A Texas pet food maker is greatly expanding the scope of the recall to include dozens different types of dry dog and cat food potentially contaminated with salmonella, with at least seven people — six of them babies – sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the outbreak, the agencies said Thursday.
Mid America Pet Food is now recalling all brands of pet food that the company manufactures, including 35 different products with best-by dates before Oct. 31, 2024, and manufactured at its plant in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the company said in a news release.
The recalled brands include Victor super Premium Dog Foods, Wayne Feeds Dog Food, Eagle Mountain Pet Food and some Member’s Mark varieties distributed to retailers nationwide.
Food and Drug Administration
The move follows two previous recalls, the first coming in early September and involving one batch of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dog food, and the second 10 days ago involving three batches of Victor Super Premium Dog Food, Select Beef Meal and Brown Formula rice.
Food and Drug Administration
The initial recalls came after random samples found salmonella, which can sicken pets as well as people who come into contact with it.
The latest recall noted that seven people reported salmonella infections as of Nov. 1, 2023, Mid America Pet Food said in a news release from the FDA. (See a list of recalled products here.)
When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, it’s considered an outbreak, according to the CDC.
Seven illnesses, including one hospitalization, linked to a specific batch of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dogs have been reported in seven states: Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma, the CDC said. People started getting sick in mid-January and illnesses continued into August, according to the agency, which said the actual number of people sickened in the outbreak was likely much higher than reported.
“People likely became ill by touching this dog food, touching dog bowls containing this dog food, or touching the feces or saliva of dogs that were fed this dog food,” the CDC states, noting that most of those who got sick were babies.
Food and Drug Administration
Salmonella bacteria cause an estimated 1.3 million infections in Americans each year, resulting in an average of more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, CDC data show.
Pets infected with salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some may lose their appetite and have abdominal pain. People can suffer similar symptoms and in some cases experience more serious symptoms, according to the FDA.
People should dispose of recalled pet food in a way that children, pets and wildlife can’t reach, and wash pet bowls and storage containers, the agency advises.
Food and Drug Administration
Customers can contact Mid America Pet Food for additional information at [email protected] or at (888) 428-7544 Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm Central Time.
The recall is among more than half a dozen pet foods this year found to contain salmonella or potentially harmful elevated levels of vitamins.