On September 12, 2008, Mars Petcare US, manufacturers of well-known pet food brands such as Pedigree and Ol' Roy, announced a voluntary nationwide recall due to possible salmonella contamination.
What Cat Foods and Dog Foods are Affected by this Voluntary Recall?
More than a dozen dry dog food and cat food brands are affected by this nationwide recall. These brands are as follows:
- Pedigree
- Ol' Roy
- Retriever
- Paws & Claws
- Member's Mark
- Natural Dog Food
- Natural Cat Food
- Doggy Bag
- PMI Nutrition
- Red Flannel
- PetPride
- Special Kitty
- Country Acres
- Wegman's Bruiser
- Wegman's Buju & Ziggie
To determine if a bag of pet food is affected, pet owners should look at the UPC Code.
For Pedigree, the code under the "Best Before" date (located near the UPC code) will have the letters “PAE” on the bottom line, as the the sixth, seventh and eighth digits.
For all other brands named in the recall, the code under the "Best Before" date (located near the UPC code) will have the number “17” as the first two digits of the second line in the code.
Only certain varieties and bag sizes are affected by this voluntary pet food recall. For more information on affected food varieties, including a list of food varieties and UPC codes for affected food, visit the Mars Petcare website.
Details on the Voluntary Pet Food Recall
In August 2008, Mars Petcare US issued a voluntary pet food recall for Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food. This first Pedigree recall affected only Northern California and Nevada. Now, the voluntary recall has been expanded to include the entire United States.
This latest pet food recall involves a total of 14 brands of cat food and dog food. According to the Mars Petcare website, the affected food was manufactured at Mars Petcare's Everson, Pennsylvania plant between February 18, 2008 and July 29, 2008.
According to a Mars Petcare statement, pet food production ceased at the company's Everson, PA, facility on July 29, 2008 "when the company was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund."
As a result, it's possible that pet foods at the facility were contaminated with salmonella, though according to Mars Petcare, no pet cases had been reported in connection with this voluntary recall.
“Even though no direct link between products produced at the Everson manufacturing plant and human or pet illness has been made, we are taking this precautionary action to protect pets and their owners. We are continuing to work collaboratively with the FDA to determine the nature and source of Salmonella Schwarzengrund at the Everson facility, and are committed to making sure our consumers and customers have the information they need regarding our voluntary recall,” explained Mars Petcare's Global Director of Scientific Affairs, Catherine Woteki in a public statement.
Notably, this pet food recall only affects dog and cat food that was manufactured at the company's Everson facility.
In an announcement, the manufacturer of the recalled pet food said, "The top priority of Mars Petcare US has always been and continues to be the health and welfare of pets and their owners. Consumers can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of the products produced at other Mars Petcare US facilities."
What to do With Recalled Pet Food
Consumers who have a bag of the recalled pet food should not feed any of the food to their pets. Seal the pet food bag inside a heavy-duty garbage bag to prevent accidental contact and bring the food to the store where it was originally purchased for a full refund.
For more information on proper handling techniques for the recalled pet food, visit the FDA's website.
Additional information on the recalled pet food brands and varieties and more, visit the Mars Petcare website or call 877-568-4463.
Related Reading
Pet owners may be interested to check out the Signs and Symptoms of Salmonella in Pets to help determine if a pet who's been exposed to potentially contaminated pet food may be ill with salmonella.
Suite101.com's Pet Food Recall Page features an array of information concerning the Pedigree recall, the October 20, 2008 Hartz Chicken Basted Rawhide Chips recall, along with information on serving a natural dog food or cooking homemade meals for dogs, and tips on what to do with tainted pet food.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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