Diamond Pet Foods just issued a third Salmonella recall, an expansion of prior recalls. This new expansion now includes Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food. Sampling revealed Salmonella in the product. The following Diamond Puppy Formula products are involved in the third recall:
Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food—40-pound packages
- Production code DPP0401B22XJW, best by date 6-Apr-2013.
- Production code DPP0401A21XAW, best by date 6-Apr-2013.
- Production code DPP0101C31XME, best by date 11-Jan-2013.
- Production code DPP0401B21XDJ, best by date 7-Apr-2013.
Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food—20-pound Packages
- Production code DPP0401B22XJW, best by date 6-Apr-2013.
- Production code DPP0101C31XME, best by date 11-Jan-2013.
- Production code DPP0101C31XRB, best by date 11-Jan-2013.
Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food—8-pound packages
- Production code DPP0401B2XALW, best by date 7-Apr-2013.
Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food—6-ounce sample packages
- Production code DPP0401.
The recalled Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food was manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in Gaston, South Carolina and distributed in the following 12 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The recalled Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food may have been further distributed to additional states through pet food channels. Diamond Pet Food is working with distributors and retailers that carry these products to remove them as quickly as possible from the supply chain.
Pet owners unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recalls, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods, toll-free, at 1.800.442.0402, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), Monday through Friday, or at www.diamondpetrecall.com.
We just wrote that Diamond Pet Foods recalled a second batch of dry dog food at its Gaston plant, which involved Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food and was distributed to customers in 10 states. Just prior, we wrote that Diamond Pet Foods recalled one formula of its Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food distributed to customers nation-wide. The Associated Press (AP) indicated that production at the Gaston plant has been suspended.
The Gaston plant was responsible for mold-contaminated food linked to dozens of dog deaths across the country in 2005. The same plant saw troubles in 2009 over a cat food recall because the food was manufactured with insufficient thiamine, a nutrient critical to cats, said the AP. The Diamond Pet Foods scandal that killed dozens of dogs was resolved after the firm paid $3.1 million in a settlement with pet owners. The pet food contained a mold called aflatoxin, which can cause severe liver damage. Diamond Pet Foods acknowledged that workers at its Gaston plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to ensure its products were safe, but only after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released a report confirming the company had no record of test results for 12 2005 shipments of corn, when grain tainted with the deadly fungus slipped into the plant.
Salmonella can affect animals and there is also a risk to people who handle Salmonella-contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella and consumers should dispose of the recalled pet food safely by securing the food in a covered trash receptacle to ensure other animals and wildlife cannot access the tainted product. Healthy people infected with salmonellosis should monitor themselves for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Pets suffering from Salmonella infections may suffer from lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, and abdominal pain. Sometimes pets can appear healthy, but can be carriers of the dangerous pathogen and can infect other people and animals.
