Nutro recall

Here is an email I received today from Nutro regarding a recall of their product. For more info go to the link included in the email.



Dear Doctor:

Out of an abundance of caution, on May 21, 2009, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO(R) NATURAL CHOICE(R) COMPLETE CARE(R) Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO(R) MAX(R) Cat Dry Foods with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO(R) dry cat food.

As soon as we became aware of the issue, we made the decision to hold shipments of affected dry cat product, and took immediate action to verify with our mineral premix supplier that no other products were affected. We then contacted the FDA to notify them of the voluntary recall. A full list of affected product and available alternatives for your clients is available at http://aci-direct.net/c.asp?770197&d989329feae3b7a1&1

We have completed a comprehensive audit of premixes for all NUTRO(R) products, and have confirmed that this issue only affects certain dry cat food products. No other NUTRO(R) products are affected, including dry dog food, wet dog and cat foods and dog and cat treats.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While we have received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. We have suggested that cat owners contact their veterinarian if their cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant.

Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO(R) dry cat food product.

Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves.

At Nutro Products, our top priority has always been and continues to be the health and welfare of pets and their owners. If you have any further questions, including the need for additional information on clinical signs, please call 1-800-xxx-xxxx etc.


Sincerely,
Dr. Tiffany Bierer
Health and Nutrition ManagerNutro Products Inc.