Iams Pet Food Recall

In recent years, a number of pet food recalls have been issued to protect the health of our animal companions. One of the recalls that shocked the nation was the Iams pet food recall. This popular pet food brand had the misfortune of being one of the first brands associated with the massive recall that would follow. In all, more than 100 pet food brands and over 100 million units of pet foods were affected by the recall, causing the illness and/or death of hundreds of beloved pets.

The Iams pet food recall was issued when it was discovered that an ingredient used in the production of the pet food was contaminated with an industrial chemical called melamine. Melamine is not approved for use in the production of either human food or pet food, even though it is not considered highly toxic. The melamine had contaminated two specific ingredients used in the production of the pet food; wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate. Both of these ingredients are added to pet food during manufacture to provide the pets with proper nutrition. In the Iams pet food recall, both dog and cat foods were affected, including some treats for each type of animal.

The manufacturer acted quickly to issue the Iams pet food recall and remove any tainted products from store shelves. The US Food and Drug Administration released an alert warning about the risk and advising individuals whose pets may have eaten the contaminated pet food to seek medical attention for their pets immediately at the first sign of poisoning by melamine. The consumption of melamine is believed to cause kidney damage and in a small number of cases it can cause kidney failure and death. The symptoms that pet owners should be on the lookout for include vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

The ingredients suspected of being responsible for the Iams pet food recall has been traced to a manufacturing facility located in China. This Chinese manufacturing facility produces both the wheat gluten and the rice protein concentrate that was contaminated with melamine. The contaminated ingredients were then imported to the United States through a company located in San Francisco, California and distributed to various manufacturers. All of the manufacturers that were affected by the recalls, including the Iams pet food recall, have canceled their orders for products manufactured by the plant in China.

The Iams pet food recall is just one in a string of recent recalls associated with products imported from China. Counterfeit Colgate toothpaste from China was found to contain a chemical that is commonly found in antifreeze, which sickened and killed a number of individuals in South America. A multitude of children’s toys imported from China was also recently recalled due to the toys being painted with paint containing lead. Although the Iams pet food recall is the latest recall issued, it will not be the last. One can only hope that the problems will be found before many people, or pets, are injured.