Editor’s Note: This recall has been vastly expanded. Please see the newest information here.
Maker: Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.
Cause: Aflatoxin
Announcement: FDA report dated Dec. 30, 2020 (archived here) and an FDA consumer alert dated Dec. 30, 2020
What was recalled: The following specific lots of dry dog and cat food produced under the Sportmix brand name:
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bags, Lot Codes 03/02/22/05/L2, 03/02/22/05/L3 or 03/03/22/05/L2
- Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bags, Lot Code 03/02/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bags, Lot Code 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bags, Lot Code 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bags, Lot Code 03/03/22/05/L3
- Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bags, Lot Codes 03/03/22/05/L2 or 03/03/22/05/L3
According to the information provided by the U.S. Food and Safety Administration (FDA), the products are being recalled following a round of testing that showed excessively high levels of aflatoxin, a mold byproduct that can be harmful to pets — and even deadly — in large enough quantities.
In fact, the FDA says so far it “is aware of at least 28 deaths and 8 illnesses in dogs” who were fed the Sportmix products listed above.
As Petful mentioned back in October, recalls of corn-based dry pet foods like this have been no surprise since “aflatoxin becomes more prevalent in drought years, and this was a drought year in the Midwest region.”
Only the specific sizes and lot codes above are part of this recall. Lot code information is on the back of bag in a 3-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM.”
The products were distributed nationally to online distributors and retail stores. Contact the place of purchase for refund information, or call the company, Midwestern Pet Foods, directly at 1-800-474-4163, ext. 455, during business hours for further information.
If you have any of the affected products in your home, do not feed them to your pet. If you had already been feeding one of the products to your pet, please consult your veterinarian after you discontinue feeding — especially if your pet is showing signs of illness.
Do not just toss the pet food in the trash. Instead, “destroy the products in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them,” the FDA advises. Then, be sure to “wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers.”
As you can tell, this is very important stuff. Please take it seriously. The FDA says it will continue to investigate and release more details when they are available.
Editor’s Note: This recall has been vastly expanded. Please see the newest information here.
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There were more recalls in 2020. See the previous one:
(Or browse recalls by brand name)
