and now rice gluten

[Pipedream Farm]

Natural Balance Pet Foods,® Inc. Issues A Voluntary Nationwide Recall on Specific Venison Dog & Cat Food Products

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Pacoima, CA -- April 17, 2007-- Natural Balance, Pacoima, CA, is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall for all of its Venison dog products and the dry Venison cat food only, regardless of date codes. The recalled products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. Recent laboratory results show that the products contain melamine. We believe the source of the melamine is a rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance has confirmed this morning that some production batches of these products may contain melamine.

 

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints received by Natural Balance involving a small number of cats and dogs that developed kidney failure after eating the affected product.

Dogs or cats who have consumed the suspect food and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should be seen by a veterinarian. We recommend our customers immediately stop feeding our recalled venison products regardless of date code and return unused product to their retailer for a full refund.

The products are packaged in bags, cans and zip lock treat bags and sold in pet specialty stores and PetCo nationally.

No other Natural Balance products are involved in this voluntary recall as none of our other formulas include the rice protein concentrate.

 

Although the problems seem to be focused on a particular production period of the venison products, over the last four days we have notified our distributors and retailers by phone and e-mail to immediately stop selling and return all recalled Venison dog foods and treats and the Venison dry cat food. Venison canned cat food is not involved.

The source of the melamine appears to be a rice protein concentrate, which was recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination.

 

None of Natural Balance's other dry formulas, none of our other canned or roll products and none of our other treats are involved with this voluntary recall.

We continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-829-4493 or email info@naturalblanceinc.com.

[Allie Oop]

Sheesh! I saw that they had done a recall on Natural Balance, but the articles I read didn't mention the rice gluten issue. I really try not to be an alarmist, but all of these recalls are making me nervous. I hate going to the pet store these days -- it seems you never know which food is going to be safe to feed your pets.

 

Mark, I meant to thank you for the link to the article on Menadione. I found it very interesting (although I must admit I had to read it several times because a scientist I am not). I am still feeding the Blue Buffalo and Allie is doing well on it.

[Guest pax]

Interesting. Was it Cornell that said there was a melamine problem in the Menu Foods stuff originally? Maybe it was both.

[Pipedream Farm]

The rice protein concentrate was imported from China by San Francisco-based Wilbur-Ellis. Herrick says the concentrate, which is being tested, is suspected to have melamine, as it was the only new ingredient. Recalled Natural Balance products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and dry dog foods, dog treats and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.

 

Wilbur-Ellis CEO John Thacher said his company sold the concentrate to five pet-food makers, but that most of it went to two firms. One of the primary companies was Diamond Pet Foods, which packs some of the Natural Balance product but doesn't use the concentrate in any Diamond-made foods, says Diamond spokesman Jim Fallon. The other major customer, which Thacher would not name, tested the rice protein and found no melamine, Thacher says. Natural Balance's rice protein concentrate is mixed with venison meal, Thacher says.

 

Source: Natural Balance pet food recalled

 

Mark

[Guest pax]

The back of the Diamond bag reads "brewer's rice".

[Pipedream Farm]

brewer's rice is different than rice protein concentrate

 

Mark

[Guest pax]

Well that's a good thing to know. Wheat gluten ended up having so many different possible AKA I was a bit boggled.

[Pipedream Farm]

From KIBBLE INGREDIENTS

 

AAFCO - Brewer's Rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice.

 

AAFCO - Rice Gluten Meal is the dried residue from rice after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of rice starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.

 

Mark