Firm can’t explain why recalled pet food may be fatal

WASHINGTON — The pet food linked to the deaths of 16 animals has shown no signs of contamination, the manufacturer says, and the company cannot explain why the cats and dog developed acute kidney failure and died.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Paul Henderson, the chief executive and president of Menu Foods, said Wednesday the company was looking at a single ingredient. He wouldn’t identify it, but the Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten.

“Our hypothesis is that it is that ingredient that in fact represents the highest probability as to the cause,” Henderson said. “But we have been unable to prove that through scientific information.”

The animal deaths have led to the recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food sold throughout North America under 95 brand names.

“This is a puzzling and troubling experience for everybody within this organization,” Henderson said in an interview from company headquarters in Streetsville, Ontario. “It is extremely disheartening that we haven’t been able to find the causative agent.”

There have been tests on 10 cats that died performed by an outside company for Menu Foods. The results show only that the cats died of acute kidney failure.

There have been widespread reports of kidney failure, some fatal, in pets that have eaten the recalled brands.