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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/bluebuffalo204_07.html<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
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<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Press releases about
FDA Recalls [mailto:FDA-RECALLS-L@LIST.NIH.GOV] <b>On Behalf Of </b>FDA Recalls<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, April 27, 2007 3:53 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> FDA-RECALLS-L@LIST.NIH.GOV<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering
By American Nutrition Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Recall
-- Firm Press Release</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><br>
FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals
from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other
interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete
listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: <a
href="http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html">http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Blue
Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition
Inc. </span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contact:</span></strong><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
Consumer Inquiries:<br>
1-800-919-2833<br>
Media Inquiries:<br>
David Petrie<br>
1-203-762-9751<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'> -- Wilton, Connecticut, April 26, 2007- We at the Blue
Buffalo Company have just learned that American Nutrition Inc. (ANI), the
manufacturer of all our cans and biscuits, has been adding rice protein
concentrate to our can formulas without our knowledge and without our approval.
This is product tampering, and it apparently has been going on for some time.
The can formulas that we developed, and trusted them to produce, never
contained any rice protein concentrate. It appears that only an FDA
investigation of ANI's rice protein concentrate supplies forced them to reveal
this product tampering to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>While this
activity by ANI is in itself unlawful, the situation is further clouded by the
fact that ANI has been receiving rice protein concentrate from Wilber-Ellis,
some of which the FDA has determined to be contaminated with melamine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So while no
BLUE or Spa Select canned product has tested positive for the presence of
melamine, and there has been no reported illness due to any of our canned
products, we simply cannot be sure of what ANI has been including in our
formulas. For this reason, we have decided to remove all of our canned and
biscuit products from retail distribution. While this may seem to many to be a
major over-reaction, as other ANI customers will probably only recall the
products that tested positive for melamine, we see this as a matter of
integrity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We founded
Blue Buffalo on the principle of providing dogs and cats with the highest
quality and most nutritious food, and we will not sell any product that doesn't
meet this standard. And under these circumstances, we cannot say that any
products manufactured by ANI measure up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The obvious
question is "how could Blue Buffalo not know that ANI was putting rice
protein concentrate into our canned food?" The answer is we trusted them.
In business and in life, we all trust our partners to deal with us honestly.
When we buy produce from our local grocery store, we are trusting growers,
shippers and a series of handlers to have delivered a product that is safe and
nutritious for our family. If any one of these parties betrays our trust,
contaminated products can make their way to our dinner table. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>And while we
test for known toxins and contaminants, we don't test for protein sources, like
rice protein concentrate, especially when we did not formulate our products to
contain them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In the end,
this all comes down to an issue of integrity, and ANI has not been honest with
us and with the pet parents who buy our products. We will not put any product
made by ANI on the shelf, and are temporarily withdrawing an important part of
our business in order to be true to our pet parents. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We have
already started the process of identifying a can and biscuit manufacturer with
whom we can build a partnership based on trust. Once we have accomplished this,
BLUE and Spa Select cans and BLUE Health Bars will be reintroduced with the
high quality and superior nutrition that our brand stands for and that dogs and
cats deserve. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We have
informed our retail partners and the FDA about this action and will be
cooperating with them to complete this recall quickly. The specific product
involved includes all "BLUE" brand can dog foods, all "Spa
Select" brand can cat foods and all "BLUE Health Bar" treats. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Consumers
who have unused or partially used packages of any of these products should
return them to their place of purchase for a complete refund. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>All
"BLUE" dry natural food for dogs and "Spa Select" dry
natural foods for cats are not affected by this recall and are safe for
consumption. Should consumers have a specific question, they can call the
Company at 1-800-919-2833, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, to
receive more information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>#### <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FDA's
Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts Page: <a
href="http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html">http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>___________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thanks
for subscribing to the FDA Recalls list. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To
subscribe to or unsubscribe from this list, go to <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="https://list.nih.gov/archives/fda-recalls-l.html">https://list.nih.gov/archives/fda-recalls-l.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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