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Pet food sold in stores around the country, including in North Carolina, has been recalled for its potential risk for illness in both animals and humans.
Blue Ridge Beef has issued a recall for its Kitten Grind, Kitten Mix and Puppy Mix pet food due to contamination of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, both of which can affect animals eating the products as well as humans handling the contaminated products without thoroughly washing their hands after exposure. The recall was initially announced in December 2023 but recently expanded to include several new states, according to an updated recall notice from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever in healthy people, but in rare cases could lead to "more serious ailments" like arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms.
Pets infected with Salmonella or Listeria "may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting" while some may only have decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. According to the recall notice, infected but otherwise healthy pets can still infect other animals and humans so you should contact your veterinarian if your pet has any symptoms.
These are the affected products:
- Kitten Grind: 2 lbs, UPC 8 54298 00101 6, Lot #/Use-By Dates between N24 1114 to N24 1224
- Kitten Mix: 2 lbs, UPC 8 54298 00243 6, Lot #/Use-By Dates between N24 1114 to N24 1224
- Puppy Mix: 2 lbs, UPC 8 54298 00169 6, Lot #/Use-By Dates between N24 1114 to N24 1224
The recalled products were packaged in clear plastic and sold in retail stores in several states: Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
If you have purchased any of these products, do not feed it to your pets or other animals. Additionally, you shouldn't sell or donate the products either. The FDA states you should "destroy" it in a way that children, pets and wildlife can't access. As of time of the recall, no illnesses have been reported. Anyone who has purchased the recalled products can contact Blue Ridge Beef at blueridgebeefnc@yahoo.com for a refund.