The federal government issued a warning about raw pet food A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs being contaminated with salmonella. The company behind the brand, Lystn, believes there is an error – and is pushing back against the agency’s claim.
In a release this week, the FDA stated there was a “public health risk” and alerted consumers who had bought A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs to throw it away, as salmonella was detected in a lot. It said that the company issued a local recall in Nebraska, but not a nationwide one.
Not so says Lystn, which is doing business as Answers Pet Food. The company believes the batch tested by the agency was cross contaminated and the salmonella came from another source — not their food.
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“It is Lystn’s belief (as well as our science advisors) that the initial sample sent from Nebraska may have been cross contaminated in the lab, transport or elsewhere and should not be considered a representative sample,” the company wrote in a post.
It also stated it has done third-party testing and all came back negative. The team offered up the results to the FDA.
“We advised the FDA of Lystn’s extensive third party test results and science based evaluation that the food is safe and not a public health risk, in accordance with the assessment of an independent Ph.D. science expert in concurrence with Lystn’s science team,” the company wrote. “Nevertheless, the FDA proceeded to issue this Warning Notice without further consultation with Lystn.”
They also dispute the notion they recalled their food in Nebraska, stating, they just halted production.
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Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause illness in animals and humans. Dogs can display symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, decrease in energy levels and vomiting. (Keep in mind, dogs don’t always exhibit signs.) For consumers who bought A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs, the FDA recommends basically scrubbing any part of your home that could have come in contact with the food, along with cleaning up their pet’s feces immediately.
This latest recall comes after a flurry of ones in late 2018. In a span of 30 days, there were eight recalls, with the main concern being high levels of Vitamin D.
The lot reportedly contaminated is marked with lot code 2018 and best use by date of 02/08 20 sticker on the carton. It was distributed between 8/17/18 to 9/14/18.
If need assistance, you can contact the company at (801) 707-2175 or at rstone@answerspetfood.com.
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