Mars Petcare extended its October 28, 2008 voluntary petfood recall that affected 15 states, adding more product carriers and brands affected by possible Salmonella contamination.
The recall previously only affected a limited number of bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food sold at Wal-Mart stores in 15 states that were potentially contaminated with Salmonella . The recalled bags were stamped with a "best if used by" date of August 11, 2009.
More brands, more stores
The expanded recall, announced November 25, extends that date to October 3, 2009, and includes dry dog foods and other suppliers, including BJ's Wholesale Club and ShopRite Supermarkets. Brands affected in addition to Special Kitty include Ol' Roy dog foods, Berkley & Jensen dog and cat foods, and ShopRite brand dog food. UPC codes for the affected products can be found here .
Stores selling the recalled goods will be pulling them from shelves, but pet owners who already have purchased the foods should dispose of them in a securely covered trash receptacle and return the empty bag to the store for a full refund, says Mars.
No illnesses reported
There have been no reports of illness from consumption or handling the product, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Mars is taking "additional precautionary action" to protect pets by expanding the voluntary recall, the company says.
Mars has been investing in plants upgrades, more training for employees and new testing procedures over the last several months in an effort to head-off additional contamination, the company says. A new state-of-the-art testing facility will open in 2009.
