Two Dog Food Recalls for Salmonella

[notyard]

FDA press release on recall of Red Flannel dog food for salmonella:

Select Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula Dry Dog Food 50lb Bags Voluntarily Recalled in Pennsylvania
Contact:
Renee Kopkowski
(908) 850-7935

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- August 21, 2007 -- Mars Petcare US, Inc. today announces a voluntary recall of select 50 lb bags of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food sold in two stores in Pennsylvania. Only three bags of product were actually sold, with only one bag still unaccounted for. The pet food is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

The recalled product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Salmonella can potentially be transferred to people handling this pet food, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to the product. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Well animals can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Recalled pet food
Product: Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food
Size: 50 pound bag
UPC Code: 4286900062
Best Buy Date: July 12, 2008
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: The stores are located in Reedsland, PA and Richlandville, PA

Mars Petcare is issuing this action out of an abundance of caution and it sincerely regrets any inconvenience to pet owners as a result of this announcement. This voluntary recall has been issued because FDA detected Salmonella in a sample of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food with a best buy date of July 12, 2008 during a recent review.



FDA press release on Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food recall for Salmonella:

Select Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food 5lb Bags Voluntarily Recalled in Five States
Contact:
Renee Kopkowski
(908) 850-7935

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- August 21, 2007 -- Mars Petcare US, Inc. today announces a voluntary recall of select five pound bags of Krasdale Gravy dry dog food sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The pet food is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

The recalled product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Salmonella can potentially be transferred to people handling this pet food, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to the product. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Well animals can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Recalled pet food
Product: Krasdale Gravy dry dog food
Size: 5 pound bag
UPC Code: 7513062596
Best Buy Date: July 16 & 17, 2008
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: Various stores located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Mars Petcare is issuing this action out of an abundance of caution and it sincerely regrets any inconvenience to pet owners as a result of this announcement. This voluntary recall has been issued because the FDA detected Salmonella in a sample of Krasdale Gravy dry dog food with best buy dates of July 16 & 17, 2008 during a recent review.

[Cpogie]

gee, it is really scary feeding dog food anymore, I have been making my own with hamburger, rice and carrots, along with chicken be and other veggies. thanks for the notice!

[teacheng1967]

I stick with name brands....Beneful, Iams, Science Diet. I make my own chicken or beef, or liver to put with it and throw in some steamed carrots, peas, rice,cooked eggs, and potatoes. Greyhounds, well mine for sure, have delicate stomachs.

[notyard]

Here's an update to a dusty musty from the past--it turns out that SEVENTY humans contracted this particular strain of Salmonella Schwarzengrund from handling their dogs or their dogs' dry food--the Salmonella came from the Mars dog food plant. Here's the info from the CDC's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report for May 16th, 2008:

May 16, 2008 / 57(19);521-524http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/images/spacer.gif
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/images/spacer.gif
Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Caused by Contaminated Dry Dog Food --- United States, 2006--2007

During January 1, 2006--December 31, 2007, CDC collaborated with public health officials in Pennsylvania, other states, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a prolonged multistate outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Schwarzengrund infections in humans. A total of 70 cases of S. Schwarzengrund infection with the outbreak strain (XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] pattern JM6X01.0015) were identified in 19 states, mostly in the northeastern United States. This report describes the outbreak investigation, which identified the source of infection as dry dog food produced at a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. This investigation is the first to identify contaminated dry dog food as a source of human Salmonella infections. After handling pet foods, pet owners should wash their hands immediately, and infants should be kept away from pet feeding areas.

On May 8, 2007, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Laboratories reported three cases of S. Schwarzengrund infection with indistinguishable PFGE patterns to CDC's PulseNet.* On June 9, 2007, after PulseNet identified cases in Ohio and other states, CDC's OutbreakNet† team was notified of a potential multistate outbreak of S. Schwarzengrund infections. During June 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) interviewed persons identified by PulseNet as infected with the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund. These initial interviews suggested exposure to dogs or dry dog food as a possible source of infection. Thirteen infected persons from Pennsylvania were questioned about dog-related exposures: eight (62%) owned one or more dogs, and the other five reported regular contact with a dog. Seven of the eight persons who owned dogs were able to recall the types of dog food they had purchased recently. Several brands had been purchased, but persons in the households of six patients recalled purchasing dog food products made by manufacturer A. These interviews suggested exposure to dogs or dry dog foods as a possible source of infection.

PADOH collected dog stool specimens and opened bags of dry dog food from the homes of the 13 Pennsylvania patients. The outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund was isolated from five of 13 dog stool specimens and two of 22 dry dog food specimens collected from the homes. The contaminated dry dog food bags were two different brands (brand A and brand B), both produced by manufacturer A at plant A in Pennsylvania.

In July 2007, the Ohio Department of Health also interviewed persons infected with the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund and collected two dog stool specimens from one patient's home. The outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund was isolated from one of the dog stool specimens. The dog recently had been fed brand A dry dog food, but the bag of dog food was no longer available for testing.

Epidemiologic Investigation

A case was defined as a laboratory-confirmed infection with the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund in a person residing in the United States who either had symptoms beginning on or after January 1, 2006, or (if the symptom onset date was unknown) had S. Schwarzengrund isolated from a specimen on or after January 1, 2006. During January 1, 2006--December 31, 2007, a total of 70 human cases of the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund were reported to CDC via PulseNet from 19 states. The last reported illness onset date was October 1, 2007. No illness was reported in pets.

The largest number of reported cases was in Pennsylvania (29 cases), followed by New York (nine) and Ohio (seven). Among 61 ill persons whose age was available, the median age was 3 years (range: 1 month--85 years), and 24 (39%) were aged <1 year; of 45 persons whose s e x was known, 22 (49%) were female. Of 38 ill persons for whom clinical information was available, 15 (39%) had bloody diarrhea; of 45 persons whose hospitalization status was known, 11 (24%) had been hospitalized. No deaths were reported.

Environmental Investigation

During 2007, plant A produced approximately 25 brands of dry pet food; specific distribution information for brands produced in plant A was not available. Plant A labeled these dry pet foods with a 1-year shelf life (i.e., sell-by date). On July 12, 2007, PADOH staff members visited plant A and collected 144 swabs of specimens from environmental surfaces; the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund was isolated from one sample. FDA tested previously unopened bags of seven brands (brands E, F, G, H, I, J, and K) of dry dog food produced at plant A. Two brands of dry dog food (E and F) yielded the outbreak strain of S. Schwarzengrund. On August 21, 2007, manufacturer A announced a voluntary recall of 50-pound bags of brand E dry dog food and 5-pound bags of brand F dry dog food. On July 26, 2007, manufacturer A suspended operations at plant A for cleaning and disinfection. In mid-November 2007, plant A resumed normal operations.

Editorial Note:

The laboratory and epidemiologic evidence in this investigation indicates that dry dog food produced by manufacturer A at plant A in Pennsylvania and sold under several brand names caused human illness during 2006--2007. Although previous reports in North America have associated Salmonella infection with certain pet treats, this report is the first to associate Salmonella with contaminated dry dog food. The case-control study found an association between infections in households and use of dry dog food or dry cat food produced by manufacturer A. In addition, the outbreak strain was isolated from 1) opened bags of dry dog food (brands A and B) that were produced in plant A by manufacturer A, 2) stool specimens from dogs in case-patient households that ate dry dog food produced in plant A, 3) an environmental sample from plant A, and 4) two bags (brands E and F) of previously unopened dry dog food produced in plant A.

A voluntary recall of specific-sized bags of two brands of dry dog food issued by the manufacturer in August 2007 was based only on lot-specific testing of finished unopened bags found to be positive for Salmonella by official FDA testing. Other sizes of bags of the two brands of dry dog food, although produced at plant A, were not recalled. Other brands of dry dog or cat food produced at plant A, including brands associated epidemiologically and microbiologically with illness, also were not included in the recall.

Plant A ceased operations during July--November 2007 to allow for cleaning and disinfection. However, because dry pet food has a 1-year shelf life and all contaminated products were not recalled, contaminated dry pet food might still be found in homes and could provide the potential for causing illness. Only an estimated 3% of Salmonella infections are laboratory-confirmed and reported to surveillance systems (2); therefore, this outbreak likely was larger than the 70 laboratory-confirmed cases identified.

Additional information available at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/schwarzengrund.html (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/schwarzengrund.html).