We have a new old news release from the company this morning:
http://compliancehome.com/news/FDA/12718.htmlEvanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company Responds to FDA News Release
"(May 05, 2008)-- As a result of a routine inspection of the Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company manufacturing facilities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the FDA recently raised questions regarding recordkeeping and other issues at the pet food producer’s facilities.
"Contrary to a news release issued by the FDA Thursday, April 24, 2008, Evanger’s continues to make and distribute its products with FDA approval. Evanger’s is working closely with the FDA and already has addressed many of the FDA’s questions. Evanger’s expects to have the few remaining FDA queries fully satisfied shortly.
"No Evanger’s product has been recalled, nor is there any indication that any Evanger’s product is under-processed, unsafe, or contaminated in any way.
“"As our customers, retailers and distributors know, Evanger’s takes the quality and safety of its pet foods very seriously,” said Holly Sher, president of Evanger’s. “Evanger’s has a long history of using only human-grade ingredients in our products. The FDA has not called into question the wholesomeness of any ingredient we use. We are confident Evanger’s products continue to be safe, wholesome and natural, so confident that we continue to feed them daily to our own pets.”
"All ingredients in Evanger’s products are sourced in the United States and all manufacturing is done in its suburban Chicago facility. The routine FDA inspection was related only to Evanger’s canned foods and is not affiliated with of production its dry pet food products.
"As the United States’ oldest natural pet food company, Evanger’s products are known for their human-grade ingredients, including hand-packed meats, fish and poultry, and 100% meat and organic meals.
"Consumers and distributors may contact Evanger’s customer service department at US +1 8002886796 Call for further information. In addition, all new or updated information will be immediately posted to our Website,
www.evangersdogfood.com"
It's identical to the one issued on April 25:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS233312+25-Apr-2008+PRN20080425Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Co. Responds to FDA News Release
Reuters
"WHEELING, Ill., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- As a result of a routine
inspection of the Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Company manufacturing facilities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the FDA recently raised questions regarding record keeping and other issues at the pet food producer's facilities.
"Contrary to a news release issued by the FDA Thursday, April 24, 2008, Evanger's continues to make and distribute its products with FDA approval. Evanger's is working closely with the FDA and already has addressed many of the FDA's questions. Evanger's expects to have the few remaining FDA queries fully satisfied shortly.
"No Evanger's product has been recalled, nor is there any indication that any Evanger's product is under-processed, unsafe, or contaminated in any way. "As our customers, retailers and distributors know, Evanger's takes the quality and safety of its pet foods very seriously," said Holly Sher, president of Evanger's. "Evanger's has a long history of using only human- grade ingredients in our products. The FDA has not called into question the wholesomeness of any ingredient we use. We are confident Evanger's products
continue to be safe, wholesome and natural, so confident that we continue to feed them daily to our own pets."
"All ingredients in Evanger's products are sourced in the United States and all manufacturing is done in its suburban Chicago facility. The routine FDA inspection was related only to Evanger's canned foods and did not cover production its dry pet food products.
"As the United States' oldest natural pet food company, Evanger's products are known for their human-grade ingredients, including hand-packed meats, fish and poultry, and 100% meat and organic meals.
"Consumers and distributors may contact Evanger's customer service
department at (800) 288-6796 for further information. In addition, all new or updated information will be immediately posted to the company's Website,www.evangersdogfood.com
"ABOUT EVANGER'S DOG & CAT FOOD CO., INC.
"Established in 1935, EVANGER'S Dog & Cat Food Company, Inc. is the oldest natural dog food company in the United States. Today, the suburban Chicago company is as innovative as when Fred Evanger first founded it, producing a wide array of human-grade dog and cat food dinners and supplements.
"SOURCE Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Company
Rebecca Theim of Matrix Partners, cell, +1-312-590-0195, rtheim@matrix1.com,
for Evanger's Dog & Cat Food CompanyOK--so who is this person?
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccatheim"President at Tipitina Communications, Inc. (Sole Proprietorship)
Vice President at Matrix Partners
"Communications professional with experience in public relations, issues management and crisis communications. Understands and plays well with the media, drawing on previous experience and relationships developed as a reporter for several major news organizations.
"Experienced at deploying communications to enhance, improve or repair a company’s reputation. Ability to predict how issues and decisions will play in the court of public opinion. Exceptional writing and editing skills.
"Rebecca Theim’s Specialties:
"Media relations, executive communications, crisis communications, employee communications, marketing communications, digital communications, labor union negotiations communications, publication management "http://www.tipitina-comm.biz/experience.html"Tipitina Communications' Rebecca Theim has worked with a wide variety of B2C and B2B brands, spanning the entertainment and media, manufacturing, health care, Internet, consumer packaged goods and human resources/staffing industries. Below you will find highlights of her work with three powerful brands.
"Introducing fledgling pet care products and services to the broader consumer market
"The pet industry is booming. Pet owners will spend more than $40 billion this year on their four-legged, finned, furry and feathered friends – more than the GNP of all but 64 countries – a figure that’s doubled in the past decade. More and more newspapers, magazines and national Websites – including New York Newsday, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Post, MSNBC.com and Prevention – have reporters and columnists dedicated to all things pets."http://www.tipitina-comm.biz/about.html"Tipitina Communications, Inc., is a communications and public relations firm headquartered in downtown Chicago.
"As both an in-house communications professional and a consultant, President Rebecca Theim has shaped the communications strategies of companies in an array of industries, including entertainment, publishing, manufacturing, staffing and recruitment, healthcare and Internet/Web-based companies.
"In addition, Tipitina Communications can draw upon the expertise of Matrix Partners, Ltd., a full-service integrated marketing communications firm in the Chicago Loop with which she is contractually affiliated."There's still no addressing of the problem re: retort supervision and proper operation:
Kathy, I think the implication Evangers made that it was only a problem with paperwork was maybe wishful thinking on their part because FDA indicates it was a little more than just that. This was what FDA said when I asked them:
"The firm had serious deviations form the mandatory provisions of 21 CFR parts 108 and 113, including lack of documentation of process adequacy and lack of processing filing with FDA for most of their processes. The firm was operating the retorts improperly (not venting), failing to record critical process information including initial temperatures, temperature recording devices were recording temperatures higher than the mercury-in glass thermometers. The firm's retort supervisors had not attended the required training schools.
As correctly stated in the press release, the firm is operating under an Order of Need for Emergency Permit, which means it cannot introduce or deliver for introduction in interstate commerce any of its low--acid canned pet food. The regulation does allow the firm to have a processing authority evaluate the processing of each lot for adequacy and to submit release requests in writing to FDA for specific lots."
I dont know why Evangers said they arent operating under emergency permit but FDA says they are. Maybe the info hadnt been given to everyone at their company? Maybe they arent operating under emergency permit but are supposed to be? I dont know. I also dont know why they would say that FDA's news release had false and misleading info in it, what was false? FDA seemed to be pretty clear about the info they provided.
One thing I am happy about though is that it appears that FDA did the very thing we have all wanted them to do in the past and that is they prevented something from potentially turning very bad for our pets. When I asked FDA about everything, they responded promptly. I sent them a thank you which is something I didnt think I would be doing with FDA anytime soon. Now I just wish there was enough personnel to be able to inspect all the other pet food companies but I doubt that will be happening.
Cross-posting this to the other thread also.
