Kaytee Pet Products is recalling select packages of its Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster food due to possible Salmonella contamination.
According to Kaytee, the product is being recalled because a sample from a 5-pound bag of the small animal food tested positive for Salmonella in a random test conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration, but no human or pet illnesses have been reported. The products were manufactured on January 5 and 6.
Recalled Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster products include: 3-pound packages with a “best before” date of 31-Mar-2013 K63 and UPC code 71859 9994; 5-pound packages with a “best before” date of 03-Apr-2012 K61 and UPC code 71859 00001; and 25-pound bags with “best before” dates of 31-Mar-20-13 and UPC codes 71859 99995 and 71859 9994. At Petco stores only, the recalled product was also distributed in 25-pound bags with "best before" date of 30-Mar-2013 and UPC code 71859 00000.
The recalled products were distributed to the following USA states and one territory: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The products were also distributed to the following countries: Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Dutch Antilles, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Panama, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and Trinidad.
The company urges consumers that have purchased the recalled products to contact Kaytee customer service representatives at +1.800.529.8331 for further instructions. Humans feeding the product to their pet could become infected, and should watch for symptoms that may include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Signs of Salmonella infections in pets include: decreased appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and vomiting.