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Viva Raw voluntarily recalls five products of dog and cat foods due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination, which is a potential health risk to both people and pets, on Monday, July 01.
The five recalled products all manufactured under Lot 21244 includes:
- Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground
- Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked
- Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies
- Viva Pure Turkey
- Viva Turkey for Cats
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recalled products were directly distributed to consumers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
“Viva Raw is notifying all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16th and June 28th, 2024,” the FDA wrote.
The recalled products were distributed as frozen 1lb frozen bricks in clear vacuum packing. See below images to see what the products look like:
The FDA reports that the contamination was discovered during a facility inspection they conducted together with the The North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA).
The FDA found samples from Lot 21244 were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. They revealed that the products under this lot were slated for destruction but later found that some of the products were “inadvertently released from the warehouse.”
Currently, there have been no illnesses reported from both from people and pets related to this lot.
However, the FDA is advising consumers who have the recalled products to not feed the food to any pets or other animals.
The FDA also encourages consumers to destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access.
However, consumers should not touch the contaminated product with bare hands. The FDA recommends to wear gloves or use paper towels, place the recalled product in a sealed plastic bag, and throw it in the garbage.
Thoroughly wash your hands after handling the product and immediately sanitize any area that may have come in contact with the contaminated product.
People can be exposed to Listeria monocytogenes when handling contaminated products with bare hands, contact with pets that have eaten the contaminated products, or contact with surfaces (such as bowls, utensils, and countertops) that have touched the products.
People infected with Listeria monocytogenes may experience the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, aches, fever and diarrhea.
And while it is rare for pets to be infected with Listeria monocytogenes, watch out the following symptoms in your pet: mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and death.
Although, sometimes infected pets do not show any symptoms. This can be dangerous as they can act as carriers and transfer the infection through their feces and saliva to other pets and people.
If you suspect that your pet has eaten any of the recalled products, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Furthermore, if you have bought the recalled products, please contact Viva Raw at [email protected] or at 919-371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday for a refund.
