Dog deaths, illnesses linked to Midwestern Pet Foods, FDA says

The Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners that Midwestern Pet Foods’ products have been “associated with the illness or death of hundreds of pets who had eaten the company’s dry dog ​​food.”

The FDA said Tuesday that it has issued a warning letter to the Evansville, Indiana, family-owned company because inspections of manufacturing plants revealed evidence of violations.

As of Aug. 9, the federal agency said it was aware of “more than 130 pet deaths and more than 220 illnesses that may be linked to eating brands of pet food manufactured by Midwestern,” which may contain unsafe levels of aflatoxin, a byproduct of mould.

“The FDA is dedicated to taking all possible steps to help pet owners have confidence that the food they buy for their animal companions is safe and wholesome,” Steven Solomon, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement. “Samples of dog food were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin.”