WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Food and Drug Administration has expanded a recall, warning pet owners and veterinarians about high levels of aflatoxin in some pet foods after 70 dogs were reportedly killed and more than 80 others ill.
The dog food in question has been identified as certain Sportmix products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods. The products were voluntarily recalled on December 30, 2020, but Midwestern Pet Foods expanded the recall with additional products containing corn and made according to the FDA Tuesday at their manufacturing facility in Oklahoma.
The affected products have an expiration date before or on July 9, 2022 and have ’05 ‘in the date or lot code.
Aflatoxin is produced by the Aspergillus flavus form, the FDA said. It can grow on grains used as ingredients in pet food, and when consumed at high levels of aflatoxin, it can cause disease or death in pets.
Pets poisoned by aflatoxin can show symptoms that include lethargy, jaundice – a yellowish tint in the eyes or gums caused by liver damage – loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the FDA.
Even if a pet shows no symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning, the FDA recommends that pet owners who have pets who have eaten the products in question should contact their veterinarian as it may cause long-term liver damage.
Although the FDA says there is no evidence that pet owners handling the food in question are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning, it recommends that they always wash their hands after handling pet food.
The following foods that were added to the original recall are as follows, but the FDA says there are more than 1,000 lot codes that are affected, so they are not listed separately:
- Pro Pac Mini piece adult, 40 pound bag
- Pro Pac Performance Puppy, 40 pound bag
- Splash Fat Cat 32% 50 pound bag
- Nunn Better Maintenance, 50 pound bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, bag of 15 pounds
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 pound bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 44 pound bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 50 pound bag
- Sportmix high protein bag, 50 pounds
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 pound bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 pound bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 44 pound bag
- Sportmix Stamina, bag of 50 pounds
- Sportmix Bite Size, bag of 40 pounds
- Sportmix Bite Size, 44 pound bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 44 pound bag
- Sportmix High Energy 50 pound bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 16.5 pound bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 33 pound bag
Customers can find the lot code on the back of the bag in a three-line code. The following dry pet food was marked for recall on December 30:
Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 pound bag
- Exp 03/02/22/05 / L2
- Exp 03/02/22/05 / L3
- Exp 03/03/22/05 / L2
Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 pound bag
Sportmix Premium 50 Pound High Energy Bag
Sportmix Premium High Energy Bag of 44 pounds
Sportmix Original Cat, 31 pound bag
Sportmix Original Cat, bag of 15 pounds
- Exp 03/03/22/05 / L2
- Exp 03/03/22/05 / L3
Pet owners can report suspected diseases electronically to the FDA through the safety reporting portal or by contacting the State Consumer Complaints Coordinator. The FDA also provides a guide with steps to file a complaint about pet food.
The investigation is continuing, and the scope of the recall could expand as new information becomes available, the FDA said.
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