For Immediate Release ~ March 3, 2017
Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food is voluntarily expanding its recall of Hunk of Beef and is also recalling Evanger’s Braised Beef and Against the Grain’s Pulled Beef Products due to potential adulteration with pentobarbital. Oral exposure to pentobarbital can cause drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand, coma and death. Consumers who notice these symptoms in their pets should consult their veterinarian.
The expansion of the company’s February 3rd recall of five production lots of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef canned dog food and its February 14th recall of one production lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef canned dog food is being 'out of an abundance of caution'.
Evanger’s first advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its intention to expand the product recall on February 20, 2017, and announced the planned recall in a letter to its distributors and retailers on February 28, 2017.
The 12 oz. cans of dog foods that are being voluntarily recalled have the following barcodes. The numbers listed below are the second half of the barcode, which can be found on the back of the product label:
- Evanger’s: Hunk of Beef: 20109
- Evanger’s: Braised Beef: 20107
- Against the Grain: Pulled Beef: 80001
The three products being voluntarily recalled were manufactured between December 2015 and January 2017, and have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021. These products were distributed online and through independent boutique pet stores nationwide.
This voluntary recall affects only Hand Packed Beef Products, which is a unique method in which large chunks of meat are manually placed into the can by hand, not machine.
Consumers may return any can of the aforementioned products to their place of purchase for a full refund for the inconvenience. For any questions, customers may contact the company at 1-847-537-0102 between 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday - Friday.
Distributors and online retailers were previously notified of this voluntary recall on February 27th.
The FDA initiated an investigation of Evanger’s manufacturing facilities early last January after receiving word that a dog had died and four other dogs had been sickened after ingesting food from a can of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef.
Lab testing revealed the presence of pentobarbital, a euthanasia agent, in the stomach contents of the dead dog, in the remnants of food from the opened can, and in food from unopened cans of the same production lot of Hunk of Beef obtained from the owner of the dogs and from the retailer. Additional lab testing carried out by FDA detected pentobarbital in a can of Against the Grain Pulled Beef canned dog food.
Against the Grain Pulled Beef is manufactured by Evanger’s.
In an advisory to consumers, released on February 17 and updated on March 3, FDA reported that a bill of lading from Evanger’s supplier, which the pet food manufacturer had claimed was “USDA approved”, referred to “Inedible Hand Deboned Beef – For Pet Food Use Only. Not Fit For Human Consumption.”
Investigation of a certificate number displayed on the bill of lading determined that it referred to an export certification number that had been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). The certification, according to a spokesperson with USDA-APHIS, had expired in the mid-2000s.
The FDA has received ten additional complaints from consumers who believe their dogs have been affected adversely after consuming by Evanger’s Hunk of Beef dog food. Five of the complaints mention symptoms that are consistent with possible pentobarbital poisoning. The agency is following up on four of the complaints, which provided veterinary and product lot number identification.
The FDA continues to encourage consumers to report problems with Evanger’s products through the Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting a Consumer Complaint Coordinator.
Additional information is available on the FDA web page, How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.
Contact:
Consumers: Evanger’s Pet Foods ~ 847-537-0102
Media: Evanger’s Pet Foods ~ 847-537-0102
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