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Thogersen Family Farm Disputes FDA Recall

Pet Age Staff//April 9, 2019//

Thogersen Family Farm Disputes FDA Recall

Pet Age Staff //April 9, 2019//

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The following recall announcement was originally posted on the FDA’s site on April 4. On April 8, Thogersen Family Farm released a statement regarding the recall on their official Facebook page. The company’s sentiments were confirmed by Pet Age with Jennifer Thogersen.

Thogersen Family Farm of Stanwood, WA is voluntarily recalling raw frozen ground pet food because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The following varieties, packaged in two pound packs, are included in this recall: course ground rabbit, course ground mallard duck, ground llama, and ground pork frozen raw pet food

L. monocytogenes 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.

Listeria monocytogenes infections can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact a health care provider.

Pets with Listeria monocytogenes 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.

Recalled product labels did not contain any lot identification, batch codes, or expiration dates. Products were packaged in two pound flattened, rectangular clear plastic packages and stored frozen. The front of the package contains one large white square label with the company name, product type and weight.

Thogersen Family Farm stated the affected products were either sold to individual customers or two retail establishments that have been notified. Some of the product has not been distributed and held at the manufacturing location.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall is the result of samples collected by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and revealed the finished products contained the bacteria.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should discontinue use. For questions, consumers may contact the company at (360) 929-9808.

*On April 8, Thogersen Family Farm released a statement disputing the recall on their official Facebook page:

“So as many know, and many may or may not. We opened up our farm, procedures and products up to scrutiny by the Department of Agriculture, USDA, and now the FDA has tagged onto the tail end of this. The Dept of Agriculture reached out under the guise of wanting to work together to put rules and regulations in place for raw production which is near completely unregulated. We agreed and they took samples of all our ground products. Two of which were from April 2018 – August 2018 production coarse ground rabbit and ground duck. All product had already been sold and/or consumed. I touched base with the specific individuals that purchased said products and they confirmed it had since been consumed. There were two other ground products, llama and pork that we had not sold on the open market just yet. We had just sold a few pounds through a local retailer and were able to notify her before it left store shelves. The remaining product remains unsold and is being disposed of.

“We work with WazzuOR, whom sells outside of Washington state which has required this recall to fall under FDA regulations even though WazzuOR never received compromised products.

“So coarse ground rabbit and ground mallard duck between the dates of April 2018-Aug 2018 with our old packaging labels on it, as well as ground llama, and ground pork, (that never left our farm) is being recalled….”

The rest of Thogersen Family Farm’s Facebook post regarding the recent FDA recall can be read here.