Pet food recall 2012 now includes 39 states
Editor's note: This story was updated on May 14, 2012.
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded a national recall of Diamond Pet Foods dog food manufactured between Dec. 9, 2011, and April 7, 2012, from the company’s manufacturing plant in Gaston, S.C.
The initial recall was put into place last month, after salmonella was found in batches of the company’s dry dog food, according to the FDA.
No illnesses have been reported in dogs, but so far 16 cases of salmonella in humans have been found in nine states and Canada, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Affected humans may have caught salmonella from handling the dry dog food and then handling their own food, or from cross contamination with utensils. The CDC is still investigating the outbreak.
With the expansion, the Diamond portion of the biggest pet food recall of 2012 now includes Puerto Rico, parts of Canada, and 21 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. The FDA warns that some packages of affected food may have been sold to additional states through online vendors.
“We have taken corrective actions at our Gaston, S.C., facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for our customers and their pets,” the Missouri-based company said in a statement.
Initially issued for Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal and Rice dry dog food on April 6, the Diamond Pet Foods recall has been expanded seven times.
Additional recalls have been issued by dog food brands that aren’t owned by Diamond Pet Food, but are manufactured at the Gaston facility, expanding the count of affected states even further. Wellness Brands is recalling one recipe, of 15-pound bags, 30-pound bags, and 5-ounce sample bags of Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy food, with best by dates of Jan. 9, 2013, through Jan. 11, 2013.
Solid Gold has issued is own recall of all sized bags of two of its recipes: Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Food, and Solid Gold WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food. Both recipes have a December 30, 2012, “Best before” date.
And Natural Balance is recalling batches of five dry dog food recipes manufactured at the South Carolina plant sold in 5-pound, 15-pound, and 28-pound bags: Sweet Potato and Venison, Lamb Meal and Brown Rice, Sweet Potato and Bison, Vegetarian, and lamb meal and brown rice small breed bites. Affected bags have “Best by” dates between December 2012 and March 2013. The Natural Balance recall affects food sold in 39 states. If you’re still counting, that’s all of them except Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Additionally, information has changed for one recipe of recalled Natural Balance dry dog food. The FDA originally reported that affected batches of Natural Balance 5 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog had a “Best by” date of March 12, 2013. The correct “Best by” date is March 13, 2012.
Online retail giant Amazon has issued a statement in the "Pet supplies section of their website, saying that the site has stopped offering pet food products that have been recalled by their manufacturers. Amazon “will not offer affected products until we can confirm that our inventory does not contain any recalled batches,” according to the statement.
In total, 11 brands of dog food are implicated in the Diamond Pet Foods recall according to the company's website, including:
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4 Health
- Taste of the Wild
- Apex
- Kirkland Signature/Kirkland’s Signature Nature’s Domain
- Canidae
To figure out whether you have a recalled bag of food, check the 12-digit production code on the back of the package. Affected bags have a “2” or a “3” in the 9th digit place, and an “X” in either the 10th or 11th digit place. The FDA’s example: FDE0204R 2X TS. Also check the “Best before” date, which ranges from Dec. 9, 2012, and April 7, 2013, on affected bags of food.
More detailed recall information for the specific affected brands can be found at diamondpetrecall.com. Customers who want a replacement or a refund should call Diamond Pet Foods at 866-918-8756 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
