Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced Wednesday they are recalling two of their most popular brands of pet food, Eukanuba and Iams, for Salmonella contamination.

P&G’s routine testing determined that some of the Eukanuba and Iams dry pet food products made at one of their plants have the “potential” for Salmonella contamination.

The FDA released a new Compliance Policy Guide in July for actions they intend to take when finding Salmonella contamination in food for animals. The agency explained the reason for issuing the policy was not necessarily for your pet’s health, but for the humans that handle pet foods, saying, “FDA maintains a zero-tolerance policy for Salmonella in pet food because it can pose risks to human health when people who are “at-risk” (children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems) come into direct contact with contaminated pet food”.

The P&G press release reads, in part:

August 14, 2013 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is 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.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

This issue is limited to the specific dry pet food lot codes listed below. These products were made during a 10 day window at a single manufacturing site. P&G’s routine testing determined that some products made during this time frame have the potential for Salmonella contamination. As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling the potentially impacted products made during this time-frame. No other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned wet food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.

EUKANUBA DRY DOG FOODS

IAMS DRY DOG FOODS

IAMS DRY CAT FOODS

P&G is retrieving these products as a precautionary measure. Consumers who purchased a product listed below should stop using the product and discard it and contact P&G toll-free at 800-208-0172 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST), or via website at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com. Media Contact: Jason Taylor 513-622-1111.

Click here to view photos of the recalled product labels

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