July 31, 2019 — In the wake of 2 recent and related recalls, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to avoid buying or feeding all pig ear pet treats… and for retailers to stop selling these products.
What Caused the FDA Alert?
Together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA is investigating a suspected link between pig ear pet treats and human cases of salmonellosis.
As of July 31, 2019, the CDC reports that there are now 127 cases of human infection tied to exposure to pig ear pet treats with Salmonella.
Twenty-six people have been hospitalized. There are no reported deaths.
The FDA has traced back some of the pig ear treats associated with cases of illness to sources in Argentina and Brazil.
Human Salmonella Outbreak
Now Includes 33 States
The growing human Salmonella outbreak related to contaminated pig ears treats now includes the following states:
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin.
CDC Salmonella Outbreak Map
Updated July 31, 2019
People infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella related to contaminated pig ears treats by state of residence:
Related Recalls
Since July 3, 2019, The Dog Food Advisor has published 2 recall notices related to this FDA alert:
The FDA is working with impacted firms to remove pig ear pet treats from the market and identify places where they may have been distributed.
The investigation is ongoing. The FDA will provide the public with new information as it becomes available.
What to Do?
The FDA and CDC are recommending that people avoid buying or feeding any pig ear pet treats at this time.
If you have pig ear pet treats, safely discard them and thoroughly clean the areas where the treats have been.
U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.
Or go to https://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.
