This notice was provided to TruthaboutPetFood.com from Viva Raw pet food.
This notice is to inform you of a voluntary recall of: Viva Duck for Dogs (Ground),
Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked), Viva Duck for Cats, Viva Pure Duck. The lot
under recall is Lot 22853. The product is distributed as frozen 1 lb bricks in
clear vacuum packaging. Viva started shipping this lot out on 10/24/23 and the last units were distributed on 12/06/23.
The FDA obtained and tested samples of Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked) Lot
22853 after a consumer complaint and found that the samples were positive for
Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes. Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes
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 and Listeria 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 has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Please check your freezer for any remaining products of Lot 22853. If you still
have products from the lot, complete this response form and we will reach out to
you to provide a refund for any remaining product—you can then destroy the
food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access. Make sure you do
not touch the contaminated food product with your bare hands. While wearing
gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag
and throw it in the garbage. Then you will need to sanitize your kitchen and any other area that may have come in contact with the contaminated product. Do not
sell or donate the recalled products. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or
any other animals.
Even if you do not have any packs of food remaining, please complete this
response form so that we can account for all customers that have received this
notice.
The health of your pet has always been Viva’s #1 priority and we have always
been committed to making safe & transparent pet food. We started this company
to change the industry and make the best pet food available. From choosing to
manufacture in a USDA facility & sourcing 100% human-grade ingredients, we
are committed to going above and beyond. We have conducted a detailed
root-cause analysis in our USDA facility to ensure we continue to exceed the
highest industry food safety standards & will continue to push the boundaries for
how safe, fresh pet food is made. If you have any questions regarding this notice,
feel free to email us at info@vivarawpets.com or call/text us at (919) 371-8882
between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.
This recall is being made with the knowledge of the Food and Drug
Administration.
Diane
January 27, 2024 at 7:04 pm
“… we continue to exceed the highest industry food safety standards & will continue to push the boundaries for how safe, fresh pet food is made.”
So what went wrong?
Phyllis
January 27, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Just one complaint and the FDA steps in with Viva but yet 100’s of complaints about sick and dieing pets from Purina and they kept ignoring it. How sad!!!
Susan Thixton
January 28, 2024 at 9:48 am
I agree with you. And further, Viva did the right thing by promptly recalling yet multiple other brands with many more adverse events reported have refused to recall their products – calling serious health events in pets “rumors”.
Carol Chakeropulos
January 29, 2024 at 5:09 pm
so true. Money and power.
Nada
January 29, 2024 at 7:41 pm
UC Davis reported since dog died from this food in their care. Food was positive for salmonella and listeria that happened in November. Viva didn’t share the information and blocked pet parents from their IG and deleted the comments.
Follow hera_her_story
There are documented posts with FDA investigations and hospital and Viva team. Very sad. Not sure why viva didn’t alert us on time( November).
Yvonne
January 31, 2024 at 6:50 pm
Nada – Where do we find the story? I’m not on social media but I tried to do a search on the internet for hera_her_story and I’m not getting any results on the story of this dog.
kate brown
January 27, 2024 at 10:34 pm
Thank you Viva raw for your voluntary immediate response to pet parent concerns and not trying to have hide!
Carol
January 28, 2024 at 9:25 am
Thank you
T Allen
January 29, 2024 at 9:49 am
Obviously VIVA is not doing the “Best Practice” of Hold, Test then Release for Sale! This is especially concerning with duck. Unlike rabbits and chickens that are raised in dry cages or pens, ducks need water to submerge their heads in, if not their whole bodies. Wet environments are conducive to contamination by Listeria. Per Merck manual, Re: L monocytogenes. “It is ubiquitous and commonly found in the environment, including soil, sewage, feces from animals, and surface water. In temperate zones, the primary habitats of the organism are soil and decaying vegetation.” “Contamination of poultry farms with fecal material from nearby food animal farms (eg, cattle or swine farms) is an important source of infection, especially after a rain or flooding.”
In other words, VIVA, if you don’t Hold, Test, Release any other product, you must do it with DUCK! PS. Thank you for the quick recall. I’ll continue buying your products, except for duck, for awhile but you need to up your game. Salmonella is impossible to eradicate but Listeria is non-negotiable. Please make it clear on your website what steps you put in place to prevent this from happening again. I’d start with verification of testing by your vendor(s) and/or test incoming product before use.