Several Pet Food Brands Are Being Recalled After Serious Injuries And At Least 28 Fatalities Have Been Reported

Alexis Morillo
·1-min read
Photo credit: Stefan Cristian Cioata - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stefan Cristian Cioata - Getty Images

From House Beautiful

The Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on Wednesday of certain pet foods from Sportmix that contain high levels of a toxin. At the time of publication, 28 pet deaths and eight sicknesses have been reported in connection with the recall.

Though the investigation is ongoing, individuals who have purchased Sportmix pet food products should be aware that this brand is linked to the fatalities. The pet food in question was manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods and contains high levels of a toxin called aflatoxin.

According to the FDA's release, aflatoxin is "a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food." In high levels, it can cause harm to pets; symptoms related to the toxin's ingestion include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can cause liver damage and can even be fatal.

If you happen to have any Sportmix pet food in your possession, the FDA suggests not feeding it to your pets and consulting a veterinarian if they've ingested it recently. In the organization's recall, they wrote that their investigation is ongoing and that as more information is available, they will update their post. Per the release:

Although this pet food recall is still unfolding, we are sharing the facts we have so far because the levels of aflatoxin found in the recalled pet food are potentially fatal. We are working quickly on this developing situation and will continue to update the public as new information becomes available. This is in service of FDA’s mission to protect human and animal health.

You can find a full list of the affected products here.

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