We broke the news about the government’s recall of Iams pet food. Look for complete, in-depth coverage of this story and other news involving food recalls.
Procter & Gamble and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration have announced a recall of multiple lots of dry dog food and cat food sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands because of potential contamination from Salmonella.
Pet owners are at risk as well as pets if they handle contaminated dog or cat food or any surfaces exposed to the food and do not wash their hands thoroughly.
Although the recalled lots represent only 0.1 percent of all of P&G’s annual production, the Cincinnati-based company says the potentially contaminated food was shipped to multiple retailers across the United States.
The products include several different specialty Eukanuba and Iams dry dog foods and Iams dry cat foods, all with "Best By" dates during the first two weeks of November 2014. The full list of products and their lot numbers are available at this FDA web site: www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm365154.htm
No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with the recalled dog and cat food. The recalled food was made during a 10-day window at a single manufacturing site, and routine testing conducted by P&G determined that some products made during this timeframe have the potential for Salmonella contamination, FDA and company officials said in a news release. The company said it was issuing the recall “as a precautionary measure,” and no other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned wet food, or pet treats are affected by the recall.
P&G officials said the dog and cat food subject to recall was shipped to states mostly along the eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast, including Pennsylvania. While it was not shipped to any destinations in Ohio, “Distributors, online retailers, and retailers may have shipped this product to additional states,” P&G said.
Iams, founded in Dayton in 1946, remained a Dayton-area-based pet-food company until 1999, when then-owner Clay Mathile sold the business to P&G for $2.3 billion. The Eukanuba line of pet food was launched by Iams and was part of the sale. P&G moved the pet-food company’s headquarters from Vandalia to Mason, Ohio in 2009.
Consumers who purchased a one of the recalled products should stop using the pet food, discard it and contact P&G toll-free at (800) 208-0172 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST, or online at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting, FDA officials said. Pet owners who suspect their pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms should contact their veterinarian, the FDA advised.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever, the FDA said.
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