HILLSBOROUGH, NC — Viva Raw, an online pet food subscription service, has issued a nationwide recall for several of its products due to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall, announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), includes five products manufactured under Lot 21244.
The products under recall are:
Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground
Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked
Viva Turkey for Cats
Viva Pure Turkey
Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies
These products were distributed to customers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Viva Raw, known for shipping fresh dog and cat food on a subscription basis, discovered the contamination through FDA sample testing of the Viva Turkey for Dogs product. The company stated that all products from the contaminated lot were intended for destruction, but some were mistakenly released to customers.
Viva Raw is contacting all customers who received any of the recalled products between May 16 and June 28, 2024. No illnesses related to this lot have been reported yet. The recalled items are packaged as frozen, one-pound bricks in clear packaging without expiration dates.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets that consume the contaminated products. Humans can also contract listeria through handling the contaminated products or contact with pets that have ingested the food. Symptoms in humans include nausea, vomiting, aches, fever, and diarrhea. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.
Pets with listeria infection may show symptoms ranging from mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervousness, muscular and respiratory issues, miscarriage, depression, shock, and potentially death. Infected pets, even if asymptomatic, can spread the bacteria through feces and saliva.
Customers who have purchased the recalled products are advised to contact Viva Raw at [email protected] for a refund. The FDA recommends that consumers handle the contaminated food with gloves or paper towels, place it in a sealed plastic bag, and dispose of it in the garbage. Areas that may have come into contact with the contaminated food should be thoroughly sanitized.
For further information or to report issues, customers should contact Viva Raw or the FDA.
