Too many pet food recalls

It has not been a good month for pet food recalls. Here’s a list dating back to through July. All pet products had nationwide distribution and the possibility of salmonella contamination.

Pets as well as people are affected. 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.

People may be contaminated if they handle the tainted food and pets. According to the FDA, 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 contaminated products should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

List of dog food, cat food, and pet supplement recalls.

August 3, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2,2010 recall of 10 oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold’Ems)” pet treat  to also include 83 cases of “Texas Hold’ems” best used by May 6, 2012 because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

On July 31, Proctor & Gamble recalled Iams and Eukanuba veterinary and some specialized dry pet food (both dog and cat) as a precautionary measure because of the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported. Recalled pet food in various sizes include Eukanuba Dog BG Pure, Eukanuba Dog Custom Care, Eukanuba Dog Dry Naturally Wild, Iams Veterinary Dog Formula Dry Bag, Iams Veterinary Cat Formula Dry Bag. You can view the list in its entirety here.

On July 27, Proctor & Gamble recalled two lots of Iams Veterinary Formula Feline Renal food in 5.5 pound bags. These bags were sold through veterinary offices only. Possible salmonella contamination was the problem.

On July 2, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas recalled 86 cases  of its 10 oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” pet treats best used by March 24, 2012 because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

July 2, 2010 – United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily expanding its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for dogs to include additional pet nutritional supplement products for dogs and cats due to possible salmonella contamination. The products include various United Pet Group Pro-Pet and Excel branded products for dogs and cats, and certain other private label brands of the same products like Doctors Fosters & Smith for instance. All of the affected products are in tablet and powdered form. These products are being removed from retail stores and consumers should immediately stop feeding these supplements to their pets. The affected products are those with expiration dates that include and are between “01/2013″ and “06/2013.” Hundreds of products are affected. View the list here.

(photo: Lily Greyhound adopted by Karyn Zoldan)

from I Love Blue Sea - Tucson business

UA graduate Martin Reed is one lucky man but I’m sure luck has nothing to do with it. A 2007 graduate with a degree in entrepreneurship and marketing, Reed has managed to get his month-old Tucson business – I Love Blue Sea – covered by Mark Bittman in the New York Times blog. Congratulations!

The conundrum in all this is: What does Tucson have to do with a blue sea?

Reed grew up in the Bay Area. He loves seafood but was disappointed in the selection and lack of quality of seafood in the desert. As he started to research how to bring better quality seafood here, he discovered the catastrophic state of the ocean, the over fishing problem, and the disappearance of certain kinds of fish like Chilean sea bass and blue fin tuna.

He decided to change his game plan and offer only sustainable seafood plus fish that was fresh enough to serve raw or sashimi style.

His website which has a 415 area code phone number rings here in Tucson. Consumers can browse online; the selection changes daily. Reed thinks I Love Blue Sea’s selection compares to nothing else in Tucson. He removes the guesswork for those of us who want to do right by the ocean. And here’s something else on his website’s FAQ page — sustainable fish has less mercury than other fish.

Fish is shipped fresh via next day Fed Ex. There’s a $5 packaging fee if you order less than $50. Fish is shipped in eco-friendly insulated packaging (no Styrofoam). He’s working on a flat rate mailing fee to Tucson with the success of this improvement perhaps happening this weekend.

As for the name, I Love Blue Sea, Reed wanted to use the word “love” and something ocean-like and wanted the name to be easily remembered. If you say the name really fast, it sounds like I love Lucy and that made it fun.

Reed hopes that people (not just in Tucson) will support the fisheries who are trying to do the right thing and, of course, to eat more fish.

You can follow I Love Blue Sea on Facebook and Twitter too.

Trader Joe's brand recognition

A few weeks ago Trader Joe’s asked people who get their email list to vote for their favorite products.

Well, the tally is in and here’s the list. (PDF)

I forgot to vote but don’t see cranberry walnut salad dressing on the list. It’s only seasonal and I wish they would keep it all year. The dressing works well on spinach or lettuce with very little enhancement needed and only 70 calories for 2 tablespoons.

I also love their chipotle barbecue sauce and will mix it with mayonnaise for chicken salad or slaw. Add diced apples and a handful of raisins or nuts, and you get an easy dish with a kick.

Or shred a TJ’s pot roast and cook in the barbecue sauce along with chopped onions and you’ve got some filling meat to stuff into a pita pocket or whole wheat bun.

I also frequently use the frozen garlic, basil, parsley, and cilantro cubes. They’re perfect to pop into soups or stir fries when you don’t have fresh.

My friend told me she bought four cases or their Chariot red wine blend. Her being a wine snob, I was impressed when she said bottles were only $5.99. I ran to Trader Joe’s but they were sold out. An employee said people bought cases like never before. Trader Joe’s has free wine tasting now too.

Just don’t get attached because when the products are gone, sometimes they don’t come back like the Cuban sauce.

Here’s two enterprising women who love to shop at Trader Joe’s and love to cook and have a blog and a cookbook.

What are your favorite products at Trader Joe’s?

(Photo from Pachelbel)