TopCat3
08-03-2009, 10:01 AM
Many of you will remember that about 100 Australian cats were stricken with paralysis as a result of eating gamma irradiated Orijen cat kibble imported from Champion Petfoods in Canada.
Champion insisted all along they did not know their food was going to be irradiated. According to information posted on another pet forum this is not so. Documents obtained under the Australian Freedom of Information Act by a poster calling themselves "Public Informer" indicate that not only did they know about the irradiation,their Australian importer asked them for the agreement to irradiate which, in a space of about 5 working days, they gave. The company has gone on record as not doing enough due diligence to understand the requirements of the Australian market prior to coming here. They didn't leave themselves much time to do any, did they? For a company priding itself on the nutritional superiority of its food you would think they might have looked into it and uncovered the studies dating back to the 1960s that talk about nutrient depletion, notably vitamin A, in gamma irradiated foods.
As a result some 30 cats have been euthanised or died of seizures or internal organ complications. Some cats have virtually fully recovered, others only partially. My own cat remains lame in the hind legs and incontinent. She is showing improvement and general good health and her "cat-ness" has returned in a big way helped in no small part by the two new youngsters. She regained her voice (she was mute for quite some time - and she's a Siamese!) However it is pitiful to watch her dragging herself around by her front paws, her rear end swathed in nappies.
The company's failure to fully meet all veterinary and associated costs with rehabilitating the cats, or even answer queries about it and stay in contact, is a source of much grief, frustration and anger here.
The upheaval and sorrow in all of our lives is hard to convey in real terms, and all brought about by what is in my opinion, a failure to act responsibly in being in control of the integrity of a product from manufacturing plant to food bowl and a failure to step up to the plate and make full reparation.
Thankfully the Australian Government has now banned the gamma irradiation of cat food, thanks to heavy lobbying by owners, the RSPCA, and our wonderful veterinary neurologist Dr Georgina Child of Sydney University, who personally went to Canberra to meet with Quarantine and Biosecurity Australia. The manufacturer, ever on the look out for a chance to big-note themselves, are claiming to have played a key role in providing information to get the ban over the line. I now have a very good working rapport with Australian Quarantine and they tell me they did not have any communication either directly or indirectly with the company in relation to any research upon which the Minister relied in bringing down his decision.
I don't buy any commercial cat food whatsoever now. I buy them all human grade food and bake little biscuits myself. It was only ever a small part of her diet anyway, that's what is so sad. All she did was eat up her dinner like a good girl.
I am leaving no stone unturned in bringing everyone who played a part in this to account.
If you would like to view the documents that are now in the public domain please follow the links below:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahh0aa0/n/2_Orijen_irradiation_Docs_released_under_FOI_pdf
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99a/n/3_Formal_review_responses_to_questions_pdf
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99c/n/1_FOI_Application_procedural_docs_pdf
Thank you for your interest and support.
TC3
Champion insisted all along they did not know their food was going to be irradiated. According to information posted on another pet forum this is not so. Documents obtained under the Australian Freedom of Information Act by a poster calling themselves "Public Informer" indicate that not only did they know about the irradiation,their Australian importer asked them for the agreement to irradiate which, in a space of about 5 working days, they gave. The company has gone on record as not doing enough due diligence to understand the requirements of the Australian market prior to coming here. They didn't leave themselves much time to do any, did they? For a company priding itself on the nutritional superiority of its food you would think they might have looked into it and uncovered the studies dating back to the 1960s that talk about nutrient depletion, notably vitamin A, in gamma irradiated foods.
As a result some 30 cats have been euthanised or died of seizures or internal organ complications. Some cats have virtually fully recovered, others only partially. My own cat remains lame in the hind legs and incontinent. She is showing improvement and general good health and her "cat-ness" has returned in a big way helped in no small part by the two new youngsters. She regained her voice (she was mute for quite some time - and she's a Siamese!) However it is pitiful to watch her dragging herself around by her front paws, her rear end swathed in nappies.
The company's failure to fully meet all veterinary and associated costs with rehabilitating the cats, or even answer queries about it and stay in contact, is a source of much grief, frustration and anger here.
The upheaval and sorrow in all of our lives is hard to convey in real terms, and all brought about by what is in my opinion, a failure to act responsibly in being in control of the integrity of a product from manufacturing plant to food bowl and a failure to step up to the plate and make full reparation.
Thankfully the Australian Government has now banned the gamma irradiation of cat food, thanks to heavy lobbying by owners, the RSPCA, and our wonderful veterinary neurologist Dr Georgina Child of Sydney University, who personally went to Canberra to meet with Quarantine and Biosecurity Australia. The manufacturer, ever on the look out for a chance to big-note themselves, are claiming to have played a key role in providing information to get the ban over the line. I now have a very good working rapport with Australian Quarantine and they tell me they did not have any communication either directly or indirectly with the company in relation to any research upon which the Minister relied in bringing down his decision.
I don't buy any commercial cat food whatsoever now. I buy them all human grade food and bake little biscuits myself. It was only ever a small part of her diet anyway, that's what is so sad. All she did was eat up her dinner like a good girl.
I am leaving no stone unturned in bringing everyone who played a part in this to account.
If you would like to view the documents that are now in the public domain please follow the links below:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahh0aa0/n/2_Orijen_irradiation_Docs_released_under_FOI_pdf
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99a/n/3_Formal_review_responses_to_questions_pdf
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99c/n/1_FOI_Application_procedural_docs_pdf
Thank you for your interest and support.
TC3