DISHING OUT COUNTERFEIT

PET FOODS

Dog Food makers may have shot themselves in the foot with bad disposal decisions and not respecting consumers’ rights regarding what’s in the pet food chain.

If you are feeding your pet any of the name brand products such as Alpo, Americas Choice, Authority, Award, Beggin, Beneful, Berkley & Jenson, Best Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Bistro Blend, Bloom, Blue Buffalo, Bruiser, Cadilac, Canine Cat Chow, Caviar, Cesar, Champion Breed, Co-Op Gold, Companion, Companion’s Best, Compliments, Cosco/Kirkland Signature, Demoulas Market Basket, Diamond, Dr. Foster & Smith, Deli-Cat, Dog Chow, Dollar General, Eight in One, Eukanuba, Fancy Feast, Food Lion, Friskies, Giant Companion, Gravy Train, Great Choice, Hannaford, Happy Tails, Harmony Farms, Health Diet Gourmet Cuisine, Hill Country Fare, Hy- Vee, Iams, Jerky Treats, Kit ‘N Kaboodle, La Griffe, Laura Lynn, Loving Meals, Mars Petcare, Master Choice, Meijier’s Main Choice, Mighty Dog, Mixables, Muligan Stew, Natural Balance, Natural Life, Natural Way, Nu Pet, Nutriplan, Nutro, Nuture, O’l Roy, Paws, Pedigree, Perfect Pals, Performatrio, Pet Essentials, Pet Life, Pet Pride, Petrapport, Pounce, Purina, Preferred Pet, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, ProPlan, Publix, Roche Brothers, Royal Canin, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks, Sheba, ShopRite, Special Kitty, or Whiskas, you need to be aware that a wide range of trustworthy brands may be counterfeited.

Most pet food factories are owned by large corporations such as the Mars Company, Nestles, or Proctor and Gamble. Operating around the globe with $billions in sales yearly, pet foods are easy targets for offshore counterfeiters.

If disposal of recalled products was not properly handled, those contaminated goods may now be in the hands of dishonest repackaging or counterfeit resellers.

Pet food companies are understandably reluctant to acknowledge counterfeiting problems or repercussions from disposal of recalled products. These well kept secrets would only frighten and anger consumers but the fact is that pet foods products are still making dogs and cats sick and the recalls keep occurring. When we can find no information to substantiate that recalled pet foods were destroyed, we must ask what did the companies or recyclers actually do with all the recalled pet food and where did it end up?

When the landmark article Counterfeit Dog Food – Dead Dogs was published, Mars did not respond to our query about a Taiwan website for Natural Pet Corporation even though Optima (Mars’ brand) showed up as a suspected bogus product along with Diamond, Super Saver, Holistic Recipe Solution, Devine, and Feed Rite.
 

Why is counterfeiting of pet food not being reported by mainstream media? Why are consumers being left to their own defenses when it comes to contaminated or poisonous pet food? Easier to slip by customs than are counterfeit designer goods, counterfeit pet products may be showing up on store shelves. They are especially likely to show up on free-floating (no location, no country) websites selling discounted products.

Consumer Affairs.com reported that the FDA was investigating one of Mars products and the FDA confirmed a probe of Nutro Dog Food. FDA did not tell us what, if anything, that probe uncovered but on April 28, 2009, only 9 days after confirming the Nutro investigation, the FDA issued another statement, this time essentially denying that Nutro was the subject of an investigation!

With our government already bailing out so many companies, the series of events involving the Mars Company leaves consumers with a lot of questions regarding the FDA and big corporations. That is news that should have been disseminated by mainstream media. Pet owners need to know if there could be a problem before they buy a new brand or a new supply of a normally safe brand. And we especially want to know that the agencies meant to protect consumers are actually on our side.

If the pet food companies do not take a stand, will all major brands fall victim to offshore counterfeiters or undesirable homegrown elements? While sick dogs and cats are the major concern, what about the economic ramifications? If this reporter is still finding bogus sites, pet food companies whose brands and credibility are being compromised, should be able to find them and put a stop to counterfeiting of their brands.

Pet food manufacturers should be able to assure us that all contaminated dog food is off the market but if they don’t know what really happens to recalled dog food and cat food, how can they do that? And consequently, how can consumers trust pet food companies?

We understand the limitations of international law and trade agreements but consumers need reassurance that recalled pet foods have not found their way back onto grocery store or distributor’s shelves as counterfeit or re-labeled goods.

Counterfeit or genuine, there are no excuses for pet food products that sicken or kill our dogs and cats! Owners need to know that counterfeit or even top brand name foods which are manufactured offshore are not subject to U.S. regulations or legal action.

Counterfeit, re-labeled, or recycled cat and dog food products may be a newly discovered gold mine for some companies but they are an international health risk that could kill thousands of American pets and untold numbers elsewhere.