So, MSNBC reported today (from the AP wire) that back in July, Wal-Mart pulled two different brands of dog jerky treats from the shelves. Testing is ongoing, but the treats were pulled because of an unspecified number of consumer complaints of pet illness associated with the consumption of the treats. The treats not only were pulled from the shelves, but the cash registers were programmed so that the packages could not be purchased (so if a package got put in the wrong aisle and a customer happened across it after wondering why they weren’t on the shelf, thinking how lucky they are to have the very last package, they could not leave the store with it). To me, this sounds like a pretty serious action over a few customer complaints.
I wonder how many complaints there were, or what they were, or why this was not reported to the FDA? Wal-mart chose to handle the investigation and action at the retail level on its own, or at least this is how the news report makes it sound.
If I were a pet food or pet treat manufacturer, this would make me very worried. Typically the manufacturer is responsible for investigating and handling complaints. These treats were imported from China, so maybe this was not a possibility, but what if it was a name brand dog food or dog treat made right here in the US? It seems the pet food recall has put enough pressure on retailers, or at least on this specific retailer, that they have decided to take matters into their own hands.
This points out the need for a centralized reporting system for pet food and pet treat problems or suspected problems. Although this sounds overwhelming, with the large number of treats and foods out there, it would greatly improve the ability of all parties involved to determine if there really is a problem and when the problem occurred (or what lot number it was associated with).
What do you think about this? Should retailers handle consumer complaints on their own, or should they forward them to the manufacturer or to some other source? How should they determine whether the complaints are valid? An example would be a complaint of diarrhea or vomiting – if the real story of the puppy eating a whole bag of treats or having a brand new kind of food without a transition were to come out, we would have a very simple medical explanation for the digestive upset and quickly can determine that absolutely nothing is wrong with the treat or food.
