Although pets have yet to be been reported ill, several people have become ill and the numbers are rising. To date, 485 people were sickened and six have died after eating the tainted peanut butter products. As the FDA continues its investigation of tainted peanut butter and paste made products at the Blakely, Georgia facility of Peanut Corporation of American, seven lines of pet food products have been added to the recall list. These products are to be avoided as they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, which are highly contagious and transmissible between owners, tainted pet food, pet treats and pets.
In addition, recalls have been issued by several companies that received peanut butter or peanut paste from the Georgia facility. A searchable database of all pet food products involved in this recall can be found at the FDA link at the end of this article.
PetSmart says it has voluntarily removed the Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits because of the potential risks. PetSmart officials are in contact with all the company’s vendors to see if any other pet products they carry contain the affected peanut paste. The Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits affected by the voluntary recall were made after Aug. 21, 2008.
The FDA will continue to update the list of recalled products as quickly as new information becomes available. Pet owners should practice good hygiene and carefully wash their hands with hot water and soap before and after handling pet foods and treats. It is also wise to wash your pet’s food and water bowls daily.
Salmonella bacterial infections in pets usually cause lethargy, diarrhea with or without blood, fever and vomiting. Some pets may lost their appetite and experience a fever along with abdominal pain. If your pet shows any of these signs or has ingested any recalled product, contact your veterinarian. Pets can also be “healthy” carriers and show no signs themselves but transmit the disease to other pets and people.
The recall list of Pet Food Products has been expanded and now also includes: Carolina Prime issued a recall for its products, sold at PetSmart, that include a two-pack of Peanut Butter Hooves, 4-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Rawhides, 6-inch Beef Shank Peanut Butter Dog Bones and 6-inch Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter Rawhides.
PetSmart was the first pet-food seller to pull a pet-food product from its shelves voluntarily when it recalled all varieties of Grreat Choice dog biscuits. PetSmart and the 72-store Wegman grocery chain also recalled Saligs three-count packs of Healthy Hide Deli Wrap 5-inch Peanut Butter Filled Rawhides.
Other retailers voluntarily pulling items from their shelves include the 2,500-store SuperValu chain, which includes stores like Albertson’s Shop’n Save, Save-A-Lot, Acme and Bristol Farms. SuperValu recalled Happy Tails’ 4-pound and 26-ounce packages of multi-flavored dog biscuits and Shoppers Valu 4-pound packages of multi-flavor dog biscuits.
Through testing, the FDA confirmed the source of the Salmonella typhimurium outbreak to the Blakely, Ga., plant owned by the Peanut Corp. of America. This company does not sell directly to consumers, and the only peanut butter included in the recall is a King Nut-brand peanut butter.
