Salmonella-tainted dog food recalled

The organic food movement has become trendy in the pet food business the past few years. That, however, might soon change. In the past week, amid reports of pets dying and children becoming ill, four companies have recalled Salmonella-tainted dog food.

The children, two siblings who live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, were sickened after they came into contact with Salmonella-tainted dog food produced by Minneapolis-based Raws for Paws. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture found Salmonella while testing Raws for Paws’ Ground Turkey Pet Food.

The Raws for Paws’ Ground Turkey Pet Food was sold in 1- and 5-pound sealed tubes in cases of Turkey Pet Food and Pet Food Combo Packs with case codes of 9900008, 9900009, 9900014, and 9900015. The manufacture date of Turkey Pet Food cases is Oct. 12 and the manufacture dates of Combo Pack cases are between Oct. 12 and Feb. 2. They were sold in pet stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, as well as online.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has a zero-tolerance policy for harmful bacteria in pet food.

“Raw pet food is more likely than other types of pet food to contain Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes,” the FDA said in a statement. “Pet owners who choose to feed raw pet food should be aware of the risks associated with these products.”

Salmonella-tainted dog food:
Three other recalls

The three other recalls involve a variety of dog-food products:

Darwin’s Natural and ZooLogics: There were six reports of pets dying or becoming sickened, all linked to Darwin’s Natural and ZooLogics pet food manufactured by Arrow Reliance of Tukwila, WA. The company has issued four recalls related to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes since October 2016.

The company’s most recent recall involved ZooLogics Duck with Vegetable Meals for Dogs (lot 41957) and ZooLogics Chicken with Vegetable Meals for Dogs (lot 41567), which were sold online.

The recall was prompted by a complaint about a dog with recurring diarrhea for nine months. The dog tested positive for Salmonella, as did the pet food it had consumed.

Redbarn Pet Products: The company, based in Long Beach, CA, recalled its three-packs of 7-inch Bully Sticks dog chews after the Colorado Department of Agriculture reported that a sample revealed Salmonella.

The dog chews are sold at pet stores in 2.4-ounce bags. They have an expiration date of 112120ABC stamped on the side and UPC 7 85184 25105 8.

Smokehouse Pet Products: The Colorado Department of Agriculture also prompted the recall of Smokehouse Pet Products’ 4-ounce bags of Beefy Munchies dog treats. Salmonella was found in two packages manufactured by the Sun Valley, CA, company.

The 4-ounce bags of Beefy Munchies are marked with UPC 78565857957, lot 449294 and a “best-used-by” date of Oct. 25, 2019.

Salmonella-tainted dog food:
What is Salmonella?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella bacteria are responsible for as many as 1 million foodborne illnesses in the United States yearly.

The Salmonella bacteria affect the intestinal tract. Symptoms can develop anywhere from 12 hours to three days after either consuming food contaminated with Salmonella, or coming into contact with Salmonella-tainted dog food.

Symptoms, which can last for up to a week, can include:

• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• fever
• vomiting
• chills.

Most people recover without treatment, but in some cases, the diarrhea can be so severe that hospitalization is required.

The CDC estimates that of those 1 million annual cases of infection, 19,000 result in hospitalization, and approximately 380 end in death.

People most at risk for complications are children under the age of 5, pregnant women, senior citizens, and those with weakened immune systems.