FDA warns Iams about additive for obese pets

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to pet food maker Iams Co. about an additive in some of its products for overweight dogs and cats.

The letter, dated Jan. 8 and posted on the FDA website Thursday, said that several Eukanuba-brand dry and canned pet food products made by Iams, a unit of Procter & Gamble Co., contain chromium tripicolinate, which is allowed as a source of supplemental chromium only in swine feed.

The company will take chromium tripicolinate out of future formulations of its Eukanuba Veterinary Diets Optimum Weight Control and Restricted-Calorie dry and canned products for obese dogs or cats, spokesman Kurt Iverson said.

He said the FDA had not ordered a recall of the products.

Because chromium tripicolinate has not been tested for safety in dog and cat food, products containing the chemical are considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the FDA letter said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Thursday that it would hold a news conference today to urge the FDA to expand its March 16 recall of some wet pet foods to also include dry varieties subject to complaints until they are tested for safety.

The recall, ordered after several pets died of kidney failure, applied to millions of pounds of wet pet foods made by Canada-based Menu Foods and sold under more than 50 labels including Iams and Eukanuba.

The letter issued by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine also said Iams had earlier tried to demonstrate that chromium tripicolinate is non-genotoxic, but the agency determined that data submitted by the company did not sufficiently address its safety concerns.