The US Food and Drug Administration issues recalls for human foods and pet foods considered a health hazard. This week, three pet foods were recalled for potential salmonella contamination, and owners are encouraged to not feed these treats or raw foods to their pets.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, 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. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, contact your veterinarian.
Smokehouse Pet Products Inc. Limited Lots of “Beefy Munchies” Sold Regionally
Smokehouse Pet Products, Inc. of Sun Valley, California is recalling 4-oz bags of dog treats labeled as “Beefy Munchies,” because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
“Beefy Munchies” was distributed in Washington, Michigan, North Carolina, and Colorado through distributors selling to various retailers.
The product comes in a 4-oz bags marked with UPC 78565857957 and lot 449294 and with a best used by date of 10/25/19 stamped on the back.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The potential for contamination was noted after routine sampling and testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella in two 4-oz packages of “Beefy Munchies.”
Consumers who have purchased 4-oz packages of “Beefy Munchies” should discontinue use of the product and may return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Smokehouse Pet Products, Inc. at 1.877.699.7387, Monday through Friday 7am-3:30pm (PST).
Raws For Paws Turkey Pet Food
Raws for Paws of Minneapolis, MN is recalling approximately 4,000 pounds of its 5 lb. and 1 lb. chubs of Ground Turkey Pet Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
The recalled Ground Turkey Pet Food was distributed throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa directly to consumers and through online mail orders.
The recalled product is packaged into 1-pound and 5-pound sealed plastic tubes, also known as chubs. The chubs are packaged into regular Turkey Pet Food cases and Pet Food Combo Pack cases, which contain a variety of pet food products. The products in question have case codes of 9900008, 9900009, 9900014, and 9900015. The manufacture date of Turkey Pet Food cases is 10/12/2017, and the manufacture dates of Combo Pack cases are between 10/12/2017 and 2/2/2018.
Two illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The potential for contamination was noted after testing by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) revealed the presence of Salmonella in some packages of Turkey Pet Food.
Production of the product has been suspended while MDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
Consumers who have purchased Turkey Pet Food should discontinue the use of the product and contact Raws for Paws to determine if their product is subject to this recall and more information about disposal or return instructions. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 612.465.0372.
To see more facts about this recall, and the Outbreak of Salmonella Infections linked to this raw pet food, read the FDA public advisory here.
Redbarn Pet Products Issues Voluntary Recall of Dog Chews
With an extreme abundance of caution, and with the care and concern of pets top of mind, Redbarn Pet Products, LLC of Long Beach, CA is voluntarily recalling a single product, Redbarn’s 7-inch Bully Stick three pack, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. No illnesses, injuries or complaints have been reported.
The recalled products were distributed in pet specialty retail stores. Affected product comes in a 2.4 ounce, green plastic bag marked with an expiration date of 112120ABC stamped on the side. The product UPC is #7 85184 25105 8. You can see examples of the packaging here.
Redbarn takes the safety of pets and pet parents seriously. As company President Jeff Sutherland explained, “On 2/5/2018, we were notified by the Colorado Department of Agriculture that a single sample collected from a retail location detected Salmonella. At Redbarn, we test every product lot before it leaves our manufacturing plant. This lot code, expiry date 112120ABC, was tested both at our Redbarn lab and by a third-party testing facility. Those tests were negative for salmonella or pathogens. Despite not being able to replicate these test results or receiving any negative reports from customers regarding these chews, we feel the best course of action is to recall this lot code of the product and keep our customers safe”.
Consumers are encouraged to check the lot code to see if their product was affected. Pet owners who have this product matching this lot code in their homes are urged to discontinue use of the product. Consumers who purchased 7-inch Bully Stick multipacks with the affected lot code are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Again, no illnesses, injuries or complaints have been reported.
Family-owned Redbarn takes the safety of our product, pets, and customers as a number one concern. Redbarn employs an extensive Quality Assurance team that run over 400 safety tests on their products every week. Products like the 7-inch bully sticks are tested multiple times, for bacteria like Salmonella, coliforms and enteros. A product is declared safe to ship only after it tests negatively for these bacteria and other pathogens. As Sutherland explained “In issuing this voluntary recall, in conjunction with the FDA, we are standing by our core values of quality and integrity. At Redbarn, we do the right thing for our customers. That means that we hold ourselves to the highest safety and quality assurance standards and take all precautions to prevent situations like a recall from happening.”
Consumers with questions may contact the company via email at info@redbarninc.com or by phone at at 1.800.775.3849, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm (PST).
Ed. Note: Updated Feb. 12 with additional recall.
