The Smucker’s recall of Walmart Special Kitty cat food raises concerning suspicions.
Federal law requires a cause to be explained to consumers in recall notices; “Reason for the removal or correction and the date and circumstances under which the product deficiency or possible deficiency was discovered.” In fact, the FDA has a mock recall notice provided on it’s website for pet products as an example to what manufacturers should include in their press release. The very first sentence of the FDA example press release suggests this: “[Company Name] of [City], [State] is recalling [Quantity and/or type of Product] because it has the potential to be contaminated with…” The FDA suggests a cause to be explained in the first sentence of a recall press release.
Previous Smucker’s recall notices provided consumers the cause of the recall…
From December 2018 (cause bolded): “The J.M. Smucker Company today announced a voluntary recall of specific lots of 9Lives® Protein Plus® wet, canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).”
From January 2017 (cause of recall bolded): “The J.M. Smucker Company today announced a limited voluntary recall on certain lots of 9LivesTM, EverPetTM, and Special KittyTM canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).”
But the December 5, 2019 Smucker’s recall press release of Walmart Special Kitty cat food simply stated: “The J. M. Smucker Company today announced a voluntary recall of specific lots of Special Kitty® wet, canned cat food due to health concerns potentially associated with ingredients believed to not meet the Company’s quality and safety standards.” Very different than other Smucker’s recall notices and very different than federal law recall notice requirements.
What’s worse…
Something very concerning appears to be the cause of the December 5, 2019 Smucker’s pet food recall. From the recall notice, these are the symptoms cats might show consuming this pet food: “Ingesting impacted product may cause nausea with excessive salivation, diarrhea or vomiting to more severe symptoms including difficulty walking, seizures and, in extreme situations, death.”
The symptoms provided by Smucker’s appear to be VERY similar to pentobarbital contamination.
In February of 2018 – almost 2 years ago – the FDA issued an alert about Smucker’s pet food “potential pentobarbital contamination“. Below is a comparison to FDA’s statement regarding symptoms of pets that consume pentobarbital contaminated pet food compared to the December 5, 2019 Smucker’s Special Kitty recall symptoms.
FDA’s 2018 Smucker’s pet food pentobarbital warning symptoms:
“Pets that eat pet food containing pentobarbital can experience drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner) and inability to stand. Consuming high levels of pentobarbital can cause coma and death.”
Smucker’s December 5, 2019 recall symptoms:
“Ingesting impacted product may cause nausea with excessive salivation, diarrhea or vomiting to more severe symptoms including difficulty walking, seizures and, in extreme situations, death.”
And one more thing…
The December 5, 2019 Smucker’s Special Kitty recall notice stated “The investigation thus far indicates that the impacted product appears to have been manufactured during a single day.” However, the recall notice “Best if Used By Date” appears to show these pet foods were made over 4 months.
| Product Name | Retail UPC Code | Lot Code | Best If Used By Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Kitty® Mixed Grill Dinner Pate 5.5 oz. metal can | 681131078962 | 9263803 | 9/19/2021 |
| Product Name | Retail UPC Code | Lot Code | Best If Used By Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Kitty® Surf & Turf Variety Pack of Pate Cat Food in 5.5 oz metal cans | 681131079235 | 9266803 | 7/17/2021 8/29/2021 9/11/2021 9/12/2021 |
| Special Kitty® Surf & Turf Variety Pack of Pate Cat Food in 5.5 oz metal cans | 681131079235 | 9267803 | 7/17/2021 8/29/2021 9/11/2021 9/12/2021 |
| Special Kitty® Surf & Turf Variety Pack of Pate Cat Food in 5.5 oz metal cans | 681131079235 | 9287803 | 9/12/2021 9/19/2021 10/7/2021 |
Best by dates are – typically – directly link to the manufacturing date. The recall notice provided Best by dates from July through October. This seems to indicate that Smucker’s statement “the impacted product appears to have been manufactured during a single day” is not an accurate statement.
Lots of questions.
Why did FDA allow a pet food recall press release to go out without telling consumers the cause of the recall? This is extremely irresponsible of FDA. Is FDA protecting their Big Pet Feed friends again?
Why didn’t Smucker’s and Walmart tell consumers the cause of the recall? Is this pentobarbital contaminated ingredients again? Extremely irresponsible not to be transparent with pet owners. How can a pet owner get proper treatment for their pet without the veterinarian knowing the cause? Smucker’s and Walmart should immediately provide pet owners with full disclosure to why this recall happened (after all, it is the law).
Why did Smucker’s and Walmart tell consumers this pet food was made “during a single day” when the recall notice itself indicates otherwise? Did they think pet owners are that stupid we wouldn’t catch the best by date information?
I sent FDA questions this morning as to the cause. FDA responded with “I do not have further information about a specific cause.”
I called Smucker’s Special Kitty help line this morning asking the cause of the recall. The representative – Veronica – stated “I don’t have that information.”
Hogwash. Pet owners deserve better than this. Shame on you Walmart, Smuckers, and FDA.
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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Cannoliamo
December 6, 2019 at 4:10 pm
I doubt the FDA is even concerned enough to pursue the matter. Even if the cause was determined to be pentobarbital or other barbituate, there would likely be no fines or other civil actions taken. I’ve come to the realization that the FDA “Center for Veterinary Medicine” is far more of a shield for the Pet Food Industry than a sword for consumers.
Dianna
December 7, 2019 at 6:02 pm
Maybe they will when people slap them with a huge class action law suit. This is just nonsense!
Cannoliamo
December 7, 2019 at 11:42 pm
👍🐶🐱👍🐱🐶👍 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏 𝙐𝙎 𝙄𝙉 !!!!
Tina
December 6, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Wow
Thanks for making the calls Susan…
Deborah Childs
December 6, 2019 at 5:35 pm
I had a cat display the signs and had eaten the recall mixed grill pate, he would fall over and eyes rolled back in his head, took 2 days before he was alert again, would like to know the contamination!! 2wks later he is back to normal. Thanks for letting us know, which smucklers should have sooner. I wondered if the food because it did happen within an hour of eating, fda needs to post the reason for recall due to pet owners need to know the long term complications.
Faith Jones
December 6, 2019 at 6:30 pm
Deborah, you should report your cats symptoms to FDA on their website!
chris
December 6, 2019 at 5:46 pm
The right hand covers up for the left hand it seems all the time.
Jane
December 6, 2019 at 6:18 pm
That’s the first thing I thought of, too. Both because of the symptoms AND because they wouldn’t say what the problem is. Nothing gets pet owners attention quite like pentobarbital poisoning! Good catch on the expiration dates. It’s absolutely chilling to think that the FDA would let a company get away with that!
Faith Jones
December 6, 2019 at 6:26 pm
Thank you, Susan, always going the extra mile to protect pets! Quick thinking and informative!
Teresa Reid
December 6, 2019 at 10:22 pm
Thank you so much, Susan, for all you do every single day to reveal the horrors that these pet “feed” companies try so hard to hide. So sad that those pets had to go through that suffering. Am praying that no others will.
Karin Yates
December 7, 2019 at 1:15 am
Cheap pet food gets ingredients from rendering plants that boil down everything dead, including euthanized pets. If you see “animal fat” in the ingredients, it is from rendering plants.
jnshok
December 7, 2019 at 8:20 pm
When we ask the question “why”, the answer is to follow the money. Since Big PF apparently is supervised by no one, answers to no one, and is responsible to no one, they pretty much do as they please. Any industry that self-polices gets away with whatever they can. We consumes have very few protections, and not nearly as much money as BPF, to hold them legally and morally accountable. I have no solution to offer other than electing different officials who will hold corporations responsible if they break laws or hurt their customers.
Vanessa Bailes
December 7, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Thank you so much for your information. I have spent days trying to figure out what to safely feed my Ragdoll cats that I love. I go over your lists. What should we feed? I have found only one food made in the USA without products from China. Do you have a specific list anywhere? Would you tell me if my choice is good enough for them to live a long healthy life.
Linda Bradshaw
December 8, 2019 at 3:18 pm
Thank you Susan for stepping up to ask these important questions. Exactly what went through my mind when I read the recall notices.