According to the Food and Drug Administration, aflatoxin is produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. At high levels, the toxin can cause illness and death in pets.
No cat or human illnesses have been reported associated with the food, according to the recall.
The FDA said symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (a yellowish tint to the eyes, gums or skin due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea.
If your pet shows these signs, contact a veterinarian immediately and provide a full diet history. It also may be helpful to take a picture of the pet food label including the lot number, which will be on the back of the back in a three-line code.
The affected pet food was distributed to online stores and retailers across the country. 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
The FDA said retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves, and are encouraged to contact customers who purchased the recalled pet food if they have the means to do so.
Pet owners should not feed the recalled products to pets or any other animals. Instead the FDA says to destroy it in a way that children, pets and wildlife can’t access it, then wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers.
Anyone with questions can call Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 1-800-474-4163, ext. 455 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time Monday-Friday, or by email at info@midwesternpetfoods.com.
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