Salmonella Fears Prompt Nutrisca Dog Food Recall

Certain packages of Nutrisca dog food are being recalled because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. has announced a voluntary dog food recall of certain lots of Nutrisca Chicken and Chick Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food in 4 lb. bags after routine testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture found the bacteria Salmonella in a sample.

Salmonella can cause a sickness called salmonellosis in animals eating the contaminated pet food, as well as humans exposed by handling the pet food or touching contaminated surfaces such as counters or food bowls.

The most common symptoms of Salmonella infection in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, fever and dehydration.

People infected with Salmonella usually develop a fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramping 12 to 72 hours after infection. While most healthy people will recover without medical treatment, the elderly, young children and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of developing a severe infection requiring hospitalization. In rare cases, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, muscle pain, eye irritation, urinary tract symptoms or an inflammatory arthritis called reactive arthritis, which may last months or years.

No illnesses have been reported in association to this product. However, the company said it was “issuing the recall action out of an abundance of caution.”

Consumers can identify the recalled Nutrisca dog food by locating the UPC Code 8 84244 12495 7 on the back of the bag, along with the following on the upper back of the bag:

• Lot Codes beginning with these five digits – 4G29P, 4G31P, 4H01P, 4H04P, 4H05P, 4H06P
• Best By Dates – Jul 28 16, Jul 30 16, Jul 31 16, Aug 03 16, Aug 04 16, Aug 05 16

The manufacturer distributed these products nationwide to distributors, brokers, retail stores and online retailers.

Tuffy’s is advising consumers who purchased the 4 lb. bags of Nutrisca Chicken and Chick Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food affected by this dog food recall to stop using the product and to discard any remaining product in a secure trash receptacle. They should contact the company at 1-888-559-8833 for further information.

Tuffy’s Pet Foods is part of KLN Family Brands, which also manufactures NutriSource, Natural Planet and Pure Vita brand pet foods. These pet foods are not affected by the Nutrisca dog food recall.