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FYI on common allergen food : MOLD found
- Thread starter sharky
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I too wonder if it's a canning or storage problem on the part of individual stores. I have a case of food with the date Feb 05 2012, and none of my cans have shown any signs of mold, not even the one dented can that was part of the case. I think that some of the very tiny dark spots in the picture posted earlier could be just part of the meat (maybe a bit of chopped of vein, such as we find in human food). They don't look like mold from the picture, and they match things I've seen in various cat food brands.
Those pictures are mine, and unfortunately, as a picture, you can't see the same way you see in person. On the first picture, the spot is not that tiny. Also, it is not some food particles as you suggest - It shows only on the very top layer of the food; no where else in the can, which is consistent with mold. I also opened several other cans, from the same brand, and no other had the same thing - only this one, which also tells me it is not an ingredient.
These black spots and the larger stain on the first picture did not belong to the food; in person that was pretty clear.
That first picture definitely looked more suspicious to me and unlike anything I've seen in my cans. With the others, it was harder to tell--even if it's just in the top layer, it could simply have been something that floated or was suspended in the fat (which also accumulates in the top layer). That first picture of your can definitely seemed off though.
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Below is a link that will take you to "Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA"
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons.../ucm095859.htm
You can always call the listed contact # for further info.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons.../ucm095859.htm
You can always call the listed contact # for further info.
I talked to NB's president on Tuesday and he said that one of the tainted cans was being tested at a lab. Meanwhile he said that the black spots were likely from charcoal which apparently is used in all pet food. Don't know much about that so I won't make any comments. I did say to him that if it is charcoal, NB still has a quality control problem since the charcoal should not be visible in the canned food. Somewhere along the line the charcoal is not being washed off enough, etc. And if their canning company can't take care of this task, what else is wrong?
Well, today he called and left a voicemail with the lab results. Not charcoal after all, but oxidization of the pea fibers. That's it, didn't explain it, didn't give any reassurances of whether or not the food is safe to eat, didn't give any reassurances if this issue was going to be resolved. I have limited understanding of the oxidization of food but one of the necessary components for the oxidization process is oxygen. I'm assuming the peas oxidized before canning. If not, then there's a canning issue. But again, if NB food has food that is oxidizing and it's going into the cans, is that indicative of a quality control problem?
And finally, most importantly, is oxidized food safe? When the skin of an apple is pierced, the apple starts the oxidized process and that's why it turns brown. But does eating it an unsafe process? I don't only because it looks gross.
In any case, unless NB makes it clear that they've got their canning process under control, I'm going to steer my kitties away from their products. I've already started adding in Authority to the NB wet food to transition my cats. And after work today, I bought a few cans of California Natural. It's too bad because my cats love NB and one of them needs a limited ingredients brand since I'm trying to figure out her sensitivities. I'm hoping CA Natural is the answer.
To give NB credit, I appreciate that the president is reaching out to customers personally. I just wish he was better at delivering the message. He said that the mold accusation was basically a few people who are trying to stir up trouble online. Well making statements like that doesn't allay my concerns IF I see something that LOOKS like mold in my can of cat food.
Well, today he called and left a voicemail with the lab results. Not charcoal after all, but oxidization of the pea fibers. That's it, didn't explain it, didn't give any reassurances of whether or not the food is safe to eat, didn't give any reassurances if this issue was going to be resolved. I have limited understanding of the oxidization of food but one of the necessary components for the oxidization process is oxygen. I'm assuming the peas oxidized before canning. If not, then there's a canning issue. But again, if NB food has food that is oxidizing and it's going into the cans, is that indicative of a quality control problem?
And finally, most importantly, is oxidized food safe? When the skin of an apple is pierced, the apple starts the oxidized process and that's why it turns brown. But does eating it an unsafe process? I don't only because it looks gross.
In any case, unless NB makes it clear that they've got their canning process under control, I'm going to steer my kitties away from their products. I've already started adding in Authority to the NB wet food to transition my cats. And after work today, I bought a few cans of California Natural. It's too bad because my cats love NB and one of them needs a limited ingredients brand since I'm trying to figure out her sensitivities. I'm hoping CA Natural is the answer.
To give NB credit, I appreciate that the president is reaching out to customers personally. I just wish he was better at delivering the message. He said that the mold accusation was basically a few people who are trying to stir up trouble online. Well making statements like that doesn't allay my concerns IF I see something that LOOKS like mold in my can of cat food.
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Please... report this to the FDA.
Let objective experts made the decision about whether oxidization is a problem in this food.
Let objective experts made the decision about whether oxidization is a problem in this food.
Yes, please still notify the FDA. I've read online of 2 cats that ate from a contaminated can before the owner could put it away. Both cats immediately became violently ill going at both ends all at once. Both needing ER Vet care. One is still very sick from the experience.
I received yesterday a letter from NB, as well as a voucher for 1 case of canned food... I do appreciate them getting back to me, but I am just not comfortable in feeding my kitties this food until the problem has been solved. IMO a recall is in order...
I opened up two more cans today for dinner and yep, black dots. I'm more than a little pissed now. I bought 13 cans, have opened 10 and 3 of them are bad, oops, I mean, oxidized.
I called the FDA on Tuesday and filed a report.
I called the FDA on Tuesday and filed a report.
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Good for you....
that was the smart thing to do.
I also just spoke to the FDA. I told him I wasn't sure about being mold as the stains were black, and he said: "It is mold - I have been doing this for over 30 years, and I can tell you it is mold". So, I am not sure of the oxidized pea explanation is...
He is going to contact NB and find out who the manufacturing facility is.
I am tempted to go and get the free case of food they gave me just to open all the cans and see if they have mold in it... This way I can get a fresh sample to send them, if I find something else...
He is going to contact NB and find out who the manufacturing facility is.
I am tempted to go and get the free case of food they gave me just to open all the cans and see if they have mold in it... This way I can get a fresh sample to send them, if I find something else...
carolinalima,
I would encourage you to take advantage of the free case. Why not? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If more black stuff is found, it will only make the case against NB stronger. Don't forget to keep the can number data.
I would encourage you to take advantage of the free case. Why not? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If more black stuff is found, it will only make the case against NB stronger. Don't forget to keep the can number data.
Scary, now I'm paranoid if some microscopic amount that I haven't seen has made it into my kitties' meals. I'm going to hasten the transition to California Natural and Authority.
The two cans that had black dots in them were date stamped with Feb 6 2012. The original can was Feb 5. All cans were purchased from Petco.
I went to Petco last night and noticed that there was no Duck and Green Pea NB on the shelf. I wonder if they were sold out or if they'd had complaints at that store and removed it.
On the note of NB claiming it is oxidized peas, I am wondering why it is only the Duck with a problem then?? I popped open some of the NB Venison and Green Pea and thoroughly inspected it for any black dots and found none. That, IMO, spells out mold if it's not in other green pea formulas. Hopefully the FDA gets on top of this quickly so no cats become ill.
On the note of NB claiming it is oxidized peas, I am wondering why it is only the Duck with a problem then?? I popped open some of the NB Venison and Green Pea and thoroughly inspected it for any black dots and found none. That, IMO, spells out mold if it's not in other green pea formulas. Hopefully the FDA gets on top of this quickly so no cats become ill.
Apparently I was kissed by the mold fairy - I opened a can of Tiki Cat Sardine cutlets and found huge blobs of green disgusting mold in it... The factory has been notified, as well as the store where I buy it, and the distributor. Here is a picture:
Hi, I’m Jennifer Freeman, AKA “J.F.”, and I am the Director of Customer Service for Natural Balance Pet Foods. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Animal Health from the University of Cal Poly, Pomona, and am licensed as a Registered Veterinary Technician. I would like to clear up the confusion on this forum that I have observed regarding the Green Pea and Duck canned cat formula. I can assure you that we have worked very closely with our customers to find out the origin of the black spots contained in a few of the cans that were opened. In doing so, we opened hundreds of cans of the same production run, and have found no evidence of mold.
I have tried to contact, but have not gotten a response back from the customer who posted photos on this Site. We received a similar can from another customer, which was shipped to us overnight on dry ice. This can was sent the same day of receipt to Midwest Labs, an outside independent laboratory, again on dry ice. We initially thought that the black spots were food grade charcoal, but the laboratory reported that the black spot was actually a section of the pea used in this product. Below you will find links to test results we received from Midwest Labs, plus their explanation for the findings. As you can see, it was determined NOT TO BE MOLD. Not only did we send the particular spot in question in for testing, but we also sent unopened cans from the same production run, that were only minutes apart, and again no mold was found. We have also posted this report (see link below).
As we explained to our customers, finding mold in a can is highly unlikely, as the food is cooked under a vacuum seal at a high temperature. The only way mold could ever be present would be if the can had been damaged or the seal broken, which was not the case in the reports we have received.
To our knowledge, Natural Balance Pet Foods is the only pet food manufacturer who tests every single product and production run for 9 different contaminants at our own laboratory before it is released for distribution. These test results are also posted on our website for our customers to view. To date our testing includes Aflatoxin, DON (Vomitoxin), Melamine, Cyanuric Acid, Ochratoxin, Zearalenone, Fumonison, salmonella, and E.coli. To learn more about our testing please visit our website at www.naturalbalance.net.
http://www.naturalbalance.net/testing/moldcountcat.pdf
http://www.naturalbalance.net/testing/comment_sheet.pdf
I have tried to contact, but have not gotten a response back from the customer who posted photos on this Site. We received a similar can from another customer, which was shipped to us overnight on dry ice. This can was sent the same day of receipt to Midwest Labs, an outside independent laboratory, again on dry ice. We initially thought that the black spots were food grade charcoal, but the laboratory reported that the black spot was actually a section of the pea used in this product. Below you will find links to test results we received from Midwest Labs, plus their explanation for the findings. As you can see, it was determined NOT TO BE MOLD. Not only did we send the particular spot in question in for testing, but we also sent unopened cans from the same production run, that were only minutes apart, and again no mold was found. We have also posted this report (see link below).
As we explained to our customers, finding mold in a can is highly unlikely, as the food is cooked under a vacuum seal at a high temperature. The only way mold could ever be present would be if the can had been damaged or the seal broken, which was not the case in the reports we have received.
To our knowledge, Natural Balance Pet Foods is the only pet food manufacturer who tests every single product and production run for 9 different contaminants at our own laboratory before it is released for distribution. These test results are also posted on our website for our customers to view. To date our testing includes Aflatoxin, DON (Vomitoxin), Melamine, Cyanuric Acid, Ochratoxin, Zearalenone, Fumonison, salmonella, and E.coli. To learn more about our testing please visit our website at www.naturalbalance.net.
http://www.naturalbalance.net/testing/moldcountcat.pdf
http://www.naturalbalance.net/testing/comment_sheet.pdf
I just wanted to update on this issue -
I have been dealing with Theresa Jensen at Petropics (makers of Tiki Cat), and she has been great in taking care of this issue. Below is one of her communications, in regards to the can I sent to them.
They claim that the green stuff I found is due to the sardine's gall bladder releasing green bile during digestion. However, the sample was not yet tested, and I also noted and communicated to them that this problem has been only found in that specific batch.
The store I buy food from gave me samples of different batches, and all the cans from the other batches are clear.
Tiki Cat is still working on the matter, and I am still feeding Tiki Cat to my kitties, just not from that batch. It is a great food, I am very satisfied with their level of customer service...
I will keep you all informed
"We received it, thank you! Also, after investigating the product regarding the green substance you discovered we found that it is not in fact "mold" or something of the like. I'm not sure if you are aware, but our sardine varieties are produced as whole fish cutlet style. What you are finding is a fish's gall bladder with the appearance of a greenish globule (visible as a disk about the size of the fish's eye). The gall bladder contracts and squeezes green bile into the intestines as part of its digestive function between the stomach and intestines. Sardines, Anchovies and Baby Mackerel are traditionally served in the human market place whole and we are serving them similarly to cats. This substance is naturally occurring, completely natural, and safe for consumption for you and your cats. We appreciate you investigating and partnering with us to ensure food safety for our Tiki Cat community. I hope this explanation helps and I will be sending you a free pack of Tiki Cat this week."
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Hello,
Please know that we have not had any issues regarding mold in our products. We specifically had this batch tested for mold, and it came back negative and safe to feed. Furthermore, after looking into this matter, we have found the black specs on the food to be oxidized pea hulls. Again, all of our products are inspected from start to finish and are safe to feed.
Sincerely,
Kristi Choy, B.S.
Animal Nutrition
Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.
Calms my nerves
Please know that we have not had any issues regarding mold in our products. We specifically had this batch tested for mold, and it came back negative and safe to feed. Furthermore, after looking into this matter, we have found the black specs on the food to be oxidized pea hulls. Again, all of our products are inspected from start to finish and are safe to feed.
Sincerely,
Kristi Choy, B.S.
Animal Nutrition
Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.
Calms my nerves
