Costco, Diamond Pet Foods sued over contaminated dog food

I received this posting from the American Veterinary Medical Association. If you have been following the recall postings, you kinda knew this action would soon be following.

It is disturbing that there have been so many recalls on pet foods (dog, cat, small mammal and bird) lately and emphasizes that we must be sure of our sources, store the food properly and handle it safely. It really makes me wonder about some of the imported foods for humans that are on our grocery store shelves.as well. I hate to be a Debby Downer, but it doesn't take much of a stretch to surmise that many of these foreign countries do not follow sanitation and food preparation standards we have to meet in this country. Also how well can this massive amount of food be adequately inspected? I am sure many of you saw the expose on television where they showed that even supposedly organic foods raised in the US was coming from China. This was from a high end food store which charged premium prices for their goods. As the Latin phrase states, "Caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware).

Costco, Diamond Pet Foods sued over contaminated dog food

Posted by Neena Pellegrini

Costco and Diamond Pet Foods have been sued in connection with the dog-food Salmonella infantis outbreak in what is believed to be the first lawsuit against the Issaquah-based company and the pet-food processor.

Diamond has issued a massive recall of dog food made at its Gaston, S.C., plant after Salmonella was found at the facility. At least 15 people who had contact with the contaminated food or the animals who ate it have been sickened in nine states. Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a second Diamond plant, in Meta, Mo., is being investigated after a different strain -- Salmonella liverpool -- was found there.

The suit was filed this week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey by national food-safety law firm Pritzker Olsen on behalf of an infant who was hospitalized for three days after contracting Salmonella. The baby developed severe diarrhea, fever and loss of appetite, according to the complaint. The bacteria cultured from the child was the same rare type of Salmonella found in samples of contaminated kibble recalled by Diamond. Some of the recalled products were the Kirkland brand, Costco's private label store brand that is made by Diamond.

According to the suit, the baby's father had purchased one of the recalled varieties -- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken &Vegetables -- for the family dogs.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the bacteria spreads when people come into contact with the contaminated food or with an animal that has eaten the food.