I tried to get answers to my previously posted questions regarding the aflatoxin contaminated mystery ingredient in livestock feeds recalled by Purina Mills. Specifically, I asked Purina:
1. Which ingredient it is they are talking about
2. Who the supplier is
3. What other companies might be facing the same problem (as indicated in Purina’s own statement)
4. Was any of this ingredient used in other feeds, such as dog food.
The first response I received said basically that Ralston Purina (makers of dog and cat foods) sold the part of the company that makes livestock feeds to Purina Mills and we don’t know nuffing about their recall. I was not satisfied with this response. (Shocking, I know.) So I wrote again, this time asking:
Do Ralston Purina (makers of dog and cat foods) and Purina Mills (makers of livestock feeds) share any ingredients, processing equipment, suppliers or storage facilities?
Clearly, this would be vital information with respect to trying to figure out if Purina’s dog and cat foods are 100% safe from the aflatoxin mystery ingredient in the Purina livestock feeds. And in the absence of any official response from the company stating that in fact, the dog and cat foods are safe, I’m trying the long way around to find my answers. Alas, the response I received to that query was the old We-can’t-tell-you-that’s-proprietary-information line we all became so fond of hearing during the 2007 pet food recalls.
So while I hoped to report that yes, Purina is answering questions and reassuring consumers their dog and cat foods are safe from the aflatoxin ingredient, I can not do so. I can only hope that just because Purina appears to be dodging the issue and engaging in the kind of deceptive non-responses consumers got so tired of last year, the pet foods really are safe.