Linda Iroff wrote:
Linda, the info you posted is apparently from Performance Foods and my
response is directed to them.  I'm not shooting the messenger.  In fact,
I thank you for seeking out this information and posting it.
 
>I spoke today to Trudy from Performance Foods.  There are indeed only 2
>batches of Totally Ferret that they have specifically recalled:
>AOR13A Active/Show
>EORO1A Senior
 
>However, they have received numerous complaints for other batch numbers,
>such as FOR13A and COR1OA.  On the other hand, some batch numbers that
>are reported as bad by some, are also reported by others to be ok.
 
I am absolutely astounded at the lack of action concerning these lot
numbers.  This is relatively new food with a year or more to go before it
expires.  Based on prior info these are lots affected by bad ingredients.
If we assume the food to be homogeneous within any given lot (I sure hope
that's a safe assumption), then what should we think will happen to this
food another month from now, 3 months from now, 6 months from now, or even
a week before it expires, if PF is receiving "numerous complaints" that
bags of it are rancid now?  Those reporting these batches to be OK are
really only reporting individual bags to be OK.  These bags still contain
the bad ingredients and have a year or more to go before they expire.  OK
today does not mean OK next week, next month, or next year when the batch
is known to contain bad ingredients and is already the subject of "numerous
complaints."  It just isn't logical.
 
>The Williards just returned from a conference they were attending and they
>do plan to respond to us about the situation.  They are rather overwhelmed,
>never having experienced any sort of problems with their food before.
>They are trying to sort through all the reports they have gotten, as well
>as figure out what went wrong.
 
I'm sorry, but I can't read anything more from the above than the idea that
attending a conference was given higher priority than dealing with this
problem.  This is an issue that should have been dealt with several weeks
ago, before going to the conference.  How much experience does it take to
recall lots of food containing bad ingredients and causing consumers to
lodge "numerous complaints," and to place a full listing of those lot
numbers into several public forums frequented by ferret owners so they can
protect their pets from defective food?
 
>In the meantime, they recommend doing first a sniff test, in the store if
>possible.  (Tell the store staff not to worry, if you reject it they will
>be reimbursed by PF!) Even if it seems ok to your nose, if your ferrets
>reject it, or if it gives them diarrhea, toss it out.  But make sure you
>report the batch number to the store and to Performance Foods.
 
Aw c'mon!  Once again we get the advice to sniff or that if the food gives
our ferrets diarrhea we should toss it out.  That advice, in the absence of
a recall on known problem lots, is just plain irresponsible given that PF
*knows* which lots the suspect ingredients went into and which lots are
receiving "numerous complaints" and isn't issuing a recall for all of those
lots.  Lots other than those mentioned above were removed from The Ferret
Store, but have not been admitted to as bad or as a source of complaints
by PF.  C'mon, PF, give us a full listing of all lots which contain the
bad ingredients, and a list of the new lots produced from known good
ingredients and lets put an end to this situation.  It has gone on way too
long.  You need to issue a recall for all of the lots with bad ingredients
and get it over with.  Not everyone who uses Totally Ferret food reads the
FML, the alt.pets.ferrets newsgroup, etc., so just listing the lot numbers
affected will not protect everyone.  You need to recall lots known to
contain bad ingredients and move on from there.
 
If Gerber had a similar problem and handled it similarly, how many mothers
do you think would be feeding Gerber food to their babies a year from now
even if they never got a jar of the bad food?
 
>They can be reached at 303-410-1101.
 
Or at   [log in to unmask]   if the info in their domain registration
listing is current.
 
--
Jim H
[Posted in FML issue 3127]