Hey Everyone!
I know it seems like there are an awful lot of recalls lately and I don't want our blog to be just gloom and doom, but I do feel like it's important to pass along these recalls for the safety of your pets and those of your friends and neighbors. I do want to note that we don't carry any of the recently recalled products, we just feel that as part of the pet community, it's our duty to help disseminate this information. This article was originally posted by Pet Sit USA, you can view it here
Merrick Pet Foods is extending a recent recall, due to salmonella, announced last month.
Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2, 2010 recall of 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold’Ems)” pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of “Texas Hold’ems” (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
The Beef Filet Squares (Texas Hold ‘Ems) were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.
The treats are sold in 10oz plastic bags marked with “Lot # 10127 Best By May 6, 2012” on the top of the bag and on a sticker applied to the bottom.
No illnesses have been reported to date for either lot of product. A sample tested positive for Salmonella.
Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Texas Hold’ems” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.
Merrick does have the announcement on their website: Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold’ems 10 oz. Bag (Item# 60016 Lot 10127 Best By May 6, 2010) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk.
Showing posts with label Merrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Merrick. Show all posts
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Recalls making us sick, or are we sick of recalls?
Today a front page article in the Washington Post indicates a new study shows that the US is experiencing "Recall Fatigue"
There seems to be two contributors to this "Recall Fatigue". One is this type of corporate behavior. I'm not really making the claim the Merrick's behavior was ill repute, but enough companies have done this to warrant the question. There are plenty of good examples out there of how to execute a recall.
The second is QA. Taking shortcuts across your production line is not a very good way to minimize the amount of QA failures you have. Not cleaning your equipment between production runs - like how does salmonella reach a product that is baked and never is an original source of salmonella in the first place? It has to be either the production line or the packaging equipment that was not properly cleaned in between runs or never cleaned at all. Companies are being forced to to more amounts of QA testing these days, but they really aren't making the necessary production processes or methods to prevent test results from showing the problems. Hiding, retesting because you believe the results are false positive, and trying to minimize recall impacts by "Dump and Run" tactics are all shortcuts that do not address the problem.
Corporate responsibility has got to start to look at taking the high road, because yes, I am sick of all of the recalls myself, I am sick of sorting through them all, but that doesn't mean I don't need to read or act on them. I want them to stop happening in the first place. The "cheap way out" is no longer going to cut it as our global food economy starts to become more transparent. Hiding, misinformation and misdirection may have been the way of the past, but it will be the way of the dodo bird before too long. The longer companies engage in these tactics the faster you are planning your own funeral. There are too many choices and things are becoming too transparent to make this your corporate strategy.
"One recent study found that 12 percent of Americans who knew they had recalled food at home ate it anyway. After Hasbro recalled the iconic Easy Bake Oven in 2007 because about two dozen children had gotten fingers stuck in the door, the toymaker received 249 more reports of injuries over the following six months. One 5-year-old girl was so seriously burned that doctors had to partially amputate a finger."As Gina points out over on the Pet Connection Blog, this seems like a "Dump and Run" to me. What is a "Dump and Run" you ask? Well, a "Dump and Run" recall is a recall that is issued very late on a Friday, as in Friday evening, so that the recall gets minimal press coverage. This one was even worse, because they did it before a 3 day holiday weekend. Merrick issued a recall last Friday on it's Beef Fillet Squares. The recall details are here in a previous post. There has been a lot of speculation on both sides this week. Did they know about this earlier or was this unintentional? Hard to tell.
There seems to be two contributors to this "Recall Fatigue". One is this type of corporate behavior. I'm not really making the claim the Merrick's behavior was ill repute, but enough companies have done this to warrant the question. There are plenty of good examples out there of how to execute a recall.
The second is QA. Taking shortcuts across your production line is not a very good way to minimize the amount of QA failures you have. Not cleaning your equipment between production runs - like how does salmonella reach a product that is baked and never is an original source of salmonella in the first place? It has to be either the production line or the packaging equipment that was not properly cleaned in between runs or never cleaned at all. Companies are being forced to to more amounts of QA testing these days, but they really aren't making the necessary production processes or methods to prevent test results from showing the problems. Hiding, retesting because you believe the results are false positive, and trying to minimize recall impacts by "Dump and Run" tactics are all shortcuts that do not address the problem.
Corporate responsibility has got to start to look at taking the high road, because yes, I am sick of all of the recalls myself, I am sick of sorting through them all, but that doesn't mean I don't need to read or act on them. I want them to stop happening in the first place. The "cheap way out" is no longer going to cut it as our global food economy starts to become more transparent. Hiding, misinformation and misdirection may have been the way of the past, but it will be the way of the dodo bird before too long. The longer companies engage in these tactics the faster you are planning your own funeral. There are too many choices and things are becoming too transparent to make this your corporate strategy.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Friday Night Dump & Run Recall
Hey Everyone!
From time to time recalls are necessary. It's simply the nature of food items. Sometimes, even under the best of circumstances, things happen. Recalls are then issued for the safety of consumers. Unfortunately, recalls are usually not seen in this light. They have come to reflect on the capabilities and integrity of a company. Perhaps it is this perception that led Merrick to issue their most recent recall is such a cowardly way. Merrick issued a recall on their Beef Filet Squares late Friday, July 2nd. That's not only what's become known as the Friday dump and run (a technique used to minimize the media attention given to a recall) but a dump and run on a holiday weekend! I have to think that Merrick damaged their name more by issuing this recall in such a cowardly fashion than they would have if they had simply manned up and issued the recall in a straight forward, honest manner. But they didn't. And that leave us as consumers wondering what we can really expect from a company that displays such a lack of integrity...
Here is Merrick's official statement:
Here is Merrick's official statement:
Merrick Pet Care Recalls Beef Filet Squares 10oz Bag (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 Best By March 24, 2012) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
07.02.2010We found out about this recall thanks to the watchful eyes of the Pet Connection Blog. If you don't already follow them, I recommend checking them out.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2010
Customer Inquiries:
Other Inquiries: JAMES WITCHER, COO (806) 322-2806
MERRICK PET CARE RECALLS BEEF FILET SQUARES 10oz BAG (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24,2012) BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE SALMONELLA HEALTH RISK
Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling 86 cases of its 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs”pet treats (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptcial.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
The Beef Filet Squares were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.
The treats are sold in 10oz plastic bags marked with “Lot # 10084TL7 Best By Mar 24, 2012” on the top of the bag and on a sticker applied to the bottom.
No illnesses have been reported to date. FDA collected a surveillance sample of “Merrick Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” (lot #10084TL7) which were purchased from a retail store. The sample tested positive for Salmonella.
Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.
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