FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Fanklin, Tennessee -- September 12, 2008 -- Today,
Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its
Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled
because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotypeSchwarzengrund.
This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is
cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well,
especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.
Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor
themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare
occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including
arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation,
and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having
contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody
diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite,
fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms
and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed
the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your
veterinarian.

The company stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29, 2008 when
it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant
and two isolated cases of people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund.

Even though no direct link between product produced at Everson and human or
pet illness has been made, Mars Petcare US is taking precautionary action to
protect pets and their owners by announcing a voluntary recall of all
products produced at the Everson facility beginning February 18, 2008 until
July 29, 2008 when we stopped production.

The company is continuing to work collaboratively with the FDA to determine
the nature and source of Salmonella Schwarzengrund at the Everson facility.
Since it has not yet identified the source of the Salmonella Schwarzengrund
at the Everson facility, Mars Petcare US does not plan to resume production
out of a commitment to the safety of our pet owners and their pets,
customers, and associates.

The top priority of Mars Petcare US has always been and continues to be the
health and welfare of pets and their owners. Consumers can continue to have
confidence in the quality and safety of the products produced at other Mars
Petcare US facilities. Only those products which were produced at the
Everson facility are impacted by the voluntary recall.

Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at
multiple facilities. A chart for all products is below. For example,
PEDIGREE® is manufactured in numerous facilities throughout the country, and
Everson represents a very small portion of the manufacturing base - 2.7
percent of total PEDIGREE® production.

Mars Petcare US will work with retail customers to ensure that the recalled
products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or fed
to pets. In the event that consumers believe they have purchased products
affected by this voluntary recall, they should return the product to the
store where they purchased it for a full refund. Specific product details
and other information can be found at www.petcare.mars.com

Please find recalled pet food UPC information below.

The products listed below are made at our Everson facility on behalf of a
variety of retailers. All code dates, with the exception of PEDIGREE®, are
listed in a similar format as noted below:
Consumers should look for "17" as the first two digits of the second line.
Sample:
Best By Feb 18 09
17 1445 1

For PEDIGREE® the Everson code date format is as follows:

Consumers should look for "PAE" on the bottom line - the sixth, seventh and
eighth digits. Sample:
PEDIGREE ® Small Crunchy Bites
Best Before 02/2009
808G1PAE01 12:00

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family
members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate
pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet
food handling tips can be found at:
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/...ips080307.html

Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or
visit www.petcare.mars.com.

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Infection with the Salmonella bacteria produces an illness called
salmonellosis. According to the CDC, most infected people develop diarrhea,
fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours. The illness typically
lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. But,
for some, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized.
In these patients, the infection can spread from the intestines to the blood
stream, and then to other parts of the body, leading to death unless
antibiotics are administered promptly. The elderly, infants, and those with
impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Because dog food has such a long shelf life, there might be some of this dog
food still on shelves or in people's homes. As a precaution, take the
following steps to avoid possible salmonella contamination:

a.. Wash your hands right after you handle any dry dog food, any other pet
food, pet treats, even supplements or vitamins
b.. Keep infants and other young children away from pet food. Kids tend to
want to see what their dogs are eating and grab at the pet food and play
with it or even put it in their mouth.