After the reported deaths of at least 70 dogs and more than 80 sick, Evansville, IN-based Midwestern Pet Foods Inc. has expanded their product recall to include all pet foods containing corn and manufactured in the company’s Oklahoma plant, and having an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022.
Some of the pet food is being recalled because of a toxin that is created by a specific mold that many people are allergic to.
The recall expansion comes after Midwestern Pet Foods Inc.’s initial recall of dog and cat food products after tests showed levels of Aflatoxin that exceed acceptable limits. The dog deaths are associated with lots of Sportmix High Energy. No cat or human illnesses have been reported.
The recalled pet foods were distributed nationally to online distributors and retail stores.
Aflatoxin is a poison produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in animal and human food. At high levels, aflatoxin can cause illness and death in pets.
If a pet shows signs of aflatoxin poisoning including sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes, gums, or skin due to liver damage, and/or diarrhea, owners should contact a veterinarian immediately. Provide a full diet history to the veterinarian. It may be helpful to take a picture of the pet food label, including the lot number.
Lot code information may 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”.
Retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves. Do not sell or donate the recalled products. If they have the means, retailers are encouraged to contact consumers who have purchased the recalled products if they have the means to do so.
Anyone who has purchased the recalled products should not feed to to pets or other animals. Destroy the products in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access them. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cooperating in the recall.
Additional recalled products:
More than 1,000 lot codes are affected, so they are not listed individually.
- Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, 40 lb. bag
- Pro Pac Performance Puppy, 40 lb. bag
- Splash Fat Cat 32%, 50 lb. bag
- Nunn Better Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Protein, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 40 lb. bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 16.5 lb. bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 33 lb. bag
Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L__/B___/HH:MM”.
Initial recalled lot 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 Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
- 15# Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L2, 03/03/22/05/L3
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