Aug. 19, 2021 – The FDA on Tuesday issued a public warning of contaminated pet food sold by Midwestern Pet Foods that could be linked to more than 220 diseases and 130 dog and cat deaths.
During an inspection of the company’s manufacturing facility in Chickasha, OK, the FDA found that samples of SPORTMiX High Energy dog food contained high levels of aflatoxin, which is produced by mold and can grow on grains used in pet food. High levels of aflatoxin can cause disease and death in pets.
After inspecting the Chickasha facility, the FDA also inspected the company’s other manufacturing facilities in New York, Indiana, and Illinois, which revealed indications of problems at all locations. The FDA issued a warning letter to the company last week requesting a response within 15 working days outlining the specific steps to take to resolve the issues.
“We are issuing this company-wide warning letter because inspections of Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. factories revealed indications of violations that were shared across multiple plants and have been linked to the illness or death of hundreds of pets who ate the food had the company’s dry food, “said Steven Solomon, DVM, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, in a statement.
“It is imperative that pet food manufacturers and distributors understand their responsibility to comply with all requirements of federal law and FDA regulations,” he said.
Some SPORTMiX branded pet food samples, containing multiple products and batch codes, contained aflatoxin levels of up to 558 parts per billion. The FDA regards pet foods as tainted if they contain more than 20 parts per billion aflatoxins.
In January, the company voluntarily recalled these products, the FDA said, as did all corn-based pet foods made at the Chickasha facility.
In March, the company also recalled several brands of pet food from its Monmouth, IL facility after samples tested positive for Salmonella, including some SPORTMiX and Earthborn cat foods.
“The FDA found that the Midwest’s food safety program was inadequate to significantly minimize or prevent Salmonella in its pet food,” the FDA statement said. “None of the recalled products should be offered for sale to consumers.”
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