Read before you feed: FDA reminds consumers of xylitol’s danger to pets

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding consumers that xylitol is highly toxic to dogs.

Xylitol is a naturally occuring alcohol found in plant materials. It is as sweet as suger, but contains 40% fewer calories.

In humans, xylitol does not raise blood sugar levels, nor does it trigger insulin production. It is used as an artificial sweetener in toothpastes, cough syrups, mouthwash, sugar-free gums, breath mints, sugar-free nut butters, and other sugar-free food products.

While safe for human consumption, xylitol is highly dangerous to dogs, whose metabolism is different from that of humans. The sweetener is absorbed rapidly into a dog’s bloodstream, triggering a potent release of insulin from the pancreas.

The insulin, in turn, causes a rapid and precipitous drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), producing symptoms of vomiting followed by decreased activity, weakness, staggering, incoordination, collapse and seizures.

While the effects of xylitol poisoning can begin to develop in as little as 10 to 60 minutes, symptoms may not develop until as long as 12 to 24 hours after ingestion of a product sweetened with xylitol.

Cats and other household pets are less at risk of xylitol poisoning than are dogs, according to FDA, although ferrets have been known to develop low blood sugar and seizures after eating products containing xylitol.

In 2016, the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center received more than 4300 calls relating to xylitol ingesttion.

FDA has received 31 formal reports of xylitol poisoning in dogs since 2010, according to a spokesperson for the agency. Many of the reports involved sugar-free chewing gum.

In addition to the formal reports, the agency has received numerous emails and phone calls from individuals who did not realize that products contained xylitol.

Take steps to safeguard your dog

Check the label for xylitol in the ingredients of products, especially ones that advertise as sugar-free or low sugar. If a product does contain xylitol, make sure your pet can’t get to it.
Keep products that contain xylitol (including those you don’t think of as food, such as toothpaste) well out of your dog’s reach. Remember that some dogs are adept at counter surfing.
Only use pet toothpaste for pets, never human toothpaste.
If you give your dog nut butter as a treat or as a vehicle for pills, check the label first to make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol.

Watch the video for more information

For additional information on safeguarding your pets from xylitol poisoning, follow the link to FDA’s video, “Xylitol and Dogs. A Deadly Combination”

Report safety issues to FDA

FDA wants to know if your pet encounters safety issues with a product, and/or unanticipated harmful effects that you believe are related to a product.
You can report problems related to both human and pet foods and treats at the Safety Reporting Portal.
Each report is evaluated to determine how serious the problem is and, if necessary, additional information may be requested from the person who filed the report.

Pig ear pet treats blamed for human Salmonella outbreak

Pig ear pet treats have been linked to an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections in 13 states, according to an investigation report released today by CDC.

Forty-five individuals in California (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (3), Iowa (12), Kansas (3), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (7), Missouri (3), New York (6), North Dakota (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1) and Wisconsin (1) have been infected with the outbreak strain, identified as Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-.

Twelve outbreak victims were hospitalized.

According to CDC, epidemiological evidence points to pig ear pet treats as a likely source of the illnesses.

Of the outbreak victims interviewed, 89% reported contact with a dog before getting sick and 71% reported contact with pig ear dog treats or with dogs who were fed pig ear dog treats.

In comparison, only 61% of healthy individuals reported contact with a dog, and only 16% reported having handled dog treats such as pig ears in the week before the interview.

Pig ear pet treats obtained from bulk bins at two Michigan retailers have tested positive for a number of different Salmonella strains, according to a report from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).

According to FDA, MDARD found four different strains – Salmonella London, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Infantis – in the pig ear samples.

FDA is working with CDC and state health partners to determine whether any human or animal cases of Salmonella illness may be linked to the strains found in the treats tested by MDARD.

Other brands of individually wrapped or bagged pig ears sold at multiple retail locations in the state tested negative for Salmonella.

Pet Supplies Plus (Livonia, MI) issued a voluntary recall after learning that MDARD found Salmonella in “…aging bulk pig ear product…” in one of the company’s stores.

The contaminated bulk pig ears were stocked in open bins in Pet Supplies Plus stores in AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI and WV. Prepackaged pig ears are unaffected by the recall.

The company has removed bulk pig ear treats from all of its stores and has stopped shipping these treats from its distribution center.

FDA is working to identify the source of the pig ear treats, how they became contaminated, and where they were distributed.

What consumers need to know

Salmonella can cause illness in both humans and animals. People infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most individuals recover without treatment. However, in some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that hospitalization is needed.

In severe cases, without antibiotic treatment the infection may spread from the intestines into the blood stream and from there to other parts of the body.

Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with Salmonella, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and/or decreased activity level. Infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces and saliva without showing signs of being sick.

If you or a household member is suffering from symptoms of Salmonella, consult a healthcare provider.

If you believe your pet may be infected with Salmonella, consult your veterinarian.

How to alert FDA to a problem

Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) 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.

Mexican government dismisses as ‘premature’ CDC’s link of Salmonella outbreak to imported papayas

In a July 1, 2019 news release, El Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria de Mexico / The National Service of Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality (Senasica) has described as “premature” CDC’s June 28, 2019 report of a link between Mexican papayas and a current outbreak of Salmonella Uganda illnesses.

Senasica points out that the outbreak strain has not been recovered from a papaya sample, nor has Salmonella Uganda been isolated from papayas in Mexico.

According to Senasica, until the outbreak strain has been found in a papaya sample, Mexico does not consider CDC’s findings to be conclusive.

The outbreak under investigation comprises 62 illnesses in eight US states: Connecticut (14), Florida (1), Massachusetts (5), New Jersey (12), New York (24), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), Texas (1). Twenty-three people have been hospitalized.

Two people who lived in different households got sick in Connecticut after eating papayas purchased from the same grocery store location in the week before becoming ill.

According to CDC, epidemiological evidence, including interviews conducted with some of the outbreak victims, points to papayas as the source of the outbreak.

FDA is conducting a traceback investigation to establish the source of the papayas. Early product distribution information indicates that they were imported from Mexico.

Senasica’s official response to CDC’s report is reminiscent of the initial Mexican response to the 2011 outbreak of Salmonella Agona illnesses caused by contaminated papayas imported from Mexico.

Back then, Mexico vehemently denied responsibility for the outbreak, even after FDA found the outbreak strain in samples of the imported papayas.

What will it take for Senasica to acknowledge reality?

And, what will it take for FDA to impose a complete embargo on the importation of papayas from Mexico?

What consumers should do

If you have purchased a papaya grown in Mexico, throw it away.
Do not eat fruit salads or other mixes that include papayas from Mexico.
If you aren’t sure the papaya you bought is from Mexico, you can ask the place of purchase. When in doubt, don’t eat the papaya. Throw it out.
Wash and sanitize places where papayas were stored: countertops and refrigerator drawers or shelves. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.

What restaurants and retailers should do

In the event that restaurants, retailers and/or other food service operators are found to have handled potentially contaminated food in their facilities, they should:

Contact their local health department and communicate to their customers regarding possible exposure to a pathogen.
Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
Wash and sanitize display cases and surfaces used to potentially store, serve, or prepare potentially contaminated foods.
Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
Conduct regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing to help minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.