Dog Food Recalled Nationwide Due to Bacterial Contamination: FDA

North Carolina-based Viva Raw said the recalled dog and cat foods were contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

A pet food company this week recalled two lots of dog and cat foods due to contamination from two types of bacteria, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement.

North Carolina-based Viva Raw said the impacted lots of dog and cat foods were contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, which can both impact the animals eating the products and people who handle them.

The notice said that Viva Ground Beef for Dogs, Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies, as well as Viva Ground Chicken for Dogs, Viva Chunked Chicken for Dogs, Viva Chicken for Cats, and Viva Pure Chicken were recalled. The product contains frozen, one-pound bricks in clear vacuum packaging.

The lot number is printed on the packaging—either Lot 21495 or Lot 21975—according to the notice.

The products were distributed from July 2 to Aug. 21 of this year directly to customers across the United States, as well as a small number of retailers in New York, Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, California, and Arizona.

The recall was initiated after testing performed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture found the products were potentially contaminated, the FDA said.

No reports of illnesses in dogs, cats, or people in connection with the recalled pet food have been confirmed so far, the announcement said.

Consumers with either of the two impacted lots are advised to contact Viva Raw to receive a refund and then dispose of the food in a way that’s inaccessible to children, pets, and wild animals, it said. Retailers are also advised not to sell or donate the products, while consumers should wash and sanitize pet food bowls and storage containers.

People are also advised not to “feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.”

The FDA says that Listeria can “rarely cause disease in dogs and cats and, even when infected, pets usually have only mild gastrointestinal signs, such as diarrhea and vomiting,” but in some instances, more serious issues such as fever, muscle pain, breathing issues, pregnancy loss, and death have been reported.

“After consuming contaminated pet food, dogs and cats often don’t show any signs of listeriosis but can become carriers of the bacteria. This means that even if the pets appear healthy, they can still shed L. monocytogenes in their stool and then spread the bacteria to the home environment,” the FDA also says.

In people, Listeria symptoms can be mild and include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. More serious illnesses can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Listeria poisoning can be difficult to detect because symptoms can start quickly, within a few hours or days after eating contaminated food. But they also can take weeks or up to three months to show up.

Sickness caused by Salmonella in animals can include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and lethargy, officials say.

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning in people include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration, and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.