The California company took the action after a random sample analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested positive for the bacterium that can cause food poisoning. That sample had a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, the FDA said.
The only products involved in this recall are the Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken dry dog food in 5-pound and 28-pound bags with the "Best By" date of June 17, 2011, the company said. The UPC on the 5 pound bag is 7-23633-9000-4 and the UPC on the 28-pound bag is 7-23633-99002-8.
Natural Balance said there are no reports of any illnesses linked to the recalled food, which was manufactured on December 17, 2009.
“Upon hearing from the FDA, I immediately went to our Director of Customer Service, a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician, to check call logs for any complaints with this product,” the company’s president, Joey Herrick, wrote in a June 18, 2010, letter posted on Natural Balance’s Web site. “Our Customer Service department closely tracks and monitors complaints for any potential issues; and I heard no reports in our weekly meetings, so I was not surprised when I found we did not have a single complaint about this product.”
Herrick said he also hired an independent lab to test the company’s retention sample from the recalled lot.
“Those test results also came back negative,” he said, including a link to the findings by Zoologix. “I reported our test results and call logs to the FDA, but due to the positive result they had found, they recommended a recall.”
Herrick said his company has strict testing protocols and he was surprised by the FDA’s findings.
"In my mind, I asked, ‘How can this happen? I spent over $900,000 putting in our laboratory to test our products before we release them.’ We tested samples from the production run when it was manufactured six months ago, and the results came back negative.
He added: “I believe that we are the only pet food company that has built an in-house lab as an added check and gives you the test results in real time on our website. We hold the finished product in our warehouses for two to three days, until that testing is completed. We only release product to be shipped when the testing is negative.”
Nonetheless, Herrick conceded there is no perfect testing protocol.
“But the alternative is not testing at all,” he wrote. “That wouldn’t work for me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing we aren’t testing every product before it goes out, to help make sure our products are the best in the business. Any testing is much safer for you and your pets than the alternative, which is not testing at all.”
The FDA said salmonella can affect pets and humans who handle products contaminated with the bacterium. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning in humans includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. In rare cases, salmonella can cause arterial infections, arthritis, and other serious health problems, the FDA said. Anyone who experiences these symptoms after handling the recalled pet food should contact their physician.
Pets with salmonella infections can be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, the FDA said. Some pets may have decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain.
The FDA warned that infected -- but otherwise healthy pets -- can still spread the bacterium to other animals or humans. Pet owners with dogs that ate the recalled food and exhibit these symptoms should contact their veterinarians, the FDA said.
Natural Balance said pet owners can return any of the recalled food for a full refund. For more information, pet owners can contact Natural Balance at (800) 829-4493 or check the company’s Web site.
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