Pet-food recall adds dog biscuits, some sold at Wal-Mart

WASHINGTON - The recall of contaminated pet foods and treats expanded yesterday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company and sold by Wal-Mart under the Ol'Roy brand.

The Food and Drug Administration said the manufacturer, Sunshine Mills Inc., was recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten. Testing has revealed that the wheat gluten, a protein source, was contaminated with melamine, which is used to make plastics, pesticides, and other industrial products.

Also yesterday, Menu Foods Inc., a major maker of brand- and private-label wet pet foods, expanded its recall to include a broader range of dates and varieties. Menu Foods was the first of at least six companies to recall more than 100 brands of foods and treats potentially contaminated with an industrial chemical.

The recall now covers "cuts and gravy"-style products made between Nov. 8 and March 6, Menu Foods said. Previously, it applied only to products made beginning Dec. 3. In addition, Menu Foods said it was expanding the recall to include more varieties, but no new brands.

The FDA knows of no other pet-product companies planning recalls, agency officials told reporters. "The public should feel secure in purchasing pet foods that are not subject to the recall," Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, told reporters.

Sunshine, of Red Bay, Ala., sells pet foods and treats under its own brands as well as private labels sold by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Kmart, Longs Drug Stores Corp., and Stater Bros. Markets. The recall included specific brands as well as a portion of its own Nurture, Lassie and Pet Life dog-biscuit brands.

Sunshine said there had been no reports of dog illnesses or deaths in connection with the recalled biscuits.

Also yesterday, the FDA warned consumers not to give American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews to their pets. The agency said salmonella could contaminate the dog treats, made and distributed by T.W. Enterprises of Ferndale, Wash.

The FDA continues to focus on melamine as the suspected contaminant of most of the pet products, although Sundlof said it could be a marker for the presence of another, not yet known, substance. Melamine previously was not believed to be toxic.

The recall is one of the largest for pet foods in history, Sundlof said. The FDA has received more than 12,000 complaints but has confirmed only about 15 pet deaths. Anecdotal reports suggest the tally is in the hundreds or low thousands.

Last week, the FDA blocked wheat-gluten imports from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in the eastern city of Xuzhou, saying they contained melamine. This week, a Las Vegas importer, ChemNutra Inc., recalled all wheat gluten it had bought from the supplier and in turn distributed to pet-food manufacturers.

In Beijing, Xuzhou Anying said yesterday that most of its sales were domestic, raising the possibility that people or animals in China might have been exposed to the chemical.

Anying said it was investigating the reports of contamination.

The company produces and exports more than 10,000 tons of wheat gluten a year, according to its Web site, but only 873 tons were linked to tainted U.S. pet food.

Li Cui, director of Anying's foreign exports, said yesterday that the United States was the company's only overseas market for wheat gluten, although it was not clear if the company had more than one customer there.

Most is sold to domestic Chinese buyers, Li said, refusing to say whether the allegedly contaminated batches were sold in China.

There has been no reaction among the Chinese public to the tainted wheat gluten, and Beijing authorities have not said if they were investigating.

An official at the Chinese Ministry of Health said the case was not an issue for the ministry, and directed questions to the Ministry of Agriculture. An official there told the Associated Press to stop calling.

The tainted wheat gluten underscores China's dismal food-safety record. Cases of mass food poisoning are common in the country, many blamed on cooks who disregard hygiene rules or mistakenly use industrial chemicals instead of salt and other ingredients.

View recall details via http://go.philly.com/petfoodEndText