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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2007Another Pet Food Alert
http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 Yesterday we posted about Sheri McComber, an Alabama cat owner, who bought recalled Special Kitty cat food from a Wal-Mart store. She claims that four of her cats are sick from eating the recalled cat food. This was not just an isolated incident in one Wal-Mart store. There is still more recalled cat food on shelves in another Wal-Mart store. A TV news team in Alabama went to the Clanton Wal-Mart and found dozens of Special Kitty Pouches just like the ones McComber had purchased. Initially, the product code checks out as safe, but if the sticker is peeled off, there is another product code underneath. The original UPC code underneath the sticker matches the ones on the pet food recall list. Because the stickers are over the recalled product code, the items can be purchased by consumers. The news investigator left one of the stickers off of the packages. When the cashier scanned the label on the package, it said do not sell and the cashier would not let him purchase it. More at: http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463  SignatureHugs, CatNipped See all my masters here: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/ http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 > Yesterday we posted about Sheri McComber, an Alabama cat owner, who > bought recalled Special Kitty cat food from a Wal-Mart store. She [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > More at: http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 I thank GOD Persia has to eat prescription food. It costs a lot but she isn't going to get sick because of it. Purrs for the pets still being subjected to this and dirty litterbox offerings for those who are still trying to sell the tainted stuff. Jill > http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-... > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > Jill I felt the same way, Jill, until Science Diet recalled their M/D prescription food for diabetic cats. They did the right thing, though. They paid for blood tests for any cat that ate their recalled foods to give their clients peace of mind and an opportunity to treat them before they showed symptoms. I haven't been back to our regular vet since that time, so I don't know if the food is back on the shelves. I read about the free testing about 2 hours before my vet called me at work and told me about it and asked me to bring in anyone who had been eating the food. I took Hobbes and Sam because they ate the most of it and they're health compromised. I figured if they tested bad then I'd take Barnabus and Lacey (they're an exercise program by their selves trying to get them into the carriers). The big boys were fine, we switched to a primarily canned food diet with some Purina Pro Plan since they didn't have any trouble with bad food. I hadn't bought any of the tainted foods by sticking to Fancy Feast and ProPlan so that's what I'm doing now. I trust Purina to keep my cats safe. Julie One would hope that Menu Foods isn't reselling tainted foods with a new UPC label attached over the old one but it can easily be checked. I would point the finger of blame at Menu Foods before WallMart because Menu Foods has a lot more to lose. WallyWorld simply boxes it all up and ships it back and goes on about selling clothes, housewares, groceries, toys, electronics, ect.ect.ect. They don't really feel the loss of some of their pet food. I can't believe that could make or break WallyWorld. No losing the Greeter might make the doors close and lights turn off....no, seriously....Menu Foods has a lot more to lose. They have to find a new supplier of grain, possibly a new recipe. They have to totally clean all of the equipment to ensure none of the bad product is clinging to the cutters and mixers. They have to shut down for a period of time, lay-off workers, no money coming in to pay the bills. I can see Menu Foods in a critical financial bind. It doesn't have to be the top management that made the decision. A mid-level marketing manager is out having drinks with a mid-level bean counter and they're crying in their beer about the possibility of losing their job and they come up with this most excellent idea. Give it a month, replace the sticker and out they go. Mid-level Mark and Mid-level Beanie are heros, they've figured out a way to turn this around in 1/2 the time upper management was considering. Almost as much fun as watching Michael Vick squirm will be watching WallyWorld and Menu Foods point fingers and sling blame until someone gets a warrant and goes into Menu Foods and tests the food being sent out. If, however, Menu Foods is the culprit, they won't stop with Wall Mart, They'll send those tainted cans to all of the istores. > http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 > > Yesterday we posted about Sheri McComber, an Alabama cat owner, who bought > recalled Special Kitty cat food from a Wal-Mart store. She claims that four > of her cats are sick from eating the recalled cat food. One of the many differences between "profit above all" stores like Wal-Mart and stores with responsible management! Shortly after the original recalls, I managed to pick up a couple of cans of recalled food at PetsMart, because they had not entirely purged their shelves. When they rang it up at the register, it was flagged, so they wouldn't sell it to me! (A very intelligent way of dealing with the problem - humans can - and apparently did - overlook cans bearing the recall data, the computer could not.) >> http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > and apparently did - overlook cans bearing the recall data, the computer > could not.) I don't get this. There is absolutely no advantage to Wal-Mart to sell cans of pet food that have been recalled. Its a complete no win. It is possible that pet food with the same product code but not from the recalled lots might still be for sale. And why not? In order for the computers/registers to tell the difference, they would set all cans with that product code for "do not sell". Then any that were from lots that were OK, they would need to put a new product code on them so they could be sold. Sorry but I think this one is more likely to be a media attempt to demonize Wal-Mart. Jo >>>http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 >>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > I don't get this. There is absolutely no advantage to Wal-Mart to sell cans > of pet food that have been recalled. Its a complete no win. The "advantage" would be avoidng the time required to pull recalled merchandise from their shelves, and shipping it back to the manufacturer. (Or, since they were probably just supposed to discard the recalled cans, and send a bill to the manufacturer, perhaps getting paid twice for the same merchandise - refund PLUS sales pirce?) > It is possible that pet food with the same product code but not from the > recalled lots might still be for sale. And why not? > > In order for the computers/registers to tell the difference, they would set > all cans with that product code for "do not sell". Perhaps PetsMart's computers were set for the "lot number" as well? > Then any that were from > lots that were OK, they would need to put a new product code on them so they > could be sold. Or perhaps they simply pulled ALL items with that product code? (A chain the size of PetsMart would have enough clout so the manufacturer would not want to antagonize them.) > Sorry but I think this one is more likely to be a media attempt to demonize > Wal-Mart. The media doesn't NEED to - WalMart does a pretty good job of that all by itself! (Despite the "family value" type of TV commercials it cranks out to deceive the public.) I used to buy clothes at WalMart, until I discovered that the ultra-American brand names on the front of the labels were intended to divert the buyer's attention from the "made in" information on the reverse side. (Usually China or some third-world country where labor has no protection, and living standards are so low ANY income is better than none.) >>>>http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 >>>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > and send a bill to the manufacturer, perhaps getting paid twice for the > same merchandise - refund PLUS sales pirce?) Sure I can see some Mom and Pop store trying this on a low level. The kind of place that might also offer stolen merchandise for sale. Or paperbacks with a cover missing. But for Wal-Mart (remember this is a corporation, not an evil person) to pull it off would require the co-operation of thousand of employees across the country. None of whom would have anything to gain. A few bucks for illicit pet food vs. killing peoples pets? There is just way to much to lose and very little to gain. Not to mention the required conspiracy. In my mind it would be far more likely for some individual to decide to shake down the big bad company by claiming they had deliberately sickened her pet. Or just plain someone who has a sick cat and wants to blame someone. Jo >>>>>http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-mart-2463 >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Jo Every Wal-Mart I have been to pulled the stock of immediately and posted a big notice about it. Now I did find places such as Winn Dixie that did not receive the updates after the original announcement and soon as I show it to the manager he grabbed a cart and ran to the isle and pulled it all. After he did that he called the district manager and started to check for the items. I went to all the stores around and checked the stores with in 75 miles. There was also many other people doing the same thing. I did this for If every one remembers Spirit got sick from the food recall and THANK THE GODS He recovered with no major problems just a few scary days, a lot of tears and a lot of pacing back and forth all night. This sounds like a scam to me but maybe an employee or ex employee being an a@@hole and putting it back on the shelf. They had someone in Orlando, Florida doing that but caught him. > Sure I can see some Mom and Pop store trying this on a low level. > The kind of place that might also offer stolen merchandise for > sale. Or paperbacks with a cover missing. > But for Wal-Mart (remember this is a corporation, not an evil person) Actually, a corporation, at least in the US, has all the rights, but none of the morality, of a human being. A few years ago I saw a fascinating documentary called "The Corporation", which addressed this very issue. They likened a large corporation to a very wealthy, very powerful sociopath. Not that they are necessarily *out* to harm people - but neither is a sociopath, necessarily. They are just amoral. If they don't have to hurt anyone to get what they want, that's just easier for them. But if harming people (or animals) is the easiest way, then they have no problem doing it. Also, a corporation's primary - perhaps their only - mandate is to give their shareholders a good return on their investment. Other things they could do to increase the value of that return, including feel-good stuff like environmentally friendly modifications, or paying their employees better than average, are just gravy (unless, of course, they're required by law to do those things). If they make the company look good to the paying public, and that causes them to get more business, then they're just following their mandate. Yes, I'm cynical about corporations. I know there are a few exceptions, but most of them really have only one objective. And some of them actually stoop to some pretty nasty practices in order to meet that objective more aggressively. WalMart is certainly one of those. I know nothing about WalMart putting extra labels on their merchandise, or selling pet food from lots that were known to be recalled. So I have no opinion on that. It's easy to say "I wouldn't put it past them", but I think that would be an extremely foolish thing for them to do, so my very unknowledgeable opinion is that they probably would not do that. It would just end up backfiring on them, and causing them more bad publicity. Not good for business. If they can get away with it, they don't have any problem causing people all kinds of pain - and that's a matter of public record. I don't think they'd get away with selling more tainted pet food. > ...to pull it off would require the co-operation of thousand of > employees across the country. It doesn't require a big conspiracy. Corporations are hierarchical - if your boss says to do it, then you do it. And if the orders come from the top, then everyone does it, on down the chain. But I still agree that this would be very stupid from a business standpoint, and I doubt WalMart's execs are that stupid. > In my mind it would be far more likely for some individual to > decide to shake down the big bad company by claiming they had > deliberately sickened her pet. Or just plain someone who has a > sick cat and wants to blame someone. There are no doubt some people jumping on the bandwagon to try to get a bit of the "windfall". But I think there are probably far more people out there whose pets did get very expensively sick, who were promised financial help from Menu, who didn't get it, or only got a little, and are still waiting. (I don't know what WalMart did or did not promise in this regard, but my comments are about corporations in general.) Joyce > In my mind it would be far more likely for some individual to decide to > shake down the big bad company by claiming they had deliberately sickened > her pet. Or just plain someone who has a sick cat and wants to blame > someone. > > Jo Well, that's a reasonable thought Jo. There's no doubt that there are some people capable and willing to lie in order to sue a corporation. Remember the Wendy's finger-in-the-chili deal. And what better target to choose than Wal Mart, the store people seem to love to hate. I'm sure there are plenty of people ready to jump on the bandwagon and lynch Wal Mart, LOL. Sherry > http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-... > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > CatNipped Lori, I don't understand the part about the stickers. Have the stores covered the original UPC code (that indicates it's from the tainted lot)...with another sticker, so that the cat food can't be identified as recalled? Or does Wal Mart always cover the original UPC with their own price sticker? Sherry >>http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-... >> [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > Or does Wal Mart always cover the original UPC with their own price > sticker? Under the circumstances, does it really matter? Deliberate fraud or general policy, it has the same result. (And perhaps indicates people should pay a little more attention to what has been covered up with the store label on other products, too?) > Sherry On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: > >>http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal-... > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > to what has been covered up with the store label on other > products, too?) It matters to me. There's a whole lot of difference between deliberate fraud and shoddy store policy. Really, I am just trying to understand the circumstances. The Wal-Mart stores I've shopped at don't cover the original UPC code with another sticker at all. Not on the cans, anyway. Sherry > On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" > <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > > Sherry Just a though here.... Anyone ever stop to think that maybe it was the MANUFACTURER that covered the UPC codes? Easier to print off new UPC labels than have to re-generate a whole new product label with new UPC code. Maybe this product was good - they were just using old can labels with new UPC labels on them? Anyone have the product tested before they started screaming fraud? Stores (any store, not just Wally-world) would be opening themselves up to lawsuits if they covered the codes themselves, and placed the bad product on the shelves (and I'm sure their lawyers would remind them of that) Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. > > On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" > > <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 80 lines] > > - Show quoted text - d'oh. That's the better theory yet. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for the buyer to pull that off, now that I think about it, without the label looking tampered with. I just had a hard time believing that Wal Mart would do that. Sherry >> > On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" >> > <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 102 lines] > I just had a hard time believing that Wal Mart would do that. > Sherry Yeah. I'd imagine that pet food companies are hurting enough over the whole FUBAR situation, that if they can save a few pennies by using up the old labels (and covering the old UPC with a new one), they will do so. But then again, if they can do that, what's to stop them from just covering the labels on the tainted cans??? Wait, they usually have some sort of source code/date code printed (or stamped) directly on the can (usually on the bottom), and some watchdog (sorry, no pun intended) will see one from a tainted batch and raise the alarm. Not to mention that people are saving the lists that were published, and notices the "expiration" dates..... And I've read stories in the news recently about how *Wal-Mart* was instrumental in finding yet another brand of tainted pet food/treat (these were actually made in China, as opposed to being made in US/Canada from Chinese imports). As soon as they were told that the treats sickened some pets, they pulled the items, had all the UPC codes invalidated & marked DO NOT SELL in their system, and sent samples out to be tested. Came back that they had melamine in them. Here's the story: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/13936493/detail.html Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. >> > On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" >> > <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 102 lines] > I just had a hard time believing that Wal Mart would do that. > Sherry Well, Sherry, it looks like you are the only one to admit that they hadn't thought of that. I guess the others are too much into the Wal-Mart hating to reply???? Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. > Well, Sherry, it looks like you are the only one to admit that they hadn't > thought of that. > > I guess the others are too much into the Wal-Mart hating to reply???? I know it's not politically correct, but am I the only person around here who LIKES Walmart? Pam S. who needs the convenience most of the time >> Well, Sherry, it looks like you are the only one to admit that they >> hadn't [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Pam S. who needs the convenience most of the time I like Wal-mart. >> Well, Sherry, it looks like you are the only one to admit that they >> hadn't [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Pam S. who needs the convenience most of the time For all the supposedly anti- Wal-Mart crowd, the crowd at Wal-Mart is the main thing that keeps me out. Ours has a huge parking lot and it is usually full. I don't necessarily like the way the business is run, either. But they do enough wrong without going after them for things they don't do. Jo >> On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" >> <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > lawsuits if they covered the codes themselves, and placed the bad product > on the shelves (and I'm sure their lawyers would remind them of that) Not to mention that every member of their marketing team would be having an absolute fit. Wendy's didn't do anything wrong, but a lot of people still won't eat there. Jo > >> On Aug 25, 3:09 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" > >> <evgm...@earthlink.net> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 78 lines] > > Jo You know, I can't stand the thought of eating their chili anymore, and I used to like it. I know that's silly--but it's that photo of that finger. It grossed me out bad. I would think about that photo everytime I took a bite. Sherry > http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found-in-wal > -mart-2463 [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > http://www.itchmo.com/more-recalled-menu-foods-pet-food-found- > in-wal-mart-2463 One of the problems seem to me that food unfit for human consumption is then sent to be used as per food. Cats have a stronger digestive system. Unfortuntaly this may not be enough because there does not to be a minimum level of quality for pet food. Walmart doesn't waste time and money by having employees produce and apply stickers on recalled merchandise. I know this because I've worked in one. When an item is recalled it is gathered by the "Returns" Associate in each store, boxed and specifically labeled as a recall, and shipped back to the manufacturer by the same route it took to get to the store originally. The cost to return it is lower than the cost to cover the pertinent data on merchandise labeling because the trucks bringing items to the store must return to the distribution center whether they are empty or carrying returns. I suspect what has happened is that Menu Foods has added the stickers to some of the food containers they received via the recall and sent them back out. Remember, Menu Foods sold some of the recalled poisoned pet food to pig and poultry farms rather than dispose of it properly, and made the problem worse. Menu Foods also produced more bad pet food after the initial recall, calling it cross contamination, because they didn't want to spend the time and money necessary to properly clean the contaminated machinery in their factory. Is it so hard to believe this company would re-label some of their returned items and try to sell them again in stores? As in most stores, a Walmart "In Stock" Associate's duties are to unload the delivery truck and put new shipments of goods on the shelves. Everyone assumes the items that came in by truck in factory sealed boxes are new rather than re-labeled, so unless there is a new recall the re-labeled containers will get sold. The best way to call this re-labeling to your local Walmart store's attention is to take a suspect item from their shelf to Customer Service and have them scan the item both with and without the sticker. If the register says "Sale not allowed" without the sticker, have the Store Manager called to the front and calmly explain the situation. Perhaps you could have a copy of the recent story with you to show the manager. The Store Manager will probably order the pet food removed from the shelves and may call Head Office about it because bad Press about selling previously recalled items is not a good thing for business. Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
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