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TORONTO - In a year that saw dozens of recalls of products made in China, perhaps none had people more up in arms than a wide-ranging and repeatedly expanding recall of pet food tainted with a deadly combination of chemicals.

In March, Menu Foods recalled about 60 million cans and pouches of its "cuts and gravy" style food, sold under 95 brand names after it received reports of kidney failure and death among dogs and cats.

The problem was eventually traced to wheat gluten contaminated with melamine, used in making plastics, from a Chinese supplier. It was a massive recall, the largest in the industry, but just one of many recalls in Canada in 2007 of products manufactured in China.

At the time, a company spokesman had said Menu Foods would "take responsibility" for any expenses people incurred if they could prove the tainted pet food sickened or killed their pet.

But any compensation is now stalled by ongoing legal action.

At least 100 class action suits were filed against the company, and mediation is now being handled by a court in New Jersey with an eye to reaching an all-encompassing resolution to the claims.

A court order prevents Menu Foods from communicating with unrepresented pet owners. That means that nine months after the recall, any pet owners waiting for the promised compensation for their dead pet or vet bills for a pet that fell ill will have to wait even longer.

A statement from the company said it could not comment at this time because of the mediation process.

In March, the company said it had confirmed only the deaths of 16 pets. Various pet and veterinary organizations had estimated the death toll could be in the thousands But the actual numbers appear to be much lower than that, though much higher than Menu Foods' original count.

The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians commissioned a voluntary survey of accredited and commercial laboratories and veterinary clinics across North America. It tied 347 cases of pet deaths and illnesses to the contaminated food.

Of those cases, 235 were cats and 112 were dogs ranging in age from two months to 19 years. The study found 61 per cent of the cats and 74 per cent of the dogs died. The rest were either ill or had recovered at the time of reporting.

Nearly all of those cases came from the U.S., but 27 cases were reported from Canada, 20 cats and seven dogs. Dr. Dalen Agnew of the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health at Michigan State University, one of the study's authors, called the results "a bit skewed."

"These are cases that made it all the way to a tertiary care facility and cases where owners wanted to go the extra mile," he said.

"I suspect that there are probably at least as many other cases where the owners never bothered to go any further, to work up a complete diagnosis, because it did require money and an investment of effort and time."

The study also found what the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph in Ontario had suggested, that melamine wasn't the only chemical responsible for sickening and killing pets. It was actually a combination of melamine and cyanuric acid, commonly used in swimming pools to stabilize chlorine.

"Melamine alone is not toxic and cyanuric acid alone is not toxic," Agnew said.

But when the two are mixed they form an insoluble crystal that obstructs the kidneys and causes renal failure, he said.

"You can dose cats with very, very, very high doses of melamine and there's not a problem. And you can dose cats with a very high level of cyanuric acid and there's no problem. But even at a low level if you mix the two, it can be fatal within days."

The team at Michigan State University wrote an abstract on their findings, along with the lab in Guelph, and is working more results into a full paper.

Though Menu Foods was not the only company whose products were recalled, the company took the hardest hit in both revenue and reputation.

Menu Foods Income Fund is still feeling the effects of the March 16 recall in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. It reported a loss of $19.3 million in the quarter. The company has cut staff and executives' salaries and has lost about 37 per cent of last year's business by volume.

Here is a list of major recall items aimed at children posted on the Health Canada since August.

• Kidzone Wrestling Figure: Surface paint on the toys contains excessive levels of lead. No reports of illness or injury in Canada. More than 5,700 were sold across Canada at various dollar stores from June to November 2007. Manufactured in China.
• The First Years 3 in 1 Flush & Sounds Potty: The surface paint on the Winnie the Pooh plaque on the potty trainer contains high levels of lead. No reports of illness in Canada. Approximately 123,000 plaques were used in potty training seats sold between November 2006 and May 2007. Plaques were made in China.
• DesignWare Confetti Bursts: Surface paint on the product contains lead in excess of allowable safe limit. No reports of illness or injury in Canada. More than 78,000 units were sold in the U.S. and Canada between December 2003 and September 2007. Manufactured in China.
• Crystal Innovations jewelry: The recalled metal jewelry contains high levels of lead. No reports of illness or injury in Canada. Almost 20,000 were sold in Canada from April 2006 to September 2007. Manufactured in China.
• Children's Umbrella With Yellow Duck-Shaped Handle: Yellow colour on the product contains lead in excess of allowable level. About 2,000 units were sold at Wal-Mart stores from January 2005 to Oct. 15, 2007. Made in China. No reports of illness or injury in Canada.
• Curious George Plush Dolls: Plush dolls with a plastic face. Surface paint on the face and construction hat contain excessive levels of lead. About 6,000 sold from December 2005 through August 2007. Made in China by Marvel Education Co. Imported by Grand Toys Ltd., Dorval, Que.
• Swimways "Skippy" Pool Toy: The elastic tongue of the fish can break and cut the users' hands during launching of the toy. Swimways has received 24 reports in the U.S. of the pool toy breaking during use. There were five reports of injuries including one requiring stitches to a child's hand. In Canada, there was one injury in Ontario where a child received a cut on his finger. No stitches were required. About 5,000 units were distributed to Wal-Mart stores in Canada, and sold from February through September. Made in China.
• Fisher-Price "Go Diego Go! Animal Rescue Boat" Toys: Surface paints on the recalled products contain lead. Fewer than 5,500 units were sold in various retail locations, including Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us and Sears from June to October. Announced by Mattel Canada Inc. as part of ongoing investigation to toys made by vendors in China.
• "Blooming Garden," "A Pirate's Life," "Princess in Training" Children's Furniture: Health Canada's testing demonstrates that some of the colours used on one of the products contain lead in excess of the allowable level. About 1,200 of these products were sold from Aug. 16 to Oct. 15. Made in China.
• "Pirates of the Caribbean" Medallion Squeeze Light With Leather Strap: Product was manufactured in China. Tests of the paint used on the leather strap showed a lead content in excess of the amount permitted by the Hazardous Products Act. About 10,500 units were sold in Canada between September 2006 and August 2007.
• Favor Set Brand Pencils: Health Canada tested and found the coating on the pencils of one model to contain a high amount of lead. Amscan recalled all 16 models of Favor Set brand pencils sold in various stores across Canada. Approximately 140,000 units are included in this recall. The pencils were manufactured in China. Sold since January 2007.
• Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and other children's toys: Fisher-Price recalled the toys because paints on the recalled products contain lead. There have been no consumer reports of injury in Canada. Approximately 42,000 units of the toys were sold in Canada from April 19, 2007 and July 6, 2007. Made in China.
• "Sarge" from the "CARS" die-cast vehicle assortment: Surface paints on the recalled toys contain lead in excess of allowable safe limits. Approximately 32,800 of the "Sarge" cars were sold in Canada from February to August 2007. Made in China.
• Polly Pocket and Doggie Day Care and various other toys: An expansion of an earlier Mattel recall issued in November 2006. The expanded recall is due to increased reports of small magnets separating from the toys. Approximately 890,000 units of the affected toys were sold across Canada and were manufactured from 2002 through Jan. 31, 2007. Made in China.
• Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Other Spinning Tops and Tin Pails: Surface paints on the wooden handles of the recalled products contain lead in excess of allowable safe limit. More than 2,000 units of the tops and pails were sold to Canadian retailers. Sold from April 1, 2001 to Nov. 25, 2002. Made in China.