Mars Petcare says two lots of canned wet dog food failed quality checks, were sent to a vendor for destruction, then diverted and sold in the U.S.
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Mars Petcare U.S. issued a voluntary recall on July 2 for two lots of Pedigree-branded canned wet dog food after the company said the product had been sent to a third-party vendor for destruction but was instead diverted and sold in the United States.
Lot codes 613C3KKCFC and 613C1KKCFC of the Pedigree Can High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor, packaged in 13.2-ounce cans, are the specific units subject to the recall. According to Mars, those cans did not pass the company's internal quality and safety checks prior to being routed for destruction; all other Mars Petcare and Pedigree product lines remain unaffected.
According to Fox Business, Mars said the cans may contain sharp metal and plastic fragments. If a dog were to eat the contaminated food, potential injuries could range from choking hazards and internal lacerations to blockages within the digestive tract. Mars stated that it had received no reports of pets being harmed by the recalled product at the time of the announcement.
"Mars is working with authorities to determine how these products entered the marketplace," the company said in a statement. The company offered no information about the identity of the vendor or the circumstances through which it learned the cans had not been destroyed.
Anyone who purchased the affected cans should keep the food away from their pets and reach out to Pedigree Consumer Care to arrange a replacement. Pedigree can be reached at 1-800-525-5273, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT, or at pedigree.com/update. Owners whose dogs have already eaten the food and who have health concerns should get in touch with a veterinarian.
Mars Petcare U.S. is a unit of Mars, Inc. and is based in Franklin, Tennessee.
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