Midwestern Pet Foods is recalling some brands of dog and cat foods because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. The brand names that are included in this recall are CanineX, Earthborn Holistic, Venture, Unrefined, Sportmix Wholesomes, Pro Pac, Pro Pac Ultimates, Sportstrail, Sportmix and Meridian. These foods were produced at the company’s Monmouth, Illinois production facility. No pet or human illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with this issue.
People and animals can be infected with Salmonella from contaminated food. Animals can contract this infection and then pass the bacteria through their stool, which can contaminate their fur and the environment. People can contract this infection by handling the food, or by petting the animal or touching something in the environment that is contaminated.
Pets with Salmonella infections can be lethargic with diarrhea that may be bloody. Some pets will have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Some animals can show no symptoms but be carriers of the pathogen. If your pet has eaten these foods and has been ill, contact your veterinarian.
These Midwestern pet foods have been distributed to retail stores nationwide and also to online retailers. The lot code information, which is on the back of the bags, looks like this: EXP AUG/02/22/M1/L#. The unique Monmouth Facility identifier is located in the date code as an “M.” These products have many different expiration dates.
You can see the long list of recalled products, along with pictures of recalled items, and the bag size and expiration date/lot number, at the FDA web site. Some of the products include Earthborn Holistic Adult Vantage, Earthborn Holistic Large Breed, Meridian Daybreak, Pro Pac Adult Chunk, Pro Pac Performance Puppy, Pro Pac Ultimates Overland Red, Sportmix 24/20 Energy Plus, Sportmix Bite Size, Sportmix Original Cat, Sportmix Wholesomes Beef & Rice, Sportstrail, Unrefined Salmon, Venture Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumpkin, Venture Rabbit Meal & Pumpkin, and Wholesomes Chicken & Rice, among others.
The recall was the result of routine sampling conducted by the company. Retailers and distributors should immediately pull these products from their shelves and inventory, and should contact consumers that have bought these items.
Do not feed these Midwestern pet foods recalled products to pets or any other animals. Destroy the food so that children, pets, and wildlife can’t access them. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers that have been in contact with these recalled foods.
