Photo: FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. “after inspections of its manufacturing sites revealed apparent violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that were shared across the sites,” the FDA announcedin a release on Tuesday.
According tothe warning letteraddressed to Jeffrey J. Nunn, Midwestern’s CEO and president, the FDA conducted inspections of four of Midwestern’s manufacturing plants, starting with the inspection of Midwestern’s Chickasha, Oklahoma plant.
Independent of the FDA, the Missouri Department of Agriculture collected and analyzed samples of Midwestern’s “SPORTMiX High Energy Dog Food” from Midwestern’s Oklahoma facility for the presence of mycotoxins in December, after receiving complaints from pet owners, according to the FDA’s warning letter.
“These pet food products manufactured in your OK facility are adulterated in that they bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance which renders them injurious to health,” the FDA wrote in their warning letter about the inspection.
Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the FDA’s warning letter and findings.
In January,Midwestern voluntarily expanded their December recallto include more SPORTMiX products and products from their Splash Fat Cat, Pro Pac, and Nunn brands due to potential high aflatoxin levels.
In pets, signs of aflatoxin/mycotoxin poisoning include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes, gums, or skin due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. Pets showing these symptoms should visit a vet immediately.
In March, in the midst of the FDA’s additional inspections, Midwestern issued another recall, this time forseveral brands of pet foodmanufactured at their Monmouth, Illinois plant, after pet food samples from the plant tested positive for salmonella.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The FDA, which inspected the Illinois plant at the center of the March recall, shared in their release that “Midwestern’s food safety program appears inadequate to significantly minimize or prevent salmonella in its pet food. None of the recalled products should be available to consumers to purchase.”
These events led the FDA to send their warning letter to Midwestern on August 9. The letter details the violations the FDA found during their inspections of Midwestern’s plants and requests a written response from Midwestern within 15 business days that includes the specific steps the company plans to take to correct their violations.
“Failure to adequately address any violations promptly may result in legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction,” the FDA stated in their release.
“The FDA is dedicated to taking all steps possible to help pet owners have confidence that the food they buy for their animal companions is safe and wholesome,” Steven M. Solomon, the director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in the release.
“It is imperative that manufacturers and distributors of pet foods understand their responsibility to comply with all requirements of federal law and FDA regulations and, when applicable, to implement a robust hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls program,” Solomon continued. “We’ll continue to hold companies accountable and protect animal health as a core element of the FDA’s public health mission.”
source: people.com
