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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
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According to the US Food and Drug Administration website Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company of Wheeling, Illinois, is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its canned “Hunk of Beef” product due to the detection of pentobarbital in one batch of food. Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, the company is recalling all related Hunk of Beef products manufactured the week of June 6 through June 13, 
2016.
The affected lots numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. You can find the lot number on the bottom of the can.
The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label.
NOTE: The recall notice does not list this product as having been distributed in Maine. We had the product on our shelves, it is in Maine.
Green Acres Kennel Shop has removed all cans of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef from
our stocks and we are in the process of contacting all clients that have purchased this product since June 1 of 2016.
You can read the entire FDA statement at (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm539900.htm) or below.
The FDA Recall Statement
Out of an abundance of caution, Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food of Wheeling, IL is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its Hunk of Beef product because of a potential contaminant Pentobarbital, which was detected in one lot of Hunk of Beef Au Jus. Pentobarbital can affect animals that ingest it, and possibly cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea, or in extreme cases, possibly death.
The specifically-identified lot numbers (as detailed below) of cans of 12-oz Hunk of Beef being voluntarily recalled were distributed to retail locations and sold online in the following States: Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and were manufactured the week of June 6 – June 13, 2016.
Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, Evangers is voluntarily recalling Hunk of Beef products that were manufactured the same week, with lot numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label.
The subject recall affects 5 lots of food that were produced from its supplier’s lot of beef, which is specifically used for the Hunk of Beef product and no other products. To date, it has been reported that five dogs became ill and 1 of the five dogs passed away after consuming the product with lot number 1816E06HB13. Evanger’s is proactively issuing a recall voluntarily so as not to risk potential exposure to pentobarbital in the product.
All Evanger’s suppliers of meat products are USDA approved. This beef supplier provides us with beef chunks from cows that are slaughtered in a USDA facility. We continue to investigate how this substance entered our raw material supply.
Because we source from suppliers of meat products that are USDA approved, and no other products have had any reported problems, we are not extending the recall to other supplier lots. This is the first recall for Evanger’s in its 82 years of manufacturing. Although it has been verified that little or no product remains on store shelves, if consumers still have cans with the aforementioned lot numbers, he or she should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-847-537-0102 between 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday – Friday.
December 2019, a lot number of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner f2415E01ATB12, and the second half of the UPC code is 80001 (which can be found on the back of the product label).
