SECAUCUS, N.J. — Freshpet Inc. on Friday recalled a single lot of its Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe dog food, citing potential salmonella contamination.
The voluntary recall, issued in concert with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, notes that salmonella can not only affect the animals eating the product but also poses risks to humans, especially children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. Handling affected products can infect humans, especially those who do not “thoroughly wash their hands after having contact with the product and surfaces exposed to the products.”
The recall is limited to a single lot of Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe sold in 4.5-pound bags with a sell-by date of Oct. 29.
Although Freshpet had designated the single lot for destruction, a small portion of the lot was “inadvertently shipped” to retailers in “limited geographic markets” within the past two weeks, the company confirmed.
Per the recall, the affected lot may have sold at limited Walmart stores in Alabama and Georgia, as well as at limited Target stores and other select retailers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.
To date, Secaucus, New Jersey-based Freshpet has fielded no reports of illness, injury or adverse reactions linked to the recall.
Consumers are advised to stop feeding the affected product to their dogs and dispose of any remnants immediately.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common symptoms associated with salmonella in humans include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.
Meanwhile, dogs with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting, according to the recall notice. Some dogs will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy dogs can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.
Consumers may contact Freshpet by calling 1-800-285-0563, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT or Saturday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. They may also visit https://freshpet.co/JUNE22External.