Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
LAS CRUCES — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an alert on a pet food recall, with New Mexico among the states that received the products.
According to the release, Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc., on Monday expanded a recall it first announced Dec. 30.
The recall includes various products that contain corn and were made in the company’s Oklahoma manufacturing plant. The products in question may contain potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins.
New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte encouraged consumers to check recent purchases of pet food against the list of recalled products on the FDA website.
The state has not received any reports of affected pets, but has identified the products in question in the state.
Witt also encouraged pet owners to keep their original pet food packaging on hand until the product is completely utilized.
“You should not empty pet food into a container and throw away the packaging,” he said. “You should also not just take photos of the product codes and discard the packaging, because there would be no proof that it is actually the product you have.”
Aflatoxins are produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, and at high levels can cause illness and death in pets. The toxins can be present without visible mold. Signs of aflatoxin poisoning include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, unexplained bruising or bleeding and diarrhea.
Anyone who suspects their pet has consumed such products is advised to immediately stop feeding the pet with the suspected food, contact their veterinarian and submit a report to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator at 303-236-3044.
