FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Steve’s Real Food of Murray, Utah is recalling its 5 lb. bags of “Turducken Canine Diet – 8oz. Patties due to potential contamination of Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and have these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
The recalled Turducken Canine Diet – 8oz Patties in a 5 lb. bag were distributed from October 2012 to January 2013 in retail stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York , California, Minnesota and Tennessee.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The potential for contamination was noted after a routine sampling of one 5 lb. bag by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Production of the product has been suspended while the company and the FDA continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
The product comes in 5 lb. green and cream colored biodegradable film bags with lot number 209-10-27-13 with an expiration date of October 27, 2013.
Consumers who have purchased 5 lb. bags of Steve’s Real Food Turducken Canine Recipe are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions should contact the company at 801-540-8481 or gary@stevesrealfood.com Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm MST.
FDA Press Release Click Here
Ellie
March 8, 2013 at 2:45 pm
I looked into this company when I was looking for a commercial raw diet for my dog. It is not available in my area. Now I’m glad we were not able to get it. There is no way for us to know what their problem was but it certainly does not look good on their record to have a recall.
Summer
March 8, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Salmonella is not killed by freezing! ‘A dime sized piece of poop may remain in the carcass for human consumption. For any portion containing poop larger than a dime, that portion is discarded’. (May not be the exact quote I heard on NPR, but you get the picture.) Grind your own, or have the butcher grind it in your presence. Now I even rinse the meat off before I grind. I don’t want to feed my animals dimes or even a pin head of poop. It could kill them!
Katcha
March 8, 2013 at 6:28 pm
Now I’m wondering about Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw food
I do make my own but always wonder if it is complete….even if I do add the supplements..you really have to be a food nutrionalist to do it right!!
Bill
March 9, 2013 at 8:45 am
Every step of processing & every additional ingredient can be a source. In nature, they eat the parts of the carcass the heed & avoid that which the don’t need (ie. they rarely eat intestine or stomach including content).
Think of your dog or cat as the wild natural creature they truly are & feed the way they would feed in the wild… whole cuts of meat, fish, poultry, eggs.
The presence of Salmonella is normal in nature with the body able to handle and dispose of it (diarrhea or vomit)… this is the body working properly… a knowledge of both physiology and the the pathology tells you to let the body function properly and intervene only as a last resort.
Ellie
March 10, 2013 at 9:09 am
No matter what food we choose to feed it is our responsibility to check out the manufacturer beyond what is on the label. I have fed Stella & Chewy’s for over a year now. I checked out the company along with many others before I decided on this one. Apparently companies that produce kibble have more recalls than raw companies do from what I have observed so far. At this point in time Stella & Chewy’s has delivered quality food and my dog is enjoying great health benefits from it. I hope we never have to face a recall. Dealing with such foods requires meticulous care. Even human foods are experiencing recalls. I really feel it is a quality issue. I know people who have worked in a local pet food factory. Many of the problems result when employees do not carry our the policy requirements for cleanliness. If a company does not care enough to enforce the rules then I wish they would just get out of the business.
Reba from the Bridge
March 8, 2013 at 6:36 pm
N E time we are considering a new product we should google ‘recalls’ for that product. OR subscribe to Truth in Petfood. They are the watchdog for us in this area!
Mark Selin
March 8, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Reba, check out Life’s Abundance food. It has been around since 1999 and has NEVER been recalled. It is all natural, fresh, without grains, and contains prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants that 99% of the other pet food do not have. Also it is made in the Good ole USA.
http://www.lifesabundance.com
vikki
March 9, 2013 at 8:01 pm
I don’t think that just because product has never had a recall equates it with being a quality a product has never had a recall equates it with being a quality product…example; bad Chinese jerky products that were on the market for years before a recall… I think that if a company has enough guts to recall a food for possible contamination they are being responsible. As far as Good Ole USA, I have one word for that, Evangers. I think that we all have to be as careful as we can and that Susans pet food company quality pledge is a step in the right direction.
Mark Selin
March 10, 2013 at 1:31 am
Hey Vikki,
what does equate a pet food with being a quality product then? (Are you affiliated with, or are bias to a competitor in some way?) Of course those two factors do not guarantee a good product, but would you rather get your pet products from China as many are from? Instead of just speculating, go to the Life’s Abundance website at your leisure or ANY “neutral” pet food watchdog site and see for yourself. This food may be one of the freshest, safest, and most nutritious dog foods on the market period! Nuff said! 🙂
Ellie
March 10, 2013 at 9:11 am
It is true that many of the company’s that have not experienced a recall may very well produce some really bad product, however, having a recall is a blot on the record. Watching these companies to see how many repeat offenses happen can give you an idea of how extensive their problem is.
Peter
March 10, 2013 at 9:38 am
The FDA posting captions the recall as “8 oz. patties,” however, the picture they posted is for the “nuggets.”
Steve’s Foods identifes the recall as for “patties” on their blog: http://stevesrealfood.com/blog/.
Cassandra
March 10, 2013 at 6:38 pm
I advise anyone concerned about the quality of Steve’s brand to research salmonella in dogs (it is VERY unlikely for a healthy dog to become infected) and remember that salmonella recalls can occur even in healthy human grocery stores on occasion. There is no way to 100% guarantee that any food is salmonella free, and steps to decrease risk involve additional procession which in my opinion defeats the purpose of a raw diet. If you have a compromised immune system or are very concerned about salmonella but want to feed “raw”, brands like Stella & Chewy’s pasteurize their foods. This recall is a result of FDA concern about humans mishandling raw meats, not an indication of a poor quality brand.
Debi
March 10, 2013 at 11:42 pm
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The awareness is good, but not a reason to run away from this dog food company or raw feeding. Dogs/Cats lick butts and sometimes eat poo and lick our babies and share our homes.
Summer
March 12, 2013 at 11:57 am
With all due respect, most dogs/cat aren’t carriers of salmonella, if so, many animals and people would not be around. Old and/or compromised dogs/cats/people can die from ingesting it. I wouldn’t take the chance; even on a healthy pet.
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Nicole Lindsley
April 9, 2013 at 6:59 pm
Hello all,
This is Nicole, with Steve’s Real Food. We appreciate everyone taking the time to share their thoughts and concerns. I would like to make you all aware that Salmonella is present in more pet food and treats than you know. The reason there is a rise in recalls is becuase the FDA is testing more then ever, it has nothing to do with reports of sick dogs.
Chicken Jerky treats from China on the other hand have had hundreds of reports of sick and dead dogs since 2009 and only a two recalls have happened in Jan. of 2013.
As a raw food manufacture we pride ourselves on a quality product and do not have to report earnings to board of directors so we are not cutting corners in order to boost profits. We are also not going to implement a HPP kill step since this DOES denature the food.
The FDA visited our facility a couple days after the recall. They swabbed everything from forklift tires to equipment in storage. We received an “A” grade after they reported only 1 swab coming back positive out of 64 swabs taken and no finished product tested positive. That is probably a better grade than what most people would get if the FDA did 64 swabs in your home.
For all you home cooks out there… Cheers! I am glad that you take the time to feed your dogs a natural, healthy meal. However, you should be aware that if it is raw and has feathers, there is a 20% chance it has salmonella. We do advise dogs with compromised immune systems be fed a product that uses a kill steps or stick to proteins that are less likely to have salmonella such as beef.
Thanks again for everyone’s feedback and thanks to Susan for a wonderful blog that says it like it is!