FDA Cautions Pet Owners Not to Feed Performance Dog Raw Pet Food


What follows is directly from the FDA website. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cautioning pet owners not to feed their pets Performance Dog frozen raw pet food purchased after July 22, 2019 because a sample tested positive for Salmonella and L. mono.

The FDA collected two samples of raw pet food manufactured by Bravo Packing, Inc. (Performance Dog and a beef variety) during a routine inspection of the manufacturing facility in Carneys Point, NJ. The sample of Performance Dog raw pet food lot 072219 tested positive for Salmonella and L. mono. The sample of the beef raw pet food tested positive for Salmonella, but the product had not yet been distributed.

This is the second time Bravo Packing, Inc. product has tested positive for pathogen contamination. In September 2018, Bravo Packing, Inc. recalled all Performance Dog frozen raw pet food due to Salmonella. Also, during a 2016 inspection, the FDA collected samples of Bravo Packing, Inc. horse meat chunk animal food that tested positive for the drugs pentobarbital and phenytoin.

The FDA is advising the public about Performance Dog raw pet food because this product represents a serious threat to human and animal health. Because retail packaging is not printed with lot code information, FDA is cautioning about all Performance Dog raw pet food purchased after July 22, 2019.

What products are involved?



What do consumers need to do?



What do retailers need to do?

Retailers, distributors and other operators who have offered the affected products for sale should wash and sanitize display cases and freezers where the products were stored.

What is Salmonella and what are the symptoms of Salmonella infection (salmonellosis)?

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are very young, very old, or have weak immune systems. According to CDC, people infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without treatment, but in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In some patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream and then to other body sites unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Consult your health care provider if you have symptoms of Salmonella infection.


What is Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) and what are the symptoms of L. mono infection (listeriosis)?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are pregnant, very young, very old, or have weak immune systems. According to CDC, listeriosis in humans can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and the part of the body affected. Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.


Pregnant women and their newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick with listeriosis. Anyone with symptoms of listeriosis should contact a health care provider.


Why is the FDA concerned about Salmonella and L. mono in pet food and treats?

Pet foods and treats contaminated with Salmonella and L. mono are of particular public health importance because they can affect both human and animal health. Pets can get sick from these pathogens and may also be carriers of the bacteria and pass it on to their human companions without appearing to be ill. People can get sick from handling contaminated pet foods and treats or touching surfaces that have had contact with the contaminated pet foods and treats. Additionally, if a person gets Salmonella or L. mono on their hands, they can spread the bacteria to other people, objects, and surfaces.

The FDA has recently investigated cases in which humans and/or animals have gotten sick from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated pet foods (see Salmonella-human cases linked to pet foodSalmonella-human cases linked to pig ear pet treatsSalmonella-kittenSalmonella-kitten and dog). Although FDA is not aware of a documented case of a person acquiring L. mono infection from a pet food, once Salmonella or L. mono get established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria in the feces when it has a bowel movement, and the contamination may continue to spread.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal food, like human food, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. Without an effective control for pathogens, such as cooking, animal food is more likely to contain pathogens such as Salmonella and L. mono. Refrigeration or freezing does not kill the bacteria.

What should I do if I think I have salmonellosis or listeriosis?


What should I do if I think my pet has salmonellosis or listeriosis?

People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians. Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) if the pet is from a household with a person infected with Salmonella.

How can I report a human or animal illness related to pet food?

FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. This information helps FDA further protect human and animal health.

The information in this release reflects the FDA’s best efforts to communicate what it has learned from the manufacturer and any state and local public health agencies involved in the investigation. The agency will update this page as more information becomes available.

Get My Newsletter!


So, Who is Steve Dale?



Book Credits


Article Archive




Like Us on Facebook

Follow Steve Dale on Social Media!

© Steve Dale All Rights Reserved


Steve Dale Pet World