| Dr. Elizabeth Severino
The Healing Connection |
Urgent Announcement |
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ALL NATURE'S VARIETY CHICKEN FORMULA AND ORGANIC CHICKEN FORMULA PRODUCTS FOR DOGS AND CATS RECALLED
Nature's Variety is voluntarily recalling all of its Chicken Formula and Organic Chicken Formula products FOR DOGS and CATS with a "Best If Used By" date on or before 2/5/11.
This is the second recall for Nature's Variety this year.
Nature's Variety reported they have received test results from an outside facility that
indicate that Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with the "Best If Used By" date of
10/29/10 and Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with the "Best If Used By" date of
11/9/10 may be contaminated with Salmonella. Mr. Reed Howlett, CEO of Nature's Variety, states: "we are voluntarily
recalling these date codes of product from the marketplace. Also, out of an
abundance of caution, we are expanding our voluntary recall to include all
Chicken Formula and Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats
with any "Best If Used By" date on or before 2/5/11. We believe taking this
action is an important and responsible step in order to reinforce your
confidence and trust."
The company affirms that "no other Raw Frozen Diets are involved in this expansion other than chicken,
and no other Nature's Variety products are involved."
I note they said the same thing in their February 10, 2010 recall.
The products included in this expanded recall are any Chicken Formula or
Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with a "Best If Used By" date on or
before 2/5/11, including:
- UPC#7 69949 60130 2 - Chicken Formula 3 lb medallions
- UPC#7 69949 60120 3 - Chicken Formula 6 lb patties
- UPC#7 69949 60121 0 - Chicken Formula 2 lb single chubs
- UPC#7 69949 50121 3 - Chicken Formula 12 lb retail display case of chubs
- UPC#7 69949 60137 1 - Organic Chicken Formula 3 lb medallions
- UPC#7 69949 60127 2 - Organic Chicken Formula 6 lb patties
The "Best If Used By" date is located on the back of the package above the
safe handling instructions. If you have one of the foods being recalled, the company instructs that you return the unopened product to your local retail store to receive a complete refund or to exchange it for another variety. Discard any opened packages in a safe manner by securing it in a covered trash receptacle and bring your receipt OR THE EMPTY PACKAGE IN A SEALED BAG to your local retailer for a complete refund or replacement. The Nature's Variety Customer Care line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is 800-374-3142.
Mr. Howlett explains: "As you may know, Nature's Variety now uses High Pressure Pasteurization on
our Raw Frozen Diets as a unique process to kill pathogenic bacteria through
high-pressure, water-based technology. Having incorporated this state-of-the-art
technology on our Freeze Dried Raw products in late 2009, we were able to
confidently implement the process universally on all Raw Frozen Diets after the
February 11, 2010 recall in order to further enhance food safety. Nature's
Variety also utilizes a test and hold protocol to ensure that all High Pressure
Pasteurized Raw Frozen Diets test negative for harmful bacteria before being
released for sale." Well, when I read that, my first reaction was, what am I missing? How can a pasteurized product still be raw??? And since this editor viewed "Food, Inc." two weekends ago and watched Oprah's show's rerun on that movie and the topic of food safety last week, I got even more concerned. It turns out that High Pressure Pasteurization is a process used on human foods as well as pet foods and "approved by the FDA and allowed by the FDA on organic and natural products." Sorry, that doesn't give this editor much comfort, given my perception of the FDA's track record on some of what I feel are important food health issues affecting both us and our animals.
High Pressure Pasteurization, we are told, is "a unique process to kill pathogenic bacteria through high-pressure, water-based
technology." The technology is based on the discovery by scientists that harmful bacteria found at sea level were actually not able
to survive at deep sea levels (under high water pressures). The process, we are assured, only affects the cell level, which, Nature's Variety's web-site states, goes through "a deep squeeze." This doesn't affect the molecular level of the food, we're assured. Some helpful bacteria are killed, we are advised, but enough remain. The foods are not cooked, the temperatures used are actually low.
Anyone out there, particularly those truly organically and sustainably-minded, who would please comment on this and teach us? Because I'd like to know, if you're water and pressure blasting and squeezing the cell level, how can the food still be living and raw?
That said, helpful web-links:
Nature's Variety Web-site
Including more information on the products being recalled this time as well as those recalled in February. Also on this web-site, are the instructions for what to do if you have any of the products being recalled.
The FDA assures it will update its list of recalled products as more information becomes available.
Prevent Food Borne Illnesses A link to information outlining steps you can take to help prevent food borne illnesses, such as Salmonella. Steps include hand washing with hot water and soap before and after handling pet food treats, washing pet food bowls and utensils after each use, and more. It occurs here to humbly suggest that PCA's Blakely facility read this, too.
About Salmonella and Symptoms in People Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
About Salmonella and Symptoms in Pets
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Well animals can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
What You Can Do
Implement healthy life-style choices for your dogs and cats. The best protection is a healthy immune system. There's a great deal we can do to fortify and protect our own immune systems and those of our pets NATURALLY. More on this later if there's enough interest. Let me know.
Please pass this information along to as many animal lovers as possible.
To Our Animals Health,
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| About Dr. Elizabeth Severino/The Healing Connection
Dr. Elizabeth Severino is a Best-selling Author, Speaker, Workshop Leader, Internationally-Respected Animal Communicator, Quantum Biofeedback Therapist, Personal Development Coach and Intuitive Counselor.
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