Viva Raw Voluntarily Recalls Pet Foods Over Listeria Concerns
Summary
- Company Announcement Date: July 1, 2024
- FDA Publish Date: July 1, 2024
- Product Type: Animal & Veterinary, Food & Beverages, Animal Feed, Foodborne Illness
- Reason for Announcement: Listeria. Listeria monocytogenes
- Company Name: Viva Raw, LLC
- Brand Name: Viva
- Product Description: Raw dog and cat food
Company Announcement
Hillsborough, N.C. – Viva Raw LLC, which runs an online pet food subscription service, is voluntarily recalling several of its dog and cat foods due to the risk of bacterial contamination. The company issued the nationwide recall after samples of its Viva Turkey for Dogs product stored in a warehouse tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, which poses a potential health risk for people and pets.
The recall applies to all products manufactured under Lot 21244, which are listed below.
| PRODUCT | LOT# |
|---|---|
| Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground | 21244 |
| Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked | 21244 |
| Viva Turkey for Cats | 21244 |
| Viva Pure Turkey | 21244 |
| Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies | 21244 |
These products were distributed directly to consumers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The product is distributed as frozen 1 lb bricks in clear vacuum packaging. There are no expiration dates for these products.
Though only products from Lot 21244 are being recalled, Viva Raw is notifying all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16 and June 28, 2024.
No illnesses related to the products included in the Viva Raw recall have been reported to date. However, Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets eating contaminated products.
Though such infections are rare in pets, those infected with Listeria monocytogenes illnesses may experience mild to severe diarrhea; anorexia; fever; nervous, muscular and respiratory signs; miscarriage; depression; shock and death. Pets exposed to contaminated food can also be infected without showing symptoms.
Whether they show symptoms or not, infected pets can act as carriers and transfer L. monocytogenes through their feces and saliva 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.
Pet parents can also be exposed to this pathogen by handling the contaminated food or surfaces it has touched (such as bowls, utensils, or countertops) or having contact with pets who have consumed the food. The risk of human illness from Listeria monocytogenes increases if people do not thoroughly wash their hands after direct contact with contaminated food or pets who have eaten it.
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.
Background for the Viva Raw recall
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. Then immediately destroy the food in a way that does not put children, pets, and wildlife at risk. 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 the company at [email protected] or call/text at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.
Product Photos
