Breeder's Choice Recalls Dog Food Over Salmonella

WASHINGTONBreeders Choice Pet Food is recalling its AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula because it may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Sept. 11.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

The recall involves 26-pound bags of Breeders Choice Pet Food AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula with best buy dates of Aug. 28,2013, Aug. 29, 2013, and Aug. 30, 2013, that were sold to retailers and distributors in California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia and Washington. The dog food originally was manufactured on Aug. 29, 2012, and distributed on Aug. 30 and 31, 2012.

Earlier this year, Salmonella-tainted dry dog food was the source of a multistate outbreak that sickened 14 people in nine states with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis. Five people, including an infant, were hospitalized.

The source of the outbreak was traced back to Diamond Pet Foods manufacturing facility in Gaston, S.C., that made dry pet food for multiple pet food companies. In total, dog food linked to the facility has been recalled in 39 states, the District of Columbia and some parts of Canada.