Company Expands Voluntary Pet Food Recall

Mars Petcare U.S. on Tuesday called for an extension of a previous voluntary recall of dry cat food and dog food products produced at the company’s Allentown, Pa., facility with “Best By” dates between Aug. 11, 2009, and Oct. 3, 2009.

The reason cited for the recall was potential Salmonella contamination. This voluntary recall affects product sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club, ShopRite Supermarkets, and Wal-Mart stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia.

As a precautionary measure, the company issued a voluntary recall on Oct. 27, 2008, of all sizes of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food produced at the Allentown plant on Aug. 11, 2008. The company said it was recently alerted by the FDA that an additional sample of Special Kitty made on Sept. 25, 2008, produced at the Allentown facility tested positive for Salmonella.

Based on this information, the company has taken an additional precautionary action to protect pets and their owners by extending the Oct. 27 voluntary recall to include all dry pet food product produced at the facility with a “Best By” date between Aug. 11, 2009 and Oct. 3, 2009.

There have been no reported cases of human or pet illness caused by Salmonella associated with products produced at this facility.

“Only those products which were produced at the Allentown, Pa., facility between those dates are impacted. Consumers can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of our other products,” the company said in a prepared statement.

“As part of our commitment to our loyal consumers and their pets, we are continuously monitoring and updating our processes to be at the forefront of product quality, innovation, customer responsiveness, and manufacturing efficiency,” the company stated. “In recent months, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in plant upgrades, new testing protocols, advanced associate training, and a new state-of-the-art testing facility that will open in mid-2009.”

In addition, Mars said it is working with the affected retailers to ensure that recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold in stores or fed to pets.

In the event that consumers believe they have purchased products affected by this dog food recall, they should return the product to the store where they purchased it for a full refund. Specific product details and other information can be found on the company’s website.

- Read the latest dog food recall updates -