Toxin-containing foods have been identified as certain Sportmix products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods. The products were voluntarily recalled by the company on Wednesday.
The FDA and the Missouri Department of Agriculture are working with the manufacturer to determine if more products contain high levels of the toxin. The FDA said the investigation is ongoing and “the scope of the recall may expand as new information becomes available.”
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 pet owners who have pets who have consumed 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 dry pet foods have been reported for recall:
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 kilogram bag
Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 kilogram 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