Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Viva Raw dog and cat food recall: Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 2+ years ago

Listeria monocytogenes

Viva Animal feed — recalled animal feedViva Animal feed — recalled animal feed (photo 2)Viva Animal feed — recalled animal feed (photo 3)Viva Animal feed — recalled animal feed (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

What the notice says: Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets eating contaminated products.

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
July 1, 2024
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Viva
Product type
Animal feed
Distribution
District of Columbia
Reports of harm
No illnesses related to this lot have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Raw dog and cat food

What the company announced

July 1, 2024 – Viva Raw LLC, Hillsborough, NC is voluntarily recalling dog and cat foods, including the Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey, and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies all manufactured under Lot 21244 because this lot, which includes these five products are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is a potential health risk to people and pets.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets eating contaminated products. People can become exposed to this pathogen through multiple routes such as handling the contaminated products, contact with pets that have eaten contaminated products and/or contact with surfaces that have touched contaminated food, such as bowls, utensils, or countertops. Risk of human illness from Listeria monocytogenes contaminated pet food increases if people do not thoroughly wash their hands after handling the food or having contact with their pet, or by not thoroughly cleaning contaminated surfaces.

Healthy people infected with Listeria monocytogenes may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, aches, fever and diarrhea. Listeria monocytogenes infections can spread through the bloodstream to the nervous system (including the brain), resulting in meningitis and other potentially fatal illnesses. Pregnant women are especially susceptible to Listeria infection, which can result in miscarriage. The young, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are more vulnerable to infection. People exhibiting signs of Listeria monocytogenes infection after having contact with recalled product(s) or a pet that has eaten recalled product(s) should contact their healthcare providers.

Listeria monocytogenes illnesses in pets are rare, and infected pets may display symptoms such as mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and death. Pets exposed to contaminated food can be infected without showing symptoms. Infected pets, even if they do not show symptoms, can act as carriers and transfer L. monocytogenes through their feces and saliva into the home environment and to people and other pets in the household. If your pet has eaten the recalled product(s) and has symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection, please contact your veterinarian.

The products were distributed directly to consumers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Only products from Lot 21244 are affected, Viva Raw is notifying all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16th and June 28th, 2024.

No illnesses related to this lot have been reported to date.

The product is distributed as frozen 1 lb bricks in clear vacuum packaging. Please see the attached example of product labels. There are no expiration dates for these products.

Products matching the specific lot number below are being recalled:

  • PRODUCT:: Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground · LOT#: 21244
  • PRODUCT:: Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked · LOT#: 21244
  • PRODUCT:: Viva Turkey for Cats · LOT#: 21244
  • PRODUCT:: Viva Pure Turkey · LOT#: 21244
  • PRODUCT:: Viva Beef &Turkey for Puppies · LOT#: 21244

The issue was discovered during a facility inspection conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and The North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA). The FDA tested samples of Viva Turkey for Dogs and found samples from Lot 21244 were positive for Listeria monocytogenes . All products produced in Lot 21244 were slated for destruction. However, we have since learned some of the product from this lot was inadvertently released from the warehouse.

If you find that you have products from Lot 21244 , please contact Viva Raw at [email protected] for a refund on any remaining product—you should then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.

FDA recommends humans do not touch the contaminated food product with bare hands. While wearing gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag and throw it in the garbage. Areas that may have come in contact with the contaminated product should be sanitized. Do not sell or donate the recalled products..

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] or call/text us at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 5 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Lot or batch code

Usually ink-stamped near the seam, the cap or the bottom of the pack.

  • 21244

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • May 16th
  • June 28th
  • 2024

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 1 lb

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Viva — Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.
  3. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  4. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.

Refunds, and what else you can claim

The purchase price is the floor, not the ceiling. Where a recall caused you a real cost, say so.

  • Claim the refund at the store first; it is the fastest route and needs the least paperwork.
  • If you bought several packs over time, list them. Firms routinely settle for more than a single unit when a customer asks.
  • Medical costs, lost earnings or a spoiled event are not handled at the service desk. Write to the company contact on this page instead, with dates and documents.
  • Keep copies of everything you send. If a recall caused harm, that file is what any later claim rests on.

Remedy named in the notice: If you find that you have products from Lot 21244 , please contact Viva Raw at [email protected] for a refund on any remaining product—you should then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access.

Company contact: Viva Raw, LLC — Consumers: (919) 371-8882, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Viva animal feed recalled?

Listeria monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets eating contaminated products.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: lot code 21244; model number May 16th, June 28th, 2024. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: If you find that you have products from Lot 21244 , please contact Viva Raw at [email protected] for a refund on any remaining product—you should then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists District of Columbia.

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