Viva pet food recalled after testing found Listeria contamination

Viva Raw LLC of Hillsborough, NC is recalling dog and cat foods, including certain Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies because many of them are, including this one five products are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and pose a potential health risk to people and pets.

The problem was discovered during an inspection of the plant conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA). The FDA tested samples from Viva Turkey for Dogs and found that samples from lot 21244 were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. All products produced in lot 21244 were listed for destruction. However, the company has since learned that some of the product from this batch was accidentally released from the warehouse.

The products were distributed directly to consumers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Below is a list of recalled products.

About Listeria infections

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets that eat contaminated products. People can be exposed to this pathogen through multiple routes, including handling contaminated produce, contact with pets that have eaten contaminated produce, and/or contact with surfaces that have touched contaminated food, such as bowls, utensils, or countertops. The risk of human illness from Listeria monocytogenes-contaminated pet food increases if people do not wash their hands thoroughly after handling food or contact with their pet, or by not thoroughly cleaning contaminated surfaces.

Listeria monocytogenes diseases in pets are rare and infected pets may present with symptoms such as mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory symptoms, miscarriage, depression, shock and death. Pets exposed to contaminated food can become infected without showing symptoms. Infected pets, even if they do not show symptoms, can act as carriers, transmitting Listeria monocytogenes through their feces and saliva into the home environment and to people and other pets in the household. If your pet has eaten the recalled products and shows symptoms of a Listeria monocytogenes infection, contact your veterinarian.

Recalled products:

• Viva Turkey for dog ground – Lot no. 21244
• Viva Turkey for dogs in pieces – lot no. 21244
• Viva Turkey for cats – Lot no. 21244
• Viva Pure Turkey – Lot no. 21244
• Viva beef and turkey for puppies – lot no. 21244

The product is distributed as 1 lb frozen bricks in a clear vacuum package. There are no expiration dates for these products. Product images can be viewed here.

At the time this recall was issued, no illnesses associated with this lot have been reported.

If you find that you have any products from the affected lot, please contact Viva Raw at info@vivarawpets.com for a refund of the remaining product. You must then destroy the food in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or other animals.

The FDA recommends that people avoid touching the contaminated food product with bare hands. Wearing gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag and throw it in the trash. Areas that may have come into contact with the contaminated product should be disinfected. Do not sell or donate the recalled products.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)