Download Menu Foods Recall Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ`s)

Menu Foods Recall Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
May 2, 2007
Q1. Are Iams and Eukanuba dry dog and cat foods, treats or sauces included in this Menu
Foods manufacturer recall?
No. Iams and Eukanuba dry foods are not manufactured at Menu Foods and are not affected by
the Menu Foods recall. Iams Savory Sauce and our treats for cats and dogs are also not included
in the Menu Foods recall and not affected by the recall.
Q2. Do you have any wet pet food products that are not being recalled?
Yes. The majority of our wet products are not affected by this recall. All of our wet pet foods
produced before November 8, 2006 (date code 6311 and lower) are not involved in this recall. In
addition, all of our canned Iams and Eukanuba paté foods are not involved in this recall.
Q3. What are the signs of illness with dogs and cats who have eaten the affected
Iams/Eukanuba wet foods made at Menu Foods (with code dates that match recalled
product)?
Pet owners are telling us their dogs and/or cats may have signs of vomiting, fatigue, and
increased water consumption and urination. They commonly notice these signs within 24 hours of
eating the affected food.
Q4. What is the cause of this illness?
Melamine is the suspect contaminant that has been found in an ingredient (wheat gluten from
China) in the affected pet foods. Until the cause has been definitively confirmed, we will no longer
produce wet pet foods at the Menu Food’s Emporia, Kansas plant.
Q5. What is melamine?
Melamine is a fertilizer and an ingredient in the manufacture of plastics.
Q6. What should I do if I have Iams or Eukanuba ‘wet’ foods (cans or foil pouches) with the
recalled code dates?
First, immediately stop feeding the affected products to your pets and consult with your
veterinarian if you see any signs of illness in your pets (see Question 3). All Iams and Eukanuba
products carry a 100% guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled products. For
more information, call 1-800-882-1591.
Q7. What about the news reports that say rat poison or melamine may be the cause of the
pet food health problem?
In a March 30, 2007 press conference, the FDA announced that they have not confirmed rat
poison as a cause of this pet food problem. Instead they said that melamine was found in the
recalled pet food made by Menu Foods, and samples from affected pets. Melamine was also
found in wheat gluten, an ingredient in the affected pet food. Melamine is now suspected as the
potential cause of this problem. There is no melamine or rat poison in any Iams or Eukanuba
products.
Q8. Has the Menu Foods recall been amended?
The Menu Foods recall has been amended as of May 2, 2007. Iams and Eukanuba products are
not affected by this amendment of the Menu Foods recall. See www.menufoods.com.
Q9. How is P&G Pet Care handling refunds and compensation to pet owners?
P&G Pet Care will work with pet owners individually on a case-by-case basis to handle their
individual needs appropriately. All Iams and Eukanuba products carry a 100% guarantee, and
consumers can receive a refund for all recalled products. For more information, call 1-800-8821591.
Q10. Is there melamine in any Iams or Eukanuba products?
Melamine is not an ingredient in our pet foods. Melamine was found as a contaminant only in wet
cuts and gravy type foods produced at the Emporia plant of Menu Foods. The affected product
code dates are 6312 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197. The recall of these affected
Iams and Eukanuba products is virtually complete. All Iams and Eukanuba products carry a
100% guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled products. For more
information, call 1-800-882-1591.
Q11. Is there wheat gluten in any Iams or Eukanuba products?
There is no wheat gluten used to formulate any of our dry foods, paté wet foods, Savory Sauce,
or biscuits. There is wheat gluten in our chew treat, Iams Tartar Treats, but it is not produced by
Menu Foods. We have tested the wheat gluten in Tartar Treats, and it does not contain
melamine.
Q12. Is there corn gluten in any Iams or Eukanuba products?
Corn gluten is not used to make any of our Iams or Eukanuba products currently being sold in
retail stores. Corn gluten is used to make in two therapeutic kidney diets sold by veterinarians
only. We have tested the corn gluten in these Eukanuba Veterinary Diets, and they do not
contain melamine.
Q13. Are there vegetable proteins from China in any Iams or Eukanuba products?
No. Iams and Eukanuba pet foods currently being sold in retail stores are not formulated with any
processed vegetable proteins including wheat gluten, corn gluten, or rice protein concentrate.
Consumers and retail customers can be assured that these products do not contain any
processed vegetable proteins from China that are the focus of this recall investigation.
Q14. Is there something wrong with your current quality programs for pet food
manufacturing?
No. Our current Quality Assurance program for manufacturing pet foods is extensive and one of
the strictest in the industry for detecting expected food quality issues. It includes over 120 quality
checks including laboratory testing of raw materials, cleanliness of production facilities, and
handling of finished product. Our production processes have consistently received “excellent”
ratings by the American Institute of Baking, a certification authority for the human food industry
that inspects our manufacturing processes annually.
Q14. What is P&G Pet Care going to do to decrease the possibility of this problem
happening again?
To fulfill the Iams Promise (www.iamspromise.com), we will further improve our quality systems
and processes to minimize the risk of unexpected food quality issues and attain the highest level
of quality possible for pet foods. In general, we will increase the standards required for our
suppliers to be certified with P&G Pet Care. Specifically, we will reinforce that our suppliers need
to obtain P&G Pet Care approval before changing their source of any product ingredient. In
addition, we will increase the evaluations of quality and purity of new sources of ingredient raw
materials used by our suppliers. We will now require our suppliers to test all processed vegetable
protein raw materials (wheat gluten, corn gluten, soy protein) for melamine, the suspect
contaminant in this pet food recall. In addition, we will begin using our expert veterinary advisory
board in our quality assurance process.
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