pet food recall – Green Acres Kennel Shop Blog

PET FOOD RECALL – Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Toppers™” and “Vital Essentials® Frozen Beef Chub Entrée for Dogs” Pet Food

Vital Essentials has just sent us an email to inform us that they have initiated a voluntary precautionary recall of two limited batches of Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Toppers™” and “Vital Essentials® Frozen Beef Chub Entrée for Dogs” Pet Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. They state “The potentially affected products can be identified by comparing the following lot numbers: “Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Toppers™” with “Lot #13815, Best By 6/4/19 & Best By 6/20/19” and “Vital Essentials Frozen Beef Chub Entrée for Dogs, 5 lb.” with “Lot #13816, Best By 12/27/18”.”

The company reports that the issue was discovered when product from a single batch was tested by the FDA for the presence of Salmonella. No other Vital Essentials products are subject to this voluntary recall.

Carnivore Meat Company, the manufacturer of Vital Essentials, has implemented new test and hold measures to bolster their efforts in delivering a consistent supply of dependable, ultra-premium food and treats for pets all across the world.

In the event you have any questions, please contact the Carnivore Meat Company at 920-370-6542.

This voluntary action has not yet been listed on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website – https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/

Freshly Ground Beef Patties Being Flash Frozen

I continue to feed Vital Essentials product to my dog because I have complete confidence in the company. I have had the opportunity to tour the facility where Vital Essentials is made and remain impressed with the processes they use to handle the meat to prevent contamination. If the FDA put as much emphasis on checking the meat at the supermarket as they do on the frozen pet food companies, we would be hearing about many more recalls.

PET FOOD RECALL – Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs, 1lbs package

Vital Essentials has just sent us an email to inform us that they have initiated a voluntary recall of a limited amount, 73 cases, of Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs in the 1lbs package. They state “The recall is being issued in an abundance of caution following the Michigan Department of Agriculture’s collection of a retail sample from a single batch which tested positive for Salmonella. No other Vital Essentials products are included in this recall. No illnesses in humans or pets have been reported.”

Affected products can be identified by following lot number: “Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs” with “Lot #13753”.

This voluntary action has not yet been listed on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website – https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/

PET FOOD RECALL – Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Ol’ Roy, and Skippy

< Updated 18FEB18 >

DogFoodAdvisor has reported that the J.M. Smucker Company is voluntarily withdrawing several canned dog food products because of a concern that these foods contain low levels of a euthanasia drug, pentobarbital. This begs the question, are euthanized animals being used as an ingredient in pet food, and if not, how does Smucker’s explain pentobarbital showing up in their food?

Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits. Ol’ Roy and Skippy are all brands affected by this recall. For more information on specific UPC codes, visit the following page at DogFoodAdvisor – https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/smucker-withdraws-multiple-dog-food-brands/

This voluntary action has now been listed on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website – https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/newsevents/ucm597135.htm

PET FOOD RECALL – BLUE Wilderness® Rocky Mountain Recipe™ Red Meat Dinner Wet Food For Adult Dogs

< UPDATE 11AUG17 >

Further research indicates that this was a duplicate of an announcement from earlier in the year. My apologies, however, when it comes to recalls of product that could may our pets ill, I will always error on the side of safety. – Don

Blue Buffalo has voluntarily recalled one lot of BLUE Wilderness® Rocky Mountain Recipe™ Red Meat Dinner Wet Food For Adult Dogs as the product has the potential to contain elevated levels of naturally- occurring beef thyroid hormones. According to the recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “Dogs ingesting high levels of beef thyroid hormones may exhibit symptoms such as increased thirst and urination, weight loss, increased heart rate and restlessness. These symptoms may resolve when the use of the impacted food is discontinued. However, with prolonged consumption these symptoms may increase in severity and may include vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid or difficulty breathing. Should these symptoms occur, contact your veterinarian immediately.”

UPC CODE: 840243101153, Best Buy Date: June 7, 2019 (found on the bottom of the can)

The FDA recall notice can be found at https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm547335.htm

Recommended Resources

Articles on Don’s Blog (http://www.words-woofs-meows.com)

Pet Nutrition – What Should I Feed My Pet? – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2017/06/04/pet-nutrition-what-should-i-feed-my-pet/

How to Report Adverse Reactions to Vaccines, Drugs, Devices, Foods, and Flea and Tick Products

If your pet has an adverse reaction to a vaccine, a drug, a device, food or treat, or a flea or tick control product, you need to report that adverse reaction to your veterinarian and the appropriate government agency. By doing so, you may prevent another pet from a serious illness or death.

The following links will help you to do so. Thank you!

USDA – Vaccines – Adverse Event Reporting – https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/veterinary-biologics/adverse-event-reporting/ct_vb_adverse_event

FDA – How to Report Animal Drug Side Effects and Product Problems – https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/reportaproblem/ucm055305.htm

EPA – Flea and Tick Control Products – Pesticide Poisoning in Pets – http://npic.orst.edu/health/petpoison.html

FDA – Pet Food – How to Report Product Problems and Complaints to the FDA – https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095859.htm

PET FOOD RECALL – Update on Evanger’s Hunk of Beef and Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy

Food Safety News has reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed the presence of the euthanasia agent pentobarbital in certain lots of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef product and in certain lots of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy. Both the Evanger’s and Against the Grain product were manufactured in the same facility using beef from the same supplier. FMI – http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/02/fda-confirms-euthanasia-agent-pentobarbital-in-dog-food/#.WKg6j28rI-U

PET FOOD RECALL- Why Have There Been So Many Pet Food Recalls In The Past Two Weeks?

<Updated 18FEB17>

<End of Update>

Green Acres Kennel Shop is concerned about the health of all pets, which is why we post information about pet food recalls on both my blog (www.words-woofs-meows.com) and our various Facebook pages. If a pet food we sell happens to be recalled, we do our best to contact purchasers directly, either via email or phone.

In the past two weeks I have posted information about five recalls of canned pet food products from; Against the Grain, Blue Buffalo, Evanger’s, Pet Smart, and Wellness. If you wish to read about a specific recall, click on the name of the company in the previous sentence.

These five recalls have affected both dog and cat food. In some cases, only one product has been recalled, and in some cases, it has been as many as seven. In all cases, the recalls have been voluntary. I thank the companies that own those brands for erring on the side of safety and issuing voluntary recalls.

There seem to be two underlying concerns in all five of these recalls; 1) potential contamination with pentobarbital, a drug used for euthanasia as well as other purposes, and 2) potential contamination with a foreign material, such as metal fragments.

Why have there been so many recalls, by so many companies, in such a short period? Most consumers are not aware of the fact that most pet food companies do not manufacture the canned pet food they sell, even if they do own plants that produce their dry food. Trying to track down the number of companies that actually produce canned pet food is not easy as most pet food companies are hesitant to admit they do not make the food they sell. However, it is my understanding that there are only four to five canning companies that make ALL of the canned pet food sold in the USA.

In some cases, the companies making canned pet food (Evanger’s and Merrick) manufacture it for themselves as well as others. Other companies do not sell canned pet food, but only manufacture it for others. Since we have two fundamental issues here; contamination with pentobarbital and a foreign material, I suspect that although these recalls span five pet food companies, they are probably directly related to two manufacturers.

So what can you do to avoid feeding your pet food that may be recalled? You have two choices; 1) become and remain knowledgeable about the food that you are feeding your pets, or 2) buy your food from a business that you know will keep up to date on the pet food industry and will do their part to keep you informed. The pet food industry, the companies that are part of it, and the individual foods are constantly changing. That is why Green Acres’ is constantly monitoring the manufacturers that make the foods we sell and the distributors that get them to us. We train our staff and provide information to clients and others through this blog, our FaceBook pages, our email newsletter, seminars at the store, and our radio show The Woof Meow Show.

Is there a company making pet food that will never have their products recalled? I doubt it. Just like with human food, companies that make and process food are dealing with a perishable product. Accidents will happen, honest mistakes will be made, and unscrupulous companies may intentionally use less than ideal ingredients because their bottom line is more important than the health of your pet. That is one reason I prefer to feed my pets food that is manufactured by the company that sells the food. I also prefer small family owned pet food companies that are focused solely on pet food. These companies are, in my experience, more likely to be committed to quality and the health of our pets.

PET FOOD RECALL- Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight

Blue Buffalo is voluntarily recalling specific lots of cans of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight due to possible aluminum metal contamination. UPC: 8-40243-10017-0

Codes: Best By 08/03/2019, The “Best By” date is on the bottom of the can.

No other Blue Buffalo products are involved. The company has not received any reports of illness or injury as a result of the problems giving rise to this recall.

For more information on the recall of these products, please check the Blue Buffalo website at (http://bluebuffalo.com/about-us/whats-new-at-blue/bb-homestyle-recipe-letter/)

PET FOOD RECALL- Wellness Pet Food Voluntarily Recalls Various Canned Cat Food Products

According to the Wellness website (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/update/) Wellness is voluntarily recalling the following 12.5oz cans of Wellness canned cat food in the following recipes with the following Best by Dates;

Beef & Chicken, 8/5/19
Beef & Salmon, 8/5/19
Chicken, 8/3/19 & 8/4/19
Chicken & Herring, 8/4/19
Chicken & Lobster, 8/4/19
Turkey, 8/4/19 & 8/5/19
Turkey & Salmon, 8/4/19 & 8/5/19

No problems have been reported or noticed in the foods listed above. However, the quality department at Wellness has become aware that a foreign material has been discovered in a non-Wellness product that is manufactured in the same plant. As a result, they have taken this proactive steps to ensure the well-being of cats who are fed this food.

We sell Wellness and the above formulas at Green Acres Kennel Shop and have found no product that matches the recipe and best by dates that are being recalled. We appreciate that Wellness is being proactive. We are in the process of contacting clients who have recently purchased this food.

For more information on the recall of these products, please check the Wellness website at (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/update/)

URGENT – PET FOOD RECALL – BRAVO

We have just been notified that BRAVO! (Bravo Pet Foods of Manchester, CT) has issued a nationwide recall on select lots of Bravo Chicken pet foods for dogs and cats due to concerns of the possible presence of Salmonella.

We will be reviewing our inventory of these products at Green Acres Kennel Shop and will be contacting customers with a record in our POS systems that have purchased these products.

The recall was initiated after routine testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella contamination.

The following product is being voluntarily recalled because of the possible presence of Salmonella.

Product	Item #	Size	Best Used by Date	UPC
Bravo Blend Chicken diet for dogs & cats – Chub	21-102	2 lb (32 oz.) chub	12-05-16	829546211028

105 cases of this product were sold to distributors, retail stores, internet retailers and directly to consumers in the US.

The following products DID NOT test positive for Salmonella, but are also being voluntarily recalled out of an abundance of caution because they were manufactured in the same manufacturing facility on the same day as the product that tested positive.

Product	Item #	Size	Best Used by Date	UPC
Bravo Balance Chicken Dinner for dogs – Patties	21-401	3 lb (48 oz.) bag	12-05-16	829546214012
Bravo Balance Chicken Dinner for dogs – Chub	21-402	2 lb (32 oz.) chub	12-05-16	829546214029
Bravo Blend Chicken diet for dogs & cats -Patties	21-508	5 lb (80 oz.) bag	12-05-16	829546215088

These products were sold to distributors, retail stores, internet retailers and directly to consumers in the US

All products tested negative by a third party independent laboratory prior to release for distribution to consumers.

No additional products are affected by this recall. The company has received no reports to date of illness in either people or animals associated with these products.

Salmonella can cause serious illness or fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers. Always use proper caution when handling raw foods.