Rat Poison Found in Tainted Pet Food

FRIDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Rat poison has been found in samples of the recalled pet food linked to at least 16 animal deaths nationwide, New York officials said Friday, but it's not clear how the toxin made it into the food.

Testing at the New York State Food Laboratory identified aminopterin in samples from Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the 60 million cans and pouches of moist dog and cat food that are currently part of a nationwide recall.

Aminopterin is derived from folic acid and is used as a cancer drug in the United States. But it can also cause cancer and birth defects in humans and kidney damage in dogs and cats and is not licensed for use as rodent poison in the United States. It is used to kill rodents in some countries, however.

ABC News, citing an unidentified source, reported Friday that the poison was on wheat imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

"We are pleased that the expertise of our New York State Food Laboratory was able to contribute to identifying the agent that caused numerous illnesses and deaths in dogs and cats across the nation," New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said in a prepared statement.

The Food Laboratory received the pet food samples from a toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, where testing has been under way to try to identify the cause of the kidney failure in pets that consumed the recalled brands of food. At Cornell's request, the Food Laboratory tested the samples for poisons and toxins, and identified aminopterin at a level of at least 40 parts per million, the statement said.

As recently as Wednesday, Menu Foods, which is based in Ontario, Canada, said it could find no cause in its foods for the animal illnesses and deaths that have occurred. The pet food shows no signs of contamination, according to Menu Foods President Paul Henderson. The company initiated the recall of brand-name moist dog and cat food over the weekend.

The recall followed reports of kidney failure and death among dogs and cats, including nine deaths in cats being used in Menu Foods' own quarterly taste test.

Henderson said tests performed on 10 cats that died showed only that the animals had died of acute kidney failure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said its investigation has focused so far on wheat gluten in the pet food. Wheat gluten would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated, the agency said.

Menu Foods announced the recall for packages of moist pet food made at a plant in Emporia, Kan., and another in New Jersey between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.

The pet food was sold in sealed packets in the United States, Canada and Mexico under 50 brand names of dog food and 40 brand names of cat food. The brands include Iams, Science Diet, America's Choice, Preferred Pets, Eukanuba, and Nutriplan. The stores that sold them include Ahold USA Inc., Kroger Co., Safeway, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., PetSmart Inc. and Pet Valu Inc. A full list can be seen at the Menu Foods Web site at www.menufoods.com/recall.

The FDA is responsible for checking pet food plants, Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said Tuesday. "It is very much the same as how we regulate human food plants," he said. "Inspections are based on how risky we think the plant is based on previous inspection."

Dogs or cats that have eaten the suspect food and show signs of kidney failure should be taken to a veterinarian. According to the FDA, kidney failure in animals is characterized by loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

The agency is also requesting that people with sick or deceased pets who believe their pet might have consumed one of the recalled products contact a state complaint coordinator. A list of coordinators can be found at the FDA Web site (http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html).

The FDA and the Humane Society advise consumers who have any of these products to stop feeding them to their pets.

Menu Foods now has two consumer recall hotlines: 1-866-895-2708 and 1-866-463-6738.