http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.html
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural
Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority US
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Wegmans
Weis Total Pet
Western
Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Wegmans Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet
________________________________________________________________
March 16, 2007
Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/Press_Recall_03162007.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Attention Business/Financial Editors
Menu Foods Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:MEW.UN) today
announced the precautionary recall of a ****tion of the dog and
cat food it manufacture between December 3, 2006 and
March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" style
pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the
Fund's United States facilities. These products are both
manufactured and sold under private-label and are
contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback
in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about
pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact
on the renal health of the pets consuming the products.
Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a
substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal
and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues
with the products in question.
The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production
associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction
of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this
ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then
has been undertaken using ingredients from another source.
At the same time, the Fund's largest customer, for which it
manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number
of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall.
Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future
orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer's cuts and
gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the
Fund's annual revenue.
"We take these complaints very seriously and,
while we are still looking for a specific cause,
we are acting to err on the side of caution" said Paul K.
Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods.
"We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our
products maintain the very highest quality standards."
While the number of complaints has been relatively small,
Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution,
because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund.
In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6,
the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and
finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities
and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional
actions are appropriate. The Fund estimates that based
on currently available information, this recall could cost
between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed
from a combination of internally generated cash flow and
bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively
producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in
question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.
In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their
possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer
to the list of brand names ("listed products") at
www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m.
Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the
website can continue to be used.
Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract
manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket
retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and
other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund
produced more than one billion containers.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Menu Foods Income Fund
Consumers
1-866-895-2708
Website: www.menufoods.com
________________________________________
Enhanced Website and Call Center for Precautionary Recall of Dog and Cat
Food by Menu Foods Income Fund
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/PressRecall_En_Site_03192007.htm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 19, 2007) -
Attention Business/Financial Editors:
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
In order to better respond to the needs of its customers,
Menu Foods Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:MEW.UN)
has enhanced the accuracy, comprehensiveness and
user-friendliness of its website focused on its recent recall
of dog and cat food. The Fund is encouraging consumers
to check back with the website regularly, to get the most
up-to-date information available. Furthermore, the Fund has
enhanced its call center capabilities to better respond to consumers.
The Fund announced on March 16 the precautionary
recall of a ****tion of the dog and cat food it manufactured
between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007.
The recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" style pet food
in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the
Fund's United States facilities. These products are both
manufactured and sold under private-label and are
contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Consumers can find the latest information at
www.menufoods.com/recall. The website contains detailed
information on the products subject to recall,
together with updated dates of production and links to related recalls.
_______________________________________________________
Major Recall of Pet Food
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5131220&ft=print
Major recall of pet food has animal owners frantic;
company says about 10 pets are dead
(Union, NJ - WABC, March 18, 2007) - Silviene Grzybowski became
worried when her local pet store pulled the food she normally feeds
her cat and posted an announcement saying it, and many other
popular pet foods, had been recalled. Her cat, Smokey, hadn't
been eating for days.
For more information, visit menufoods.com/recall
http://www.menufoods.com/recall
"The vet told us to buy her her favorite food,
but I'm going to call the vet right now," Grzybowski said.
Menu Foods, the Ontario-based company that produced the pet food,
said Saturday it was recalling dog food sold throughout North America
under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams,
Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed by major retailers
such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.
An unknown number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure
and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said.
Two other companies - Nestle Purina PetCare Co.
and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. - said Saturday that as a precaution
they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.
Many stores that sold the affected brands frantically pulled packages off
shelves.
Ron Finegold of Boynton Beach, Fla., said he noticed about
a week or so ago that his family's 3-year-old cat - who was
regularly fed a variety of Iams cat food - had stopped eating
and did not appear well. He quickly took the animal to the
veterinarian, who determined she was in renal failure.
He said he heard about the recall on the radio Friday night.
He checked his trash, and found out he had given the cat some
of the affected food.
"That's when I realized (the illness) had to be related," Finegold said.
"She won't be eating that stuff anymore."
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes,
descriptions and production dates was available from the
Menu Foods Web site,
http://www.menufoods.com/recall.
The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners
could call for information - (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708 -
but callers kept the lines busy for much of Saturday.
Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told
the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to
figure out what happened.
He said that the company had received an undisclosed number of
owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering
kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall
would cost the company, which is mostly owned by the Menu Foods
Income Fund, an estimated $26 million to $34 million.
Sarah Tuite, a company spokeswoman, has said the recalled
products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier,
which has since been dropped for another source.
Wheat gluten is a source of protein.
Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said it
is still too early to determine what could have affected the food.
Zawisza added that even if wheat gluten is the source
"it doesn't necessarily mean the wheat gluten per se.
It could be another substance associated with the wheat gluten."
The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food,
which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and
small foil pouches from Dec. 3 to March 6.
In Omaha, Neb., Susan Balvanz said she sometimes feeds her
five cats packets of sliced meat and gravy sold by Nutro Products,
one of the brands affected.
"I've done so much research on pet food. It didn't surprise me but
it scared me all the same," said Balvanz.
She said her 9-year-old cat, Boots, was especially fond of the food but
seemed
to have lost its appetite in the last few days.
At the Missouri Valley Veterinary Clinic in Bismarck, N.D., veterinarian
Jacob Carlson has been referring worried pet owners to the Menu Foods web
site.
"We've had a lot of calls," Carlson said, although none of his patients
were sick.
The company said it makes pet food for 17 of the top 20 North American
retailers.
It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies,
including Procter & Gamble Co.
List of Recalled Pet Food
Cat Food
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Key Food
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet (The recall affects only 3-ounce and 5.5-ounce cans of
Kitten
Savory Cuts Ocean Fish; 5.5-ounce cans of Feline Adult Savory Cuts Beef,
Chicken and Ocean Fish, and 5.5-ounce cans of Feline Senior Savory Cuts
Chicken.)
Sophisticat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet, My True Friend
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Dog Food
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Key Food
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog (The recall affects only 5.3 pouch products that
were produced from Dec. 3, 2006 through March 14,
2007.)
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good 'n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Publix
Roche Bros
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Bros
Total Pet, My True Friend
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet
________________________________________________
|
