Thursday, December 31, 2020
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) warns pet owners that Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. recalls certain batches of Sportmix dog and cat food due to tests indicating aflatoxin levels that exceed acceptable limits.
CNN reports that food toxins are linked to the deaths of 28 dogs and another eight were sick.
The products were distributed nationwide to online retailers and retail stores.
Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. At high levels, aflatoxin can cause disease and death in pets.
The lot code information can be found on the back of the bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in “EXP 03/03/22/05 / L # / B ### / HH : MM “. The removed batch codes are as follows:
50 # Lots Sportmix Energy Plus Exp 03/02/02 / 05 / L2, 03/02/22/05 / L3, 03/03/22/05 / L2
44 # Sportmix Energy Plus Lots 03/02/22/05 / L3
50 # Lots of high energy Premium Sportmix 03/03/22/05 / L3
44 # Lots of high energy Premium Sportmix 03/03/22/05 / L3
31 # Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05 / L3
15 # Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05 / L2, 03/03/22/05 / L3
If your pet shows signs of aflatoxin poisoning, including slowness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes, gums, or skin due to liver damage) and / or diarrhea, contact a veterinarian immediately. . Provide a complete dietary history to your veterinarian. It may be helpful to take a photo of the pet food label, including the batch number.
Pet owners should not feed the withdrawn products to their pets or any other animals.
Contact the Midwestern Pet Food Consumer at 800-474-4163, ext. 455 from 7:00 to 16:00 Central Time, Monday through Friday or by email at [email protected] for additional information.