For no real purpose, other than curiosity, here are some Google Earth images of the manufacturing plants responsible for recalls.
In 2019, Hill’s Pet Food issued multiple recalls for excess vitamin D. The FDA issued a warning letter to the pet food plant, stating Hill’s failed to follow their own company safety plan; “As a result of your failure to consistently implement your pre-requisite program, a systematic failure of your food safety plan occurred that resulted in the recall of canned dog food...”
Below is a picture of the Hill’s Topeka, KS manufacturing plant that was responsible for the deadly pet food recall.
Notice how massive this manufacturing plant is – compared to the size of trailers parked near the building. Those trailers are estimated to be 50 foot in length and they appear tiny compared to the size of the building.
In 2007, the Menu Foods Emporia, Kansas plant was responsible for the deadliest pet food recall in history. Below is a picture of that plant in late 2006 (just prior to the recall).
And below is a picture of the same plant today (now Simmons Pet Food). Again, notice the massive size of this manufacturing plant as compared to the parked trailers.
In 2017, the Evanger’s Pet Food Wheeling plant produced pet food that was recalled for pentobarbital contamination. The top picture is the Wheeling plant in 2016, the picture below it is the same location in 2020.
Below is the Midwestern Pet Food plant in Oklahoma that was responsible for producing the recalled aflatoxin contaminated pet foods.
Notice the location of homes (bottom of picture) so close to this facility. Did aflatoxin grain dust blow towards these homes?
Smucker’s Big Heart brands of pet foods have experienced numerous recalls in recent years including a pentobarbital contamination recall. Below is a picture of their Topeka, Kansas manufacturing plant (left side) and distribution center (right side). This is another massive facility.
In 2017, the FDA performed an inspection at the Mars Petcare facility in Columbus, Ohio and found the plant was infested with roaches; “which is most prominent on production lines“. Even though the FDA inspection found the plant to be infested with roaches, the agency did not require a recall. Below is that Mars Petcare plant.
And below is a picture of the Valley Proteins rendering facility where two employees just died believed to have been exposed to a gas produced by decomposing animal materials.
A close up of the top center of the above image shows what appears to be animal parts sitting in uncovered parked trailers on bloody pavement.
And as we’ve seen with other rendering facility images, those trailers are parked near a river. Liquid runoff from these trailers containing potentially diseased animal carcasses could go right into this river.
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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T Allen
September 21, 2021 at 3:54 pm
Love that they rip-rapped the drainage from the parking lot to the river in the last photo. At least there is no soil washing into the river! Thanks Susan.
Susan Thixton
September 21, 2021 at 8:59 pm
I noticed that drain too – I wonder if the river water is tested on a consistent basis. But I suspect it is never tested.
Jill
September 22, 2021 at 8:00 am
I noticed that all of them have hundreds of semi trailers stored around the buildings. What would be in them?
Sami Swan Thompson
September 24, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Ewww! Open vats of – well, it looks like sewage, but I’m sure the plant’s owners would call it “resources” – and trailers filled with body parts sitting in the sun? I can’t begin to imagine the smell permeating that place. Let’s hope that there are no houses anywhere near the plant. If the FDA won’t do anything (and WHY won’t the FDA act?), and the health department won’t intervene on behalf of local communities, why do we have these agencies at all? They are failing us daily.
When arrogant, uncaring corporations deliberately engage in practices that injure or kill the recipients of their products, American consumers are NOT forgiving. For many of us, our dogs & cats are part of our family – if a company’s negligence or greed causes their death, we want retribution & assurances that it will stop immediately, before another family is victimized.
Karen
September 25, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Cancer manufacturing facility