Menu Recalls More Than 200 Additional Cat, Dog Foods

On Wednesday, Menu Foods recalled 200-plus additional pet food products that might have been contaminated by melamine-tainted items made at its plants during the same time period.

The additional recalled products were not made with the melamine-laced wheat gluten that prompted Menu’s initial recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food but testing and one consumer complaint indicate cross-contamination, the company said.

Some previously recalled items also include expanded production dates.

The expanded recall involves dog and cat food sold in the United States, Canada as well as two European varieties. The list of additional Menu Foods-recalled items can be found at www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/menu05_07.html.

The Canadian-based manufacturer also revised its expected losses related to the recall from $30 to $40 million to $40 to $45 million.

Last week, Menu Foods said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had searched its Emporia, Kan., plant. Menu Foods said it was also notified that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Kansas was exploring whether or not the pet food manufacturer had committed a misdemeanor by violating the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. The state of Missouri had launched a similar investigation, the company said.

“Menu Foods has been doing everything it can to cooperate with the FDA,” said Paul Henderson, chief executive officer of Menu Foods.

The FDA declined to comment on the case due to the ongoing investigation.

Pet Death Toll Climbs

Earlier in the week, FDA officials said they were investigating at least 4,000 animal deaths potentially related to the pet food recall that has dragged on for almost two months.

On Tuesday, Michael Rogers, director of investigations for the FDA, said the agency had received 17,000 calls from people claiming an animal death or illness as a result of the contaminated pet food that has embroiled about 150 brands and more than 5,500 products to date.

“Of those, about 8,000 or so have been entered into our official data system and have been evaluated and roughly 50 percent of those alleged in animal death is part of a long-term project,” Rogers said.

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