Costco Kirkland Signature Dog & Cat Dry Foods

[ashgate]

does anyone have info on the Costco store Kirkland Signature dog & Cat Foods... I have confirmed they are made by Diamond

[garypen]

My friend's dog, who is extremely healthy, happy, and full of energy, has only eaten Kirkland dry food for her entire 6 year life. I don't fully trust Diamond. But, otoh, she is living proof that Kirkland dry dog food, up until now, seems to be pretty good.

[nepeta]

Just recalled.  See Itchmo--

BREAKING NEWS: Costco Kirkland Brand and Lick Your Chops Recalls

Two recalls in one post:

American Nutrition is finally recalling their foods containing rice protein concentrate. The recall covers Costco’s Kirkland Signature Super Premium Canned Food, item # 38436, best buy dates of Aug. 21 08 to April 15 of 09.

UPDATE: The ingredient is listed as “rice flour”. Pet Connection has details on how Costco’s recall started.

Itchmo has learned that the recall covers two formulations sold in a single case:

    * Kirkland Signature Super Premium Chicken and Rice Canned food for Dogs
    * Kirkland Signature Super Premium Lamb and Rice Canned food for Dogs

[Cindy Nevarez]

Even though mine was 'Feb '09' it's in the garbage.

[Mary K]

Everyone, Shouldn't we be specially disposing of this stuff, or do you think that 100 years in the can on top/bottom of a land fill will be safe? How are others disposing the potentially contaminated dry and canned?

[Cindy Nevarez]

Truthfully, I don't know what is correct. Yesterday I simply threw my Kirkland cans in the garbage, figuring that opening them and emptying them (where?) would be worse. Seriously though...they will be sitting in some landfill somewhere for years to come.

[Mary K]

Well, maybe that is better than returning the stuff to the manufacturer and having them turn around and sell it to livestock companies! I'd rather eat the loss.
Perhaps we could all agree on a safe and manageable way to recycle it. In the beginning, I was going to suggest that people donate what their cats refused to eat (of the new selections they were trying out) (due to being finicky) to animal shelters. The shelters are hurting due to the recall-lots of their donated items had to be tossed, plus many people unable to deal with feeding their pets are now probably giving them up/dumping them. But now I don't want to risk those animals lives since we just can't be sure that food isn't still contaminated. All the more reason to help out the shelters, though, with premium foods.

[eternaljester81]

Will kibble burn? My parents have a burn pit at their house, and I'd thought about taking all my food there to dispose off.

[ally]

Seriously though...they will be sitting in some landfill somewhere for years to come.

But isn't that where the oh so erudite (*insert very sarcastic voice here*) FDA said they would be disposing of tainted food during their Congressional hearing on April 24th?  Pet Connection summarized it, where they quoted:

"what happens to all the recalled product and ingredients? The FDA says they will ensure they do not re-enter the food stream and are disposed of in accordance with state and federal law, whether in a landfill or by incineration."

Gee.  I wonder how long we'll ALL be feeling the ramifications of that decision?

[Cindy Nevarez]

I'm sure it will.

The guy (I forgot his name already) representing the tainted spinach company said at the hearing the other day when asked, that they incinerated it, and also photographed the process for documentation.

Why the pet food companies didn't do the same is just idiocy.

[Cindy Nevarez]

Sighhhh........

[garypen]

I'm sure that whatever leaches out of the landfills will be far less harmfull than our pets and livestock ingesting it. Unfortunately, it may lead to the death of whatever wildlife frequents these landfills for food. OTOH, it's usually rats and other vermin.

I have to wonder what impact it would have to air quality, if incinerated? Will the melamine fumes be dangerous. What about the standard by-products of combustion? We all know what that is doing to the environment.

It's a tough decision figuring out what is the best way to dispose of this crap.

[Cindy Nevarez]

Yeah, it is.

Plus, those types of incineraters that burn toxic stuff so hot that it turns everything to Carbon (they have that kind at a company in Newman, CA) must be super expensive. Who's gonna foot that bill? Likely us.

[ally]

I'm sure that whatever leaches out of the landfills will be far less harmfull than our pets and livestock ingesting it.

Agreed, Gary.  But how can anyone know for sure just what damage disposing of it in this way will do?
As you said, it's a tough decision however you view it & I honestly don't even pretend to have an answer.  The incineration/air quality problem potential you brought up is not fun to ponder either.  We are going to feel the ramifications of this recall (by we I mean human AND pets) in more ways and for a lot longer than anyone can even remotely guess.  What a legacy to leave future generations, eh?  *shakes head*

I'm still not past the article Goldy wrote over at the Daily Kos:  ""Salvaged" pet food: it's a cow eat cow world" where she states:

"according to a brochure provided by the Pet Food Institute, the same ruminant cannibalism prohibition holds true here.  Sorta.  In the U.S., salvage and distressed pet food may be repurposed for livestock feed, but must be labeled "Do Not Feed to Cattle or Other Ruminants" if it contains any mammalian protein at all.  That is, any mammalian protein except:

    * Milk products.
    * Gelatin.
    * Blood and blood products.
    * Pure pork or horse protein.
    * And inspected meat products of any type which have been cooked and offered for human food (such as "plate scrapings") and further heat processed for animal feed.

Yuck.  Who knew that in the U.S. your unfinished burger could make its way into cattle feed via salvage dog feed, and then back onto your plate in the form of another burger?  That type of dedication to recycling I can do without."

I'm not much of a red meat eater to begin with so reading that description made my stomach more than queasy.  I never realized it could be recycled that way.  Makes me wonder about other foods too.  'Course the entire pet food (and now most likely human food) debacle has been quite an eye opener.  It's probably been going on for years but wasn't something I ever gave much thought to.  Many folks will now rethink things with all this coming to light.

It makes me shudder to me toes every time I think about it.

[Cindy Nevarez]

I just now read this thing you posted to my husband. He said this is a common thing to do in China (he's traveled there quite a bit). Everything left over in all the restaurants is brought together and fed back to hog farms.

I hate to bring them up again...but there it is.....