FDA CVM is So Concerned About Pet Health… – Truth about Pet Food
Question: If you knew of a “serious threat” to human and animal health, how long would you wait to warn others? The FDA waited 2+ months.
Acting as guardian of human and animal health, on August 5, 2022 – the FDA issued a warning to pet owners about Darwin’s Pet Food.
Quoting the FDA warning:
“The FDA is issuing this alert because these lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products cat food represent a serious threat to human and animal health.”
The “serious threat” was 3 kittens that got diarrhea – requiring no follow up veterinary care – after eating Darwin’s Adult Cat Food.
For an unknown reason, the FDA consumer warning neglected to inform pet owners an adult cat from the household ate the same food with no health consequences.
No human illnesses have been reported.
FDA performed testing of the cat food and found it contained Salmonella.
Because FDA has a zero tolerance policy for pathogenic bacteria, and because Darwin’s pet food did not issue a public statement – the agency felt it was necessary to properly alert consumers. The agency issued the consumer alert on August 5, 2022. Unfortunately…
The FDA warning was 2 months late.
Was this Darwin’s pet food actually “a serious threat” as FDA stated? If so, why did FDA wait so long to warn consumers?
We sent the following questions to FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine on 8/7/22:
On August 5th, 2022 FDA CVM issued a public warning regarding Darwin’s cat food. FDA stated this pet food was “a serious threat to human and animal health”. Can FDA provide their definition of the words “serious threat”?
Can FDA CVM provide explanation to why the agency waited 2+ months to alert consumers to this “serious threat”?
Is it standard procedure for FDA CVM to wait 2 months or more to alert the public to a “serious threat”?
Was the FDA CVM testing of the cat food done through DNA analysis? Did the FDA CVM do follow up testing to confirm or deny if the bacteria claimed to be found in the cat food was viable bacteria?
If FDA responds, their answers will be shared.
It is significant for pet owners to know/understand that the FDA CVM zero tolerance policy for Salmonella in pet food is not law…it is ONLY an internal policy (very different than law).
On the opening page of the Guidance document it clearly states this policy “does not confer any rights” on FDA or the public (in this case Darwin’s pet food). In other words, the FDA has no legal stance to insist pet foods be completely free of Salmonella.
The FDA CVM has the ability to make their Salmonella zero tolerance policy law, but the fact remains – they have not. This policy was issued in 2013. Nine years later it remains a nonbinding policy.
Questions for pet owners:
Do you believe FDA should be free to enforce an internal policy on pet food manufacturers? Or should FDA only enforce law?
Do you believe the FDA was correct in issuing this public warning about Darwin’s – even 2 months late?
Do you believe the FDA CVM is concerned with pet wellness and health?
Darwin’s Pet Food has issued a statement regarding this incident, to read Click Here.
Wishing you and your pet the best –
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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