I too have a few questions for you Sandy.
1.) I do not have the bags because I returned the unopened bag I had long ago, but if this is isolated to only two batches as you say, how do you account for the symptoms my dogs had in November? When exactly was the new facility making Instinct?
2.) The food I bought was clearly different in color and consistency. Didn't anyone even look at the food before it went into bags?
3.)
Well I just got a phone call from Mark at MI. They are not positive but think it may have been steam in the extruder that caused the problem.
Can you elaborate on this statement? Too much or too little steam? And does this account for all the crumbled food in my bag?
4.) I followed your procedures and reported my concerns on your website as you direct. Chris Young called me and told me there were no changes and could not come up with a reason for the GI upsets my dogs were having. He was polite and seemed very knowledgeable. My complaint should be on file along with my phone number and e-mail. Why was I not notified when it was determined that the food was responsible for this? It has been suggested here that you devise a system for follow up with customers that have filed complaints, especially if new information has come to light after an investigation. This could save lives.
5.) How many complaints did you have? I know of several people that just switched food without contacting NV when they were having issues.
6.) It seems that from what we have pieced together here that the unfit food was distributed in the eastern US. I bought mine in MD. A couple of friends bought theirs in VA. We all had extremely foul gas, loose stools and some even had vomiting. Am I correct in the assumption that this was only in certain areas where the food made in NY was distributed?
7.)
Chris Young called me from NV. He said that the whole dog journal had already listed them,& because of the problem with these 2 batches they are going to give this info out. The 2 facilities are Pied Piper in Texas & Chenango Valley in NY.I did ask if I could post this & he said yes.
We know the new facility is Chenango. With all of the recalls and cross contamination they have had, why on earth would NV contract with them? Instinct is a high end food. You had an excellent reputation. Pied Piper is very highly regarded. Since you frequent this site now, and during the height of the 2007 recalls you must be aware that a good many of us did research and had confidence in the safety and quality of food made at Pied Piper.
8.) From FDA
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/chenango05_07.htmlChenango Valley Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 17, 2007 --
Chenango Valley Pet Foods previously recalled dry pet foods manufactured with a shipment of rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis that possibly contained melamine contamination.
Chenango Valley Pet Foods is now expanding the recall action to include those pet foods that do not contain rice protein concentrate but were manufactured during periods when rice protein concentrate formulas were processed. The recall of these products is precautionary due to the possibility of cross-contamination.From The Pet Food List
http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg2.htmNature's Variety (information provided by CEO, updated 3/13/08)
• Brands include Nature's Variety, Nature's Variety Prairie, and Nature's Variety Instinct.
• Canned foods made by Menu Foods but were not involved in the 2007 pet food recall.
•
Dry foods are manufactured by Pied Piper and
Chenango Valley Pet Foods. • Frozen and freeze-dried raw foods are made in house.
• All grains used are of US origin, except flax seed, which they get from Canada.
• No wheat gluten is used in their products, or in the plant that manufactures their dry foods.
• There is no rice protein concentrate used in any of our Nature’s Variety diets (kibble, cans, or raw). Furthermore,
rice protein concentrate is NOT used anywhere within the kibble manufacturing facility. • Website states dry and canned foods tested negative for melamine.
How do you explain the inconsistencies here? CV was recalled for RPC yet you told the list rice protein concentrate is NOT used anywhere within the kibble manufacturing facility. My dog has a rice allergy. Cross contamination with RPC, even if perfectly safe by your standards, could kill him. If CV has a history of cross contamination and using RPC with other brands how can you be sure of the integrity of yours? And how could you calim in March that it wasn't at the facility when in April and May they had recalls for it?
9.) The Whole Dog Journal reports: Nature's Variety ~ Lincoln, NE
Instinct
WDJ Comment:
High protein and fat; ash is moderately high. Calcium and phosphorus are high; their
ratio is at AAFCO's maximum level. The Rabbit Formula has lower calcium and phosphorus levels.
If your ratios are already at AAFCO maximum level it seems to me that “nutrient-dense” would not pass AAFCO. True? Was the food I fed my dogs off the AAFCO charts?
10.) Do you anticipate any long term affects for dogs that ate the recalled food? And have you consulted a vet on this?
11.) Why were you viewing my profile here yesterday? I do not have any e-mails, private messages or phone messages from anyone at NV.
12.) What do you feed your Pems and is it made at PP or CV?
I have to say that when I e-mailed and received a call back from Chris Young back in early December, if he would have admitted that there was a change in manufacturing that could have caused this and offered to send me a new bag from the other facility, I’d still be a customer. I was very happy with Instinct prior to the change and was hoping you would start making a puppy Instinct in the future. I had considered trying the Instinct canned but could not bring myself to patronize Menu in any way so I’m sticking with Evanger’s cans.
Thanks in advance. I am just looking for honesty.
