Purina Recalls Horsefeeds

[morgan3179]

I just saw this on another board.... Hadn't see any thing here... So wanted to share with you all....... I called my dealer and he said it was on feeds from back in March....So should be okay (just another reason to not feed Purina, IMO).......


>Subject: PURINA RECALLS HORSEFEEDS
>
> I think it is important for all horse owners to knowthat Purina has
issued two massive recalls this month affecting almost theirentire horse feed product line. This recall was not made available to thegeneral public. Notices went to the dealers directly. It isunconscionable that they have made no effort contact the end users. On4/9 they recalled 27 equine products, including senior and the platformline. On 4/21 they recalled another 18 products. The problem isAflatoxins. Aflatoxins are toxic and one of the most carcinogenicsubstances known. They can cause liver disfunction, immune suppression,and neurological difficulties.
>
>Please share this information with your horse keepingfriends. It seems

>that the only way this information is going to get out,is among
>ourselves. The way this has been handled by Purina isirresponsible and

>unacceptable.

[Peace of Cake]

Oh my....I think this happened with a horse in IL being fed Strategy.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m171/arcticcielo/Makinayelloweye2_800.jpg

[Asmac]

1) Where can one find information from the company about what feeds are involved? and,

2) My two year old colt has eaten nothing but Strategy for the last year, and although not as pronounced as the pix of the horse in the 2nd post, his eyes get very running and in March he ended up with some kind of funk the vet said was viral (none of the other horses on the farm suffered from the same funk) - and, in addition to antibiotics, she had me start to supplement with red cell... any relation back to the feed?????

[deltawave]

Seems like there is a second- or third-hand report of a Purina feed recall every other week. What gives?

[Giomanach]

i agree with deltawave...


but this is why i will not feed purina again and am now feeding Nutrena. Even if the recall doesn't effect the feed coming into my state i still will not feed purina anymore



regards,
Giomanach

[cloudyandcallie]

I love seminole feeds because they don't run other animal feeds or fertilizers thru their mill...only horse feeds. we have mills around here that actually run fertilizers thru them before running horse feeds. dangerous. :eek:

[Texarkana]

Go figure I see this.

I was going to pick up a bag of Purina's Enrich 32 today and start transitioning, since my usual brand has gotten ridiculously expensive.

Nevermind that idea...

[Lawn Ornament]

Seems like there is a second- or third-hand report of a Purina feed recall every other week. What gives?

My thoughts exactly! Purina needs to make a statement explaining what's going on... NOW!

[Ghazzu]

My thoughts exactly! Purina needs to make a statement explaining what's going on... NOW!

I agree.
I think their approach of putting the information out on a "need to know" basis (i.e., to dealers with affected lot #'s so they can in turn notify customers) is shortsighted.
IMNSHO, they ought to simply post the information on their website, with a brief explanation of the problem and the relevant products and lot #'s.

[gabz]

I love seminole feeds because they don't run other animal feeds or fertilizers thru their mill...only horse feeds. we have mills around here that actually run fertilizers thru them before running horse feeds. dangerous. :eek:

While I'm shocked and dismayed by this recent event ... Please be advised that Purina manufactures horse feeds ONLY in its horse feed plants. This is a recent (past year - 18 months) change.

[deltawave]

Actually, the point I was aiming for was why all these second- and third-hand reports? Are they true, or merely rumor? There are a lot of Purina-haters out there, and it SEEMS as if all these reports are sort of shady and not-quite-"there".

[Tamara in TN]

Actually, the point I was aiming for was why all these second- and third-hand reports? Are they true, or merely rumor? There are a lot of Purina-haters out there, and it SEEMS as if all these reports are sort of shady and not-quite-"there".

has anyone even asked Purina ???

[Ghazzu]

I did and it is a recall.

They didn't volunteer a list of products or lot #'s.
They did give locations of plants that milled affected product and offered to give information on specific feeds if I asked, as there is apparently a fairly extensive list.

[Tamara in TN]

I did and it is a recall.

They didn't volunteer a list of products or lot #'s.
They did give locations of plants that milled affected product and offered to give information on specific feeds if I asked, as there is apparently a fairly extensive list.

thanks Doc...better to hear it from some one real than the third hand "he said she said"....

best

Tamara

[wlrottge]

Hmmmm..... one more reason that I'm glad we feed Nutrena....

[bobrummel13]

Ghazzu,
Do you have the list of producers that are affected? After reading this, I have tried to email Purina(they're already closed for the day), but any info that you have would be appreciated.
thanks,

[sid]

You know, this is why I always go back to Pennfield Feeds.

Aflatoxin almost killed my first foal crop (3) who became desperately ill. Their Nutrena feed was tested and contained aflatoxins. An adult may have been able to cope with the amount, but my foals didn't and with supportive therapy TG, they survived.

Fumoncin became an issue when I used Triple Crown feeds after one of my mares became blind
overnight and died the next day from neurological failure. Turns out, a feed that was labeled as having no corn in it (I specifically do not feed corn for fear of mill mixups by some drunken night worker, wink), DID have corn in it when the vet school hospital sent it out for testing (I sent her body in for autopsy, as her death was sudden, unexplained and she was young). I loved TC feed when it first came on the market and when milled in MN. I found out when TC was worried about a lawsuit they had just brokered out the milling to S States to expand their market. How could I know they changed their millers?

BUT had I known that I would have switched immediately, because when I first started out with horses 22 years ago SStates sent the feed I used for my horses that turned out to be cattle feed in a horse feed bag. 5 bags...not just a few. Galloping horses all over the printed bag. I first thought they'd changed their formulation, but thought more about it at the 2nd feeding when I studied the tag. Cow Feed! They must have run out of cow feed bags and used horse feed bags and they wound up being delivered to me. Lucky no one died from fumoncin poisoning because I got on the phone asking questions before I gave them any more.

So...wonder why some horsemen like me are paranoid and painstaking about what they feed and who mills it? School of hard knocks. I swear we have to be part detective.

Pennfield is the only feed that I've used whose quality control is the best I've ever seen.

I truly hope that all horses exposed to the recalled product fare well.

[sid]

I would think (hope!) that Purina would have put an alert on their website.

But then, I've found that most horse feed companies who screw up lay silent for fear of lawsuits.

[Ghazzu]

Ghazzu,
Do you have the list of producers that are affected? After reading this, I have tried to email Purina(they're already closed for the day), but any info that you have would be appreciated.
thanks,

Lik I said, the rep told me there was a list of products.
The plants involved were, IIRC, in NY, PA, and NC.

[Chief2]

This was posted on the Equinesite BB today. Perhaps it will help?

Posted on Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 03:35 pm:
This is one of the message boards i found when I googled Purina recall horse. If you google and look around you'll get answers to some of your questions. Since Purina isn't putting info out for people it's kind of scattered.

Country Acres RECALL

1-800-227-8941. Phone number for Purina

Here is what I found out. There is a recall from products made @ the
Statesville, NC PLant that distributes to North and South Carolina and
parts of Southern VA.
Florida has 2 of its own plants in Florida.

To be sure look @ the bottom of your bag for a Date Code. If the Date
Code starts w/STA-it was made in Statesville. The time frame is from
11/17/07 to 2/1/08.

Products affected: Cournty Acres: Horse Sweet 10, and 12
Horse Pellets 10 & 12,

Equine Senior dated 1/5/08

Horse Chow 100 dat ed 11/3/07 & 12/10/07.

The woman @ the 800 number was very helpful, if you have questions she
said to call the above number or call your dealer. Purina sent out
notification to dealers that are carrying the product.

[apprider]

I called as well and the rep was, IMO, rude. It was like pulling teeth to get any information out of her. Turns out I do have some of the feed- Equine senior that I have been feeding to my 38 y.o. pony. It was manufactured in Harrisburg between Jan 1 2008 and February 8 2008. My dealer (Rick's saddle shop in Englishtown NJ) did not call me although I am a long time (30 years) customer. I am completely ticked with the way they are trying to sweep this under the rug and the way I found out.

[Equibrit]

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html
"Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungi in/on foods and feeds . They are probably the best known and most intensively researched mycotoxins in the world. Aflatoxins have been associated with various diseases , such as aflatoxicosis (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image9.html) , in livestock , domestic animals and humans throughout the world . The occurence of aflatoxins is influenced by certain environmental factors ; hence the extent of contamination will vary with geographic location , agricultural and agronomic practices, and the susceptibility of commodities to fungal invasion during preharvest , storage, and/or processing periods . Aflatoxins have received greater attention than any other mycotoxins because of their demonstrated potent carcinogenic effect (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image10.html) in susceptible laboratory animals and their acute toxicological effects in humans . As it is realized that absolute safety is never achieved , many countries have attempted to limit exposure to aflatoxins by imposing regulatory limits (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image11.html) on commodities intended for use as food and feed" .

[meaty ogre]

I find it super shady that their website has in bold red letters that they are NOT affected by the menu foods recall....
but absolutely no mention of the recall that IS affecting their products can be found anywhere.

Plenty of other mills have had recalls, nutrena included. But jeez, there's a way to handle things and this aint it.

[Equibrit]

Just found this on LI Equine BB

Purina recall Hi all this e-mail I just received from purina on the recalled feed I am waiting for a date of the product but I figured I would pass this on.
E_MAIL FROM PURINA REP.
Thank you for contacting us. The products listed below are being retrieved due to the potential for the presence of aflatoxin above acceptable levels. Aflatoxin can be harmful to horses. Please consult your veterinarian if you have horse health concerns. No confirmed aflatoxin-related horse health problems have been reported to date. This retrieval is being initiated as a precaution


Formula No. Item No. Description
56AT 0049098 Country Acres All Stock 14% Texture
56AZ 0051858 Country Acres All Stock 16% Texture
35EX 0048193 Country Acres Horse Complete 14
35DR 0041941 Country Acres Horse Pellet 10
35DS 0041940 Country Acres Horse Pellet 12
35DN 0041937 Country Acres Horse Sweet 10
35DP 0041943 Country Acres Horse Sweet 12
6514 0009876 Country Acres Layer 16%
3505 0034202 Complete Advantage
35G9 0001206 Equine Junior
35J9 0001209 Equine Senior
5501 0001403 Goat Chow
3531 0004984 Horse Chow 100
35CZ 0054628 Horseman’s Edge 10:10 TXT HF
35TK 0065331 Horseman’s Edge Complete 14
35Y5 0010610 Horseman’s Edge Pellet 10:6
35TG 0065244 Horseman’s Edge PLT 12:6 + Lys
35TP 0065356 Horseman’s Edge Sweet 14:6
35TM 0065354 Horseman’s Edge Sweet 12:6 + Lys
3516 0001187 Pure Pride 100
26WK 0047869 Sow & Pig Builder OTC 50
61S3 0057259 Start & Gro Sunfresh Recipe

[Texarkana]

Pennfield is the only feed that I've used whose quality control is the best I've ever seen.



Just to prove even the best quality control systems can have problems, I know Pennfield was involved in a big lawsuit/recall several years back. Which is probably why they have such a good quality control system now.

Sh*t happens... I don't necessarily blame a feed company for having a recall. But it's all in how the company handles the situation. Purina seems to have a really, really, really bad line of communication with their consumers when it comes to things like this.

Proof-- how many other feed companies have rumors of recalls circulating internet bulletin boards every other month?

[sspry]

In the not so distant past, one of the largest alpaca farms in the country lost over 100 animals and several hundred others were poisoned and affected from tainted feed. This was a Land o' Lakes Purina feed. It was really a tragic story.

[onthebit]

Unfortunately, if you look hard enough, just about every feed company has a black mark (or two, or three . . . ) on their record. Hubby works in large animal nutrition and has for 15 years and finds that in the end, most feed companies have pretty comparable safety records. The bottom line is mistakes happen and it doesn't matter what brand you feed. :no:

[Tory Relic]

Wow, thanks for the information. One of my horses went to the trainer's barn today and will be transitioned to her Purina feed from Nutrena feeds (which I don't feed either). I was glad to see Strategy (what she feeds) is not on the list. I have sent her the two posts that have the relevant information just in case she feeds other types of Purina feeds. My horse has a 50# bag of XTN and one of Safe Choice, so we have plenty of time to determine whether or not to keep her on those feeds or to change her to the Triple Crown instead (which is what I feed).

[JB]

Unfortunately, if you look hard enough, just about every feed company has a black mark (or two, or three . . . ) on their record. Hubby works in large animal nutrition and has for 15 years and finds that in the end, most feed companies have pretty comparable safety records. The bottom line is mistakes happen and it doesn't matter what brand you feed. :no:

True, manure happens. But when the company tries to hide the problems, even denies they are happening (yes, Purina denied for a long time the issues with the Statesville plant in NC), and does this repeatedly, that spells bad news. I don't like Purina products in general to begin with due to the non-fixed formulas of most products, so don't feed them at all, but things like this are just another nail in the coffin as far as I'm concerned.

[J Swan]

Geez - I so dislike it when companies don't just fess up and be aggressive about protecting clients and their animals. :mad:

Hope all the horses are ok. I can think of several feed manufacturers that have had problems - I don't know that Purina is any better or worse. We even had a big case here in which several horses suffered horrible deaths from contaminated feed - but it turned out one of the employees knew the feed was tainted and didn't say anything - he let it be packaged and leave the plant.

You just gotta wonder what people are thinking sometimes. (I guess they're not thinking?) :no:

[marta]

from the lots affected by teh recall. wonder how many we already fed...
i emailed Purina last night but have not heard from them yet.

[JB]

Hope all the horses are ok.
No, they are not :no: :( Several horses in NC, SC, and TN died from this.

[VentDependent]

Keep in mind that you can have aflatoxins after purchasing-like if you store the grain improperly, or you buy a big lot and it molds before you get to that last bag (but not moldy enough to notice by sight)

Not saying that happened here, it's just one reason why we should always smell and inspect EVERY FEEEDING of grain and hay.

[gabz]

OMG this is wretched.

I got through to Purina. It is product manufactured at these 3 plants:
Guilderland, NY; Harrisburg, PA; Statesville, NC
Feed tag codes are: GDL, HAR, STA

I did not bother to get a list of products. I see that there is a list above - but regardless - it's at the mfg plant!! Please contact your local dealer immediately
Purina Phone number is: 1-800-227-8941 It takes about 45 minutes to get through.

Essentially, west of Ohio, Tenn, Ky, Mississippi, should all be okay. But I am sure that all of use who use Purina are quite scared now.
What a terrible thing for horse owners. I'm so pissed. I have attended so many of their seminars about how they are testing this and have implemented all these safeguards, yada yada yada.
I have defended their product.

When I called my local feed store, a GOLD dealer - they had not received ANY word of the recall. I called them to tell them what I had learned.

[gabz]

I called as well and the rep was, IMO, rude. It was like pulling teeth to get any information out of her. Turns out I do have some of the feed- Equine senior that I have been feeding to my 38 y.o. pony. It was manufactured in Harrisburg between Jan 1 2008 and February 8 2008. My dealer (Rick's saddle shop in Englishtown NJ) did not call me although I am a long time (30 years) customer. I am completely ticked with the way they are trying to sweep this under the rug and the way I found out.

That's too bad you got a bad CS rep. The woman I spoke with, I explained how I would like to help other horse owners and post the info about which tag IDs... was helpful and told me which plants and what the tag code is for those plants.

I don't know why they don't put something like that on a recording... and the website. Simply list the products and tag codes.

[JB]

When I called my local feed store, a GOLD dealer - they had not received ANY word of the recall. I called them to tell them what I had learned.
Yep, and the opposite has happened to in the earlier stages - Gold dealers were learning of the issue and were being told by Purina that it was NOT an issue :mad:

[irishcas]

Here is the list I just got, sorry if it is duplicate, I didn't go back and read every post.

The date codes are as follows:

8 JAN 01 HAR ..(to).. 8 FEB 08 HAR

These feeds are from January 1, 2008 to February 8, 2008.

The feeds affected are from the Harrisburg PA plant.

1. Country Acres

2. Complete Advantage

3. Equine Adult, Equine Junior, Equine Senior

4. Horse Chow 100 and Horse Chow 200

5. Horseman Edge (almost all of them)

6. Pure Pride 100

**The rep suggested that any concerns about particular brands (like
horsemans edge) be discussed with your dealer. She was very helpful
and informative.

The rep was as disapointed as I was that there is no official list
posted and they have been flooded with calls. The rep said they had
asked that a list be posted somewhere to help avoid confusion. She
was very nice and said she would have even faxed the list. My fax is
out of order.

Also affected were some cattle finishing products and some deer
feeds. I only got the verbal list of horse feeds.

[Auventera Two]

I already feed beet pulp and the more I read about all the horse feed horrors, I am seriously considering giving them nothing but beet pulp, a few oats and hay. :( I've read about scares and recalls from every major brand out there. The Landmark feed rep in my area told me that Nutrena feeds have been extensively tested and not once did the tested nutrition totals ever add up to what the bag said.

I had recently switched to the Purina ration balancer because of this news about Nutrena but now I'm regretting that decision also.

[onthebit]

True, manure happens. But when the company tries to hide the problems, even denies they are happening (yes, Purina denied for a long time the issues with the Statesville plant in NC), and does this repeatedly, that spells bad news. I don't like Purina products in general to begin with due to the non-fixed formulas of most products, so don't feed them at all, but things like this are just another nail in the coffin as far as I'm concerned.

I think you missed my point JB. The point is that no matter what brand you feed you can't feel completely 'safe,' they have ALL had their problems. Clearly Purina has done a terrible job of handling this particular situation. I work with a local feed mill about an hour south of me and mostly avoid major brands, but in the end people make mistakes. It sucks but it happens.

[JB]

I think you missed my point JB. The point is that no matter what brand you feed you can't feel completely 'safe,' they have ALL had their problems. Clearly Purina has done a terrible job of handling this particular situation. I work with a local feed mill about an hour south of me and mostly avoid major brands, but in the end people make mistakes. It sucks but it happens.
Nope, I didn't miss your point at all :) I totally agree with you!

MY point is that when manure DOES happen, I want the company to be honest and upfront about it because it has the potential to KILL.

The longer they want to protect their integrity and deny it's occurring, the more distributors they don't tell or delay in telling (meaning more of the potentially tainted products get out the door and into mouths), the less I want to have anything to do with them.

[gabz]

I feed their goat chow... and many folks use the ALL STOCK for goats, cows, horses ... there are poultry feeds involved as well.

I didn't check my goat chow bag as I didn't realize this was cross-livestock feed problem.

AND... if Purina is telling the horse industry that they only manufacture horse feeds in certain plants and there is no cross manufacture - then it's obvious that the problem was in the raw materials -

[LisaW-B]

How would you know which of their plants your bag of feed came from? I don't see Purina Ultium mentioned, but now I'd like to find out where the Ultium that I buy is made.

[Larbear]

How would you know which of their plants your bag of feed came from? I don't see Purina Ultium mentioned, but now I'd like to find out where the Ultium that I buy is made.

Look on the bottom of the bag....the white strip that the stitching goes through. The date and plant location is stamped there. I'm freaked about the Ultium too....

[LisaW-B]

The bag has been thrown away, but I'll stop by my local feed store this weekend and read the bottom of one of the bags there to see where my feed comes from.

I know I've noticed -- as have other people here on COTH -- that Purina Ultium has had a different smell and consistency to it lately. It may mean nothing at all, but I'd like to know one way or the other.

I agree that bad things can happen to any company in any mill. The key is letting people know about it immediately, before animals get sick or die, and before the Internet rumor mill rolls full-speed ahead.

[Larbear]

I know I've noticed -- as have other people here on COTH -- that Purina Ultium has had a different smell and consistency to it lately. It may mean nothing at all, but I'd like to know one way or the other.


Mine never did....no different smell or consistency...still not feeling warm and fuzzy 'bout all this though :(

[Cloverbug]

Directly from the Purina Website.

Eastern U.S. Feed Product Retrieval
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC has implemented a voluntary product retrieval
of certain feeds manufactured between November 3, 2007 and February 8,
2008 at our Statesville, N.C., feed plant; between January 1, 2008 and February
8, 2008 at our Harrisburg, Penn., feed plant; and between January 1, 2008 and
March 10, 2008 at our Guilderland, N.Y. plant.
This voluntary retrieval was initiated due to the possible presence of aflatoxin
contamination above acceptable levels.
To date, we have received no confirmed aflatoxin-related animal health
complaints involving any of the retrieved products. Nevertheless, we have taken
such precautionary action as our utmost priority continues to be our customers
and the well-being of their animals.
All dealers who purchased any of the retrieved products directly from Land
O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC have been notified. These dealers are located in the
following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and
West Virginia.
Our investigation and product testing identified one ingredient of concern, which
originated from a single supplier. We have discontinued purchasing from this
supplier. Other feed companies that purchased from this supplier are facing a
similar situation.
For more information about specific products included in the retrieval, contact the
Statesville, N.C., Feed Plant at 704-924-5100 or the Harrisburg, Penn., Feed
Plant at 717-737-4581.

I'm not trying to defend Purina in this case but this can happen at any mill regardless if they are running strickly horse feed, other livestock feed or even fertilizer through which I realize both is dangerous. Alfatoxins are naturally occuring mycotoxin (meaning fungus poison) can be present in any grain. Mycotoxins can affect all livestock, humans, pets, and poultry. They test for them but there is ALWAYS that human error aspect present. In some cases these toxins cannot be seen by the naked eye and have no smell. Even through they will glow under a black light (that's usually the 1st step in check for the presence of alfatoxins). Environmental conditions can lead to an increase in mycotoxin levels in certian areas. What you should be checking with your feed company is if they are testing for Mycotoxins/Alfatoxins (the most researched of the mycotoxins) and what their quality assurance program is for mycotoxins.

[gabz]

Other feed companies that purchased from this supplier are facing a similar situation.


oh - isn't this going to be fun.... NOT:no:

[Renae]

Rochester Feed Weekly Newsletter
May 2

Your weekly Kibbles...

Recalled Feed


Recalled Feed

We recently received a fowarded email, and you may have too, stating that Purina recalled feed because of aflotoxin levels and that this info was never put out to the general public.

We would like to respond to this email and put all of you at ease.

We contacted St. Louis and Purina did pull feed out on the east coast. The feed was recalled from the dealers before it ever got to the customers. The Aflatoxins (a mold that Purina tests for in every batch of feed) was at a level that Purina does not allow. It was not at a toxic level, but it was to high for Purina standands. NO HORSES WERE SICK OR DIED. If Purina thought that some of the feed got in the food chain they would have called it back from the end customers (You). Purina has a batch number and codes on every bag, they know where every bags goes. When there is a recall we have to send back every bag.

Purina did not inform the general public because this was not a country wide issue and none of the feed ever reached the general public or their horses.

Just so you know every region of the country gets their Purina horse feed mixed at different plants so what happens in one area does not necessarily happen in another area. All of Purinas horse feed mixing plants mix only horse feeds no cattle or other animal feeds so that none of the drugs in cattle, sheep, chicken, etc. feeds could ever have a chance of getting in the horse feed. Aflotoxins are a mold that can develop in corn when the plant receives a load of corn the entire semi is tested for molds if the levels are too high that entire semi is refused and sent on to another company or is used in cattle feeds where those levels are safe. There is a chance that in this situation by the end processing the levels between ingredients added up to be too high for Purinas standards, end result Purina pulled the feed from their dealers.

If any of you have any other questions regarding this issue or any at all feel free to contact us by email or phone 507-285-5547 and we will do our best to answer them.

Thank you,

Quick Links...
Purina Mills

Newsletter Archive

Related Topics

More About Us
Join our mailing list!


email: rochesterfeed@charterinternet.net
phone: 507-285-5547
web: http://rochesterfeed.com

[JB]

We contacted St. Louis and Purina did pull feed out on the east coast.
Yeah, weeks after horses died and owners were trying to find out why.

The feed was recalled from the dealers before it ever got to the customers.
Uhhhh, not.

NO HORSES WERE SICK OR DIED.
Bullhockey

Purina did not inform the general public because this was not a country wide issue and none of the feed ever reached the general public or their horses.
Wrong.

[Renae]

JB I am just posting what was in a newsletter from a friends feed store. I feed Purina feeds and my dealer gets them from the Harrisburg plant and I have had no problems.

[JB]

JB I am just posting what was in a newsletter from a friends feed store. I feed Purina feeds and my dealer gets them from the Harrisburg plant and I have had no problems.

Yes, I knew you were :) Just pointing out some issues with the letter :)

[Renae]

And this is in a link right on the front page of the Purina Mills website http://www.purinamills.com/

"Eastern U.S. Feed Product Retrieval

....This voluntary retrieval was initiated due to the possible presence of aflatoxin
contamination above acceptable levels.
To date, we have received no confirmed aflatoxin-related animal health
complaints involving any of the retrieved products. Nevertheless, we have taken
such precautionary action as our utmost priority continues to be our customers
and the well-being of their animals."

I believe someone else posted this already, but it jives with what Rochester Feed put in their newsletter.

[Cloverbug]

JB I am just posting what was in a newsletter from a friends feed store. I feed Purina feeds and my dealer gets them from the Harrisburg plant and I have had no problems.

Ditto that. I spoke with the feed dealer and they said that they never received any feed with those numbers.

[gabz]

Yeah, weeks after horses died and owners were trying to find out why.


Uhhhh, not.


Bullhockey


Wrong.

JB - do you have confirmed instances that horses died from the feed that Purina "retrieved" ???

[Larbear]

Directly from the Purina Website.

Eastern U.S. Feed Product Retrieval
.....Our investigation and product testing identified one ingredient of concern, which
originated from a single supplier. We have discontinued purchasing from this
supplier. Other feed companies that purchased from this supplier are facing a
similar situation.
For more information about specific products included in the retrieval, contact the
Statesville, N.C., Feed Plant at 704-924-5100 or the Harrisburg, Penn., Feed
Plant at 717-737-4581.

Ok, so what is the 'ingredient of concern'? Depending on the suspect ingredient, more feeds than what they have listed could be affected.

[Renae]

Ok, so what is the 'ingredient of concern'? Depending on the suspect ingredient, more feeds than what they have listed could be affected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin

"Crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).

The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed.

Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter contain minute quantities of aflatoxin,[2] but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level."

Just FYI.

[Cloverbug]

Mycotoxins can also be found in hays and forages.

[Equibrit]

Purina are really good at this toxin stuff! They killed 400 in Venezuela a few years ago. Wouldn't you think they may have learned something by now? They don't show favouritism either, they are equal opportunity killers; dogs, cats, horses, llamas; they don't care. It's not like they can't take steps to monitor their raw materials etc.


In Raw Agricultural Products :

Aflatoxins often occur in crops (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image7.html) in the field prior to harvest . Postharvest contamination can occur if crop drying is delayed and during storage of the crop if water is allowed to exceed critical values for the mold growth . Insect or rodent infestations facilitate mold invasion of some stored commodities.
Aflatoxins are detected occasionally in milk, cheese, corn, peanuts, cottonseed, nuts, almonds, figs, spices, and a variety of other foods and feeds . Milk, eggs, and meat products are sometimes contaminated because of the animal consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated feed . However, the commodities with the highest risk of aflatoxin contamination are corn, peanuts, and cottonseed.
In Processed Foods :

Corn (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image8.html) is probably the commodity of greatest worldwide concern , because it is grown in climates that are likely to have perennial contamination with aflatoxins and corn is the staple food of many countries . However, procedures used in the processing of corn help to reduce contamination of the resulting food product . This is because although aflatoxins are stable to moderately stable in most food processes , they are unstable in processes such as those used in making tortillas that employ alkaline conditions or oxidizing steps . Aflatoxin-contaminated corn and cottonseed meal in dairy rations have resulted in aflatoxin M1 contaminated milk and milk products , including non-fat dry milk , cheese , and yogurt .

[VentDependent]

Mycotoxins can also be found in hays and forages.Mycotoxin means toxin produced by a fungus. So you can find mycotoxins in anything that will grow a fungus.

Also, I read in ...compendium? today that the initial horse deaths were attributed to BOTULISM on necropsy, not mycotoxin, and were not conclusively attributed to the feed.

[Ghazzu]

Purina are really good at this toxin stuff! They killed 400 in Venezuela a few years ago. Wouldn't you think they may have learned something by now?

Purina Venezuela is a different entity entirely than Purina Mills/ LOL in the US.

It is another division of Nestle/Purina.

[Equibrit]

That excuses them?

[Ghazzu]

That excuses them?

No, but then, why not blame them for the Agway monensin fiasco of some years back?

And while you're at it, pile on the farm owner who fumigated his bulk grain and poisoned his stock and his borders.

Don't let me slow the pace of your lynch mob.

[Equibrit]

Non sequetor comes to mind!

[Auventera Two]

I was just at the feed store tonight, and I asked about the Purina recall. They told me it's a big internet lie/rumor going around right now, and it is not true at all, there is no recall.

So........ :confused:

[4Martini]

What would be the symptoms of this that a horse who had eaten it would exhibit?

Thanks!

[Equibrit]

Aflatoxicosis and Animal Health

Aflatoxicosis (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image9.html) is primarily a hepatic disease . The susceptibility of individual animals to aflatoxins varies considerably depending on species, age, sex, and nutrition . In fact, aflatoxins cause liver damage, decreased milk and egg production, recurrent infection as a result of immunity suppression (eg. salmonellosis), in addition to embryo toxicity in animals consuming low dietary concentrations. While the young of a species are most susceptible, all ages are affected but in different degrees for different species. Clinical signs of aflatoxicosis in animals include gastrointestinal dysfunction, reduced reproductivity, reduced feed utilization and efficiency , anemia, and jaundice. Nursing animals may be affected as a result of the conversion of aflatoxin B1 to the metabolite aflatoxin M1 excreted in milk of dairy cattle.
The induction of cancer by aflatoxins has been extensively studied. Aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin M1, and aflatoxin G1 have been shown to cause various types of cancer in different animal species. However, only aflatoxin B1 is considered by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as having produced sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/image10.html) in experimental animals to be identified as a carcinogen.

You can read more here; http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html#Aflatoxicosis

[Ghazzu]

Non sequetor comes to mind!

Yours was first, m'dear.
Someone posted that Company A screwed up.
You jumped in and said, yeah, and they also screwed up in East Boggistan. And they still don't care!
I said, no, that's a different company--Company B.

You didn't seem to think that mattered.

Me, I think it points out that crap happens. To lots of companies. Doesn't mean I condone it.

And while I'm at it, it's "non sequitur". My Latin professor would expect me to correct that, and I owe him one. But that's another story.

[Equibrit]

Purina International Sites



North America


United States (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com'))
Canada (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.ca'))
Asia / Oceania / Africa


Australia (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.au'))
Hong Kong (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.hk'))
Israel (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.co.il'))
Japan (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.co.jp'))
New Zealand (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.co.nz'))
Singapore (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.sg'))
Taiwan (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.tw'))
Europe


Austria (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.at'))
Bulgaria (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.bg'))
Belgium (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.be'))
Croatia (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.hr'))
Czech Republic (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.cz'))
Finland (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.fi'))
France (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.fr'))
Germany (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.de'))
Greece (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.gr'))
Holland (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.nl'))
Hungary (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.hu'))
Italy (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.it'))
Poland (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.pl'))
Russia (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.ru'))
Sweden (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.se'))
Switzerland (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.ch'))
Ukraine (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.ua'))
United Kingdom (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.co.uk'))
Latin America


Argentina (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.ar'))
Brazil (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.br'))
Chile (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.cl'))
Colombia (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.co'))
Costa Rica (javascript:setCountry('http://purina.centroamerica.com'))
El Salvador (javascript:setCountry('http://purina.centroamerica.com'))
Guatamala (javascript:setCountry('http://purina.centroamerica.com'))
Mexico (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.mx'))
Nicaragua (javascript:setCountry('http://purina.centroamerica.com'))
Panama (javascript:setCountry('http://purina.centroamerica.com'))
Peru (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.pe'))
Venezuela (javascript:setCountry('http://www.purina.com.ve'))

[Ghazzu]

Purina International Sites



I'm not sure what you are attempting to prove by your cut and paste.

Ralston Purina, the original feed company founded by Mr. Danforth, split up years ago.
Purina Mills--the livestock division--in the US is now a subsidiary of Land O'Lakes.

Purina's pet food division was bought by Nestle, which operates under the name Nestle Purina in about 75 countries.

Two completely different corporations. Similar names, both with rights to the checkerboard logo.

[Equibrit]

I think you are getting confused. Never mind - as long as you remember where you left your teeth when you went to bed!

BOTH companies have the same bad habits when it comes to poisoning their customers. (equal opportunity killers)

[Cloverbug]

They do have it on their website. http://www.purinamills.com/
EASTERN U.S. FEED PRODUCT RETRIEVAL

[Ghazzu]

I think you are getting confused.Never mind - as long as you remember where you left your teeth when you went to bed!

Clear as a bell, sugar, bless your heart.
How 'bout you?


BOTH companies have the same bad habits when it comes to poisoning their customers. (equal opportunity killers)

Ah, so now you concede that they are different entities?

[clanter]

Two completely different corporations. Similar names, both with rights to the checkerboard logo.

To clarify some, just in case some wants to know, Land of the Lakes can not use the checkerboard logo on pet food, its rights of extend to Agriculture related uses only

"Licensed Products" shall mean any and all products and services primarily related to agriculture (whether the production of plant crops or animals and animal products) or for use for animals (whether or not owned for agricultural purposes) and the production of
animals.

"Licensed Products" shall, however, not include dog food, cat food, dog treats, cat treats, dog chew toys, cat chew toys, and any services relating to dogs and cats, any food for humans or any other product, service or business enterprise not included in the
scope of Licensed Products herein defined.

Licensed Products shall include dog and cat accessories. Licensed Products shall also include laboratory rations for dogs labeled and packaged in the style shown in Exhibit C. A product shall not be considered a Licensed Product it may be used in agriculture or for animals but is primarily employed in other areas.
http://www.secinfo.com/dsvRm.31a4.3f.htm

[Equibrit]

Ah, so now you concede that they are different entities?


I made no claim to the contrary. Confused again?

If you keep arguing with yourself you're going to disappear up your own orifice.

[Ghazzu]

I made no claim to the contrary. Confused again?

If you keep arguing with yourself you're going to disappear up your own orifice.

No need to bother when I can sit back and watch you doing it.

[Larbear]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin

"Crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).

The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed.

Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter contain minute quantities of aflatoxin,[2] but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level."

Just FYI.

Yes but, they said they identified one ingredient of concern. I would like to know what ingredient *they* are specifically looking at for this particular recall.

[Larbear]

I was just at the feed store tonight, and I asked about the Purina recall. They told me it's a big internet lie/rumor going around right now, and it is not true at all, there is no recall.

So........ :confused:

Damage control <shrug>? There's something posted on the Purina web site now about the recall.

[Chief2]

the only thing I found posted dates back to 4/2007. Where did you see the recent posting?

[Cloverbug]

the only thing I found posted dates back to 4/2007. Where did you see the recent posting?

http://www.purinamills.com/
click on EASTERN U.S. FEED PRODUCT RETRIEVAL at the bottom of the page.

[marta]

and said that the recall was a couple of weeks ago.
i didn't speak to them directly, BM did, and she apparently didn't inquire any further.
but the feedstore was aware of it.

and i still didn't get a response to my inquiry via purina website.

on the other hand, the legends folks responded within a couple of hours with a chart of NSC values for all of their feeds, both legends and triple crown, which i thought was rather quick and thorough.

[Cloverbug]

I spoke with both our local Purina Dealer (Knisley's Farm & Feed in Carlisle PA and Franklin Feed Supply in Chambersburg PA) since we buy from both yesterday and they were just notified about the recall yesterday morning. I also spoke with Purina Customer Service late yesterday afternoon and the lady I spoke with said that this is a new voluntary recall due to potiental for alfatoxins being present. They have not had any feed test positive for aflatoxin but the condions were present and felt it was in the best interest of the feed customer to issue a voluntary recall. I asked her what was the ingrendient affect and she did not know, but said most likely corn. She said they have notified the dealers that received feed from the batches that are in the recall. The customer service rep said that anyone who is unsure if their feed is under this recall should contact their dealer and the dealer will be able to tell you if they received feed under these batches. (We dump our feed in large containers and toss the bags so there was no way of knowing if our feed was included). When I spoke with the feed dealers they both said that they had not received feed (the kind we feed - equine senior and 10% pellet) from the batches under the voluntary recall. They both said that they move large quanities of horse feed and feed produced in Jan/Feb time frame would of been long gone through their store if they had received from those batches affected.

By this point we've beat this dead horse if Purina was in the right or wrong on how this was handled. Bottom line is if this scares you and you are uncomfortable continuing to feed Purina change the brand of feed you feed. If you think you have feed that maybe affected check the numbers, if you can't check your numbers contact the dealer where you purchased the feed. If you have questions talk directly with Purina Customer Service or your local dealer, don't go strickly by what you read on the internet because it may or it may not be correct.

[apprider]

Ditto that. I spoke with the feed dealer and they said that they never received any feed with those numbers.

Yeah, that's what my dealer initially said when I called, but I have bags with the recalled lot numbers in my barn.

[merrygoround]

Actually, the point I was aiming for was why all these second- and third-hand reports? Are they true, or merely rumor? There are a lot of Purina-haters out there, and it SEEMS as if all these reports are sort of shady and not-quite-"there".

Thank you for clarifying. I understood your point, and I agree with you. Too many too ready to do the stomp.

Purina has notably been in the forefront of those companies which are upfront. I also know they will NOT allow any company that formulates cow feeds formulate their equine feeds.

[marta]

and decided to ask about this recall. they said that it was in february(?) and that it was nothing confirmed but that it may have been due to corn contaminated w/ aflatoxins. but that the feed never actually tested positive for it.

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

Purina recalls horse feed in east


http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=45053&source=rss

Purina Recalling Horse Feed in the East
Date Posted: May 5, 2008
Last Updated: May 5, 2008

by Erin Ryder

Land O'Lakes Purina Feed has implemented a voluntary recall of some horse feed due to a possible excess of aflatoxin. According to a statement released by the company, no confirmed animal health complaints attributable to aflatoxins have been reported. Aflatoxins are a potent form of mycotoxins, which are secondary metabolites of molds.

The recalled feed was produced at: Purina's Statesville, N.C, plant between Nov. 3, 2007, and Feb. 8, 2008;
Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 1, 2008, and Feb. 8, 2008; and Guilderland, N.Y., Jan. 1, 2008, and March 10, 2008.

Feed dealers that received the recalled products have been notified by the company. This includes dealers in:

Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia

According to the company statement, the concern stems from a single ingredient, which originated with a specific supplier. That supplier is no longer being used by Purina. The statement noted that other feed companies that utilize this supplier might also be affected.

[sporthorsefilly]

Thanks for the post, I just called and Omolene and Born to Win were not included in the recall. Horse Chow 100 was! However, my dealer did not have any of the run that was recalled. Thank God, another bullet dodged!

Note: Born to Win is now called Nature Essentials

[JB]

Big long thread over in Horse Care :)

[YankeeLawyer]

I spoke to Purina directly about this last week as a feed some Purina products at my farm and became concerned after hearing rumors about a recall. They were very helpful and forthcoming about the situation. Note that the recall was voluntary; they were not required to do it, and are going above and beyond what the other companies similarly affected are doing (apparently other companies have been affected, but have elected not to do a recall or warn anyone).

[grabmaneandgo]

Does anyone know (or have a link to resources about) what the clinical signs of aflatoxosis are?

Our barn has traced our stock of Ultium and Equine Senior to a confirmed affected lot of feed. According to my Stable Manager, horses with mysterious illnesses presenting between Nov. 07 and present should be investigated.

Apparently, the test for affected horses requires a tissue sample. My horse's muscle tissue is currently under a microscope at U. Minnesota looking for PSSM/EPSM.

I've asked our Vet to inquire...but was wondering if anyone here has information about how afflicted horses might present.

[Equibrit]

check post #22 of this thread (link to aflatoxin information)

[Oldenburg Mom]

This may be a stupid question, but in most industries there is some sort of quality control—even in furniture and t-shirts! Wouldn't or shouldn't there be some sort of procedures about testing before a grain is added to their product? What about any quality control when the product is finished. Shouldn't it be tested? Or am I just being naive? I mean as a feed manufacturer, I think it might be highly unlikely they've never heard of mycotoxins.

What am I missing here? :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: :confused::confused:

[Equibrit]

Hey - that costs $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ !

Recent Methods of Analysis for Aflatoxins in Foods and Feeds



Sampling and Sample Preparation :

Sampling and sample preparation remain a considerable source of error in the analytical identification of aflatoxins. Thus, systematic approaches to sampling, sample preparation, and analysis are absolutely necessary to determine aflatoxins at the parts-per-billion level . In this regard, specific plans have been developed and tested rigorously for some commodities such as corn, peanuts, and tree nuts; sampling plans for some other commodities have been modeled after them. A common feature of all sampling plans is that the entire primary sample must be ground and mixed so that the analytical test portion has the same concentration of toxin as the original sample.
Solid-Phase Extraction :

All analytical procedures include three steps: extraction, purification, and determination. The most significant recent improvement in the purification step is the use of solid-phase extraction.
Test extracts are cleaned up before instrumental analysis(thin layer or liquid chromatography) to remove coextracted materials that often interfere with the determination of target analytes.
Thin-Layer Chromatography :

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) , also known as flat bed chromatography or planar chromatography is one of the most widely used separation techniques in aflatoxin analysis. Since 1990, it has been considered the AOAC official method and the method of choice to identify and quantitate aflatoxins at levels as low as 1 ng/g. The TLC method is also used to verify findings by newer, more rapid techniques .
Liquid Chromatography :

Liquid chromatography (LC) is similar to TLC in many respects, including analyte application, stationary phase, and mobile phase. Liguid chromatography and TLC complement each other. For an analyst to use TLC for preliminary work to optimize LC separation conditions is not unusual.
Liquid chromatography methods for the determination of aflatoxins in foods include normal-phase LC (NPLC), reversed-phase LC (RPLC) with pre- or before-column derivatization (BCD), RPLC followed by postcolumn derivatization (PCD), and RPLC with electrochemical detection.
Immunochemical Methods :

Thin layer chromatography and LC methods for determining aflatoxins in food are laborious and time consuming . Often, these techniques require knowledge and experience of chromatographic techniques to solve sepatation and and interference problems. Through advances in biotechnology, highly specific antibody-based tests are now commercially available that can identify and measure aflatoxins in food in less than 10 minutes. These tests are based on the affinities of the monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies for aflatoxins. The three types of immunochemical methods are radioimmunoassay (RIA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunoaffinity column assay (ICA).
Confirmation of Identities of the Aflatoxins :

Although analytical methods might consist of different extraction, clean-up, and quantitation steps, the results of the analyses by such methods should be similar when the methods are applied properly. Since the reliability of the quantitative data is not in question, the problem still to be solved is the confirmation of identity of the aflatoxins. The confirmation techniques used involve either chemical derivatization or mass spectrometry (MS).
Safety Issues in Handling Moldy Grains and Aflatoxins :

Safety is a key issue for scientists working in the aflatoxin area. Steps must be taken to minimize exposure to the toxins as well as to the producing microorganisms, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. A safety program should be established that meets the requirements of the Laboratory Standard of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (1990) and the guidelines of the National Institutes of Health (1981) covering use of chemical carcinogens .

[Cloverbug]

This may be a stupid question, but in most industries there is some sort of quality control—even in furniture and t-shirts! Wouldn't or shouldn't there be some sort of procedures about testing before a grain is added to their product? What about any quality control when the product is finished. Shouldn't it be tested? Or am I just being naive? I mean as a feed manufacturer, I think it might be highly unlikely they've never heard of mycotoxins.

What am I missing here? :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: :confused::confused:

Most feed mills test for mycotoxins in their raw materials. Whether it's with an in house lab or a private out of house lab. They will use the black light methods as a screening method and if there is a positive more testing is done to see if mycotoxin is present, which one, and to what degree. FDA has established guidelines for levels in livestock feed based on which toxin you are dealing with. http://www.isco.purdue.edu/feed/mycotoxins.htm

Regardless of how much testing is done there is always the human aspect that causes room for error. We don't like to hear that but unfortunately it happens. This can happen to any feed company, no company is exempt no matter what they say.

Look how many human food recalls there are a year. Needless to say recalls have become a fact of live for our food supply or livestock's food supply or our pet's food supply.

[alr90]

This weekend we realized our feeds (equine senior) had these weird white chunks in them, that looked like mold but they were like hard. That lead me to do a little research, and find out about this recall. We got all the numbers recalled and ALL of our feed was recalled. Im at Groton House Farm, and we have fed purina for over 5 yrs, and today we just switched to triple crown. I think this is absolutely disgusting the way purina is dealing with the situation, and I pray to god that no horses lives are taken because of their negligence.

[DLee]

So here's my Purina story, you guys tell me what you think. In Feb I bought some new bags of Strategy and brought it home. Fed it that night, nobody wanted to eat it (although they had been on it for quite sometime), finally did but were not thrilled with it. Four out of five horses colicked the next day. The feed was the ONLY common denominator. Had to have the vet out for two of them who were most severely affected. One was my pregnant mare who (thankfully) did not lose her foal.

I called Purina, they were good about gettting back to me, sent out a rep who took a sample, tested it and found 'nothing'. I guess (accoding to them) no other complaints from that feed batch. My vet from Hagyard is convinced it was the feed, Purina has said no. Now with this recall... I don't know what to think. I'd sure like it if they paid my vet bill.

[Equibrit]

Get an independent test done.

[Katy Watts]

ANY time, for ANY medical problem that coincides with a change in feed or hay, put a ziplock bag in the freezer and leave it there. Label with sampling date, and any batch number. Doesn't take any time, or cost anything, but you might learn a whole lot from it someday.
And if you give this sample to a company rep, save back half for independent testing. Even if you don't think you'll need it, throwing it away someday is far better than wondering what the problem was.

[DLee]

I no longer have the feed. :no: I did keep it for quite awhile, but when it looked like nothing was going to come of it I got rid of it. I considered getting it tested myself, but I figured the cost was going to be prohibitive to do the kind of testing required to find anything in there. Since none of my horses died, and I had a $250 vet bill or so, it was easier to pay the bill and never feed Purina again.

I honestly wracked my brain to think of anything else that could have caused the colics, but the feed was the only common factor.

[dalpal]

Well, my inital thought was.....whew, I don't use any Purina products....neither canine or equine...then I remembered that my alfalfa cubes are in fact Purina.

Okay, I know they aren't listed...but now I'm freaking out, just opened up a new bag today.....someone calm me down please. :yes:

[ACL]

Tonight I was feeding the 12 horses at our barn (all eat Equine Senior) and noticed that there were chunks of what looked like drywall and pieces of plastic in the Equine Senior. We returned the feed to our local Mass. co-op and picked up 4 new bags. I soon discovered that they too had the small white chunks in it and other pieces of ???. I came home and did some investigating on your forum found the following post. I wanted to re-post it as we have been buying this feed without any sort of recall notice from Purina or our feed store.

PURINA RECALLS HORSEFEEDS
> I think it is important for all horse owners to know that Purina has
> issued two massive recalls this month affecting almost their entire horse
> feed product line. This recall was not made available to the general
> public. Notices went to the dealers directly. On 4/9 they recalled 27
> equine products, including senior and the platformline. On 4/21 they
> recalled another 18 products. The problem is Aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are
> toxic and one of the most carcinogenic substances known. They can cause
> liver disfunction, immune suppression, and neurological difficulties.
> Please share this information with your horse keepingfriends. It seems
> that the only way this information is going to get out, is among
> ourselves.
Google these words and get a lot of web traffic on the subject; 'Purina
Horse feed recall 2008'.
Apparently it is not an announced recall but if you call the Purina
Number you get the info, like lots of people have done, including this
One below.
<http://WWW.miniatur ehorsetalk. Com/index. Php?showtopic= 92201>
http://www.miniatur ehorsetalk. Com/index. Php?showtopic= 92201

Essentially, those who are WEST of Ohio, Tenn, Ky, Mississippi, should all
be okay. Those who are in Ohio, Tenn, KY, Mississippi and states East of
there should all check their feed to be sure it isn't among the recall list.

This is the list of products, but only if from the GDL, HAR, STA plant

Formula No. - Item No. - Description
56AT - 0049098 - Country Acres All Stock 14% Texture
56AZ - 0051858 - Country Acres All Stock 16% Texture
35EX - 0048193 - Country Acres Horse Complete 14
35DR - 0041941 - Country Acres Horse Pellet 10
35DS - 0041940 - Country Acres Horse Pellet 12
35DN - 0041937 - Country Acres Horse Sweet 10
35DP - 0041943 - Country Acres Horse Sweet 12
6514 - 0009876 - Country Acres Layer 16%

3505 - 0034202 - Complete Advantage

35G9 - 0001206 - Equine Junior

35J9 - 0001209 - Equine Senior

5501 - 0001403 - Goat Chow

3531 - 0004984 - Horse Chow 100

35CZ - 0054628 - Horsemans Edge 10:10 TXT HF
35TK - 0065331 - Horsemans Edge Complete 14
35Y5 - 0010610 - Horsemans Edge Pellet 10:6
35TG - 0065244 - Horsemans Edge PLT 12:6 + Lys
35TP - 0065356 - Horsemans Edge Sweet 14:6
35TM - 0065354 - Horsemans Edge Sweet 12:6 + Lys

3516 - 0001187 - Pure Pride 100

26WK - 0047869 - Sow & Pig Builder OTC 50

61S3 - 0057259 - Start & Gro Sunfresh Recipe

[Mali]

Well, my inital thought was.....whew, I don't use any Purina products....neither canine or equine...then I remembered that my alfalfa cubes are in fact Purina.

Okay, I know they aren't listed...but now I'm freaking out, just opened up a new bag today.....someone calm me down please. :yes:

Well, since most (if not all) alfalfa cubes only have 1 ingredient (alfalfa), I most likely wouldn't be too concerned about it. I could be wrong, as I very rarely have a need for alfalfa cubes, but I'm just going on common sense with this one.

[Katy Watts]

Okay, I know they aren't listed...but now I'm freaking out, just opened up a new bag today.....someone calm me down please. :yes:

SLAP! SLAP! Snap out of it!
If you google 'aflatoxin ubiquitous' this is one of many sites.

http://www.answers.com/topic/aflatoxin?cat=health

"Aflatoxins are a major agricultural problem. Contamination can occur in the field, during harvest, or in storage and processing. Corn, rice, cottonseed, and peanuts are the major crops regularly displaying high levels of aflatoxin contamination. Since A. flavus and A. parasiticus are nearly ubiquitous in the natural environment, numerous other grain, legume, nut, and spice crops, as well as coffee and cocoa, have been reported to contain aflatoxins."

Aflatoxin is EVERYWHERE. You cannot run. You cannot hide. If you think by not buying Purina you will avoid this, you'd better give up anything with corn, rice peanuts, coffee and cocoa. Frankly, if coffee and cocoa shorten my life a few years, so be it. It was worth the ride.

[dalpal]

Well, since most (if not all) alfalfa cubes only have 1 ingredient (alfalfa), I most likely wouldn't be too concerned about it. I could be wrong, as I very rarely have a need for alfalfa cubes, but I'm just going on common sense with this one.


Thanks Mali....that's what I figured, but I'm always overly paranoid when it comes to the animals.

[RoseBud143]

OHH man i work at a purina dealer, i have asked about the recalls multiple times and each time they look at me like im crazy!! Not happy with it at al since i heef startegy, and have been thinking about doing a oat diet of some sort.... BUT

BUT heres is my point about 2 weeks ago i got 2 bags of strategy and they smelt like rotten sewage,,, nasty nasty bad, i even posted a thread about it.. i BITCHED about it to purina, they apologiezed and sent me a cupon for 2 new bags of feed, but have been continouslly skeptical now about feeding puring and hell is SELL it.. im ont in a good position and DO not like it at all... im feel ike im stuck up sit creek with out a paddle and dont know what to do... ;(

IT SUCKS.. im in FL

[Moderator 1]

We merged a few open threads about this recall here.

Thanks,
Mod 1

[ACL]

SLAP! SLAP! Snap out of it!
If you google 'aflatoxin ubiquitous' this is one of many sites.

http://www.answers.com/topic/aflatoxin?cat=health

"Aflatoxins are a major agricultural problem. Contamination can occur in the field, during harvest, or in storage and processing. Corn, rice, cottonseed, and peanuts are the major crops regularly displaying high levels of aflatoxin contamination. Since A. flavus and A. parasiticus are nearly ubiquitous in the natural environment, numerous other grain, legume, nut, and spice crops, as well as coffee and cocoa, have been reported to contain aflatoxins."

Aflatoxin is EVERYWHERE. You cannot run. You cannot hide. If you think by not buying Purina you will avoid this, you'd better give up anything with corn, rice peanuts, coffee and cocoa. Frankly, if coffee and cocoa shorten my life a few years, so be it. It was worth the ride.
But you may not want to live with pieces of plastic in your feed. We opened 8 bags of Senior and they all had junk in them. We returned them all to our feed store and will never feed Purina again. I know stuff happens but the fact that they don't have a public recall is horrendous. And I am ashamed to say that I never read the ingredients on a bag of Senior. Come to find out they are pathetically vague: "Grain Products, Corn Products", etc.

[gabz]

But you may not want to live with pieces of plastic in your feed. We opened 8 bags of Senior and they all had junk in them. We returned them all to our feed store and will never feed Purina again. I know stuff happens but the fact that they don't have a public recall is horrendous. And I am ashamed to say that I never read the ingredients on a bag of Senior. Come to find out they are pathetically vague: "Grain Products, Corn Products", etc.

Well - so far as the plastic pieces, it would have been more helpful to people on this forum if you had listed the code on the edge of your bag.

I had pieces of plastic in Wendalls Herbs... 2 different code buckets AND, in the huge replacement bucket they sent me too... so, I've chosen to not use THEIR products anymore.

[Oldenburg Mom]

Aflatoxin is EVERYWHERE. You cannot run. You cannot hide.

Ok. I promise I'm not trying to be confrontational here. PROMISE.

If cooking/roasting gets rid of them, if the beef and pork industries have been doing this for some time, why not just take the simple route and roast the grains? I would suggest that the answer to that question does indeed come from the accounting department(s).

There is, I think, a fundamental issue here that needs to be recognized. Purina, and almost all of the other feed manufacturers, are Incorporated. Blue Seal is owned by Muscatine Foods Corporation (privately owned.) Pennfield, also privately owned, is also incorporated. These companies, and (obviously) their directors, have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interests of stockholders, whether it be an exchange traded stock—like Nestle/Purina—or not.

Their primary focus is to make money. I'm not saying that's wrong...just saying they are going to look at their bottom line when making decisions. If it costs too much to get vits/mins from US/European markets, get 'em from China. Are they out to kill animals,...no. Of course not. BUT, let's face it, the majority of their market is bound for slaughter.

That doesn't mean their products are deadly. BUT, IMHO, it is not surprising when something like this happens, again, because their focus is actually on the bottom line, and has to be.

Just a few ideas to think about...

[Equibrit]

BUT, IMHO, it is not surprising when something like this happens, again, because their focus is actually on the bottom line, and has to be.

Just a few ideas to think about...

On the other hand - if your customers are not going to buy your products because of the inferior ingredients - then forget the bottom line 'cos you won't have one!

[YankeeLawyer]

I have not read through this thread because frankly I don't have time. But, I did contact Purina directly a couple of weeks ago about this issue and found them to be very forthcoming about it, and they answered all my questions. Do note that the "recall" was entirely voluntary on the part of Purina, they were not required to do anything but did what they thought was the most prudent course. Note, too, that apparently other manufacturers' feeds were affected by the one supplier in question, and not one of the other companies has done anything about it.

I personally have a lot more confidence in a company that is willing to publicly disclose a problem when it is discovered, and that takes the appropriate steps in response to a possible contamination situation, than one that remains silent and does nothing. And rather than speculate and foster rumors and hysteria on a public board, I think it is more productive to contact the company directly should you have any concerns, and to share information from informed sources. If you are not satisfied with a company's response, then by all means, continue to ask questions.

Omom -- the bottom line / make money theory reflects only one aspect of obligations to shareholders. Don't forget the Ford Pinto situation.

[ACL]

Well - so far as the plastic pieces, it would have been more helpful to people on this forum if you had listed the code on the edge of your bag.

I had pieces of plastic in Wendalls Herbs... 2 different code buckets AND, in the huge replacement bucket they sent me too... so, I've chosen to not use THEIR products anymore.
So sorry. The numbers on the side of the bag were 35J9 - 0001209 - Equine Senior and the plant was STA.

[YankeeLawyer]

So sorry. The numbers on the side of the bag were 35J9 - 0001209 - Equine Senior and the plant was STA.

Did you call Purina and report this?

[ACL]

Did you call Purina and report this?
We went to our dealer with a baggie full of plastic bits etc. and was assured that the Purina rep would be contacted immediately.

To my knowledge Purina never made a public recall. Only the dealers were alerted. This is what I find problematic. My goal in posting information on this site, which is something that I have never done, was to let people know what we had found in 8 bags of food. My goal was not "foster rumors and hysteria". I didn't want people's horses getting sick. That's all.

[YankeeLawyer]

To my knowledge Purina never made a public recall. Only the dealers were alerted. This is what I find problematic.

I completely agree, and that is precisely what prompted my call to them, as I think it is critical that such information be disseminated in a way reasonably likely to reach the end-user. That afternoon, the company posted a notice on its website about the situation.


My goal in posting information on this site, which is something that I have never done, was to let people know what we had found in 8 bags of food. My goal was not "foster rumors and hysteria". I didn't want people's horses getting sick. That's all.

Apologies for any confusion; I was not referring to your post, or posts like yours, based on firsthand information. I am talking about rumors that are not based on anything except what people may have heard thirdhand, and like a bad game of operator, often the pertinent info mutates -- which is precisely why it is in the best interests of both the company and the consumer to ensure that accurate and timely information is available.

[JB]

I have not read through this thread because frankly I don't have time. But, I did contact Purina directly a couple of weeks ago about this issue and found them to be very forthcoming about it, and they answered all my questions.
This seems to be a very common scenario when dealing with Purina on anything - many folks call and get no answer, the wrong answer, or the runaround, but some call and actually talk to someone who cares and is knowledgeable. Their left hand doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing half the time when it comes to public interactions.

I personally have a lot more confidence in a company that is willing to publicly disclose a problem when it is discovered, and that takes the appropriate steps in response to a possible contamination situation, than one that remains silent and does nothing.
Does it not bother you that it took SO long for Purina to do anything about it? For a good long while they were actively denying anything was wrong, even to their distributors.

[Oldenburg Mom]

On the other hand - if your customers are not going to buy your products because of the inferior ingredients - then forget the bottom line 'cos you won't have one!

EXACTLY. But I believe in these large corporations it is very much a balancing act...almost like actuarial tables. It appears they ask the question "How much can we do wrong before it affects our bottom line?"

[YankeeLawyer]

Does it not bother you that it took SO long for Purina to do anything about it? For a good long while they were actively denying anything was wrong, even to their distributors.

That would bother me if it were true, but my understanding is that feed dealers have been aware of this situation as early as January or February. As I said, I called because I did not think it was adequate or acceptable to only inform feed dealers, and told them as much, at length. They were very responsive to the points I made.

In this case, a major issue is that apparently nothing -- no regulation -- required the Company to do a recall under these circumstances. Given that, from the Company's perspective, arguably they went above and beyond what they were required to do (in my view, companies and consumers are best served by accurate and timely info, see above, but I can see the other argument), and now a lot of people are jumping on Purina, when apparently a number of other companies just have not bothered to tell anyone they have the same problem (which, IMO, is VERY scarey).

I think everything should be done to encourage companies to come forward immediately with this kind of information, and to make it available, on their websites at the very least, so that the end-users have access to it before any animals get sick. So yes, I am cautious about attacking the only company that made any effort in that direction.

[YankeeLawyer]

EXACTLY. But I believe in these large corporations it is very much a balancing act...almost like actuarial tables. It appears they ask the question "How much can we do wrong before it affects our bottom line?"

Rent Michael Clayton if you haven't seen it already.

[JB]

That would bother me if it were true, but my understanding is that feed dealers have been aware of this situation as early as January or February.
Yes, there were apparently *some* dealers who were made aware that early, you are right. But many weren't.

I think everything should be done to encourage companies to come forward immediately with this kind of information, and to make it available, on their websites at the very least, so that the end-users have access to it before any animals get sick. So yes, I am cautious about attacking the only company that made any effort in that direction.
You're right, that sort of encouragement should be made. I doubt though that Purina is the only company who has made any effort in making information publicly available in a timely manner. And for sure they are not the only ones who have delayed anything, voluntary or not. But that is the very reason why I'm super-picky about which, if any commercial feed product I will use.

[JB]

Rent Michael Clayton if you haven't seen it already.

Very very scary movie :no:

[YankeeLawyer]

You're right, that sort of encouragement should be made. I doubt though that Purina is the only company who has made any effort in making information publicly available in a timely manner. And for sure they are not the only ones who have delayed anything, voluntary or not. But that is the very reason why I'm super-picky about which, if any commercial feed product I will use.

My understanding is that there are other feeds from other manufacturers that went through one supplier in particular that was a source of the problem, yet none of the other manufacturers have taken any steps to disclose the information. That to me is really scary; we have feed from other manufacturers as well as Purina (though I use Purina's ration balancer for foals, which was not affected by the recall and with which I have not had any problem to date).

[JB]

Ghazzu indicated that Farnam Platform feeds were also due to be recalled from this, though I haven't seen anything public- yet. This would indicate an even worse procrastination about the issue from their standpoint. Not that I'd feed those feeds anyway - too low quality to begin with.

[YankeeLawyer]

I didn't even know that Farnam made feeds -- shows how good their PR is!

[Ladybug Hill]

I have never really been a Purina fan because the consistency of their product does not seem that great to me, but was using Strategy based on the recommendations of many breeders here and the convenience of the feed store that carries Purina products. Honestly, my horses were never that crazy about the product. My favorite yearling colicked twice in about a month period which is a rarity for me--she is on 24 hour turnout with free choice hay and grass. I ended up changing feed products. The horses seem to like it much better and she has picked up weight, enjoying her grain much more and has not colicked again. I have been able to cut her grain in half. Who knows if there was something actually wrong with the feed or not, but I doubt I will go back to Purina.

[YankeeLawyer]

I am happy with Purina's ration balancer for foals. I also feed Pennfield's feeds to my older youngsters, and am happy with those as well so far.

[lstevenson]

No, they are not :no: :( Several horses in NC, SC, and TN died from this.


JB - Is there any written proof of this?

[bpt]

I have been a grain dealer for over 15 years and have sold Pennfield, Manna Pro and for the for the last 8 years sold Brandts Mill out of Lebanon PA. I could tell you horror stories regarding the grain industry, but will try to keep this on the informative side. I was always unhappy with Purina, SS and all the other feeds because of the inconsistency in their products. Read the labels, I can't say enough about just that fact. When you see the terms : by products, midlings and the sort it could be anything that was left on the floor during milling. The dept of agriculture will allow this. Its the same in the human food chain. Big corporate chains have ways on cutting costs by using less than 100% quality grains to fill up the feed bag. I was told by a USDA agent that inconsistency in some of the bigger names mentioned are always a factor. My grain is checked by the USDA sometimes twice a year. They come and do analysis on the various types we carry. They ususally check to see if the product is meeting the values listed on the label. Brandts is always 100%. It all comes down to researching what you are feeding your animals. Just because its a big name doesn't mean its the best.

[Oldenburg Mom]

I have been a grain dealer for over 15 years and have sold Pennfield, Manna Pro and for the for the last 8 years sold Brandts Mill out of Lebanon PA. I could tell you horror stories regarding the grain industry, but will try to keep this on the informative side. I was always unhappy with Purina, SS and all the other feeds because of the inconsistency in their products. Read the labels, I can't say enough about just that fact. When you see the terms : by products, midlings and the sort it could be anything that was left on the floor during milling. The dept of agriculture will allow this. Its the same in the human food chain. Big corporate chains have ways on cutting costs by using less than 100% quality grains to fill up the feed bag. I was told by a USDA agent that inconsistency in some of the bigger names mentioned are always a factor. My grain is checked by the USDA sometimes twice a year. They come and do analysis on the various types we carry. They ususally check to see if the product is meeting the values listed on the label. Brandts is always 100%. It all comes down to researching what you are feeding your animals. Just because its a big name doesn't mean its the best.

Since I started working (Saturdays) in a feed store for a small manufacturer—probably similar to yours, bpt—the "inside" stories I've heard about the grain industry have convinced me never to go back to the large commercial feed producers. These stories come from the distributors of the feed ... not just disgruntled end-users. BTW, we had a long discussion of middlings a while ago, bpt ... here's the thread: http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=129469

[JB]

JB - Is there any written proof of this?

Sadly, I don't think so because the owners were not aware of the aflatoxin issue and never did any necropsy or anything, so it is entirely possible that what they are now claiming as death by aflatoxin was not that - no way to prove :( I do know there was one suspected of dying from this, but a necropsy proved it was botulism instead.

[TwoArabs]

So, if you don't get big brand feeds, what do you feed? My boys have been on Strategy for over a year now. One has developed a cough. I've had the vet out and he feels that it is airborne mold. He is 20 and never had this before.

[JB]

So, if you don't get big brand feeds, what do you feed?

Check over on Horse Care - there have been a few threads recently on "if you don't use commercial feeds, what do you use" or "if you don't feed grains, what do you use" :)