Raw pet food implicated in Canadian Salmonella outbreak

Forty individuals—seventeen of them children under five years of age—have been infected with an extensively drug-resistant strain of Salmonella, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Thirteen people have been hospitalized.

Outbreak illnesses have been reported by six provinces: Manitoba (1), Ontario (14), Quebec (21), New Brunswick (1), Nova Scotia (2), and Prince Edward Island (1).

The earliest cases date back to 2020, with most of the 40 cases reported in 2022 and 2023.

Exposure to raw pet food—or to dogs fed with raw pet food—has been identified as a likely source for at least some of the illnesses. Contact with cattle has also been identified as a likely source.

The outbreak strain was recovered from a sample of raw pet food obtained at the home of one of the outbreak victims. However, no single common supplier of raw pet food has been identified.

The Salmonella strain recovered from patients and from the pet food sample is resistant to all commonly recommended antibiotics, as well as older antibiotic drugs, making the infections difficult to treat.

The outbreak is ongoing, and the PHAC expects the number of cases to grow.

What consumers and pet owners should know

PHAC does not recommend feeding raw pet food to pets, especially in households with young children or individuals who have a compromised immune system, as they are at greater risk for more serious illness.

Symptoms of a Salmonella infection may include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and abdominal cramps. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms from a Salmonella infection, contact your health care provider.

If you choose to feed raw pet food, please take the following precautions:

Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after feeding, playing, handling or cleaning up after pets.
Wash and sanitize any containers, utensils and surfaces that have come into contact with raw pet food before using them again. This includes food and water bowls, countertops, microwaves and refrigerators.
Use dedicated dishes and utensils to serve your pet and wash them separately from other dishes and utensils.
Store all pet food and treats away from where human food is stored or prepared and away from reach of young children. Pick up treats and food bowls when your pet is done with them.
Raw pet food may need to be stored frozen or refrigerated. If thawing raw food:
- Keep your pet’s food away from human food
- Place it in a sealed, clean container that will hold any juices that may leak out
- Thaw only as much as needed
- Thaw on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator
- Do not re-freeze food after thawing
Don’t allow your dog to lick your face, mouth, or open wounds.

If you come into contact with cattle, please take the following precautions:

Always wash your hands before and after you touch cattle, or anything in the areas where they live, roam or eat. Wash with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.
If visiting a farm or petting zoo, wash your hands when you leave animal areas, even if you did not touch the animals directly.
Do not eat or drink around cattle. Keep food and drinks away from animal areas.
Always supervise children around animals, such as cattle. Do not let children put their fingers or objects (like pacifiers) in their mouths when they are around animals or in an animal area.

“A complete and compelling account of the hidden and not-so-hidden ways the food we give our beloved pets can be contaminated.” – JoNel Aleccia, Health Reporter, Food & Nutrition, The Associated Press.

“An invaluable resource for busy pet owners” – Food Safety News

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Recalls and Alerts: November 11–13, 2023

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

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION UPDATE: As of November 13, 2023, the FDA has received 22 illness reports potentially linked to consumption of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety packs. The manufacturer, WanaBana, has recalled multiple WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brands of the implicated products, which have been found to contain extremely high concentrations of lead.

Allergy Alert Update: JX Restaurant, Inc. recalls SISTER SISTER GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN with FRIED RICE (16-oz. plastic trays; Lot codes 11/07/23, 11/11/23, 11/17/23, 11/18/23, or 11/19/23) due to undeclared sesame oil.

Canada

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION: The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Health Canada and provincial partners are investigating an outbreak of 40 confirmed cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella infections in six provinces. Whole genome sequencing has linked the cases to raw pet food and contact with cattle. The outbreak strain was found in raw pet food from the home of one of the victims.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Jumbo recalls Jumbo brand Yaourt « Lekker Vrij van Lactose » Magere Yoghurt / Low-fat lactose-free yoghurt (1 L; Best before 13-11-2023) due to undeclared lactose.

Food Safety Recall (France): CARREFOUR HYPERMARCHES recalls Jambon cuit superieur decouenne degraisse torchon / Superior rindless cooked ham, defatted (Lot 01206889; Use by 20/11/2023) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Israel): Eurocize Import and Marketing Ltd recalls Dairy spread with milk and vegetable fat, 30% fat (235g; Expiration date 13.07.2024) due to foreign matter contamination (glass particles).

TAINTED formats 3 — “Reads like a true crime novel” – Food Safety News

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Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

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Blue Ridge Beef raw dog food recalled due to Salmonella

Blue Ridge Beef has recalled a single production batch of Breeders Choice raw dog food after being informed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that Salmonella was found in a sample of the product.

The voluntary recall is limited to the following:

Breeders Choice dog food, 2-lb log: Lot #8/2/24, UPC 8 54298 00193 1

The recalled product was distributed between 8/9/2023 and 8/25/2023, and was sold primarily in retail stores located in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The company’s North Carolina manufacturing facility has been inspected on at least three separate occasions during the past several years.

Upon completion of a 2016 inspection, the company’s operations were classified as “Voluntary Action Indicated.”

A follow-up inspection conducted in 2019 revealed multiple, serious infractions, and was classified “Official Action Indicated.” A Warning Letter, issued in June 2020, described those conditions in detail, including:

Utilizing tissues from animals that died other than by slaughter (i.e., 4D animals) without first determining whether the animals suffered any type of illness, injury, and/or whether any medications may have been administered to the animals;
Badly pitted concrete floors in the kill room, the cooler, and the mixing/packaging room, creating a niche for microorganisms to survive;
Thawing beef parts coming into contact with the concrete floors;
On the kill floor, while employees removed hides from three cow carcasses, stomach contents and fecal matter were observed spilling over onto exposed carcasses;
Carcasses dragged on the floors;
Deteriorating, exposed insulation;
Finished product and raw ingredient samples found to be contaminated with generic E. coli, Salmonella (two different serotypes) and Listeria monocytogenes; and
Operating without a current Food Facility Registration.

A third inspection, conducted in 2021, revealed that many of these problems had not been corrected. That inspection also was classified as “Official Action Indicated,” although a second Warning Letter does not appear to have been issued.

The 2021 inspection is the most recent one posted on the FDA Inspection Citation database.

What consumers should know

Dogs can become infected with Salmonella after eating a contaminated product.

Infected dogs may show symptoms that include lethargy, decreased appetite, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some infected dogs may not show any symptoms at all, but may shed the bacteria in their stools nevertheless, potentially infecting other animals or humans.

People who become infected with Samonella may suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. In rare cases, a Salmonella infection can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Pet owners or other individuals who may have come into contact with the recalled product should monitor themselves and their animals for symptoms of Salmonella infection, and should consult their veterinarian or healthcare professional (as appropriate) if any of these symptoms appear.

TOXIC

From Factory To Food Bowl
PET FOOD IS A RISKY BUSINESS

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Enjoy the slideshow as you listen to a sample of TOXIC, narrated by the author.

“A complete and compelling account of the hidden and not-so-hidden ways the food we give our beloved pets can be contaminated.” – JoNel Aleccia, Health Reporter, Food & Nutrition, The Associated Press.