The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put out an alert to pet owners and veterinarians on Wednesday that certain lots of Sportmix pet food have been recalled after the deaths of 28 dogs that ate the products was reported.
Multiple samples of Sportmix products were tested by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and found to contain high, potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin, a toxin that is produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus and can cause both illness and death in pets, according to the FDA alert.
On top of the at least 28 dogs that have died so far, the FDA is aware of eight that have fallen ill after eating the contaminated pet food, the agency said.
“Although this pet food recall is still unfolding, we are sharing the facts we have so far because the levels of aflatoxin found in the recalled pet food are potentially fatal. We are working quickly on this developing situation and will continue to update the public as new information becomes available. This is in service of FDA’s mission to protect human and animal health,” said Amber McCoig, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine Division of Compliance, according to CBS 6.
Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc., the manufacturer of Sportmix, said in a company announcement on Wednesday that it was voluntarily recalling nine total lots of cat and dog food products that were distributed nationally to online retailers and stores.
The company advises pet owners to immediately stop using the recalled products, to get rid of the food so that children, pets or other wild animals cannot access it and to sanitize food bowls and containers. Retailers and distributors should also pull the pet food from shelves and not sell it to any customers.
Pets who experience poisoning from aflatoxin can have symptoms like sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums from liver damage, diarrhea and in severe instances death, the FDA said.
The FDA said if a pet is exhibiting symptoms or signs of illness, the owner should contact and consult with their veterinarian.
The list of recalled product includes:
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
- Exp 03/02/22/05/L2
- Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
- Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bag
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bag
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
- Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
According to the alert, lot code information can be found on the back of bags and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”
The FDA said this is an ongoing investigation and more cases could be discovered as new information becomes available.
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Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
