Sent to Australian Government today

----- Original Message -----
From: TC
To: Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au ; annemaree.lonergan@csiro.au ; Martyn.Jeggo@csiro.au ; Peter.Daniels@csiro.au ; colin.grant@biosecurity.gov.au ; rob.delane@daff.gov.au ; peter.liehne@daff.gov.au ; robert.langlands@daff.gov.au ; graham.turner@daff.gov.au ; mark.cloney@daff.gov.au
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 2:23 PM
Subject: Irradiation of pet food - another death


Re: Gamma Irradiated Orijen affected cats - another death

Forwarding to Dr Georgina Child and posting on all known public pet forums internationally.

Good afternoon,

It must be natural for those of you dealing with your day to day business in a commercially viable and scientific manner to become disassociated to some extent with the emotional component of the fall-out of this whole debacle.

Due to the distress of the family involved it has taken a few days for them to respond to my request for permission to quote their posts on our forum to you all verbatim. I have now obtained that permission. Here is what the family had to say about their cat Tito's last few hours and demise:

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject: Poor sick Tito
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Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and extend my sympathies to all in this predicament.

My 13 y.o. grey and white moggie Tito has been sick with Orijen illness since early December. He has been in gradual decline since then and now appears to have levelled out at quadriplegia/incontinence BUT he can lift his head and eat and drink. He has been like this for about 3 weeks and I am almost at the end of my tether as the extensive care he needs is difficult to integrate into full time work, family with 2 kids and 2 dogs etc.

Despite the indignity, Tito seems quite happy in himself. He is an outside cat and insists on staying in his little crevice near the fence. To keep him dry during the recent rain I had to put an outdoor umbrella over him. I have not taken him to the vet because I don't want to upset him - he hates to be confined.

Because he would not eat any food adulterated with vitamins, milk thistle etc he was not getting any supplements until recently. Fortunately he will tolerate bovine colostrum tablets crushed in his food and I have today obtained transdermal glutiathone and methylcobalamin to see if they help at all.

My OH is of the view that Tito couldn't possibly recover from the muscle wasting and debilitation and we should have him PTS. I think that we should wait a bit longer because there have been hints of improvement lately such as he seems more alert, his appetite has definitely improved (up to 3 small meals a day from 2) and there are occasional twitches in his back legs (though they are still mostly stiff).

I suppose what I really want to know is whether any other cats of his vintage have made a recovery and if so, how long it took.


Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject:

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Hi again,

Sorry to report that Tito has gone rapidly downhill after eating breakfast on Saturday, that afternoon became unable to eat or drink and has not had any food or water since. When I try to syringe water into his mouth he gags as if he can't swallow.

Our usual vet is scheduled for a visit tomorrow (it's the soonest he could come) and we've cancelled our appt with Georgina as I doubt Tito will last that long.

I'm working from home today so I can keep trying to get some fluids into him, so far to no avail.

Fortunately he doesn't appear to be uncomfortable, but if he's still lingering tomorrow and the vet says he has no prospects, we will have him PTS. We love poor Tito but can't allow his suffering to continue any longer.



Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:46 am Post subject:

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Thank you all for your kind wishes. Tito is gone. The vet thinks it was probably kidney or liver failure. I suspect the kidneys because the urine in the nappy was very dark.

We will miss him so much. He was the calmest most placid cat who used to let my then 2 year old daughter carry him around without a scratch. I suppose that's why he coped so well with being sick. Our kids have known him all their lives. He is now buried in a spot where we are about to plant a lemon and a lime, right near our old dog Dolly.

When I start to regret not taking a more interventionist approach with his illness, I remember he would have hated that. Having been a feral kitten, he was a strictly outdoors only cat, and would panic if in the house, car etc.

Without Orijen we would have definitely had a few more good years with him.

I think that both Orijen and AQIS have a duty of care in this situation. Any indemnification of AQIS by Orijen is between them alone and would not prevent action being taken against AQIS.

Best of luck to all who are still nursing their sick ones. We will be thinking of you often.





Thank you for reading these posts and I hope they have reached your hearts and not just your minds.



Please, please, please place a ban on all further irradiation of pet food products. Cats in mixed cat/dog households just snacking a little from the dogs' Orijen without themselves ever having eaten cat Orijen, have been affected, so it's not enough to just ban cat food irradiation. And you don't know what it might be doing to dogs' kidneys, livers, brains just because there are no visible effects.

Please revisit my Government on Notice document and read the Public Citizen "Bad Taste" article by Mark Worth. It's a long article but rewards careful scrutiny. Concerns about gamma irradiation of foods have been swept aside for years.

The Cassidy et al. study shows that it has been known since the 1990s that cats fed irradiated diets can develop paralysis and die.

No one disputes the necessity for Australia's foreign-pathogen-free status to be maintained. If it's not good enough in the state it hits our shores, and the manufacturer won't comply with AQIS approved production protocols, send the stuff back.

We don't need it, we don't want it.

We have plenty of good fresh Australian produce and foods produced under approved conditions.


I make no apology for my passion. My cat is crippled as a result of eating this food. Someone/some several is/are responsible and we owners feel we are just in the middle as the hot potato is tossed around over our heads.

I am speaking to lawyers, I am speaking to media, we are speaking to activist and advocacy groups. This is gaining momentum and we will be recognised and vindicated and we will be fully recompensed for our financial losses if not for our emotional trauma.

This could have been avoided. That it was not is unforgiveable.

Thank you

T C

Hi all.

Above is a copy of an email written by the owner of a beautiful Blue Point Siamese cat affected by Orijen. This person is the instigator of our lobbying campaign to the Australian Government. We are asking for a full review of the Irradiation of Foods/Petfoods and labelling laws in Australia.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time cats in Australia have been affected in this way by consuming irradiated petfood. It has happened before in 2007 (the manufacturer covered it up and threatened litigation against anyone who spoke out) and it will happen again if we do not do anything about it.

I am calling for ALL CAT LOVERS to please help our campaign, by emailing your support for us to the recipients listed below, for the sake of all our feline friends. I believe that sitting back and letting this happen again is pure animal cruelty. Please help us in our bid to stop this cruelty once and for all. We owe this to our beautiful fluffy freinds that bring so much joy to our lives.

If irradiation of petfoods is banned in your country let the Australian Government know. If you feel with all the evidence that irradiating petfoods is cruelty to animals then let our Government know. PLEASE help us help our cats in Australia

The following is a list of the recipients of the email posted below.

Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au - The Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forrestry - Australian Government
annemaree.lonergan@csiro.au - Ms Annemaree Lonergan, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive - CSIRO
Martyn.Jeggo@csiro.au - Dr Martyn Jeggo, Director of the Australian Animal Health Laboratory - CSIRO
Peter.Daniels@csiro.au - Dr Peter Daniels, Assistant Director & Theme Leader Diagnosis, Surveillance & Response Australian Animal - CSIRO
colin.grant@biosecurity.gov.au - Dr. Colin Grant, Cheif Executive of Biosecurity Australia - Biosecurity Australia
rob.delane@daff.gov.au - Mr Rob Delane, Deputy Secretary & Executive director of Operations - AQIS
peter.liehne@daff.gov.au - Mr Peter Liehne, Branch Manager of Plant Quarantine & Biologicals - AQIS
robert.langlands@daff.gov.au - Mr Robert Langlands, National Manager, Cargo Management & Shipping - AQIS
graham.turner@daff.gov.au - Mr Graham Turner, General Manager, Compliance & Investigations branch - AQIS
mark.cloney@daff.gov.au - Dr Mark Cloney, National Manager, Quarantine Decision Support Branch - AQIS

In memory of the gorgeous Tito, Hunter, Jamba, Minka, Ollie, Robbie, Coco, Leo, Titus, Biscuit, Armani, Bobby and all the sweet little kitties that have so sadly left us for the rainbow bridge due to the ignorance of many. May they forever be at peace

With a sad heart I let you know that another of our beloved kitties has made the journey to the Rainbow bridge. Smokey had to leave his family, for now, losing his battle with this horrid illness caused by Orijen. Our prays are wiith his family and furry companion Ginger who is also affected.

Jo

DAFF Response to Government on Notice Irradiation of Food/ Pet Food

(Original was scanned into pdf file so copy-typed below for posting on forums.)

Dear Ms C……

Thank you for your correspondence of 16 January 2009 to the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry about the gamma irradiation of pet food. Minister Burke has asked me as Executive Manager, Quarantine Operations Division of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to reply on his behalf. I apologise for the delay in replying.

Australia is free of a number of animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, which have had major economic and environmental consequences for other countries, AQIS operates border quarantine activities with the aim of maintaining Australia’s favourable animal and plant health status.

Importers pet food products present a high risk as they may contain animal disease agents or pests that are exotic to Australia. To manage the risks posed by imported pet food, and a range of other products, AQIS is required under the Quarantine Act 1908 to regulate imports through a permit system.

Applications for import permits undergo a rigorous risk assessment by AQIS to evaluate potential quarantine risks and where such risks are identified, AQIS applies specific import conditions to manage these risks. In the case of imported pet food, heat treatment applied during manufacture is sufficient to inactivate exotic disease agents. In some instances, where the manufacturer’s processing is insufficient to meet standard heat treatment requirements, import permit applicants are offered further heat treatment of gamma radiation as a treatment option . AQIS does not compel the irradiation of imported pet food.

AQIS is required under the Quarantine Act to advise importers where it is believed that a treatment may affect quality of the imported product. To this end, AQIS advises all relevant import applicants to contact the treatment provider to obtain information on the effect any such treatment may have on their product. AQIS advised the importers of Orijen cat food in 2007 that they should seek advice on the possible effects if irradiation on their product, and only issued the import permit after the importer confirmed that they wished to proceed with irradiation.

Thank you for the information provided in your correspondence regarding the potential health impact of feeding of irradiated dry pet food in cats. AQIS’ powers to do not include the regulation of pet food safety. However, AQIS and Biosecurity Australia (BA) have considered this new information together with other scientific data and AQIS will be contacting import permit holders of pet foods to advise them of the findings of these studies.



The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) under which AQIS currently operates, has also liaised with the Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) during the development of a voluntary industry Code of Practice for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food. DAFF understands that this Code is intended to protect pets and consumers by controlling potential hazards to animal health that might be associated with pet food

Thank you again for bringing your concerns to my attention. I trust this information is of assistance.

If you have any further queries relating to this matter, please direct them to Dr Dennis Bittisnich, Manager, Biological imports program AQIS, who can be contacted on (02) 6272 3053 or be e-mail at dennis.bittisnich@aqis.gov.au

Yours sincerely


Tim Chapman
Executive Manager
Quarantine Operations Division
AQIS


PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS RESTRICTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE CROSS-POSTED (SEE BELOW)

This was the footnote on the covering email (standard Govt statement)

IMPORTANT - This message has been issued by The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The information transmitted is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain sensitive and/or legally privileged material. It is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects before opening or sending them on.

Any reproduction, publication, communication, re-transmission, disclosure, dissemination or other use of the information contained in this e-mail by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. The taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments. If you have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer want to receive a message such as this one advise the sender by return e-mail accordingly. Only e-mail correspondence which includes this footer, has been authorised by DAFF


Given that this is what my letter requested:
(EXTRACT)QUOTE:
By this letter addressed to the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry and copied to AQIS I am requesting:

1) That a full review be carried out, without delay, of the regulations governing gamma irradiation applied to ALL foods, including pet food and animal feedstuffs released onto the Australian market whether imported or Australian grown/manufactured, on the premise that if it can do this to our animals, it could also do this to us and our children.

2) That a review of ALL available data regarding the safety of this procedure, not just studies that support the status quo, be carried out without delay.

3) That these reviews be carried out by an independent body of food scientists, nutritionists, toxicologists and appropriately informed representatives of consumer groups rather than by members of food corporations or the nuclear industry both of whom have vested interests in the outcome.

4) That the legislation, which currently does not require clear and prominent labelling of certain foods as “IRRADIATED” when they have been thus treated, be immediately amended with fast passage through Federal Parliament so that it becomes mandatory, as soon as possible, for ALL irradiated human and animal foodstuffs in Australia including individual supermarket fruit and vegetable items held in lengthy storage to be labelled “IRRADIATED” together with full disclosure of the levels of radiation used.

5) That this labelling requirement be maintained in perpetuity in the Australian marketplace regardless of what Codex Alimentarius wants to have happen worldwide eventually.

Australian consumers deserve to be recognised as intelligent people with the right to make their own decisions with regard to whether they choose to eat or feed their children and pets irradiated, genetically-modified or nanotech-engineered food rather than having it foisted upon them with neither their knowledge nor consent. I firmly believe that all such unnatural processes carried out on foods whether in their country of origin or upon import to Australia should be clearly identified by prominent and unequivocal labelling. UNQUOTE



I feel the reply has fallen somewhat short of addressing these requests. Not to mention the preceding 7 pages of information vigorously challenging the AQIS 23 Dec Notice to Industry declaring irradiation of food/pet foods to be safe.

http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets...9/33-08-09.pdf

I invite your comments.

Thanks
TCM

Re Smokey,
Have today emailed the Minister, Biosecurity Australia, AQIS and CSIRO Animal Health Laboratory as follows:

Good afternoon,

An aggrieved owner has given me permission to directly quote his email to you regarding the death of his cat last Thursday following being struck down by full paralysis in November 2008. This cat was particularly badly affected, being rigidly spastic and having no volitional movement whatsoever. He has now died due to organ damage complications.

Hi T,

Smokey is gone... this morning found him, not breathing... can't function properly, I knew it was coming and yet...

Went to the vet, he has found that the thyroid was enlarged (he had thyroid problems and was on medication since the orijen seems to have done something). Also, he has tried to pass urine but for some reason couldn't and the quantity of urea in the blood was elevated - leading to seizures.

Last night he seemed a little more at peace - although he was somewhere else.

Am sorry - it's bad news

Regards,

B. B.



Whilst I have received a reply from Tim Chapman,Executive Manager, Quarantine Operations Division, on behalf of the Minister the Hon. Tony Burke M.P. to my letter of 16 January, I feel bound to say it falls far short of addressing the requests for full review of legislation around gamma irradiation and amendment of labelling laws in relation to pet food.

It is simply not enough to say that the safety of pet food is outside of the control of AQIS.

The safety of other people's children is outside of my control but watch what happens to me if a parent momentarily loses concentration outside a school and their child runs into the path of my oncoming car.

You, DAFF/ AQIS, maybe legislatively out of reach but you are socially out of touch and as morally liable for killing this cat (and some 20 others) as Champion and their importer are legally liable and shame on you for avoiding this issue by sanctimoniously hiding behind the goodness of the Quarantine Act of 1908, of which it is unnecessary to remind me since my disclaimer on the cover page of my submission explained that I am fully aware of and support it.

It is the methods used and the lack of duty of care (which you still have, regardless) and due diligence when the decision was taken, by whoever it was, to irradiate pet foods at a MINIMUM of 50kGy. In the USA, 50kGy is the MAXIMUM allowable. And a 40% tolerance level above this amount is - well - intolerable. I know of no other protocol, scientific or otherwise which allows for a 40% tolerance level. If you do, then please point me to it and I will stand corrected.

Glad no anaesthetist I've ever needed worked to that protocol.





T C

and I attached photo of Smokey as well.


All I get is read reports, but the pressure has to be kept up.


TCM

Thanks for all of the support it really means a lot. It is lovely to have people care about us from the other side of the world. Thank you.

Speaking of support or rather the lack of, I thought I would let you all know that one affected cat owner had emailed three questions to Champion in relation to the Compassion Fund. This person has now sent this email with three legitimate questions to Champion four times. Each time letting them know that they did not recieve a reply the last time. I have seen these emails and they are not rude at all so I can't see any reason why Champion should be ignoring this person, but for some reason they do. The amount of affected cat owners that have emailed Champion and get ignored is beyond belief. They keep stating how much they extend their deepest empathy for us and blah blah blah. Yet they can go to bed at night knowing they are ignoring the people they should be helping the most. Absolutely disgusting behaviour Champion. Then again there is no money for them in Australia now so why would they care

Somethings I don't understand here:

1. Could it be possible (and if so, I don't know why Orijen don't say as it would exonerate them) that the import authorities did not advise Orijen that their food would be irradiated to a far higher amount than human food.

2. Reading between the lines on the press statement on the UK website, it suggest the import authorities gave an amount which far exceeded that that was necessary. Why was it irradiated to such a high amount?

3. Or perhaps, Orijen's importer (not Orijen themselves) made this serious error

4. Or perhaps, no one really realised that the food would be irradiated to that level

I don't understand why, to be honest, Champion Food seem to be taking the whole blame - why not the importer or the import authorities?

Hi Deburs. I will do my best to answer your questions with what I have managed to find out.

1)Could it be possible (and if so, I don't know why Orijen don't say as it would exonerate them) that the import authorities did not advise Orijen that their food would be irradiated to a far higher amount than human food.

From conversing with AQIS themselves I do not believe this would be possible. There are forms that need to be signed when imported goods require further treatment. These forms will not only state what further treatment the goods require but at also what level. These forms need to be viewed, read and signed before any treatment will go ahead. They also state that the treatment will only render the goods safe for quarantine purposes only and that it is up to the importer/manufacturer to decide if the treatment will affect their product for its intended end use.

2. Reading between the lines on the press statement on the UK website, it suggest the import authorities gave an amount which far exceeded that that was necessary. Why was it irradiated to such a high amount?

I agree that the level was excessive. Unfortunately pet food in Australia is classified as a biological and not a food. IMO I believe the reason such a high level is applied is due to the poor ingredients many PFC's use in manufacturing pet foods. Many ingredients (not all) come from diseased and infected carcasses so the high levels are to keep Australia free from diseases such as mad cow, bird flu etc. and again this is all stated in paperwork that needs to be signed before treatment will proceed.

3. Or perhaps, Orijen's importer (not Orijen themselves) made this serious error

It seems that this may be the case, however the manufacturer is still liable for their product. It was Champions decision to leave their product in the hands of a very small time importer in Australia (and I do mean small time as it is almost impossible to find any info on this guy or his business). It is Champions responsibility to ensure the safety of their product from the time it leaves their factory to the time it reaches our cats bowl (something that Peter Muhlenfeld himself stated during a phone call to one affected cat owner). It was also Champions decision to continue to sell their product in Australia even after they say they found out it was being treated with irradiation. It is common knowledge that irradiation leaves food depleted of essential vitamins and minerals yet Champion where still happy to sell their nutritionally depleted and expensive product to us here in Australia. Champion advertise Orijen as biologically appropriate. They state on their website “After all, it is with our own dogs and cats in mind that we developed ORIJEN—a food that puts “nature” back into “natural” and nourishes all dogs and cats as Nature Intended.” Nature did not intend the use of gamma irradiation. Champion did not deliver what they advertised. This is where we believe that Champion are responsible for what happened to us in Australia. Their product, their responsibility.

4. Or perhaps, no one really realised that the food would be irradiated to that level

Please see answer to your first question. It is all stated in paperwork. It has also came to light that the irradiation facility offered to irradiate a small batch sample for free. This irradiated sample could than be tested before deciding if irradiation would affect their product. To the amaisement of the irradiation facility this offer was declined.


I don't understand why, to be honest, Champion Food seem to be taking the whole blame - why not the importer or the import authorities?

They should be taking the whole blame as it is their product. The importer is working for Champion therefore again it is Champions responsibility. The import authorities unfortunately get off the hook because of the paperwork that needs to be signed. This paperwork states that it is up to the importer/manufacturer to see if treatment will affect the goods for there end use and that AQIS &/or the irradiation facility do not take responsibility for any damages caused by treatment. AQIS's only job is to keep Australia safe from pests and diseases, Champion's job is to keep their product safe.

At the end of the day Champion petfoods did not do due diligence when entering the Australian market. They did not work closely with their importer nor did they choose a reliable importer. They did not act quickly when Australian vets found the link and they have not put in any effort when it comes to communicating with us, the affected cat owners in Australia. Our email are ignored and go unanswered, something to keep in mind should any other problems occur with their food further down the track. I will give them credit for taking some responsibility but they should be taking all of the responsibility.

All you have to ask yourself is if your beloved cat ended up with brain damage, spinal cord damage,spasticity or dead due to consuming a certain brand of cat food, who would you say is liable. Just like Champion are responsible for the way their product is manufactured they are also responsible for any further treatment their product requires to enter any other countries.

Sadly there are still some cats that are far from recovered. One owner told me today that their cat who was paralised from the neck down now has movement in her limbs but also has fits / seizures every day, you could only imagine how scary this would be for this owner. This has been a truly horrific time for all involved and this could have been avoided if Champion payed closer attention to their importer and the safety of their product.

An update

Yesterday there was an announcement that there would be a ban on irradiated cat food in Australia. Terrific news though it doesn't go far enough some cats were affected from sneaking a few kibble from a canine companions bowl. Irradiated food needs to be properly labelled so consumers can make an informed decision about what to take into there homes to feed to their families.

Cat-food irradiation banned as pet theory proved

And as for the wobbley cats, some seem to be recovering though this may be a very slow process and some are dying. We all just keep trudging on hoping our little ones have the strength to get through this. It has been 11mths for my husband and I since this nightmare started and there seems little likelihood it will be over anytime soon.

Stay vigilant and fingers crossed this will not happen to anyone elses pets.

Jo

ABC Radio National Breakfast Programme interviewed Dr Georgina Child on 2nd June:

Killer cat food - Radio National Breakfast - 2 June 2009

The RSPCA has placed a statement on their website with a link to Minister Burke for those that wish to add their support:

Cat food made safer | RSPCA Australia | For all creatures, great & small.