Natural Balance Pet Foods Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food Voluntary Recall FAQ’s:
1. Why was your Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food recalled?
A random sampling by the FDA of the Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula tested positive for Salmonella. Only the 5 lb. and 28 lb. Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog food, manufactured on December 17, 2009 with a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011 is being voluntarily recalled. Both our lab tests and independent third party lab tests were negative for Salmonella. We have not received a single customer complaint regarding this particular product even though it has been out on store shelves for 6 months.
From the moment we received news from the FDA, Natural Balance acted immediately to notify retailers to remove any remaining product from this single production run. We have re-tested our retention samples from various time stamps in this production run, and continue to obtain negative results for Salmonella. At the recommendation of the FDA due to their positive result, we issued a voluntary recall in the best interest of our customers and their pets.
2. What products were voluntarily recalled?
28 lb. Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula
Production Code: NBJ1202D2NLGA
Best Before Date: 17/Jun/11
5 lb. Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula
Production Code: NBJ1202LDAR
Best Before Date: 17/Jun/11
*Not all states are affected. The following is a list of those states that are included:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
No other production codes and/or “Best By” dates have been recalled.
(CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO READ A “BEST BY” DATE)
3. What should I do if I have a 5 lb. or 28 lb. bag of Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula with a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011?
Customers with Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food in 5lb. and 28lb. bags with a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011 may exchange the product at the location of purchase, or request a refund. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (800) 829-4493 or
info@naturalbalanceinc.com
4. Why didn’t your “Buy with Confidence” program testing catch this?
No testing protocol is perfect, but the alternative is not testing at all. That wouldn’t work for us as a company. Any testing is much safer for you and your pets than the alternative, which is not testing at all. For this particular product in question, not only did our own laboratory receive negative test results for Salmonella, but so did an outside, third-party, independent laboratory (CLICK HERE TO VIEW RESULTS).
5. Have there been any illnesses reported?
As of June 18th, 2010 Natural Balance has not received any complaints regarding this production run. This is a product that was manufactured on December 17, 2009 and has been on store shelves for 6 months, with no reported illnesses.
6. What steps are you taking to prevent this from happening again?
Our goal is to have the best and safest pet food on the market. We believe that there is no better or safer product than Natural Balance Pet Food. Yes, we had an isolated incident, but we are continually testing our products and making the results available to you and constantly improving and evaluating our testing facilities. We are proud of our laboratory and will be adding more layers of testing as a result of this recall. We have added over a half dozen significant improvements over the last three years, and remain committed to the safety of our products, and the pets that enjoy them. Our commitment is the same today as it was 22 years ago-to make the best pet food in the business.
7. What are the symptoms of Salmonella exposure in dogs?
Although clinical disease is uncommon, 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.
8. What are the symptoms of Salmonella exposure in humans?
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.