In the midst of a rash of nationwide Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria outbreaks in human foods, Salmonella has now turned up in pet food. Mars Petcare US has recalled 100 of its 20-pound bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold at some Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Mars […]
In the midst of a rash of nationwide Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria outbreaks in human foods, <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/salmonella">Salmonella has now turned up in pet food. Mars Petcare US has recalled 100 of its 20-pound bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold at some Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Mars also makes Nutro pet food—which consumers nationwide are blaming for a recent rash of illnesses, and some deaths, in dogs and cats—Nutro products are not included in the Mars recall.
Mars said a “component” that tested positive for Salmonella was inadvertently shipped to its Tracy, California, plant and used in the production of 100 bags of PEDIGREE pet food. The affected bags indicate “best by” dates of July 7, 2009. “Our primary concern is the safety and welfare of our pet owners and heir pets,” the company said in a statement. “Although the finished product tested negative and we have received no reports of illness of pets or their owners, out of an abundance of caution we are issuing a voluntary recall of the limited number of bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites containing the component in question.” Consumers who bought the food should return it to Albertsons for a full refund.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that Salmonella can cause infections in dogs and cats and can also be transferred from pets to people who ingest or handle contaminated products. Children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk.
The FDA offers some suggestions on how to safely handle pet food:
The FDA does not advocate a raw meat, poultry, or seafood diet for pets; however, because the FDA understands that a growing number of people prefer to raw food diets to their pets, it is increasing its efforts to minimize the risk such foods pose to animal and human health.