Thursday, December 31, 2020
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) warns pet owners that Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. recalls certain batches of food for dogs and cats Sportmix due to tests that indicate aflatoxin levels that exceed acceptable limits.
CNN reports that the food toxins are related to 28 dead dogs and eight others were sick.
The products were distributed nationwide to online distributors and retail stores.
Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold of Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. At high levels, aflatoxin can cause disease and death in pets.
The batch code information can be found on the back of the bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in the format “EXP 03/03/22/05 / L # / B ### / HH: MM”. The recalled batch codes are as follows:
50 # Sportmix Energy Plus Lots Exp 03/02/22/05 / L2, 03/02/22/05 / L3, 03/03/22/05 / L2
44 # Sportmix Energy Plus Lots 03/02/22/05 / L3
50 # Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05 / L3
44 # Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05 / L3
31 # Sportmix Original Lots 03/03/22/05 / L3
15 # Sportmix Original Loturi 03/03/22/05 / L2, 03/03/22/05 / L3
If your pet shows signs of aflatoxin poisoning, including slowness, loss of appetite, vomiting (yellowing of the eyes, gums or skin due to liver damage) and / or diarrhea, contact a veterinarian immediately. Provide a complete history of your veterinarian’s diet. It may be helpful to take a photo of the pet food label, including the batch number.
Pet owners should not feed recalled products to pets or other animals.
Contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 800-474-4163, ext. 455 between 07:00 and 16:00, central time, Monday to Friday, or by e-mail at [email protected] for additional information.