Bravo Packing, Inc. expands pet food recall

Image courtesy of the FDA

Earlier this month, New Jersey–based pet food manufacturer Bravo Packing, Inc. announced a recall of its frozen raw pet foods Ground Beef and Performance Dog after samples collected during an FDA inspection tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. This week, the FDA announced that the company has expanded its voluntary recall due to potential cross-contamination at the facility. The company’s recalled products now include all pet food and bones in all package sizes.

This is not the first time pet food products manufactured by Bravo Packing have tested positive for these pathogens. The company issued recalls for Performance Dog in September 2018 and again in September 2019. In March 2020, the FDA sent the company a warning letter detailing various violations at the facility. In 2016, horse meat chunk animal food samples collected from the facility by the FDA tested positive for pentobarbital and phenytoin.

The following potentially affected products have been recalled:

• Performance Dog (chub) frozen raw dog food: 2- and 5-lb packages
• Green Tripe (chub; ground bovine stomach) frozen raw dog food: 2- and 5-lb packages
• Beef (chub; ground) frozen raw dog food: 2- and 5-lb packages
• Performance Dog (patties) frozen raw dog food: Size unknown
• Tripe (patties ¼ lb) frozen raw dog food: Size unknown
• Bones (smoked; 14 varieties: Size unknown

Salmonella can cause illness both in pets that ingest contaminated food as well as their owners who handle products, pets, or surfaces exposed to the bacteria. Clinical signs of Salmonella infection in pets may include lethargy, diarrhea/bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, fever, or abdominal pain. Asymptomatic infected pets can shed the virus through saliva and feces. Signs and symptoms of Salmonella infection in people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea/bloody diarrhea, and fever. Rarer effects may include arterial infections, muscle pain, urinary tract symptoms, arthritis, eye irritation, and endocarditis.

L monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and individuals with a weakened immune system. Infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection in the newborn. Symptoms can include headache, stiffness, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever, abdominal pain, and muscle aches. Infection with L monocytogenes is uncommon in pets. Signs may include diarrhea; anorexia; fever; nervous, muscular, and respiratory signs; abortion; depression; shock; and death. As with Salmonella, pets infected with L monocytogenes can be asymptomatic and shed virus in their feces and saliva.

To date, no illnesses related to these products have been reported in pets or people. Anyone who has the recalled products should cautiously discard them and wash their hands and any surfaces the product touched. For questions, contact Bravo Packing at 856-299-1044 (Monday–Friday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm EST).