Diamond Pet Foods is recalling even more dry dog food for Salmonella contamination. We recently wrote that Diamond Pet Foods recalled one formula of its Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food distributed to customers nationwide. Diamond Pet Foods is now recalling a second batch of dry dog food produced at its South Carolina plant, […]
Diamond Pet Foods is recalling even more dry dog food for Salmonella contamination. We recently wrote that Diamond Pet Foods recalled one formula of its Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food distributed to customers nationwide.
Diamond Pet Foods is now recalling a second batch of dry dog food produced at its South Carolina plant, said the Associated Press (AP). Production has been suspended at the Gaston plant, which was also 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.
Diamond Pet Foods said the expanded recall now includes one production run of its Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food. One bag tested positive for Salmonella, which prompted a recall of four production codes, said the AP. To date, no dog illnesses have been reported. The recalled Diamond Pet dog food was distributed to customers in 10 states: Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.
On April 8, production was suspended at the Gaston plant following the initial recall of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food. “We’ve taken swift action and suspended production,” said Diamond spokeswoman Janine Smiley, wrote the AP. “We take quality issues very seriously and will resume production when we can assure that our products meet our stringent quality standards,” Smiley added. Diamond Pet Food is advising its customers to stop feeding the recalled food to their pets and discard it.
The latest recall covers the following foods, production codes, and Best Before dates:
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.
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, which contained a mold called aflatoxin, was produced at Diamond Pet Foods’ South Carolina plant. Aflatoxin can cause severe liver damage. Diamond Pet Foods acknowledged that workers at its South Carolina plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to ensure its products were safe. The acknowledgment was made 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.
