Product recalls, when pet food or treat products are removed from the marketplace, are an important part of the food safety system and are carried out under a strict regulatory framework.
PFI members maintain robust food safety plans to help ensure the production of safe pet food. Should a company require a product recall – such as after a test result that is out of specification with the company’s food safety plan, a mislabeled product, an ingredient imbalance, or another situation – our members rapidly work internally and with regulators to remove a product from circulation. Pet food makers’ food safety plans must include an established recall plan, mapping out how they will communicate with ingredient suppliers and distributors/retailers about the recall.
The routes for pet food recalls include:
- A pet food maker may issue product recalls themselves following internal monitoring and safety programs;
- Federal or state regulators can request that a pet food maker begin a recall, such as after reviewing feedback from pet owners or veterinarians, or testing finished product; or
- The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) can mandate a recall under authority provided by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This has never occurred.
A list of all FDA-regulated human food and animal feed/pet food recalls is available online. If a product you have purchased is recalled, stop feeding the recalled food or treat to your pet immediately, review the label code and contact the product manufacturer. In addition, take the food or treat back to the place of purchase.
