Pet Food Recall

Today turned out to be a VERY hectic day at PETCO. Sometime after lunch, I received word of a recall on certain types of dog and cat food in cans and pouches. As the afternoon wore on, we learned it potentially affected more brands. We quickly assembled a team to gather information and develop an action plan. I am good at crisis management, and find it easy to think clearly.

I assembled a cross-functional team of people around the PETCO offices and we made decisions to have all PETCO stores remove alny potentially affected brands from its shelves as a precaution. Our first priority was for the safety of the animals and to remove the threat of tainted product.

Here is the public message we posted on the PETCO corporate blog this afternoon:

In response to a nationwide recall initiated Friday by pet food manufacturer Menu Foods, PETCO has directed its stores to discontinue selling certain wet food products for dogs and cats produced by Menu Foods.

Menu Foods announced the voluntary recall after receiving what it said was "feedback in the United States raising concerns" about a small number of animals becoming sick and developing signs of kidney failure.

At PETCO, our first priority is for animal safety, and we are removing from our shelves Iams and Eukanuba wet dog and cat food cans and pouches that have been clearly identified for recall by P&G Pet Care, owner of the Iams and Eukanuba brands. Menu Foods produces those products for P&G Pet Care.

In addition, as a precautionary measure we are pulling from shelves all other wet food products that are manufactured by Menu Foods until we receive confirmation of their safety from the manufacturer.

By taking these steps, customers shopping with PETCO this weekend can have full confidence that the food products available for purchase are safe and healthy for their animals.

Meanwhile, Menu Foods has not immediately provided a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, and has stated that they would be posted on its Web site - http://www.menufoods.com/recall - early Saturday, March 17th. Consumers with questions can call 1-866-463-6738.

The following brands of canned and wet food will temporarily be removed from sale at all PETCO stores by opening of business on Saturday, March 17th, 2007:

Iams & Eukanuba cans and pouches with lot numbers starting with 6339 through 7073 and Manufacturer code: 4197

Iams/Eukanuba Consumer Care Hotline 1-800-882-1591

As a precaution, PETCO is temporarily removing the following brands from its shelves for sale until each manufacturer has determined that these products are safe for consumption:- Mighty Dog Pouches- Nutro Natural Choice dog cans and pouches- Nutro Complete Care cat Pouches and 3 oz cans- Nutro Ultra dog cans- Nutro Max cat cans and pouches- Mixables dog pouches- Hill's Science Diet Savory Cuts cat 3 oz. cans

IMPORTANT NOTES:- Dry Dog and cat food are NOT affected by this recall.- Other canned food brands not mentioned herein, and available for sale in PETCO stores and http://www.petco.com/ as of Saturday March 17th, 2007 are not affected by this recall and are safe for consumption.

If you have any questions, please contact PETCO Customer Relations at 1-888-824-PALS(7257).

This site is about my personal opinions, experiences and stuff I am interested in. From time to time I express a personal opinion about natural, holistic and organic dog and cat food brands. As the author, I am writing this with no affiliation to my employer, although I am a dog food merchandise manager and have an excellent knowledge of pet foods. There are many kinds of natural, holistic, organic and super premium dog and cat foods available. When looking for a natural, holistic or organic pet food it is important to first consider the needs of your pet. What are you feeding now? Are there any issues that your pet is having? How is your pet's skin and coat? healthy? Shiny? Does you pet have any digestion issues? Always consult your vet if you notice any serious problems. In my personal opinion, if you want some of the best natural and holistic pet foods available, try brands such as Natural Balance, Natural Ultramix , Organix, Solid Gold and Pet Promise.