WASHINGTON - The recall of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical expanded Thursday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Sunshine Mills Inc. is recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten. Testing has revealed the wheat gluten, a protein source, was contaminated with melamine, used to make plastics and other industrial products.
Also Thursday, Menu Foods of Mississauga, Ont. (TSX:MEW.UN), a major manufacturer of wet pet foods expanded its original recall to include a broader range of dates, the FDA said.
Menu Foods was the first of at least six companies to recall pet foods and treats made with the contaminated ingredient, which has killed pets.
Menu Foods spokesman Sam Bornstein said the expanded recall now dates back to Nov. 8 and involves an additional 20 products, none of which are available in Canada.
Bornstein said the expanded recall is a precautionary measure and that there have been no incidents or reports of illness associated with the earlier time period.
The FDA knows of no other pet product companies planning recalls, agency officials told reporters.
Sunshine, of Red Bay, Ala., sells pet foods and treats under its own brands as well as private labels sold by grocery, mass merchant and dollar stores, according to its website. A list of recalled products was not immediately available.
