Dog food recalled over salmonella, listeria concerns

What is salmonella infection?

People with salmonella infection often suffer diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps after getting in contact with infected animals, their feces, or their environment or eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

A brand of dog food is being recalled due to potential salmonella and listeria contamination, which could pose a threat to both animals and their owners, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Top Quality Dog Food's "Beef HVM" 1-pound packages can cause an infection in animals who consume the food as well as humans who handle to food, especially if they have not "thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products," according to the recall notice posted on the FDA's website.

The recalled products were shipped to eight states and "distributed through mail order and direct delivery" from July 27 to Aug. 2, 2021, according to the recall.

"Beef HVM" 1-pound package that shows the lot number: 071521.

The recall was issued after testing revealed traces of salmonella and listeria monocytogenes in some 1-pound packages of Beef HVM, Top Quality Dog Food said.

"The remaining ‘Beef HVM’ batch in our possession has been quarantined and we have discontinued the distribution of this batch while FDA and our company continue their investigation as to the source of the contamination," Top Quality Dog Food said in its recall notice.

The company contacted "those who have received this lot number" and is encouraging anyone "who received this product to dispose of any unused product immediately."

To date, there have been no reported illnesses in connection to the recalled products.

Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, decreased appetite, fever, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the recall. However, "infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans."

Owners infected with salmonella can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. In rare cases, "salmonella can result in more serious ailments."

While listeria monocytogenes infections "are uncommon in pets," they can still happen, according to the recall. Pets with infections may experience mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular, and respiratory signs, abortion, depression; shock and even death.

Listeria can also pose "serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, vulnerable or elderly people, and others with compromised immune systems," the recall said. Healthy individuals, however, may experience short-term symptoms including fever, headaches, stiffness, abdominal pain and diarrhea.