[Iams response to an inquiry about the recall]

From: Iams Customer Service
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 2:56 PM
Subject: Hello from Mary Lou @ Iams

Dear John,

Thank you for contacting us with your concerns on the Menu Foods, Inc.
"wet" products recall. I want to assure you, none of our dry products
are involved in the recall. We're glad to hear you've used our foods
successfully for so many years with your ferrets and your dog and your
parents' dog.

The FDA has confirmed a potential cause for the Menu Food pet food
recall. It is melamine, a nitrogen-containing compound primarily used
to produce plastic. The FDA continues to lead the investigation and
research. P&G Pet Care has been cooperating with the FDA throughout
the investigation, and stands behind the FDA's findings.

Melamine is not a normal ingredient in pet foods. The wet products
involved in our recall contain wheat gluten.

Iams Tartar Treats contain wheat gluten, but they are not part of the
recall. The wheat gluten in Tartar Treats comes from one supplier in
Kansas, and they have never supplied it to Menu Foods. As an extra
precaution, we have tested our supply of wheat gluten and found no
trace of melamine.

Our dry foods do not contain wheat gluten.

Eukanuba Veterinary Diets do not contain wheat gluten.

Our 10-ounce Eukanuba Canned Dog, Iams canned dog and cat Entrees, and
Savory Sauce do not contain wheat gluten.

Iams biscuits and Eukanuba Healthy Extras biscuits are made with wheat
flour sourced in the United States. They do not contain wheat gluten

As for the Eukanuba Veterinary Diets which you mentioned, the letter we
received on January 8, 2007 from the FDA was not titled as a warning
letter. We are not sure why it is listed as a warning letter on the FDA
web site. It was part of a couple of years of routine correspondence
with the FDA on this topic. Providing the FDA with the safety data
they require would force us to do additional research that would be in
direct violation of our research policy, so we have elected to take
chromium out of the specific Eukanuba Veterinary Diet formulas in our
next product upgrade.

Chromium is commonly used as nutritional supplement in human food. It
is used for supporting insulin effectiveness in the body. It can help
improve the uptake of sugar or glucose into the cells. People take it
to help regulate their sugar.

None of our over-the-counter Iams and Eukanuba products contain
chromium. It is only found in some of our Eukanuba Veterinary Diets
which are therapeutic diets which must be prescribed by a veterinarian
and can only be purchased from a veterinarian. Eukanuba Veterinary
Diets are fed under the direction of a veterinarian. It has been in
these formulas since 1994, and we have not had any health issues
associated with it.

If you have any further concerns, or your pet has been affected by the
recall, please call us at 1-800-882-1591. For updates, please visit
www.Iams.com or www.Eukanuba.com.

Pets are an important part of all of our families. We share your
concerns and are firmly committed to you and the health of your pet.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. We value your trust
and confidence during this extremely difficult time.

Sincerely,
Mary Lou
Consumer Relations
P&G Pet Care

[Posted in FML 5568]