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Raw Pet Food Recall Issued Over Salmonella, Listeria Concerns

Sep 24, 2007 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP

Yet another pet food has been recalled over concerns that it could be tainted with Salmonella and Listeria bacteria.   Bravo!, a company based in Vernon, Connecticut, is recalling some tubes of its raw poultry products for cats and dogs.    The action comes only  a month after another company recalled bags of dry dog food thought to be responsible for an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning that sickened dozens of people in Pennsylvania and around the country.

So far, no illnesses have been reported due to the Bravo! recall. The company issued the recall after an inspection by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) found  Salmonella and Listeria bacteria at the company’s manufacturing facility.  The recalled pet food can be identified by a Batch ID code on the hang tag attached to the pet food tubes.  Included in the recall are:   Bravo Original Formula Chicken Blend frozen raw Food, Product Numbers: 21-102, 21-105, 21-110, in 2, 5 and 10 pound tubes with Batch ID code 236; Bravo Original Formula Turkey Blend frozen raw food, Product numbers 31-102, 31-105, 31-110 in 2, 5 and 10 pound tubes with Batch ID code 236; and Bravo Basic Formula Finely Ground Chicken frozen raw food, Product Number 21-212, in a 2 pound tube  with batch ID code 226. The products are sold nationwide in retail stores and through the Internet.   

Pet owners should return unopened frozen tubes of food to the store where they were purchased for a refund.  Open tubes should be disposed of in a securely covered trash can, and the batch ID tag washed and returned to the store for a refund. Anyone who handles the contaminated pet food should be sure to wash their hands thoroughly in hot soapy water, and they should do the same with any utensils that came in contact with the pet food.

Both Salmonella and Listeria bacteria produce potentially deadly food borne illnesses.  Salmonella symptoms in humans include vomiting, diarrhea and fever.  In some instances, Salmonella poisoning can lead to a disorder known as Reiter’s Syndrome, a difficult- to- treat condition that causes severe joint pain, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. Reiter’s Syndrome can plague its victims for months or years, and can lead to chronic arthritis.  Listeria can cause fever and muscle aches, and sometimes nausea and diarrhea.   The infection can also spread to the nervous system, causing headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions.  

The Bravo! recall comes nearly a month after Mars Petcare USA recalled bags of its Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food after it was implicated in an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning in Pennsylvania and other states.  That tainted dog food sickened 66 people around the country, but Pennsylvania, which reported 25 cases of Salmonella poisoning, was by far the hardest hit.