The Food & Drug Administration has issued another recall for raw dog food over concerns the products are contaminated with harmful bacteria.
Dog owners are cautioned not to feed their pets Performance Dog frozen pet food after the agency collected two tainted samples during an inspection of Bravo Packing in Carneys Point, New Jersey, were the products were manufactured.
One sample, which had been distributed to stores, tested positive for salmonella and the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, while another not-yet-distributed product tested positive for salmonella.
The FDA expressed concern about the products because the bacteria can make people and pets sick – and pets can pass along infection to humans and other pets without showing symptoms.
Forever 21: Fashion retailer files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, may close up to 178 US stores
Social Security: 4 key trends you need to know about the program in 2019
The Performance Dog raw pet food that was sold in 2-pound pouches and tested positive for salmonella and listeria carries the lot code 072219. But the FDA is advising consumers to throw away all Performance Dog pet food purchased after July 22, 2019, because the products do not have lot codes printed on retail packaging.
The second sample, of beef raw pet food, tested positive for salmonella but had not been distributed.
Last year, Bravo Packing also had to recall all Performance Dog frozen raw pet food due to salmonella contamination, the FDA says. The agency also reported that a 2016 inspection found samples of horse meat chunk animal food that tested positive for the drugs pentobarbital and phenytoin.
Another maker of raw pet food, Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, recalled some of its products earlier this year due to salmonella concerns.
Salmonella sickness symptoms in humans include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and the illness can last seven days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Severe salmonella can lead to hospitalization or death, especially in children, elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
Listeria is also a potentially fatal concern especially for pregnant women, those who are very young or old and those with weak immune systems. The CDC lists symptoms that include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, as well as fever and muscle aches. Anyone with symptoms of listeriosis should contact a health care provider, the CDC says.
Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with either salmonella or listeria. But vomiting, diarrhea (which can be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and decreased activity are signs of salmonella infection. Pet owners should contact a veterinarian promptly, health officials say.
Consumers who used these raw pet food products should thoroughly clean and disinfect their refrigerators and freezers, pet bowls, utensils, countertops, pet toys and bedding and any other surfaces the food or pet may have had contact with, health officials say.
Pet owners should also clean up dog’s droppings because people and other animals may become exposed. And, of course, the FDA recommends consumers wash their hands after touching raw dog food or cleaning up possibly contaminated items and surfaces.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.