Sunshine Mills Food Recall

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Mosby
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Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by Mosby » Mon May 16, 2022 8:00 pm

As an FYI. Attached is a notice I got about a dog food recall. Sportsman's Pride seems like the most recognizable name listed.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food ... ine-mills/

RayGubernat
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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by RayGubernat » Sun May 29, 2022 9:10 am

Just a heads up. The FDA action was a warning letter...NOT a recall.

The FDA has been known to be more than a little pushy and aggressive in its "enforcement" of CGMP's. In some cases the agency's interpretations of what exactly constitutes a "current good manufacturing practice" has varied significantly from enforcement officer to enforcement officer and from region to region. Just exactly what a "current good manufacturing practice" actually is, for a specific company, specific industry, specific product or process...can be relatively hard to pin down, and in a changing manufacturing world, may vary from company to company.

For example, a company like Nestle Purina has the financial resources to have the very latest and greatest in terms of manufacturing and process controls, but not every feed company has those kinds of resources. That does not mean their processes are flawed.

The other major federal agency regulating manufacturing, OSHA, has been known to recommend(and sometimes to insist on) procedural changes which conflict with CGMP's, which is a "no win" situation for manufacturer. Neither the FDA nor OSHA want to talk to one another or(heaven forbid) cede authority to each other, potentially creating nightmare scenarios for a manufacturer trying to satisfy both.

Been there.

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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by Mosby » Sun May 29, 2022 11:32 pm

Correct. I misread it. FWIW, I found sort of a summary of issues Sunshine Mills has had the last few years and for informational purposes, I am posting below.

Dated March 7, 2022, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to pet food manufacturer Sunshine Mills. This is the second Warning Sunshine Mills has received from FDA in 3 years (previous Warning dated June 25, 2019).

The 2019 FDA Warning to Sunshine Mills found this pet food manufacturer “failed to identify and implement preventive controls“. In this warning the FDA told Sunshine Mills they “failed to implement adequate preventive controls to ensure your inclusion of vitamin D did not result in a nutrient toxicity or deficiency“.

Since the 2019 FDA Warning, Sunshine Mills has had the following recalls:

8/26/2020 – Salmonella contamination.

9/3/2020 – Aflatoxin contamination.

10/8/2020 – Aflatoxin contamination.

6/4/21 – Salmonella contamination.

7/29/21 – Aflatoxin contamination.

As evidenced by the recalls, and stated in the 2022 Warning to Sunshine Mills – the FDA again found that this pet food manufacturer “failed to identify and implement preventive controls” just like in 2019. This time Sunshine Mills failed to prevent mycotoxin contamination and Salmonella in their pet foods.

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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by RayGubernat » Mon May 30, 2022 5:34 pm

Mosby wrote:
Sun May 29, 2022 11:32 pm
Correct. I misread it. FWIW, I found sort of a summary of issues Sunshine Mills has had the last few years and for informational purposes, I am posting below.

Dated March 7, 2022, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to pet food manufacturer Sunshine Mills. This is the second Warning Sunshine Mills has received from FDA in 3 years (previous Warning dated June 25, 2019).

The 2019 FDA Warning to Sunshine Mills found this pet food manufacturer “failed to identify and implement preventive controls“. In this warning the FDA told Sunshine Mills they “failed to implement adequate preventive controls to ensure your inclusion of vitamin D did not result in a nutrient toxicity or deficiency“.

Since the 2019 FDA Warning, Sunshine Mills has had the following recalls:

8/26/2020 – Salmonella contamination.

9/3/2020 – Aflatoxin contamination.

10/8/2020 – Aflatoxin contamination.

6/4/21 – Salmonella contamination.

7/29/21 – Aflatoxin contamination.

As evidenced by the recalls, and stated in the 2022 Warning to Sunshine Mills – the FDA again found that this pet food manufacturer “failed to identify and implement preventive controls” just like in 2019. This time Sunshine Mills failed to prevent mycotoxin contamination and Salmonella in their pet foods.

Sounds like a pile of nebulous bullshit to me. Vitamin D addition in dogfood?? What constitutes a nutrient deficiency and how much constitutes a toxicity risk? I suggest that the difference between the amount which will be a nutrient deficiency and the amount which poses a toxicity risk in Vitamin D is very likely a HUGE difference. So which is it? This kind of "bleep" happens all the time with government oversight that can get "overzealous". Funny thing is, they will NEVER tell you what is satisfactory, so you can never truly satisfy their appetite for jerking your chain.

Fact is dogfood companies tweak their formulas all the time with micro amounts of things, so they can advertise... new and improved and such. Typically, the amounts of these ingredients are tiny , and nutritionally inconsequential.

Oh and whom do you think discovered the contaminations that resulted in recalls. Betcha a dollar it WASN'T the FDA. Betcha the company's release testing of the recalled batches was within specifications, because, if it wasn't, they could not release it for sale. Betcha the company initiated the recalls after being informed by their grain suppliers of high contaminant results. Grain suppliers have the responsibility to assure that the product they sell is within limits for various contaminants, but stuff happens.

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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by Mosby » Mon May 30, 2022 8:48 pm

My Jif Peanut Butter just got recalled. I had eaten half a jar before I found out, with no ill affects. Had to throw the opened an another unopened jar away. When they put Jif back on the shelf, I'll likely buy it again. I don't even know why I had to throw it out. I'm a Jif man but I am sure there are people that will skip to another brand because of it. Dog food is much the same and I know some people have strong opinions about dog food regardless.

I am not aware of any dogs getting sick or dying from Sportsman's Pride or the other Sunshine Mills products. I posted the information, just to let people know that it's out there and do with it what they will.

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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by RayGubernat » Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:52 am

Mosby -

Information is always good and good information is best.

I also wanted to alert folks that government regulators do in fact sometimes get carried away with themselves. I was in QC in the pharmaceutical industry for many years and saw some outstanding regulatory individuals and also, unfortunately saw some that were being deliberately obtuse and difficult because they had an agenda. I believe that in the majority of those cases, the agenda was not a personal one, but an agency sponsored effort.

I have also, unfortunately, watched two powerful regulatory agencies work at cross purposes to one another, putting the regulated manufacturer in the middle of a no-win situation and it ain't fun.

RayG

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Sharon
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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by Sharon » Wed Jun 01, 2022 2:41 pm

Interesting article to read someday when you are bored. :)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food ... splitting/
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by slistoe » Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:25 pm

Sharon wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 2:41 pm
Interesting article to read someday when you are bored. :)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food ... splitting/
Because items are listed in order of precooked weight it is also easy for them to say meat is the number one ingredient if you use raw meat instead of meat meal. Such as this one - "That’s why our Adult Dog Recipe is thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of adult dogs of all different sizes and breeds. Rich with 60%1quality animal ingredients like fresh Canadian chicken and raw flounder balanced with 40% fruit, vegetables & botanicals, this recipe provides the nutrition and animal protein your adult dog needs to live their best life." One would assume from this that 6 lbs of every 10 of the dog food is Chicken and Flounder - but since meats are 75% water, only 1.5 lbs is in the finished food along with the 4 lbs of dry vegetable matter, making the meat product 27% of the finished food. Were they to use meat meals instead of raw meat neither would come close to being the #1 ingredient in their food. Compare that with this food "Chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten," Where the meat product is in the list as a dry ingredient. With theorectical numbers, assuming minor ingredients of wheat gluten and below are 3% of the food we have 97% remaining. Give chicken fat 7% and split the other 3 equally and we find that we need at least 31% chicken meal to make it listed above the other two. If the two grains are not equally split that brings the amount of meat even higher in the feed.

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Garrison
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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by Garrison » Wed Jun 01, 2022 4:17 pm

slistoe wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:25 pm
Sharon wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 2:41 pm
Interesting article to read someday when you are bored. :)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food ... splitting/
Because items are listed in order of precooked weight it is also easy for them to say meat is the number one ingredient if you use raw meat instead of meat meal. Such as this one - "That’s why our Adult Dog Recipe is thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of adult dogs of all different sizes and breeds. Rich with 60%1quality animal ingredients like fresh Canadian chicken and raw flounder balanced with 40% fruit, vegetables & botanicals, this recipe provides the nutrition and animal protein your adult dog needs to live their best life." One would assume from this that 6 lbs of every 10 of the dog food is Chicken and Flounder - but since meats are 75% water, only 1.5 lbs is in the finished food along with the 4 lbs of dry vegetable matter, making the meat product 27% of the finished food. Were they to use meat meals instead of raw meat neither would come close to being the #1 ingredient in their food. Compare that with this food "Chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten," Where the meat product is in the list as a dry ingredient. With theorectical numbers, assuming minor ingredients of wheat gluten and below are 3% of the food we have 97% remaining. Give chicken fat 7% and split the other 3 equally and we find that we need at least 31% chicken meal to make it listed above the other two. If the two grains are not equally split that brings the amount of meat even higher in the feed.
Slistoe,
I hope for the sake of my personal comfort and misguided feelings, you are not feeding your fur baby that second food with disgustingly horrible by-product meal and corn! What are you thinking? Even if studies have shown they are more nutrient dense, have better digestibility, and have more complete nutritional profiles, it’s just gross.😉

Garrison

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/05/ ... -products/
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
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slistoe
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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by slistoe » Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:47 pm

Garrison wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 4:17 pm
slistoe wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:25 pm
Sharon wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 2:41 pm
Interesting article to read someday when you are bored. :)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food ... splitting/
Because items are listed in order of precooked weight it is also easy for them to say meat is the number one ingredient if you use raw meat instead of meat meal. Such as this one - "That’s why our Adult Dog Recipe is thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of adult dogs of all different sizes and breeds. Rich with 60%1quality animal ingredients like fresh Canadian chicken and raw flounder balanced with 40% fruit, vegetables & botanicals, this recipe provides the nutrition and animal protein your adult dog needs to live their best life." One would assume from this that 6 lbs of every 10 of the dog food is Chicken and Flounder - but since meats are 75% water, only 1.5 lbs is in the finished food along with the 4 lbs of dry vegetable matter, making the meat product 27% of the finished food. Were they to use meat meals instead of raw meat neither would come close to being the #1 ingredient in their food. Compare that with this food "Chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten," Where the meat product is in the list as a dry ingredient. With theorectical numbers, assuming minor ingredients of wheat gluten and below are 3% of the food we have 97% remaining. Give chicken fat 7% and split the other 3 equally and we find that we need at least 31% chicken meal to make it listed above the other two. If the two grains are not equally split that brings the amount of meat even higher in the feed.
Slistoe,
I hope for the sake of my personal comfort and misguided feelings, you are not feeding your fur baby that second food with disgustingly horrible by-product meal and corn! What are you thinking? Even if studies have shown they are more nutrient dense, have better digestibility, and have more complete nutritional profiles, it’s just gross.😉

Garrison

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/05/ ... -products/
If it doesn't have chicken by product meal and corn it isn't good for working dogs IMO!

mask
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Re: Sunshine Mills Food Recall

Post by mask » Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:10 pm

you guys are pretty funny at times. :lol:

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