Pet Food Recall: Acetaminophen Found in Pet Food!

June 6, 2007

ExperTox Inc., an independent lab in Deer Park, Texas, was looking for cyanuric acid and melamine in various brands of pet food submitted by worried pet owners and manufacturers, and "acetaminophen just popped up," according to Donna Coneley, Lab Operations Manager. "It definitely was a surprise to find that in several samples." The medication was found most often with cyanuric acid, a chemical used in pool chlorination, Coneley said. Varying levels of melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, also were found among the hundreds of samples ExperTox tested, she said.

The contaminants were found in foods that are not among the more than 150 brands recalled since March 16, Coneley said. The highest level of acetaminophen (2 milligrams per gram of dog food) was found in a dog food sample submitted by a manufacturer, she said. Coneley declined to identify the company but said its officials were given the results "well over a month ago."

The FDA first learned of the acetaminophen findings after concerned pet owners posted lab reports on the Internet. That company should have -- but did not -- notify the FDA.

The FDA is investigating the labs findings. "We're very interested in being able to test these samples ourselves to determine the levels of those contaminants," said FDA spokesman Doug Arbesfeld. "What's significant is these things are there. They don't belong there."

NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AT THIS TIME!

Keep Your Dog SAFE!
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