I subscribe to the FDA's recalls and there were 3 dog food brands recalled in my mail today: one of the Iams Puppy foods, and Cargill's River Run and Marksmen foods(several varieties each). They are all being recalled due to aflatoxin levels (remember the Diamond dog food poisonings several years ago? -same thing). Some of the food they are recalling was manufactured a year ago, so this is not a speedy recall.

I read during a previous recall that aflatoxin grows on corn, and that the grade used for dog food is not sold for human consumption. I think it also grows on peanuts, not sure what else. Supposedly aflatoxin levels are higher in years with hot, dry weather.

I cut and pasted some info from the FDA recall. Anyone with an email address can subscribe to their recalls. I get several messages a day from them, mostly about human food. Here's a link to their page with all the recent recalls. There's a small red envelope icon on it that you can click to sign up to have the recalls emailed to you:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 6, 2011 - The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily retrieved a single production lot of dry dog food due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. This product has already been retrieved from store shelves. No illnesses have been reported in association with this production lot to date, and no other Iams pet food products are involved.

Product affected by this announcement:

Product Name

Version

Code Date

UPC Code

Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy dry dog food with Use By or Expiration Dates of February 5 or February 6, 2013

7.0 lb bag

12784177I6

1901402305

8.0 lb bag

12794177D2

12794177D3

1901410208

17.5 lb bag

12794177K1

12794177K2

1901401848

The affected product lot was distributed to a limited number of retailers located in the eastern United States (AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, SC, VA). These retailers have already removed this product from store shelves. No other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.

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Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food

Contact:

Consumer:

855-460-1532

Media:

Tim Loesch

952-742-6910

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 6, 2011 - Cargill Animal Nutrition today announced a voluntary recall of two regional brands of its dry dog foods River Run and Marksman due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. The affected products were manufactured at Cargill's Lecompte, Louisiana, facility between Dec. 1, 2010, and Dec. 1, 2011. No illnesses have been reported in association with these products to date, and no other Cargill Animal Nutrition pet food products are involved in this recall. Affected products are:

PROFESSIONAL FORMULA RIVER RUN HI-NRG 24-20 Dog Food, 50 pound bags

RIVER RUN PROFESSIONAL FORMULA 27-18 Dog Food, 50 pound bags

RIVER RUN 21% Protein Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags

RIVER RUN Hi-Pro No-Soy Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags

MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 24% Protein 20% Fat, 40 pound bags

MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 20% Protein 10% Fat, 40 and 50 pound bags

MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 28% Protein 18% Fat, 40 pound bags

The recall only applies to the above products with the following Packaging Date Codes (lot numbers): 4K0335 through 4K0365, LL0335 through LL0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335 and LL1001 through LL1335.

The affected dry dog food products were distributed in the following 15 states/territories: Kansas, Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and limited areas of Florida and California. Retailers have already been instructed to remove the affected brands and products from store shelves.