Even if you're a cautious pet owner, you might not put too much thought into what exactly is in your dog or cat's daily meals. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that'll make you want to double-check. The FDA is alerting pet owners that a wide variety of pet foods made by Midwestern Pet Foods were found to contain fatal levels of aflatoxin, leading to the deaths of more than 70 dogs recently. The company recalled three products in question on Dec. 30, and expanded the recall on Jan. 11, adding nine more pet foods, made for dogs, cats, and even fish. Read on to find out more, and for another recall that could affect you, check out The FDA Just Issued a Warning About This Brand of Ice Cream.
In January, the FDA updated its warning to note they've received notice of at least 70 dogs dying and 80 getting sick due to certain varieties of potentially contaminated food manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. "Multiple product samples were tested by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and found to contain very high levels of aflatoxin," the FDA's report states. Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus that can grown on corn and similar grains used in pet food, and lead to potentially fatal poisoning.
According to the FDA, symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes or gums due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. At its worst, aflatoxin poisoning can be fatal, or may cause liver damage.
On Jan. 11, Midwestern Pet Foods expanded the recall to include "all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products" produced at the company's Chickasha, Oklahoma facility. "Those products may contain aflatoxin levels which exceed acceptable limits," the company notes
The FDA says, "Retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves. Do not sell or donate the recalled products."
Meanwhile, pet owners are warned to stop feeding the 12 kinds of food to their pets and to consult their veterinarian if their pets have eaten the food recently. The FDA advises owners to dispose of the items so that they can’t be eaten by other animals or children and to sanitize any pet feeding equipment you use for your animal.
Read on to find out which varieties are affected, and for more dangerous pet products, check out If You Feed Your Dog This, the FDA Says to Stop Immediately.
Read the original article on Best Life.
1 | Sportmix Energy Plus
Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. via FDAThe recall applies to 50 lb. bags and 44 lb. bags of Sportmix Energy Plus, with expiration dates on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and that have date/lot codes that include “05”.
Lot code information may be found on the back of pet food bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”.
2 | Sportmix Premium High Energy
Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. via FDAThe 50 lb. and the 44 lb. bags of Sportmix Premium High Energy, with expiration dates on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code, have also been recalled.
3 | Sportmix Original Cat
Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. via FDAIt's not only dog food you have to look out for. The recall also applies to 15 lb. and 31 lb. bags of Sportmix Original Cat food with expiration dates on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code Luckily, no cat illnesses or deaths have been reported yet.
4 | Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAThe 40 lb. bags of Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, with expiration dates on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and “05” in the date/lot code, have also been recalled.
5 | Pro Pac Performance Puppy
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAForty-pound bags of Pro Pac Performance Puppy food have also been recalled. Look out for an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code.
6 | Splash Fat Cat Fish Food
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAIn addition to cat and dog food, Midwestern Pet Foods also recalled the 50 lb. bags of its Splash Fat Cat Fish Food if the expiration date is on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and if it has an “05” in the date/lot code.
7 | Nunn Better Maintenance
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAThe recall includes 50 lb. bags of Nunn Better's dog food, also made by Midwestern, with an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code.
8 | Sportmix Maintenance
Midwestern Pet Food via FDABoth the 44 lb. and 50 lb. bags of Sportmix Premium Maintenance dog food have been recalled. Check your bag's expiration date and lot code to see if it's been affected by the recall: Any products with an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code are included.
9 | Sportmix High Protein
Midwestern Pet Food via FDASportmix's High Protein dog food, sold in 50 lb. bags, have been recalled. The potentially affected products have an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code.
10 | Sportmix Stamina
Midwestern Pet Food via FDABoth the 44 lb. and 50 lb. bags of Sportmix Stamina have been recalled if the product has an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code.
11 | Sportmix Bite Size
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAThe 40 lb. and 44 lb. bags of the Bite Size variety of Sportmix food have also been recalled. The potentially contaminated products are those with expiration dates on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code.
12 | Sportmix Premium Puppy
Midwestern Pet Food via FDAThe Sportmix Premium Puppy food is sold in both 16.5 lb. and 33 lb. bags. If yours has an expiration date on or before Jul. 9, 2022 and an “05” in the date/lot code, it's affected by the recall.
