Friday, June 19, 2015

Boulder Dog Food Company Voluntarily Recalling Chicken Sprinkles 3 oz Bags


 

Boulder Dog Food Company, L.L.C. Voluntarily Recalls Ten Bags of Chicken Sprinkles, 3 oz. With A “Best By” Date of “05/04/16” Due to Possible Salmonella Health Risk  

 Boulder Dog Food Company, L.L.C. is voluntarily recalling the Chicken Sprinkles (3 oz.) with a “Best By” date of “05/04/16”, a Lot Number of “998”, and a UPC Code of 899883001231 (the “Product”), because the Product has the potential of being contaminated with Salmonella Salmonella can affect animals eating the Product, and there is risk to humans who handle the Product, especially if the handler does not thoroughly wash his or her hands after having contact with the Product or any surfaces exposed to the Product.

Healthy people handling a product contaminated by Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever.  Although rare, Salmonella may result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.  Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with the Product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.  Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.  Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.  If your pet has consumed the Product and has exhibited these symptoms, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.
This voluntary recall is limited to Chicken Sprinkles (3 oz.) with a “Best By” date of “05/04/16”, Lot # “998” and a UPC Code of 899883001231. The Product is in a clear poly bag. The UPC Code is located in the lower right hand corner of the product label on the front of the bag.  The “Best By” date and Lot Number are on a label on the reverse side of the bag. 
The recalled Product consists of 10 bags of Chicken Sprinkles (3 oz.) that were distributed to two retail stores in the State of Colorado, one retail store in the State of Washington, and one retail customer in the State of Maryland.  Boulder Dog Food Company, L.L.C. has retrieved 8 of the 10 bags of the recalled Product, and believes that the remaining two bags of the Product have been used or destroyed.  If you are in possession of the recalled Product (“Best By” date of “05/04/16”, a Lot #”998” and a UPC Code of 899883001231) please discontinue use and return the unused Product to either the retailer where it was purchased or directly to Boulder Dog Food Company L.L.C.
The recall is a result of a routine sampling program by the Colorado Department of Agriculture which revealed a “positive” test for Salmonella in one package of Chicken Sprinkles (3 oz.) with a “Best By” date of “05/04/16”, a Lot Number of “998”, and  a UPC Code of 899883001231.
One complaint was received from a consumer who had contact with the Product.

Consumers with questions may contact Boulder Dog Food Company, L.L.C. at 303-449-2540 Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM (M.D.T.)    


Friday, June 5, 2015

Wet Cat Food Varieties By Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Recall



Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Voluntarily Recalls Five Nutrish® Wet Cat Food Varieties For Potentially Elevated Vitamin D Levels  

  Ainsworth Pet Nutrition of Meadville, PA is voluntarily recalling five varieties of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® wet cat food, including Ocean Fish-a-licious, Lip Smackin’ Sardine & Mackerel, Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore, Tuna Purrfection, and certain lot codes of Paw Lickin’ Chicken & Liver due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of excessive vitamin D consumption usually develop within 12-36 hours after ingestion and may include vomiting or diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, and muscle tremors or seizures. Any cat experiencing these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Two variety packs that contain some of these recalled products (the Chicken Lovers Variety Pack, and the Ocean Lovers Variety Pack) will also be recalled. The recalled products are distributed nationwide. No other Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® products are affected by this recall.
Single PackUnit UPC CodeBest By Dates Thru
PAW LICKIN CHICKEN AND LIVER (2.8 oz)071190007032AUG 17 2015
OCEAN FISH AND CHICKEN CATCH-IATORIE (2.8 oz) 071190007049DEC 1 2016
OCEAN FISH A LICIOUS (2.8 oz) 071190007056DEC 1 2016
TUNA PURRFECTION (2.8 oz)071190007063DEC 1 2016
LIP SMACKIN SARDINE AND MACKEREL (2.8 oz)071190007070DEC 1 2016
Multi Packs - 12 CountUnit UPC CodeBest By Dates Thru
CHICKEN LOVERS VARIETY PACK (12 count pack of 2.8 oz cups)071190007773DEC 1 2016 
OCEAN LOVERS VARIETY PACK (12 count pack of 2.8 oz cups)071190007780DEC 1 2016
The UPC code can be found on the bottom of the cup. The Best By code can be found on the side of the cup.
To date, there have been 11 reports of illness associated with these products.
After conducting a number of product tests, Ainsworth confirmed that the affected products have elevated levels of vitamin D. The high levels result from the natural levels of vitamin D that are found in some of the fish ingredients that were used in these specific formulas.
"At Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®, the safety and quality of our products is our top priority," says Jeff Watters, CEO. "For the time being, we recommend disposing of any of the affected wet cat varieties. Rest assured we have implemented additional operating procedures to prevent an issue like this from occurring in the future. We sincerely apologize to our loyal consumers everywhere."
Ainsworth is working to ensure the removal of all affected products from store shelves. Retailers with affected products are asked to contact 888-943-4218 for additional information.
Consumers with questions about the recall are encouraged to contact Ainsworth’s Consumer Care Team at 877-650-3486 or visit www.nutrishforpets.com/newsdisclaimer icon.
Representatives will be available from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET Monday thru Friday and 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Vitamin D is important in regulating calcium and phosphorus in a cat’s body. But, when ingested at very high levels, it can lead to serious health issues.
Production of the affected varieties has been suspended and will resume after reformulation.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

New Veterinary Educational Materials From WikiVet and Mars Petcare



WikiVet and Mars Petcare announce new materials on cat and dog nutrition for health

 
Collaboration launches new online veterinary educational materials to improve understanding of cat and dog nutrition and its role in preventative healthcare

 
WikiVet and Mars Petcare today launched new veterinary educational materials focused on cat and dog nutrition and its role in health and wellbeing. Through an exciting collaboration, WikiVet and Mars Petcare continue to improve the quality and reach of reference materials available to veterinary students, practicing veterinarians, and vet nurses. 

“Nutrition plays a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of pets,” said Dr Richard Butterwick, Principal Nutrition Scientist, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare.  “We are excited to combine our expertise in pet nutrition with WikiVet’s dynamic site, driving greater awareness of the important link between nutrition and health.” 

Based on extensive research and scientific knowledge, subject matter will include: differing nutritional requirements of cats and dogs; essential nutrients, their role and biological function; and, consequences of deficiency and signs of toxicity. The materials will feature resources written by world leading experts in pet nutrition including Dr. Dan Chan, Senior Lecturer at Royal Veterinary College, University of London and Dr. Lisa Weeth, Veterinary Clinical Nutritionist.

“We are very pleased to continue working with Mars Petcare and believe these materials will help the veterinary profession strengthen their understanding of cat and dog nutrition and the importance of the right nutrition for a healthy life,” said Nick Short, Head of the eMedia Unit, Royal Veterinary College.

The WikiVet Cat and Dog Nutrition chapter will be freely available online to all users of WikiVet through www.wikivet.net.

About WikiVet

WikiVet is a collaborative resource that aims to support and enhance veterinary education worldwide through the development of high quality web-based knowledge and learning content. Providing users with a comprehensive knowledge base, its goal is to become the most respected and largest online educational resource for the international veterinary community.

Launched in 2007, WikiVet was formed by four UK veterinary schools at the Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Cambridge Universities. It has now grown to include over 20 additional international vet schools and partners.  The site has more than 43,000 members from over 90 countries, and offers close to 5,000 pages of material. To find out more about WikiVet can be found at www.wikivet.net.

Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare is the world’s leading petfood and veterinary care business that strives to make A Better World for Pets® every day. Mars Petcare believes that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. Mars Petcare has a total of 35 brands in our portfolio, including billion dollar brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, BANFIELD®, and IAMS®. Other leading brands include: CESAR®, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES®, KITEKAT®, CHAPPI®, CATSAN®, FROLIC®, PERFECT FIT®, GREENIES®, EUKANUBA® and NATURA®. Key specialty brands include: Mars Fishcare: API®, Aquarian®, Rena®, Pondcare®; Mars Horsecare: Winergy®, Spillers®, Buckeye® Equivite® ; the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide.  More information can be found at www.Mars.com.