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  Discussion on PURINA FEED RECALL
Author Message
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - 12:10 pm:

Received this today regarding a feed recall:

Major Feed Recall

Land O Lakes/Purina has issued a feed retrieval for a number of brands.

Land O Lakes/Purina has issued feed recalls, or "retrievals," for a variety of their brands manufactured between the dates of November 3, 2007, and March 10, 2008. These feeds were identified to contain greater than 20 ppb of aflatoxins, originating from a single ingredient from a single supplier. Only specific manufacturing plants and dates are involved. The recalled products also vary.

As of May 6, 2008, the contaminated feeds had been distributed in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

The manufacturing plants involved, and dates, are:• Statesville, North Carolina: Feeds manufactured between November 3, 2007, and February 8, 2008.• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Feeds manufactured between January 1, 2008, and February 8, 2008.• Guilderland, New York: Feeds manufactured between January 8, 2008, and March 10, 2008.

If you have purchased a Purina feed and live in one of the involved states, check the bottom edge of your feed bag for a date code. The date codes on Purina feeds are in this format: 7NOV03STA

The first number is the year. "7" = 2007, "8" = 2008. The next code is the month. "NOV" = November. Next two digits are the day. "03" = 3rd (of November in this case). Last three letters are the plant code. STA = Statesville. HAR = Harrisburg. GLD = Guilderland.

If you have feed from one of these three plants manufactured within the recall dates, call your feed dealer to see if your specific brand is involved in the recall. If you purchased feed during the time frames listed for the recall but no longer have your bags, call your dealer anyway to see if the feed you use was involved in the recall.

If your horses are having health problems of unknown cause, call your veterinarian and let him/her know you may have fed aflatoxin-contaminated feed. Feed, urine or liver biopsy tissues can be tested for aflatoxin and aflatoxin metabolites. Your state’s Department of Agriculture should also be notified if your veterinarian suspects feed related health issues.

Note: As of May 6, this was an ongoing issue. Further recalls could be issued. Details are still very sketchy. Other feeds could also be involved but no details are available. Signs range from acute liver failure to stunted growth in young horses, poor hair coat, abnormal liver enzymes on blood chemistry, jaundice (yellow eyes and gums), feed refusal, unexplained loss of condition, poor immune system function. Fetal abnormalities have been reported in other species.

Eleanor Kellon, VMD
Horse Journal Veterinary Editor
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 8:51 am:

Hello Vicki,
I had been receiving these emails for about a week now and had not been able to confirm them. So I have been going to the Purina site every day or two and this morning found the first confirmation of this. Here is Purina's statement:

Eastern U.S. Feed Product Retrieval

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC has implemented a voluntary product retrieval of certain feeds manufactured between November 3, 2007 and February 8, 2008 at our Statesville, N.C., feed plant; between January 1, 2008 and February 8, 2008 at our Harrisburg, Penn., feed plant; and between January 1, 2008 and March 10, 2008 at our Guilderland, N.Y. plant. This voluntary retrieval was initiated due to the possible presence of aflatoxin contamination above acceptable levels. To date, we have received no confirmed aflatoxin-related animal health complaints involving any of the retrieved products. Nevertheless, we have taken such precautionary action as our utmost priority continues to be our customers and the well-being of their animals. All dealers who purchased any of the retrieved products directly from Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC have been notified. These dealers are located in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Our investigation and product testing identified one ingredient of concern, which originated from a single supplier. We have discontinued purchasing from this supplier. Other feed companies that purchased from this supplier are facing a similar situation. For more information about specific products included in the retrieval, contact the Statesville, N.C., Feed Plant at 704-924-5100 or the Harrisburg, Penn., Feed Plant at 717-737-4581.
Member:
corinne

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 11:06 am:

Dr O. Just to add (and I am not sure it's of help) but at the bottom of your post Purina states to call if you have questions regarding specific products. I just got an email from the head of the Oklahoma Dressage Society who contacted Purina also after receiving a flurry of emails that stated Horse related feeds were included and this is what Purina told her (she then told us to forward to our fellow friends and horse owners to avoid misinformation so I believe it will be okay to quote her)

"I just spoke to Purina. No recall on equine feeds. It is only on the product from Dec. 3 of 2006 - March 9th, 2007 of cat/dog cuts and gravy style pouches and cans."

Thanks for your post!

Corinne
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 5:38 pm:

We now have links to the products along with their lot numbers that were recalled. Use this link to access the page and from there you link to the plant your feed was produced:
https://horse.purinamills.com/includes/PMWebsitepostv3.pdf

DrO
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 - 3:50 pm:

LOTS of horse feeds on those recall lists. Thanks, Dr. O.
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