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Officials have linked an outbreak of Salmonella infections to recalled pet food manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fourteen people have developed infections with the rare strain Salmonella Infantis and the agency has linked some of those infections to Salmonella contamination of multiple brands of dog food produced at Diamond Pet Food’s plant in Gaston, SC.

The CDC has received reports of illnesses in nine states: Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Illnesses occurred between October 8, 2011 and April 22, 2012. Among the nine patients for which data was available, five required hospitalization for treatment of the infection.

Consumers can contract Salmonella by failing to wash hands after handling contaminated pet food or by touching a pet that has eaten contaminated pet food, even if the pet does not appear ill. They should be alert for symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms because the infection can spread from the intestines into the bloodstream.

There was no report of how many pets may have become ill from the contaminated pet food. Symptoms of Salmonella infection in pets include decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain, which can worsen to include diarrhea, bloody diarrhea and vomiting if left untreated. Pet owners should contact their veterinarian if their pet has eaten any of the recalled food and exhibit any of those symptoms.

Diamond recalled three brands of its dog food since early April after bags sampled tested positive for Salmonella.

On April 6, Diamond recalled certain lots of Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice dry dog food.

On April 26, the company recalled certain lots of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food.

On April 30, certain lots of Diamond Puppy Formula were recalled.

Yesterday, Diamond expanded its voluntary recall to include all dry cat and dog food in the following brands with certain production date codes. Consumers can determine if their dry cat or dog food is affected by the recall by locating the production code on the exterior of the bag.

Only production codes with that have a number “2” or a “3” in the 9th or 10th digit AND an “X” in the 11th digit are recalled. The best-before dates for these recalled brands are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

  • Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
  • Country Value
  • Diamond
  • Diamond Naturals
  • Premium Edge
  • Professional
  • 4Health
  • Taste of the Wild

Also recalled are the following Kirkland Signature dog and cat foods with production codes that contain both a number “3” in the 10th digit and an “X” in the 11th digit. The best-before dates for these recalled brands listed are December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013.

  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula
  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula
  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula
  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables
  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
  • Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula
  • Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs

Canidae Corp. is also recalling four Canidae dog food varieties produced at Diamond’s Gaston, SC facility with production codes that have BOTH a number “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 10th or 11th position with best before dates of December 9, 2012, through January 31, 2013:

  • CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, All Life Stages
  • CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, Chicken Meal & Rice
  • CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, Lamb Meal & Rice
  • CANIDAE Dog Dry Dog Food, CANIDAE Platinum

While not listed in Diamond’s voluntary recall, the following brand pet foods are listed on the Refund Request form:

  • Apex
  • Solid Gold

Diamond distributed these pet foods to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Canada. However, the company says distributors and retailers may have distributed the products further to other states.

The company has posted instructions for consumers to obtain a refund or coupon for a replacement bag of cat or dog food here.

When buying a new bag of dog or cat food in any of the above brands, consumers should verify the production code is not the recalled production code. Some of the recalled dog and cat food remained on retailer shelves today.

Diamond halted production at its Gaston, SC plant on April 8 due to the Salmonella contamination, but the company says the plant has resumed production.

IMPORTANT UPDATES:

Diamond Pet Foods has updated the production code information for the cat and dog food brands recalled. Please visit http://diamondpetrecall.com/ for information on your specific brand. Consumers can call Diamond toll free 866-918-8756 Monday – Sunday: 8 am – 6 pm EST

WellPet recalls Wellness brand dog food made at Diamond's SC facility. For more information see the http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm303039.htm?source=govdelivery

Natural Balance recalls pet foods manufactured at Diamond's SC facility. See the Natural Balance site: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/home/NB_productFAQ.html

45 Comments

  1. Gravatar for sheila johnson
    sheila johnson

    Production code:OCR0201 A21MS1736 KWG Best before 02FEB2013

    Is this bag affected by the product recall?

    I do have a 2 for the 9th number.

  2. Gravatar for frank
    frank

    see this is what happens when we have things made in a communist country that has been trying to kill everyone off with their cheap yet deadly products

  3. Gravatar for Tracey Jackson
    Tracey Jackson

    Sheila,

    I am wondering the same. m production code is -

    KCR0204 A12MN1455 MJB

    BEST BEFORE 25 FEB. 2013

  4. Gravatar for Laura
    Laura

    Sigh, Kirkland cat food? Sheesh, I bought last month and half, is it safe? I threw the bags away. Now I need to get another cat food. I'm very disappointed!!!

  5. Gravatar for cathy
    cathy

    Gee Frank really don't like MY country being called communist! I am talking about the UNITED STATES!

  6. Gravatar for Paul Napoli
    Paul Napoli

    Diamond Pet Foods has issued CORRECTED production codes for all the recalled pet food brands at diamondpetrecall.com Worried consumers can also call Diamond at 866-918-8756 Monday – Sunday: 8 am - 6 pm EST for assistance

  7. Gravatar for Karen
    Karen

    China can't be trusted. They eat cats and dogs so why would they give a S#@*

  8. Gravatar for Simone
    Simone

    Kirkland products are available in the UK, have any of the affected batches been shipped to Costcos over here does anyone know?

  9. Gravatar for Becky
    Becky

    what about the Wellness Large Breed Puppy that has been recalled because it was made in the Diamond Plant? It is not on this list

Comments for this article are closed.