On January 11, 2021, Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc., of Evansville, IN, expanded its previous December 30, 2020 recall to now include all pet food products containing corn that were made in the firm’s Oklahoma plant and that expire on or before July 9, 2022. More than 1000 lot codes are affected.
As of January 11, FDA was aware of more than 70 pets that had died and more than 80 pets that are sick after eating Sportmix pet food. Not all of these cases have been officially confirmed as aflatoxin poisoning through laboratory testing or veterinary record review. This count is approximate and may not reflect the total number of pets affected.
Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, as seen above, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”
Lots of the following pet foods have been recalled if the date/lot code includes an expiration date on or before “07/09/22” and includes “05” in the date/lot code, which identifies products made in the Oklahoma plant. The affected products were distributed to online retailers and stores nationwide within the United States. If you have one of the products listed below but do not know the lot code or expiration date, FDA recommends that you stop feeding the product.
- Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, 40 lb. bag
- Pro Pac Performance Puppy, 40 lb. bag
- Splash Fat Cat 32%, 50 lb. bag
- Nunn Better Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Protein, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix Stamina, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 40 lb. bag
- Sportmix Bite Size, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 44 lb. bag
- Sportmix High Energy, 50 lb. bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 16.5 lb. bag
- Sportmix Premium Puppy, 33 lb. bag
Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. Pets are highly susceptible to aflatoxin poisoning because, unlike people, who eat a varied diet, pets generally eat the same food continuously over extended periods of time. If a pet’s food contains aflatoxins, the toxins could accumulate in the pet’s system as they continue to eat the same food.
Pets with aflatoxin poisoning may experience symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes, gums or skin due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. In some cases, this toxicity can cause long-term liver issues and/or death. Some pets suffer liver damage without showing any symptoms. Pet owners whose pets have been eating the recalled products should contact their veterinarians, especially if they are showing signs of illness. There is no evidence to suggest that pet owners who handle products containing aflatoxin are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning. However, pet owners should always wash their hands after handling pet food.
Retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves, and are advised not to sell or donate the recalled products. Retailers are also encouraged to contact consumers who have purchased the recalled products if at all possible.
Pet owners are advised not to feed the recalled products to your pets or any other animals. Destroy or dispose of the products in a manner that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers.
Veterinarians treating aflatoxin poisoning are urged by the FDA to ask the client for the pet’s diet history. FDA also welcomes case reports, especially those confirmed through diagnostic testing. Veterinarians can submit these reports electronically through the FDA Safety Reporting Portal or by calling their state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. For an explanation of the information and level of detail that would be helpful to include in a complaint to the FDA, please see How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.
If you have questions about this recall, please contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 800-474-4163, ext. 455, between the hours of 7AM and 4PM Central time, Monday through Friday, or by email at info@midwesternpetfoods.com.
Click here to view the full FDA expanded recall alert dated January 11, 2021.
