Salmonella Risks Associated With Pet Food Continue
Given that dog food has a one-year shelf life, we may not have seen the end of a string of salmonella infections that have sickened at least 79 people and sparked a voluntary pet food recall and a plant closure.
The last reported case in this outbreak was tested on Sept. 18, 2008, but additional cases might occur because contaminated products might still be in people’s homes, the Centers For Disease Control (Atlanta) said in its Nov. 7 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Dry dog food has been linked to 79 cases of salmonella since 2006—with eight cases reported in 2008. According to the CDC, epidemiologic and environmental investigations have suggested the source of the outbreak was dry pet food produced by one manufacturer, Mars Petcare U.S. (Franklin, Tenn.).
Mars voluntarily recalled all dry dog and cat food products produced during a five-month period at its Everson, Pa., plant, and on Oct. 1 announced that the plant would be closed permanently—even though the company maintains that no connection to the plant has been made.
For a list of recalled pet foods, visit www.petcare.mars.com. [January 2009 PET AGE]
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