Tainted foods have been blamed for the deaths of up to 100 dogs in the eastern United States.

According to Diamond, independent tests of more than 2,700 finished product samples confirmed that only Diamond Maintenance Dog and Diamond Premium Adult Dog foods with “best by” dates of April 3, April 4, April 5 and April 11, 2007, are potentially toxic. These products also have a capital “G” (a reference to the company’s Gaston, S.C., facility) in the 11th or 12th position of the date code on 18- and 55-pound bags, and in the ninth position on 4- and 8-pound bags.

Test results for all other products have shown them to be nontoxic.

As a precautionary measure, the lab also tested Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul and Premium Edge brands and confirmed that they were negative for aflatoxin. These brands were not included in the company’s Dec. 21 voluntary product recall, which affected all products containing corn produced at its Gaston, S.C., facility and distributed to 23 states in the eastern United States.

“This testing will help our customers better identify products affected,” said Mark Brinkmann, chief operations officer for Diamond Pet Foods.

Contrary to news reports implying that the company knowingly distributed tainted foods, Diamond said it had no indication that any finished products made at its Gaston facility contained toxic levels of aflatoxin.

Company officials said they had been testing incoming loads of corn to screen for the fungus that produces aflatoxin, but have since strengthened testing procedures on incoming shipments of corn and have began testing final products.

To answer customers’ questions about the recall, Diamond opened a toll-free customer information center at 866-214-6945. Open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, the center provides up-to-date information about diagnosing and treating pets that may be affected by the toxin.

“We want to make sure our customers receive complete assistance and get all their questions answered as quickly as possible,” Brinkmann said. “The Customer Information Center allows customers to speak directly to a veterinarian who can answer health-related questions and provide complete information about the products included in the recall. We’re committed to providing the most up-to-date information we receive, and will take aggressive steps to help our customers, retailers and distributors.”

Clinical signs of aflatoxin poisoning include loss of appetite, yellow whites of the eyes, yellow gums, yellow in the belly or areas where hair is very thin, severe and persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea, discolored urine or fever. Pets that exhibit any of these signs should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Brinkmann stressed that foods included in the original voluntary recall should be returned to retailers. For more information, visit www.diamondpet.com. [March 2006 PET AGE]