Chenango Valley Pet Foods has launched a recall of dog foods manufactured with a specific shipment of rice protein concentrate due to the possibility of contamination, the company has announced.
The New York-based Chenango Valley said April 26 that it has been informed by supplier Wilbur-Ellis that rice protein concentrate shipped to the company may be contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.
The pet foods were sold to retailers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, who then sold the products to their customers through catalog mail orders or retail outlets.
The following dry dog foods are being recalled:
- Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food, sold in containers with net weights of 5, 12.5 and 25 lbs. and with code dates best used by Jan. 24, 2009, Feb. 8, 2009, Feb. 26, 2009, April 10, 2009, and April 17, 2009.
- Bulk Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food sold to one consignee, SmartPak, in a 2,000-pound tote with a ship date of Feb. 9, 2007.
Additional varieties of dry cat foods are also being recalled.
Melamine ingestion can lead to illness or fatalities in pets if consumed; however, no illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. Pet owners who purchased the products should immediately discontinue using them and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund, Chenango Valley officials said.
Pet owners are also advised to consult with a veterinarian if any health concerns with their pets arise. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (610) 821-0608.
So far, over 100 brands of cat and dog food have been recalled since the first reports of animal deaths in mid-March and there have been dozens of reports across the United States and Canada of cats and dogs becoming sick and/or dying due to eating tainted food.
The cause of the problem has been traced to melamine in at least two imported Chinese vegetable proteins used to make pet foods. The FDA says it believes the melamine may have been used to artificially inflate the protein count of the ingredients wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate.
In the time since melamine was identified as a contaminant in the pet foods, the FDA has been sampling for melamine and related compounds in all wheat gluten, rice protein and corn gluten coming into the United States from China.
For a complete list of pet foods under recall, click here. And to read previous DogChannel articles on the pet food recall, visit http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/dog-food-recall-updates.aspx.