Freshpet dog food recall: Stores, risks and all you need to know amid potential Salmonella contamination 

Freshpet has issued a recall over a single unit of dog food amid salmonella fears. The company is withdrawing their product ‘Freshpet Select Fresh From The Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe’ from shelves.

Salmonella can affect animals who consume the product and humans who are in contact with the contaminated product as well. No other Freshpet products have been recalled, as none other were affected.

According to the official notice to sellers, the affected product may have been sold in Walmart branches in Alabama and Georgia. A limited amount was also sold in Target as well.

Other retailers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Vermont, West Virginia, and Rhode Island were also selling the contaminated dog food, and have been notified.

The food product to be recalled weighs 4.5 lbs and has a sell-by date that reads October 29, 2022. The UPC that can be found on the food bag is 627975011673. The date and code can be found on the bottom of the bag.

At the time of writing this article, Freshpet Inc. has not received any reports of illnesses or adverse reactions to the recalled product. Speaking about the recall, Freshpet released a statement reading:

“Our Freshpet Team had designated this single lot for destruction, but a small portion of the lot was inadvertently shipped to retailers in limited geographic markets in the last two weeks.”

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What is salmonella? Symptoms explored as Freshpet dog food gets recalled

Salmonella infection, scientifically called salmonellosis, is a common bacterial disease that commonly affects the intestinal tract. The bacteria mostly live in animal and human intestines and is mostly be shed through stool. Humans are more susceptible to get affected than dogs. The disease travels through contaminated water and food.

People who get infected with salmonella can experience symptoms including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, fever, diarrhea, etc. Those affected experience the same within eight to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria. Most of the time, healthy people recover from the same without requiring treatment. According to the withdrawal notice, symptoms may also include:

“more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms.”

Salmonella can also lead to serious ailments in the elderly and very young people. Immunocompromised people are especially vulnerable as well, especially if they do not thoroughly clean or wash their hands when they come in contact with any contaminated surface or object.

Dogs who experience salmonella may experience lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea. Some canines have decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and fever. These dogs, which appear to be healthy but are infected, can also be carriers of salmonella and infect other animals and people.

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If pet parents observe the symptoms and have purchased contaminated product, they must stop feeding the food to the dog and dispose of the product immediately. Those who would like to report adverse reactions to Freshpet can contact 1800-285-0563 from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 9 pm EDT.

During the weekends, they can get in touch with the company’s support from 9 am to 1 pm EDT. They can also visit the company’s official site to obtain information about the recall.