Urgent- Swiffer ALERT- Serious Important Information Please read
Posted On 2008-12-08 , 7:19 AM
Swiffer Alert!!!!!!!!
Read this if you have small children, grandkids or house pets.
If you use the Swiffer pads on your tile floor,look on the box. It does say to keep away from pets and do not let them ingest it. But it doesn't say on the box what all is in it...hummm.
Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.
My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated 'may be harmful to small children and animals.' He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients actually, he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver..
Soon after his dog's death, his housekeepers' two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats, so they couldn't file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don't lose their animals.
This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths a lot.
PLEASE, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE BABIES, SMALL CHILDREN OR OWN A PET; PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON! YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN OR PETS BUT SOME OF YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY WITH PETS AND ALSO FAMILIES WITH GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN.
Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
Contact:
Debra Fair
Public Relations Manager — Central Marketing
MARS PETCARE US
(973) 691-3536
For Immediate Release
Mars Petcare US Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall
Franklin, Tennessee (September 12, 2008)—Today, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination withSalmonellaserotype Schwarzengrund. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.
Salmonellacan cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected withSalmonellashould monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions,Salmonellacan 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.
Pets withSalmonellainfections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
The company stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29, 2008 when it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of people infected withSalmonellaSchwarzengrund.
Even though no direct link between product produced at Everson and human or pet illness has been made, Mars Petcare US is taking precautionary action to protect pets and their owners by announcing a voluntary recall of all products produced at the Everson facility beginning February 18, 2008 until July 29, 2008 when we stopped production.
The company is continuing to work collaboratively with the FDA to determine the nature and source ofSalmonellaSchwarzengrund at the Everson facility. Since it has not yet identified the source of theSalmonellaSchwarzengrund at the Everson facility, Mars Petcare US does not plan to resume production out of a commitment to the safety of our pet owners and their pets, customers, and associates.
The top priority of Mars Petcare US has always been and continues to be the health and welfare of pets and their owners. Consumers can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of the products produced at other Mars Petcare US facilities. Only those products which were produced at the Everson facility are impacted by the voluntary recall.
Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities. A chart for all products is below. For example, PEDIGREE® is manufactured in numerous facilities throughout the country, and Everson represents a very small portion of the manufacturing base – 2.7 percent of total PEDIGREE® production.
Mars Petcare US will work with retail customers to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or fed to pets. In the event that consumers believe they have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall, they should return the product to the store where they purchased it for a full refund. Specific product details and other information can be found atwww.petcare.mars.com
Please find recalled pet food UPC information below.
The products listed below are made at our Everson facility on behalf of a variety of retailers. All code dates, with the exception of PEDIGREE®, are listed in a similar format as noted below:
Consumers should look for “17” as the first two digits of the second line. Sample:
Best By Feb 18 09 171445 1
For PEDIGREE® the Everson code date format is as follows:
Consumers should look for “PAE” on the bottom line – the sixth, seventh and eighth digits. Sample:
PEDIGREE ® Small Crunchy Bites
Best Before 02/2009
808G1PAE01 12:00
In an effort to prevent the transmission ofSalmonellafrom pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at:www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visitwww.petcare.mars.com.
Recalled Pet Food
Note: If you see a product you purchased listed below, please review the code date information samples from above to confirm that your product is included in the recall.
Product Name / Bag Size
UPC
Product Name / Bag Size
UPC
Country Acres Cat Food 40#
16603 02181
Retriever Bites & Bones Dog Food 8#
79818 96757
Country Acres Ration Dog Food 40#
16603 02333
Retriever Bites & Bones Dog Food 20#
79818 96634
Country Acres 18% Dog Food 40#
16603 02331
Retriever Bites & Bones Dog Food 50#
49394 05666
Country Acres Hi Pro Dog Food 50#
16603 02021
Retriever Gravy Blend Dog Food 50#
49394 05665
Doggy Bag Dog Food 40#
73893 40000
Retriever Gravy Blend Dog Food 8#
79818 96756
Members Mark Complete Nutrition Premium Cat Food 20#
81131 89881
Retriever Hi Protein Dog Food 8#
79818 96755
Members Mark Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 50#
05388 67055
Retriever Hi Protein Dog Food 25#
49394 00002
Members Mark Crunchy Bites & Savory Bones Adult Dog Food 50#
05388 67309
Retriever Hi Protein Dog Food 50#
49394 00003
Members Mark High Performance Premium Dog Food 50#
Due to some instances of mold growth in a single batch of Tiny Tots, we have decided to voluntarily withdraw the entire production run from the market. We would like to assure our customers that there have been no reported serious health effects on dogs that have consumed Tiny Tots from this batch.
If you have a bag of Tiny Tots with a Best Before date of April 2009, please return it to your retail store for a full refund. No other batches of Tiny Tots or any of our other jerky treats are affected.
Solid Gold is committed to producing the healthiest food, treats, and supplements for your pet. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact us at 800-364-4863 or online at dane@solidgoldhealth.com.<mailto:dane@solidgoldhealth.com.</i>>
IN light of the recurring recalls that we see, this information could be helpful in trying to find product origins..(ns)
This may be useful to know when grocery shopping, if it's a concern to you.
Good information to have these days.
The whole world is afraid of China-made "black hearted goods". Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China?
4710088412539
Let me tell you . . . if the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690, 691,or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA ..
471 is Made in Taiwan .
This is our human right to know, but the government and related department never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.
Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products "MADE IN CHINA", so they don't show from which country it is made. However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits are 690-692 then it is MADE IN CHINA.
00 - 09 USA & CANADA
30 - 37 FRANCE
40 - 44 GERMANY
49 - JAPAN
50 - UK
Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Dry Dog Food Continues
Eight more people -- mostly young children -- infected, bringing total to 79, CDC says
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Eight more cases of people becoming infected with salmonella traced to dry dog food have been identified, U.S. health officials said Thursday.
The outbreak, which started in 2006, marks the first time that dry dog food has been confirmed as a source of the bacterial infection in people.
As of Oct. 31, 79 cases of salmonella Schwarzengrund had been reported in 21 states. Most of the cases involved children 2 years old and younger, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We have been following an outbreak of illness due to a specific strain of salmonella. And in 2007, we linked those human illnesses with contaminated pet food produced at one Pennsylvania pet food plant," said report co-author Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC epidemiologist. "In 2008, we have identified eight additional cases."
The dog food has been traced to a Mars Petcare U.S. plant in Everson, Pa. On Sept. 12, the company announced a recall of approximately 23,109 tons of dry dog and cat food sold under 105 brand names. The plant is now closed, the CDC said in the Nov. 7 issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Despite the recall and the plant closing, Barton Behravesh said the threat of more infections exists. "The issue is that since dry pet food has a one-year shelf life, it is possible that contaminated products from even our 2007 recall could still be in the homes of ill persons and could lead to additional illness," she said.
In late 2007, the plant was shut down for several months for remodeling, cleaning and disinfection, Barton Behravesh said.
"There was a three-month period with no new cases, then cases started again. Contamination was found in the plant again, so it is possible that some of the newer food could be causing the recent increase in cases. As of Oct. 1, the plant was permanently closed," she said.
Barton Behravesh said people should check their dry pet food to see if it was made by Mars Petcare U.S. If it was, they should check the company's Web site to see if their food was part of the recall.
There's a good chance more cases will occur, Barton Behravesh said.
Young children are particularly vulnerable, because they're more likely to get sick from small doses of salmonella, Barton Behravesh said. The primary cause of infection was feeding a pet in the kitchen, she said.
Barton Behravesh noted that no animals have gotten sick during the outbreak. "However, we did find this germ in stool samples from some pets in case households," she said. "That shows that a perfectly happy, healthy pet could be shedding this germ from contaminated food. That could also lead to some routes of contamination in the household," she said.
Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean and Distinguished Service Professor of the Graduate Program in Public Health at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., thinks there will be more outbreaks of salmonella from contaminated pet food.
"Human salmonella infections associated with dry pet foods are likely to be a continuing problem in the United States," he said. "Fortunately, the annual number of such cases has been small."
People can take a few simple steps to protect themselves from salmonella infection from pet food, Imperato said.
"These include regular washing of pet feeding bowls to prevent bacterial growth; the thorough washing of hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds after handling dry pet foods, including pet treats; and scrupulously avoiding contact between dry pet foods and foods consumed by humans and food preparation surfaces and utensils," he said.
Infection with the salmonella bacteria produces an illness called salmonellosis. According to the CDC, most infected people develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours. The illness typically lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. But, for some, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In these patients, the infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, and then to other parts of the body, leading to death unless antibiotics are administered promptly. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Salmonella infection typically comes from undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat, but can also result from direct contact with farm animals, reptiles and pets.
SOURCES: Casey Barton Behravesh, D.V.M., epidemiologist, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Pascal James Imperato, M.D., dean and Distinguished Service Professor, Graduate Program in Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Nov. 7, 2008, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report