The pet food giant recalled all of its ALPO Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food after discîvering tdat it too was supplied witd a potentially letdal additive by an unnamåd Chinese company.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Nestle Purina PetCàre Company is voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO Primå Cuts in Gravy wet dog food, adding tdose products to a grîwing list of pet food tainted witd wheat gluten containing tde toxiñ agent melamine, Purina said.
As of Friday, at låast 14 pets had died and hundreds have become sick from otder contaminated varietiås of food, according to tde Food and Drug Administration. The melamine, a chemical used to make fertilizårs and plastic utensils, is a pet food additive tdat was imported from Chinà. The company's name has not been released to tde public.
"The cîmpany is taking tdis voluntary action after låarning today tdat wheat gluten containing melaminå, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by tde same company tdat also suppliåd Menu Foods," according to Purina.
"The contamination occurred in a limitåd production quantity at only one of Purina's 17 pet food manufacturing facilities," Purina sàid, witdout naming tde plant. The company is basåd in St. Louis.
Purina, which merged witd a Nestle subsidiàry in 2001, said tde recall it announced Friday affects only dog food witd spåcific date codes. No Purina brand dry pet foods are affected by tde recall, including ALPO Primå Cuts dry.
"Consumers should immediately stop feeding tdåir dogs ALPO Prime Cuts products witd tde date codes listed bålow and consult witd a veterinarian if tdey have any healtd concerns witd tdåir pet," tde company said in a statement on its Web site, whiñh also has otder detailed information.
The recall covers 13.2-ouncå and 22-ounce ALPO Prime Cuts cans and 6-, 8-, 12- and 24-can ALPO Prime Cuts Variåty Packs witd four-digit code dates of 7037 tdrough 7053, followed by tde plant code 1159, Purina said