It has been a few weeks since the start of Menu Food recall, and most disappointingly, things have NOT clear up but become more and more of a mess.
At first, FDA declares the toxin responsible for various death of pets is aminopterin, a rat poison used in foreign contry, that is found in the wheate gluten imported from China. Later, FDA says that toxin is question is not aminopterin, but melamine, a chemical found in plastic. So, why would FDA announced it was aminopterin in the beginning? They didn't explain. Was it just simply a mistake in the analysis? Does it mean aminopterin is not present in the wheat gluten? Or does it solely mean that aminopterin is not responsible for making the pets suffer from acute renal failure(even tho certain amount of aminopterin may still exist)?
Days after days, more and more pet food/ treats enter the recall. Death count is yet increasing. From can food to dry, more and more is being recalled, among which includes the most popular, world renowned brands such as Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Purina... Even Hill's Prescription Diet m/d is being recalled. I would very much like to know the opnion of the countness number of vets out there who's absolutely in love with these companies, and I would like to hear the explanation from vets who have been telling consumers that Hill's Prescription Diet is so strictly controlled and tested to ensure the premium quality of their product ideal for sick pets.
Yet, this is not the end of the disturbing news. Purina, a non-Menu Food brand, has entered the recall. Apparently, ChemNutra, the company which imported the wheat gluten from china, has sold the wheat gluten to 3 pet food manufacturers, among them one is Menu Foods. FDA refused to identy the remaining two manufacturers, and thus leaving cosumers clueless to avoid possibily contaminated pet food.
One may argue that non-recalled, wheat gluten free brands should not be boycotted just because they are manufactured at Menu Foods, however, it's really down to individual judgement to trust the non-recalled food are indeed safe, given that they share the same machine used to manufacture the recalled food. How much trust you do you have for the workers to completely and thoroughly clean and disinfect the machines in between making different brands/types? Don't foget Menu Foods makes more than 90 brands and each brand has several different flavours / types.
As the original recall start out from cuts in gravy style can / pouches and later expanded to dry food and treats, while more and more brands being involed; from contamination of aminopterin to melamine, to FDA's newest suspicion of melamine being deliberately added to the wheat gluten to rasie the protein level of gluten, who could tell us what is safe? And what other dreadful news is awaiting the already worried-sick and panicky pet owners?
The question is, why does it take FDA so long to identify the problem? What kind of quality control they have to regulate the pet food industry in order to allow such a mass contamination take place?
Meanwhile, for me, I chosed to be a menu-phobic and stay away from all the Menu Food products.
