A pet food company has expanded its voluntary recall of several dry food products after more than 70 dogs died and 80 more became ill, likely from ingesting deadly levels of a mold toxin, a said the Food and Drug Administration.
Midwestern Pet Foods Inc. of Evansville, Indiana, first issued a voluntary recall in late December after tests on certain products showed aflatoxin, produced by the mold, to exceed acceptable levels, the company said. FDA.
At that time, the FDA was alerted to reports that at least 28 dogs had died and eight more had become ill after consuming the recalled pet food.
The expanded recall, which the company announced on Monday, includes additional corn-based dry and cat food products that expire on or before July 9, 2022.
The FDA said in a statement that it is “issuing this advisory to educate the public about the potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins in Midwest Pet Food products that may still be on store shelves, online, or in homeowners’ homes. ‘animals”.
The products include Sportmix, Pro Pac Originals, Splash, Sportstrail and Nunn Better dry dog and cat food, which Midwestern Pet Foods produces in Oklahoma and distributes nationally to retail stores and online.
Retailers were instructed not to sell or give away the recalled products and to contact customers who had purchased the products, if possible.
“As a fourth generation family business, Midwestern Pet Foods has been committed to ensuring that our products are safe and nutritious for almost 100 years,” the company said in a statement. “Until recently, throughout our long history, we have never had a product recall.”
The company said it was extending the recall “out of caution.” The FDA said its investigation is ongoing and not all suspected cases of aflatoxin poisoning have been confirmed by lab tests.
Aflatoxin is produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and grains used as ingredients in pet foods, the FDA said. At high levels, the toxin can cause illness or death in pets, or cause liver damage without symptoms, the department said. The toxin, he says, can still be present even if there is no visible mold.
Signs of aflatoxin poisoning in a pet can include laziness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, or diarrhea, the FDA said.
Although no illness has been reported in humans or cats, and there is no evidence that pet owners who handle foods containing aflatoxin are at risk of poisoning, FDA has suggested that they wash their hands after handling their pet’s food.
