BREAKING NEWS-Pet deaths linked to aflatoxin-contaminated Sportmix Pet Food

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals to potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin in certain lots of Sportmix Pet Food dry dog food.

FDA is investigating this situation in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, which found potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin in samples of the Sportmix products.

FDA is aware of at least 28 deaths and 8 illnesses in dogs that consumed the implicated pet foods.

Sportmix is manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. of Evansville, Indiana.

Midwestern has committed to recalling the following products so far:

• Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
  • Exp 03/02/22/05/L2
  • Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
• Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
  • Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
• Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bag
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
• Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bag
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
• Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag 
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
• Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
  • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”

The affected products were distributed to online retailers and stores nationwide within the United States.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the recall may be expanded as additional products are evaluated.

Recommendations for retailers, pet owners and veterinary professionals

• Retailers should not sell or donated the recalled products, and should contact the manufacturer for further instructions.
• Pet owners should contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet has been fed any of the recalled products. A pet can suffer liver damage, even without showing any immediate or acute symptoms of poisoning.
• Veterinarians treating a case of aflatoxin poisoning should ask the pet owner for a diet history. Veterinarians are encourage to submit case reports to FDA through the agency’s Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator for their state.