In 2020, 1,463,161 pounds of pet foods were recalled. Sunshine Mills recalled the most pet foods and aflatoxin was the leading cause of recalls in 2020.
In 2020, we saw only 7 pet food recalls; Icelandic Plus (treats), Smuckers Natural Balance (can), Sunshine Mills (2 recalls, kibble), Real Pet Food Company (kibble), Albright’s (raw), and Midwestern Sportmix (kibble).
From information provided in FDA Enforcement Reports database, but not including the Midwestern Pet Food Sportmix recall issued on 12/30/2020 and not including the Sunshine Mills recall issued on 8/26/20 (FDA has not listed the Midwestern recall in Enforcement Reports yet, and FDA has not provided the pounds recalled for the August 2020 Sunshine Mills Salmonella recall yet), in 2020 there was 1,378,725 pounds of kibble pet foods recalled.
Of the 1.378 million pounds of kibble recalled, 1,374,405 pounds were recalled for aflatoxin contamination, 4,320 pounds were recalled for Salmonella. All 1,374,405 pounds of aflatoxin recalled pet food was manufactured by Sunshine Mills. (Again, FDA has not posted an Enforcement Report for the Midwestern aflatoxin recall.)
For canned pet foods, 64,003 pounds were recalled in 2020 – all from Smuckers Natural Balance, all cat food, all for excess choline chloride.
For treats, 18,491 pounds were recalled in 2020 – all from Icelandic Plus because the fish treats exceeded FDA’s size limit.
And for raw pet food, 1,942 pounds were recalled in 2020 due to Salmonella contamination.
There is NO excuse for any pet food to be contaminated with mycotoxins. Every pet food manufacturer that includes ingredients prone to mycotoxins should test every batch of pet food for this very common deadly contaminant. Per Dr. Laurie Coger of CheckYourPetFood.com, a basic aflatoxin test can be run for under $100.00. And the price would be significantly reduced for bulk testing of pet food batches.
Pet owners haven’t seen an aflatoxin recall since 2013. But in 2020, 94% of all recalled pet foods were due to aflatoxin contamination (not including the recall issued 2 days before the end of the year).
It is our belief that 2020 was NOT a year of companies being reckless with aflatoxin contaminated grains. We believe that 2020 was a year that regulatory authorities finally decided to test pet food for mycotoxins again. We hope that regulatory will continue to test pet foods for mycotoxins – every year, year after year.
If your pet food contains a grain ingredient or a legume ingredient (such as peas, soybeans) – ask the manufacturer if they perform mycotoxin testing on incoming ingredients, and finished pet foods. Also ask how often these tests are performed.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
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The 2021 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
