WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Food and Drug Administration has extended the recall and warns pet owners and veterinarians about high levels of aflatoxin in some pet foods after 70 dogs died and more than 80 others they were sick.
The dog food in question was identified as certain Sportmix products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods. The products were voluntarily recalled by the company on December 30, 2020, but Midwestern Pet Foods extended the recall to include additional corn-containing products that were manufactured Tuesday at their Oklahoma production plant, according to the FDA.
The affected products have an expiry date on or before 9 July 2022 and have a “05” on the date or lot code.
Aflatoxin is produced by the mold of Aspergillus flavus, the FDA said. It can grow on cereals used as ingredients in pet food and, when high levels of aflatoxin are consumed, can cause illness or death in pets.
Pets poisoned with aflatoxin may have symptoms that include slowness, jaundice – a yellowish tinge in the eyes or gums caused by liver damage – loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the FDA.
Even if a pet has no symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning, the FDA recommends that pet owners who have used the affected products contact their veterinarian – as it can cause long-term liver damage.
While the FDA says there is no evidence that pet owners who have handled the affected food are at risk of being poisoned with aflatoxins, it recommends always washing their hands after handling pet food.
The following foods added to the initial recall are as follows, but the FDA says there are over 1,000 affected batch codes, so they are not listed individually:
- Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, 40 kg bag
- Pro Pac performance puppy, 40 kilogram bag
- Splash Fat Cat 32%, 50 kilogram bag
- Nunn Better Maintenance, £ 50 bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 15 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, £ 44 bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, £ 50 bag
- Sportmix High Protein, 50 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 44 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Stamina, £ 50 bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 40 kg bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 44 kilogram bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 44 kilogram bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 50 kg bag
- Sportmix Premium puppy, 16.5 kilogram bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 33 kilogram bag
Customers can find the batch code on the back of the bag in a three-line code. The following dry pet foods have been reported for withdrawal on December 30:
Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 kilogram bag
- Exp. 03/02/22/05 / L2
- Exp. 03/02/22/05 / L3
- Exp. 03/03/22/05 / L2
Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 kilogram bag
Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 kg bag
Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 kilogram bag
Sportmix Original Cat, 31 kilogram bag
Sportmix Original Cat, 15 kilogram bag
- Exp. 03/03/22/05 / L2
- Exp. 03/03/22/05 / L3
Pet owners can report suspected diseases to the FDA through its safety reporting portal or by calling the state coordinator of consumer complaints. The FDA also provides a step-by-step guide to reporting a pet food complaint.
The investigation is ongoing and the scope of the recall may expand as new information becomes available, the FDA said.
The-CNN-Wire ™ and © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner company. All rights reserved.