FDA finds Salmonella in Aunt Jeni’s raw pet food sample

FDA is cautioning pet owners not to feed a specific lot of Aunt Jeni’s frozen raw pet food after finding Salmonella in a retail sample.

The contaminated product is described as: Aunt Jeni’s Home Made All-Natural Raw Turkey Dinner Dog Food, 5 lb. (2.3 kg), lot 175331 NOV2020.

FDA obtained a retail sample of this product in January 2020 and has confirmed the presence of Salmonella Infantis in the sample.

Aunt Jeni has not recalled the contamination product.

Salmonella can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are very young, very old, or have weak immune systems. Common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without treatment, but in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized.

Infected pets may show symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and/or decreased activity level. Although pets do not always display symptoms of a Salmonella infection, they can shed the bacteria in their feces and saliva, contaminating the environment and potentially spreading the infection to other animals and to people.

This is the second time in less than a year that FDA has reported finding pathogens in products from this company. In August 2019, FDA reported the presence of Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes in two samples obtained during an inspection of the company’s premises. The contaminated products were not recalled.

What Consumers Need to Know

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal food, like human food, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. Without an effective control for pathogens, such as cooking, animal food is more likely to contain pathogens such as Salmonella. Refrigeration or freezing does not kill the bacteria.
If you think you have symptoms of Salmonella infection, consult your health care provider.
People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians. Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) if the pet is from a household with a person infected with Salmonella.
FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. This information helps FDA further protect human and animal health.

Recalls and Alerts: January 13 – 15, 2020

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

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United States

Food Safety Recall Update: Lipari Foods recalls additional Premo and Fresh Grab sandwiches due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Seoul Trading Corp. recalls Ourhome brand Spicy Jjamppongs (1020g; All codes where squid and oyster are not declared on the label; UPC 8 809257 824238) due to undeclared oyster and squid.

Food Safety Recall: The Italian Store recalls Scarpone’s Italian Store brand frozen Ground Veal (variable size; All units sold between December 23, 2019 and January 13, 2020, inclusive; UPC starts with 0 200904) due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Ma Bouche Rit recalls Cube de lard Canne (500 mL and 1 L jars; Product sold up to and including 13 January 2020) due to improper storage temperature.

Food Safety Alert: MAPAQ warns the public that ENDUIT DE PORC (LANIÈRE DE PORC POUR ASSAISONNEMENT) / pork strips for seasoning (variable weight; sold at Marché Ilamise on or before 15 January 2020) is a raw product and must be cooked to a temperature of 71°C before being consumed.

Food Safety Recall: Phoenicia Group Inc. recalls Alkanater brand Tahina (454g; Lot #TT4N-180820; Expiry date 08/20/2020) due to Salmonella contamination.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Kjure recalls Kjure brand Saumon aux légumes au wok / salmon with vegetables for wok (520g; Best before 21/01/2020) due to undeclared sesame.

Allergy Alert (Italy): BELLI FRESCHI recalls BELLI FRESCHI brand FACCIAMO FESTA CON TORTA DI NATALE SENZA LATTOSIO (350g; Lot #TNSL150320; Best before 15.03.2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Auchan recalls Crevettes crues moyennes /medium raw shrimp (Lot #2200020046L; Best before 10/01/2020) due to excessive sulphite.

Allergy Alert (UK): Waitrose recalls Waitrose 2 Aberdeen Angus beef burgers with red wine & herbs (270g; All Use by dates from 15 December 2019 up to and including 21 January 2020) due to undeclared gluten.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls AH boerenkaas belegen 30+ farmer’s cheese (240g; Best before 30-01-2020) due to a risk of food poisoning.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Beyco recalls Yayla brand Erzincan tipi Tulum Peyniri fresh cheese (500g in glass jar; Lot #462; Best before 13/05/2020) due to foreign matter (glass fragments) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Coop Danmark A/S recalls Chokolade 33% med toffee og islandsk seasalt / Chocolate with toffee and Icelandic sea salt (100g; Best before 08.06.21) due to foreign matter (blue plastic) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Distrimers recalls Distrimers brand Huîtres de Bouzigues N°2 (2.5kg; Lot #00047445) and Distrimers brand Huîtres de Bouzigues N°3 (2kg; Lot #00047446) due to Norovirus contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Carrefour recalls certain Filière Qualité Carrefour brand Huîtres Normandie Est due to Norovirus contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): Carrefour recalls various Filière Qualité Carrefour and SANCHEZ GUY brand Huîtres de Bouzigues / Camargue / Ile de St Martin / oysters due to Norovirus contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): Carrefour recalls various Filière Qualité Carrefour and LA PERLE DE THAU brand Huîtres de Bouzigues – étang de Thau / oysters due to Norovirus contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): LA PERLE DE THAU recalls various Huîtres Bouzigues et Huîtres Méditerranée / oysters due to Norovirus contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): CULTIMER FRANCE recalls Huitres spéciales NORMANDIE N°2 FILIERE RESPONSABLE (1.20KG; Lots 2001023, 2001033 & 2001063) due to Norovirus contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Distrimers recalls Distrimers brand Huîtres de Bouzigues (sold at Auchan from 23/12/2019 onward) due to Norovirus contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Iceland): Nói Síríus recalls two sizes of Sirius Cream Chocolate and one size of Sirius South Chocolate due to foreign matter (blue plastic) contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for complete details on the affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Albert Heijn recalls recalls AH boerenkaas belegen 30+ farmer’s cheese (240g; Best before 30-01-2020) due to a risk of food poisoning.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Happy Hounds recalls certain types of frozen raw dog food due to Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Hong Kong): CR Vanguard (HK) Company Limited recalls Tesco Green Pesto (190g; All best before dates on or before November 1, 2022; Product of Italy) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Singapore): NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd recalls Tesco Green Pesto and Tesco Reduced Fat Green Pesto (190g; All expiry dates up to and including 01/11/2022; Product of Italy) due to undeclared peanuts.

Raw pet food producer hit with FDA Warning Letter

G & C Raw, LLC (G & C) needs to clean up its act according to a December 12, 2019 Warning Letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

G & C is a manufacturer of raw pet food and is based in Versailles, Ohio.

FDA inspected the G & C manufacturing facility in April and May 2019, and found several instances of insanitary practices, potential for cross-contamination, inappropriate and uncontrolled thawing conditions for frozen ingredients, and inadequate preventative controls.

Some of the practices and deficiencies highlighted in the Warning Letter include:
1. Frozen beef hearts were set out at room temperature to thaw on April 22nd, and remained at room temperature until April 24th, when they were used in the manufacture of raw Beef Veggie and Fruit Dog Food. This extended exposure to room temperature would have allowed bacteria to proliferate in the raw beef hearts.
2. An employee wearing gloves lifted a barrelG that had been resting on the floor, grabbing the bottom of the barrel with one gloved hand. Without changing to a fresh pair of gloves, that employee then used both hands to handle the raw meat ingredients, potentially transfering contaminants from the floor to the ingredients
3. An employee was observed using a cell phone while weighing open containers of raw Beef Veggie and Fruit Dog Food. The employee continued to handle the raw dog food without changing to a fresh pair of gloves.
4. An employee used a hose connected to a processing area sink to wash down a van in the parking lot, then returned the hose to the processing area for inside use.
5. Two finished product samples collected during the inspection were found to contain Listeria monocytogenes, a human and animal pathogen. One environmental sample contained Listeria grayi and Listeria innocua, non-pathogenic species that are indicators of insanitary conditions.

In addition to the problems identified during the 2019 inspection, the Warning Letter also noted that G & C pet foods analyzed in 2018 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture were found to contain Listeria monocytogenes in one instance, and Salmonella in another.

While the contaminated products were recalled by the company, FDA considered this an indication of an ongoing problem.

The FoodBugLady weighs in

Some pet food bloggers, and many consumers, are inclined to give raw pet food manufacturers the benefit of the doubt whenever a product recall is announced or an enforcement action is undertaken against such a company by FDA.

“FDA is discriminating against raw pet food,” and “FDA is discriminating against small companies who can’t fight back,” are two rallying cries I have seen in recent years.

In my opinion and experience, this is nonsense.

Conditions such as those described in the Warning Letter issued to G & C would not be tolerated in the manufacture of human food, regardless of the size of the company. Equally, they should not be tolerated in the manufacture of pet food, regardless of whether the finished product is raw, canned, or kibble.

Insanitary practices are insanitary practices, no matter where they occur or by whom they are perpetrated. There is no excuse for sloppy handling, poor supervision of employees, or unsafe holding temperatures.

Anyone who undertakes to produce a commercial food for human or for animal use must bear full responsibility for the safety of the finished products.

Consumers should – and must – demand no less.