Glaring examples of the double standards of food manufacturing and feed manufacturing.
On Friday May 1, 2020, Blue Bell Ice Cream plead guilty “to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products and pay a criminal fine and forfeiture amount totaling $17.25 million.” The Department of Justice press release regarding the settlement agreement between Blue Bell and federal authorities proudly stated (bold added):
“American consumers rely on food manufacturers to take necessary steps to provide products that are safe to eat,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take appropriate action where food manufacturers ignore poor factory conditions or fail to abide by required recall procedures when problems are discovered.”
What does criminal charges against an ice cream company have to do with pet food? It’s undeniable evidence that regulatory authorities hold food and feed to two completely different standards.
From the 2015 FDA inspection report, the Blue Bell manufacturing plant…
“Failed to maintain food contact surfaces to protect food from contamination...”
Keeping in mind that Blue Bell’s ‘failure to protect food from contamination’ was in part responsible for a $19 million plea agreement with the US Justice Department, now let’s look at the findings of an FDA inspection at a pet feed manufacturing facility.
In 2017 the FDA performed an inspection at a Mars Petcare facility. The FDA inspection report from this Mars Petcare plant stated:
“Failure to take adequate measure to exclude and prevent pests from the manufacturing and related areas of the firm poses a significant public health safety concern while also being a regulatory violation. The firm was warned about the seriousness of their German cockroach infestation during the previous comprehensive inspection, dated 10/27/2016.“
Mars Petcare had an identical failure as Blue Bell – different circumstances, but the same failure; both companies failed to protect food from contamination. Blue Bell faced criminal charges, Mars Petcare faced no criminal charges – they didn’t even receive an FDA Warning Letter.
From the Blue Bell FDA inspection, equipment was found to be “stored in a unclean metal milk can” and a “hose connecting the pump was dirty“.
The Mars Petcare FDA inspection report found “recorded sighting between one up to ‘Millions of Roaches‘” and “consumer complaints regarding the inclusion of insects in the firm’s finished product“.
Blue Bell’s dirty hose contributed to a $19 million fine, Mars Petcare million roaches and complaints of roaches in the pet food resulted in no fine, no warning.
Another issue that led to criminal charges against Blue Bell was what pet owners know as a Silent Recall. “Blue Bell directed its delivery route drivers to remove remaining stock of the two products from store shelves, but the company did not recall the products or issue any formal communication to inform customers about the potential listeria contamination.”
Numerous times over the years, pet owners have noticed a pet food quietly removed from store shelves with no notice or public warning. As example, in 2011 pet owners notified us that the Price Chopper website listed a recall of multiple Iams pet foods (both cat and dog food) for high aflatoxin levels – even though no public notice of the recall was issued (no ‘formal communication to inform customers’). Iams told us it was a “product pull”.
Blue Bell’s product pull led to a $19 million fine. Iams product pull was never investigated and led to no criminal charges.
What is criminal and prosecuted in food, is ignored in feed. Feed is NOT food.
Please tell the FDA pet products should be clearly labeled as feed or food; cat feed and dog feed if the product is manufactured per feed standards, cat food and dog food if the product is manufactured per food standards. You can email the FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov.
Tell your state government officials pet products should be clearly labeled as feed or food.
We deserve to know.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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