Savage Cat Meals just lately made the next assertion, posted on their web site:
“Savage Pet was made conscious of 1 cat in Colorado who contracted extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), obtained sick and recovered. The cat proprietor contacted the retailer who notified us on January 30, 2025. Savage Pet contacted the Colorado State Veterinarian for verification however didn’t obtain a response till February 13, 2025. In the meantime, Colorado contacted the California Division of Meals and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Meals & Drug Administration (FDA) who contacted Savage Pet on February 11, 2025.
Up to now, the Colorado State College Laboratory has examined sealed packets of Savage Cat Meals utilizing PCR testing for HPAI. The PCR check outcomes are “not damaging” for lot quantity 11152026 (rooster packets). Two different lot codes have been examined and the outcomes have been damaging. The product with “not damaging” PCR outcomes has been despatched to the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for virus isolation testing. Virus isolation testing is at present the one laboratory check that determines if the DNA within the product is infective. We’re awaiting these check outcomes.
Savage Pet has all the time been devoted to the well being of its feline customers. All of our poultry substances are USDA inspected and handed. Our suppliers comply with the Nationwide Poultry Enchancment Plan and work below day by day USDA inspection. Savage Pet has adhered to Good Manufacturing Practices and sanitation normal working procedures for nearly 10 years.
As a precaution, we’ve got contacted each retailer who could have acquired the product with lot code/greatest purchase date of 11152026 which was manufactured and bought in Giant and Small Hen Packing containers in November 2024. Shoppers can cook dinner the packets in a sous vide at 165°F or return them to the retailer for a full refund.”
Savage Pet Meals additionally offers some Questions and Solutions for pet house owners, a number of we share beneath:
“Are you testing the ultimate product for H5N1?
There aren’t any FDA-approved meals commercially out there lab exams out there for H5N1/HPAI. We’ve got despatched inquiries to our laboratory companions to tell us when a meals check turns into out there.
What are the protection measures Savage Pet is taking to handle H5N1 of their merchandise?
The USDA is answerable for conserving H5N1 out of the provision chain by testing flocks and culling any flock with a fowl that exams optimistic. We supply solely USDA inspected and handed poultry slaughtered for human consumption.”
The Larger Image
TruthaboutPetFood.com has been knowledgeable by a number of events that the ONLY lab within the US that may verify energetic Avian Flu in a pet meals (or human meals) is the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratories, which is a part of the USDA.
We despatched this USDA laboratory the next questions…
- Does the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratories provide testing of pet meals samples for avian flu?
- I’m conscious you could have achieved testing for Oregon Division of Agriculture, however do you provide testing for the general public?
- I’ve been advised the FDA has instructed your lab to “don’t check” for pet meals firms or the general public, is that this right?
It took two makes an attempt, however lastly the USDA laboratory responded with:
“NVSL has carried out PCR testing on pet meals samples in collaboration with state public well being and animal well being departments.
NVSL primarily conducts testing for regulatory and surveillance functions in collaboration with state and federal companies.
The FDA has particular pointers and laws concerning the testing of pet meals and round any claims which will result in a recall.”
The absurdity of just one laboratory within the U.S. having the aptitude/testing methodology to substantiate energetic Extremely Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) is magnified when you realize that this pathogen has been within the U.S. for many years. In a 2015 report ready by the Congressional Analysis Companies (CRS) for Congress, “Prior HPAI outbreaks in the USA occurred in 1924, 1983, and 2004.“
Concerning the 2014/2015 outbreak, this CRS report acknowledged: “The U.S. poultry business is experiencing a extreme outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The U.S. Division of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 223 circumstances of HPAI in home flocks in 15 states.”
In many years of outbreaks of HPAI – why does solely ONE laboratory have the strategy to substantiate a meals is optimistic/infective for such a severe pathogen?
For many years, authorities authorities have achieved nothing to allow easy-accessible testing of pet meals/human meals for HPAI. Decade after decade, members of Congress have achieved nothing to require easy-accessible testing for the general public and meals industries. How can any meals producer guarantee their merchandise are secure in the event that they don’t have any entry to testing?
However there may be another factor within the greater image…
There are at present two pet meals (each uncooked) that regulatory authorities are claiming to have merchandise HPAI optimistic: Wild Coast and Savage. With a earlier (uncooked) pet meals – Northwest Naturals – regulatory additionally claimed the product was HPAI optimistic, nevertheless Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratory confirmed this pet meals was NOT contaminated with HPAI. All of those pet meals supply ONLY USDA inspected and handed meats; the identical meats from the identical meat suppliers that promote in your native grocery.
IF…and we should watch for the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratories testing of the just lately claimed optimistic merchandise for affirmation (as a result of they’re the ONLY lab that may do the affirmation testing)…if these merchandise check optimistic/infective for HPAI avian flu – because of this the human meals chain is probably going contaminated as nicely.
IF that situation performs out…will regulatory inform most people of the chance of their grocery, will meats within the grocery be recalled, or will they solely hyperlink the Avian Flu to (uncooked) pet meals – deceptive most people?
Time will inform.
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Writer Purchaser Beware, Co-Writer Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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