Walmart Just Issued This Urgent Warning for Shoppers at Over 100 Stores
Find out about the serious health risk that could affect certain Walmart customers.
When you think about shopping at Walmart, odds are low prices and a wide selection of products come to mind. These stores are crucial hubs for those in search of weekly groceries, as well as bargain hunters looking to score the best deal. But if you frequent Walmart or even just stop in for necessities, you'll want to pay attention to a new warning from the retailer. Read on to find out what Walmart is urging customers to look out for—and what product you should ditch immediately.
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Walmart has already faced different food recalls this year.
In Walmart's grocery section, you can find pretty much anything you need. And unfortunately, with such a large inventory, some selections are bound to be duds—or even dangerous.
So far this year, Walmart has faced different recall announcements, the most recent of which was a large sweep of Jif peanut butter amid concerns it was contaminated with Salmonella. Also pulled from shelves were ready-to-eat (RTE) bacon topping products from Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. as a result of foreign matter contamination, and RTE deli meat due to underprocessing.
Now, Walmart has issued another recall warning. This time, it affects food for a specific member of your household—and it could make both of you very ill.
You won't want to feed this to your four-legged pal.
We all love our furry friends, and if you're a dog owner, odds are you treat them like a member of the family. When you've got dog food on your shopping list, you want to select the kind that will satisfy your pup, keeping them happy and healthy. One popular brand of food, however, is subject to a recall due to potential Salmonella contamination.
Walmart posted a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its website, outlining the voluntary recall of Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe. Recalled products are from one specific lot that had been marked for destruction, Freshpet said in the June 18 announcement. Before the lot could be destroyed, a portion was "inadvertently" shipped out to retailers over the last two weeks.
Recalled products were potentially shipped to 111 Walmart stores in Alabama and Georgia, according to a list provided by Walmart. Products may also have been sent to limited Target stores and "select retailers" in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
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The threat is not limited to your dog.
According to the recall announcement, your dog could become seriously ill if they eat food contaminated with Salmonella. Warning signs include lethargy, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and vomiting. Other dogs, however, might just have a smaller appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. You should contact your vet immediately if your dog ate the recalled food and is experiencing these symptoms.
But while the dog food is not meant for human consumption, there is still a risk of infection, the recall announcement said. Kids, elderly people, and those who are immunocompromised are at the highest risk, particularly if they don't wash their hands after handling the product or touching an exposed surface. Otherwise healthy dogs can also be carriers and not show symptoms, infecting you or other animals.
Signs of salmonella infection in humans are similar to those seen in dogs, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever, the announcement said. If you have any of these signs, contact your doctor immediately, the FDA warned, as this infection can lead to more serious conditions like endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, arterial infections, and urinary tract symptoms.
Here's how to check if your dog food is part of the recall.
The Freshpet Select recall only affects one lot of the Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe. Products were sold in 4.5-pound bags and labeled with a Sell by Date of 10/29/22 L3. Both that date and the Universal Product Code (UPC) are printed in the bottom right corner on the back of the bag.
You can also visit the Freshpet voluntary recall site to help you determine if your product is affected. When on the page, scroll down to "Get Started" and follow the prompts to request a reimbursement. If you find that you have a recalled product, immediately stop feeding it to your dog and dispose of it, the retailer said.
Freshpet noted that no other lots of this food, nor any other Freshpet products, were affected. There have been no reports of illness or adverse reactions related to the dog food, but consumers can report any symptoms by calling 1-800-285-0563 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
"The safety of pets and pet parents and the quality of our products are of the greatest importance, and we value the trust placed in Freshpet," the retailer said in the announcement.
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