Mars Petcare US Recalls Dry Dog Food After Salmonella Reports
By Kelly Riddell
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Two brands of dry dog food manufactured by Mars Petcare US Inc. are being voluntarily recalled in states including New York and Pennsylvania after reports of contamination with a rare strain of salmonella.
The dog food may be tainted with Salmonella Schwarzengrund, the company said on its Web site. Some of the five-pound bags of Krasdale Gravy dry dog food sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania may be involved, the company said in the statement. Also, 50-pound bags of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food sold in two Pennsylvania stores are being examined, according to a statement distributed today by the U.S. Food and Drug Association.
So far, 64 people have reported illnesses related to Salmonella Schwarzengrund, the statement said. None of those cases have been directly linked to the recalled dog food.
Salmonella is a potentially deadly type of food poisoning with symptoms that include fever, abdominal pain, nausea, gas and bloody diarrhea. It can infect both pets and humans and symptoms usually appear in 36 hours. People with compromised immune systems, including young children and the elderly, are particularly susceptible to infection, which can be spread by handling the dog food or from infected animals.
Mars Petcare, based in Franklin, Tennessee, began the recall when the FDA conducted tests on 150 samples of its dog food and two of them tested positive for Salmonella Schwarzengrund. Mars issued a voluntary recall for the products on Aug. 21 and has posted consumer information about salmonella and safe handling guidelines on their Web site.
The infected dog food has the UPC codes 7513062596 and 4286900062. The Krasdale Gravy dry dog food had ``best by'' dates of July 16, 2008, and July 17, 2008, and the Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula had a ``best by'' date of July 12, 2008, the statement said. The products have been blocked from retail sale.
Mars's recall comes 15 days after the Pennsylvania Department of Health warned consumers in the state of the potential for salmonella-contaminated pet food and how to safely handle it. Since January of 2006, at least 21 people in Pennsylvania have become ill with Salmonella Schwarzengrund.
By Kelly Riddell
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Two brands of dry dog food manufactured by Mars Petcare US Inc. are being voluntarily recalled in states including New York and Pennsylvania after reports of contamination with a rare strain of salmonella.
The dog food may be tainted with Salmonella Schwarzengrund, the company said on its Web site. Some of the five-pound bags of Krasdale Gravy dry dog food sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania may be involved, the company said in the statement. Also, 50-pound bags of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food sold in two Pennsylvania stores are being examined, according to a statement distributed today by the U.S. Food and Drug Association.
So far, 64 people have reported illnesses related to Salmonella Schwarzengrund, the statement said. None of those cases have been directly linked to the recalled dog food.
Salmonella is a potentially deadly type of food poisoning with symptoms that include fever, abdominal pain, nausea, gas and bloody diarrhea. It can infect both pets and humans and symptoms usually appear in 36 hours. People with compromised immune systems, including young children and the elderly, are particularly susceptible to infection, which can be spread by handling the dog food or from infected animals.
Mars Petcare, based in Franklin, Tennessee, began the recall when the FDA conducted tests on 150 samples of its dog food and two of them tested positive for Salmonella Schwarzengrund. Mars issued a voluntary recall for the products on Aug. 21 and has posted consumer information about salmonella and safe handling guidelines on their Web site.
The infected dog food has the UPC codes 7513062596 and 4286900062. The Krasdale Gravy dry dog food had ``best by'' dates of July 16, 2008, and July 17, 2008, and the Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula had a ``best by'' date of July 12, 2008, the statement said. The products have been blocked from retail sale.
Mars's recall comes 15 days after the Pennsylvania Department of Health warned consumers in the state of the potential for salmonella-contaminated pet food and how to safely handle it. Since January of 2006, at least 21 people in Pennsylvania have become ill with Salmonella Schwarzengrund.