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FDA
Issues Warning on Dog Food Made From
Diseased Canadian Cow
Parts of the Canadian cow that recently
tested positive for mad cow disease may have been used to make dry dog
food that was shipped to the United States, the Food and Drug
Administration said yesterday.
Although there has been no scientific
evidence that dogs can contract the disease or spread it to humans, the
FDA notified Pet Pantry International of Carson City, Nev., when the
agency learned from the Canadian government that Pet Pantry had received
food that may have included material from the cow. The dog food was made
by Champion Pet Food of Morinville, Alberta, between Feb. 4 and March
12.
The Canadian government prevented the
cow from being processed for human food. "Consumers can be assured
that their food does not contain any remnants of the BSE-positive
cow," an FDA statement said.
As a "prudent measure" to
help assure that the United States remains free of the brain-wasting
disease known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Pet Pantry asked
customers to hold on to the suspected food so that it will not
mistakenly be mixed into cattle or other feeds.
The Pet Pantry products were packed in
50-pound bags, distributed to franchises across the United States and
sold by home delivery only, the FDA said. There was no retail
distribution.
The products included "Maintenance
Diet" labeled with a use-by date of Feb. 17, 2004, and "Beef
with Barley" with a date of March 5, 2004.
Consumers should not discard the food;
the FDA is working with Pet Pantry to ensure proper disposal.
-- From News Services
© 2003
The Washington
Post Company
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