC findings.  As you can probably guess – no one has responded yet.  So that got me to thinking…perhaps we need to take matters into our own hands.

Using the ‘six degrees’ theory – each of us are only six introductions away from knowing an employee of pet food manufacturing.  Imagine if we could learn from an employee of pet food manufacturing that…

  • A batch of pet food did not include the meat listed on the label;
  • A batch of pet food contained high levels of aflatoxins;
  • A batch of pet food was made using spoiled meats.

If we acquired quality information from an employee of pet food – our consumer association (Association for Truth in Pet Food) could test the pet food for verification of the problem and results would be made public (and handed over to regulatory authorities).  Maybe, just maybe we can save some lives in the process.

This IS NOT a witch hunt.  It is our goal to quickly find problems that could sicken or kill pets.  The truth is our only goal.

There is whistle blower protection for employees under federal law – FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Section 402.  But, even if an employee wishes to remain anonymous – please know our goal is only to protect pets from eating a tainted pet food – not to out you causing you to lose your job.

So…start asking your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and everywhere else…do you know anyone that works for a pet food manufacturer?

We are going to compile a list of U.S. cities that pet food manufacturing plants are located in (coming soon) – so another six degrees question could be (as example)…do you know anyone in Joplin, Missouri?  (Joplin was the location of the Mars plant in the CDC report, plus will soon be home to a new Blue Buffalo pet food plant.)

The point is for all of us to utilize the six degrees theory – so that we all can learn more truth about pet food!  Start asking your friends – find those six introductions – and ask insiders to help us find the truth.  Ask them to email me (Susan) or Mollie Morrissette via Association for Truth in Pet Food – Susan at AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com or Mollie at AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

 

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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10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Marilyn J. Caruso

    January 21, 2014 at 9:22 pm

    I will be looking for the list of cities where pet food is made.

  2. Jo

    January 21, 2014 at 10:02 pm

    Susan,
    I just ran across today a very comprehensive 2011 study done on several pet foods looking for toxic metals. Below is the link to Part 1 (of 2) of that study. To me, the alarming findings should be submitted to the authorities for investigation. I believe this could be used as part of this “six degrees” goal you’ve set for us. If anyone could convince the study investigators to release the names of the foods tested, we would have some real evidence to take to the authorities. Please take time to look at this study. It was very scientifically done.

    And I still think the national media should be made aware of what you and others have unveiled about the pet food industry, including the Mars related CDC report. All we need is one major TV network or newspaper like the WSJ to do an investigative story and there would then be much more pressure put on the FDA to DO SOMETHING!

    The link is:
    http://www.spectroscopyonline.com/spectroscopy/Articles/Analysis-of-Toxic-Trace-Metals-in-Pet-Foods-Using-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/706156

    • Susan Thixton

      January 21, 2014 at 10:27 pm

      Hi Jo – Yes – I’m very familiar with that heavy metal study. There are several articles about it on this site. And the bad part is – the FDA’s response to that paper – they just dismissed it. It was just sad.

  3. Mollie Morrissette

    January 22, 2014 at 10:11 am

    Or you can email me at molliemorrissette@poisonedpets.com.

  4. Julia haggerston

    January 22, 2014 at 11:10 am

    I’ve just returned a packet with a metal/plastic part from machinery? Inside a pouch of whiskers oh so fishy senior. My cat has hyperthyroid and liver problems. This may have been caused by eating contaminated foods like this! I’ve found a different brand called applaws now and she loves It. Won’t be buying any more whiskers rubbish.

  5. Nina Wolf

    January 22, 2014 at 1:52 pm

    This is a very creative and interesting grassroots approach to info gathering, and I’m all over it. As a pet store owner, I’m hoping I might be able to find some inroads even through our distributor drivers and such. I’ll certainly give it a try…and you are, as always, to be so heartily commended for going to new lengths to find, uncover, bring to light, investigate, and discover what it really going on – in short, to protect us all.

  6. Chris

    January 23, 2014 at 12:21 am

    Susan,

    Your six degrees idea is excellent. I do think this needs to be bigger than just the people on this site. There are several other sites out there besides poisonedpets that have the same goals. I really believe you need to link arms with as many such website owners as possible…at least after getting some traction from six degrees efforts, if not earlier.

  7. Pingback: If Bad for the Employees---What is it doing to our Pets?! - Dog Health & Nutrition - Dog Forums - I-Love-Dogs.com

  8. jim norris

    January 31, 2014 at 6:44 pm

    We put Blue dog food in a micro wave approved bowel and placed it in the oven for 3-5 seconds. The material sparked on 3 separate occasions and caught the napkin on fire that covered the bowel. This sparking was identical to the sparking you get when you place metal in a micro wave. Very dangerous. The food was taken back by the store. Only a metal in the food could cause this sparking.

  9. Middletown Dog Food

    March 7, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Great post. We adopted a raw diet for our pets, and their skin issues cleared up; they also slimmed down considerably.

    Commercial kibble is dangerous to feed our pets, please be aware of what you are feeding your cats/dogs!

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