The FDA has initiated a warning for one lot of Aunt Jeni’s Home Made All-Natural Turkey Dinner Dog Food after a sample collected from a store in Washington D.C. tested positive for salmonella.
This warning is in for only one lot of Aunt Jeni’s Home Made All-Natural Turkey Dinner Dog Food, sold in 5-pound containers and stored frozen. Pet parents who have any of this product in their possession should be aware that the following lot number tested positive for salmonella bacteria:
Lot number: 175331 NOV2020
Notice: no recall has been initiated.
This is the second advisory the FDA has put out for a product from Aunt Jeni’s within a year. In August 2019 two samples taken of frozen dog food tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria in an FDA lab. Aunt Jeni’s issued a statement, reporting that samples tested in their own facilities did not test positive, and no recall was issued. In the same statement, Aunt Jeni’s accused the FDA of being on a “witch hunt” targeting raw dog food,
“In case you’re not aware, the FDA has been on a witch hunt, searching for pathogens in raw pet food, since about 2015. They are making the rounds of all the smaller raw food manufacturers (those of us without funds to have a legal defense team on retainer) doing their best to find a reason to shut us down one way or another. They are making up their own rules in order to accomplish their goal. Their actions are a classic example of government overreach, rooted in ignorance and thriving on fear mongering.”
In response to the most recent advisory, Aunt Jenis’ Home Made has released the following statement, asking that the public make an educated decision instead of falling prey to what they believe is a targeted attack from the FDA:
Salmonella is a common risk for those who feed their pets raw food. The bacteria live naturally in the intestines of animals, including turkeys, chickens, and cows. Food typically becomes infected when it comes into contact with animal feces during the butchering process – which may sound gross, but is common when butchering an animal. Contaminated meat can spread the bacteria to other food it comes into contact with, including fruits and vegetables. The salmonella bacteria is usually killed off when food is thoroughly cooked, but when the cooking process is skipped, the bacteria has an opportunity to infect those who handle or consume the contaminated food.
Our canine friends appear to be more resistant to the salmonella bacteria than humans, as it doesn’t typically cause any illness in healthy dogs. Adult dogs are not likely to become sick, but pet parents with senior dogs or puppies should keep an eye out. The most common symptom is diarrhea, but in its severe form, the infection may also cause vomiting, fever, depression, abortion, and death. However – these are extremely uncommon and most likely to affect only very young, senior, or immunocompromised dogs. Should your dog show any of these symptoms, take them to see your vet as soon as possible.
Pet parents should be aware of the risk of salmonella, especially when serving raw food, and take steps to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Wash dishes, utensils, and surfaces that come into contact with food with warm, soapy water, and wash your hands frequently before and after handling food.
The FDA is asking the public to be aware of the risks of salmonella. Aunt Jeni’s is also asking that you be aware – of the real risk of salmonella in their food and what they believe is “fear-mongering” by the FDA.
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Toledo, United States.
