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From: gish@eng.sun.com (Sheri Gish)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.breeds
Subject: Re: Nature's Recipe Recall
Date: 05 Aug 1995 00:06:44 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Laboratories
Lines: 134
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NNTP-Posting-Host: greatscott.eng.sun.com
In-reply-to: Nature's Recipe Pet Foods's message of Thu, 3 Aug 1995 20:10:02 -700 (PDT)
An open letter to Nature's Recipe:
As a caring, responsible dog owner who has used your products because I trusted your
quality control and respect for your customers, I am apalled and outraged to read the
attached posting that you have made to a Usenet pet newsgroup about your "voluntary
recall" of most of your dry dog food products. Your reluctance to be honest and
straightforward to your customers has endangered the health of our pets. For the benefit
of pet owners who may not be familiar with biological terms, a "mycotoxin" is a
*poison* associated with fungus. This is what your lack of information has had us feeding
to our animals for the last two months!!
I have two dogs who are both 3 years old; one ate Nature's Recipe Maintenance Lamb and
Rice and the other ate Senior Pension (two of the affected foods). The first I heard of
any trouble with the food was a posting to this newsgroup on July 14 from a consumer who
had heard about a "voluntary recall" for foods with datecodes from May 17 to
*June 1* 1995. Nobody knew the reason for the recall; several people heard that the fat
content was too high in those batches but that was hearsay. We immediately exchanged our
food at our local pet food outlet for what we thought were "safe" datecodes:
June 7 for the Senior Pension and June 26 for the Maintenance. Our pet food outlet had
heard about the recall and the presumed "safe" dates. The manager of the outlet
did not know the reason for the voluntary recall. YOU HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM YOUR
DISTRIBUTORS THAT THE FOOD WAS POISONED, AND THIS FACT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLICIZED AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID ENDANGERING THE ANIMALS. There was no sign near the food notifying
consumers about the recall; I had occasion to visit several pet food outlets in the area
(see next paragraph) after this first exchange and nobody had any information nor
displayed a sign.
Immediately upon feeding my dogs their "safe" food, I found that my Briard
refused to eat his Maintenance Lamb and Rice. Thinking that perhaps you'd changed your
formula to compensate for the fat content problem, I cajoled him to eat at least some of
his daily portion for several days. When he continued to refuse, I went looking for
another, later date code than 6/26/95 in several pet food outlets but none was available
anywhere. YOU HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO PULL THE POISONED FOOD LOTS FROM THE FOOD OUTLET
SHELVES TO PREVENT HARM COMING TO DOGS WHO MIGHT EAT IT. In disgust, I returned my
Maintenance Lamb and Rice and switched dog food brands (to Nutra Natural Recipe Lamb and
Rice -- a great food which my dog loves!).
After I had switched dog food brands, someone posted to this newsgroup that he spoke to a
rep at Nature's Recipe about the recall and the rep said that now the bad date codes
extended to *July 20 1995*. There was no mention of mycotoxins. I posted my experiences
with the so-called "safe" food as a warning to the people who read these
newsgroups. I want to point out again that BECAUSE YOU WERE IRRESPONSIBLE AND DID NOT PULL
THE TAINTED FOOD FROM THE SHELVES AND REPLACE IT WITH SAFE FOOD, PEOPLE HAD NO OPTION BUT
TO EXPOSE THEIR DOGS TO MYCOTOXINS.
So here it is *August 4* and the Nature's Recipe CEO has the audacity to post to this
newsgroup "...As a precautionary measure and in the best interest of the health of
your pet, Nature's Recipe Pet Foods immediately voluntarily recalled its products with
date codes between May 17, 1995 and July 20, 1995...." You acted irresponsibly and
only on behalf of your own economic gain by not removing all tainted food lots from the
shelves and by not widely publicizing why the food was tainted and precisely which food
lots were tainted.
I for one will never purchase Nature's Recipe products for any of my animals again. Your
actions in this matter have proven to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that your need to make
profits has totally eclipsed any shred of responsibility you have to your consumers and
their pets.
-- Sheri Gish gish@eng.sun.com
In article
From: Nature's Recipe Pet Foods
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.breeds
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 20:10:02 -700 (PDT)
Organization: Delta Internet Services, Anaheim, CA
Dear Pet Owner:
Nature's Recipe Pet Foods is aware of discussion in some pet newsgroups related to our
voluntary recall of some of our dog and cat food products. We wish to keep you as fully
informed as possible.
Nature's Recipe Pet Foods has announced a voluntary recall of specific dry, bagged dog and
cat food products. The products are Maintenance Lamb and Rice, Puppy Performance and
Lactation Lamb and Rice, Chicken Rice and Barley, Maintenance Lamb Rice and Barely, Senior
Pension, Optimum Feline Maintenance, and Optimum Feline Lite. It does NOT INCLUDE
Vegetarian Canine Diet, Venison Meal and Rice Canine Diet, Lamb Meal and Rice Canine
Biscuits or any of our canned feline or canned canine products.
We initiated this voluntary recall as a result of phone calls registering consumer
complaints which varied from dogs declining to eat the food to experiencing mild vomiting.
Upon further investigation and research, we determined that products with the dates of May
17, 1995 through July 20, 1995 may contain mycotoxins found in some grains, including
rice, corn, wheat, oats and barley, harvested in specific geographic regions of the
country.
As a precautionary measure and in the best interest of the health of your pet, Nature's
Recipe Pet Foods immediately voluntarily recalled its products with date codes between May
17, 1995 and July 20, 1995. As a result of this determination, all existing, affected
product is being destroyed and we have changed suppliers of our raw grains to ensure that
all new product meets the high quality standards of our natural pet food products.
Products dated before May 17, 1995 and after July 20, 1995 are not affected.
Consumers should return any bags of these products that are marked with date codes 170595
(17 May 1995) to 200795 (20 July 1995) to the store where they purchased the product, or
to the nearest retail outlet that carries Nature's Recipe Pet Foods, for a full refund or
exchange. Consumers can also e-mail us at naturesr@deltanet.com or call 1-800-843-4008
with any questions or for additional information.
As always, our first and foremost concern is the health and safety of your pets. We
apologize for any inconvenience this temporary situation may have caused you or your pet.
We greatly value your loyalty to Nature's Recipe Pet Foods.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey P. Bennett
President and CEO
**** ****
* Nature's Recipe Pet Foods voice: 800.843.4008 *
* 341 Bonnie Circle 909.278.4280 *
* Corona CA 91720 *
* *
* internet: naturesr@deltanet.com *
**** ****
Jordemm