These four products have been added to the Safe Pet Treats app so be sure to download the app and use it to scan the barcode found on the back of every pet food product.

The following is the official FDA recall:

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products of Tukwila, Wash., a manufacturer of fresh raw meals for dogs, today announced it is voluntarily recalling a total of four lots of products after testing showed that some of the Chicken and Duck with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs may contain Salmonella, and the Turkey with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs sample may contain Salmonella and E. coli O128.  These pathogens can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products are exclusively sold to customers through a subscription service. Customers who purchased the products have been notified of the recall directly by Darwin’s.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products, and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Specifically, E. coli O128 was identified in the contaminated raw turkey pet food product, and is among the most clinically relevant Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) in humans.  E. coli O128 causes illness indistinguishable from E. coli O157:H7.  The symptoms include diarrhea, often with bloody stools.

Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. E. coli O128  is unknown to cause illness in dogs and cats, but infected animals can become carriers of E. coli O128 and transfer the bacteria to the home environment.

The pet food included in the recall is as follows:

• Natural Selections Chicken with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs, Net wt. 2lbs., Lot #43887, manufacture date 1/30/2018

• Natural Selections Duck with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs, Net wt. 2lbs., Lot #44147, manufacture date 2/5/2018

• ZooLogics Chicken Meals with Organic Vegetables for Dogs, Net wt. 2lbs., Lot #44037, manufacture date 2/7/2018

• ZooLogics Turkey with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs, Net wt. 2lbs., Lot #44127, manufacture date 2/4/2018

According to Gary Tashjian, Darwin’s founder and president, the company has not received any reports of illness in pets who consumed the food to date.

“Most animal-health experts agree that pets are generally not affected by pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli unless they are already ill with some other condition,” said Tashjian. “While we believe the risk to dogs consuming our products is low, we are sensitive to the FDA’s concern for humans who might become exposed to the pathogens through handling the raw meals.”

Mr. Tashjian noted that product labels instruct those preparing the food to follow food-safety guidelines, which direct the cleaning of surfaces and utensils exposed to raw food and washing hands thoroughly after coming into contact with raw food.

Customers who have any of the affected products should dispose of the pet food as regular garbage, and contact Darwin’s for replacement by emailing productsafety@darwinspet.com or by calling 866-832-8319, Monday-Friday, 6am-6pm, Pacific Time; and Saturdays, 7am-3pm, Pacific Time.

The post Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Recall | March 2018 appeared first on Safe Pet Treats | Pet Food Safety and Recalls.

The following is a letter from the company to their customers:

Dear XXXX,

I am writing to you today to share some information about a recent recall of two of our products, which
testing has found to contain Salmonella.

First, I want to let you know that this recall does not affect you, as you have not received either of the
products involved, which are:

• ZooLogics Chicken and Vegetable Meals for Dogs (manufactured 11/2/17)
• ZooLogics Duck and Vegetable Meals for Dogs (manufactured 11/16/17)

We have already notified those customers who received these meals.

We believe most of this product has already been consumed, for the most part without incident, as
most dogs’ and cats’ digestive systems are able to process pathogens such as Salmonella without harm
(we are aware of a single case of a pet being affected, which involved a dog who was already ill with
other conditions).

Having said that, we take this situation very seriously. Our number one priority is providing your pet
with meals that you can feel confident are healthy and safe. I’d like to take this opportunity to give you
some background on how we approach the issue of pet food safety.

Background on pet food safety
Since I started Darwin’s in 2004, the number one question I hear about is the safety of raw food. What
follows represents some of the insight I have gathered through the years – a combination of personal
experience, expert advice, and research. (I will preface my comments by saying that what follows is my
opinion, and others may differ.)

Pathogens (such as Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria) – while being many raw-feeders’ top concern – are
actually a relatively low risk associated with raw food. This is because, while these bacteria are
pathogenic to humans, they are generally not harmful to dogs and cats. Pets’ stomachs have higher
levels of acid than humans, making them hostile to such bacteria, and their digestive tracts are shorter,
giving any surviving bacteria little time to multiply. This is why pets routinely, without harm, eat items
that would make a person sick.

Having said that, pets with undeveloped or weak immune systems (I.e., puppies/kittens, older dogs, sick
dogs) may have some risk. In these cases, we recommend cooking the food lightly (i.e., to 165 degrees)
to help eliminate pathogenic risks.

These bacteria (especially Salmonella) are naturally present in meat – particularly poultry. So the
greater risk of pathogens in raw pet food is to humans who handle the food. These risks can be
minimized by using the same safety procedures that you would use for handling any raw meat products
– such as cleaning surface areas exposed to raw food and washing your hands thoroughly after coming
into contact with the food.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates pet food, acknowledges that dogs and cats are
generally not affected by pathogens like Salmonella unless they are already ill with some other
condition.
(https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm509766.htm)

So why are raw pet foods recalled for containing pathogens such as Salmonella? One reason is that the
FDA sets a standard of “zero-tolerance” for such pathogens. For reasons that are somewhat difficult to
fathom, this is actually a stricter standard than the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets for human
food. So while the “human-grade” raw materials that companies like Darwin’s use for pet food would be
acceptable for people to eat, because of the hurdle set by the FDA, in many cases those same
ingredients would not be acceptable to the FDA for raw pet food.

How Pet Food Companies Address Pathogen Control
Some companies choose to control pathogens by applying a “kill step” that eliminates all bacteria, both
the good and the bad. Examples of kill steps are heat (i.e., cooking), irradiation and High Pressure
Pasteurization. Even some raw pet food companies use kill steps.

One of the important benefits of feeding raw meals, however, is that it helps promote “gut health” by
supplying the pet with “good” bacteria that raw food contains. One problem with using a kill step to
eliminate pathogens is that “good” bacteria (which aid the digestive system) are eliminated along with
pathogens.

Our approach is more targeted. We utilize microphages (or “phages“ for short), which are naturally
occurring organisms, and which are safe to humans and pets. Phages target specific pathogens, but
leave “good” bacteria intact. Phages can significantly reduce pathogen levels to the point that they are
not harmful to pets or humans, however, they may not eliminate them entirely.

Since the FDA “zero-tolerance” policy calls for 100% elimination of pathogens, some tests can show
the presence of these pathogens, despite the fact that they are at such low levels that dogs and cats
typically can process them without any issue.

Sincerely,
Gary

Gary Tashjian
Founder, Darwin’s Pet Product

Scan and protect your pet!

The post Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Recall | February 2018 appeared first on Safe Pet Treats | Pet Food Safety and Recalls.