Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. of Weston, Ohio voluntarily recalled certain Sunseed Parrot Fruit and Vegetable diet and Sunseed SunSations Rabbit Food due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration. To date there has been no report of any illness.
Vitakraft Sun Seed was notified on June 14, 2017 by its supplier of dried apples that the pet food ingredient has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Although there has been no reported evidence of direct contamination of the dried apples, the supplier has initiated the recall.
Details of recalled rabbit and macaw foods
The following products are being recalled:
Item Description Lot Best buy date
87535100597 SS PARROT FRT/VEG. 25# 104082 5/22/2019
87535360564 SS Sunsations Rabbit Food 3.5lb 104246 6/5/2019
70882077713 MJR PARROT FOOD 4LB 6/CA 103980 5/17/2019
70882077713 MJR PARROT FOOD 4LB 6/CA 103981 5/18/2019
73725732119 ALT Small Animal Apple Slices 1oz 24/CA 103435 4/28/2019
73725732119 ALT Small Animal Apple Slices 1oz 24/CA 103118 4/13/2019
73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103440 5/1/2019
73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 104434 6/8/2019
73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103439 5/1/2019
73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 104436 6/8/2019
73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103442 4/27/2019
73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103444 4/27/2019
73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103443 4/27/2019
82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 104094 3/16/2020
82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 103741 2/19/2020
82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 103876 2/24/2020
These products were sold in the following states: Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Retailers and distributors who received the recalled lots have been contacted and asked to pull these lots from their inventory and shelves. Consumers who have purchased these products may return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Backgrund on Lysteria in pet food
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Listeria monocytogenes are present in the gut of birds and rabbits. Household pets such as birds and rabbits carry a risk to humans. Even if the birds and rabbits do not appear to be sick after consuming foods containing Listeria monocytogenes, they can become carriers of Listeria monocytogenes and transfer Listeria monocygenes to the environment.
