OC Raw Dog Food Recall

This is a historical recall, not a live alert. OC Raw Dog, LLC announced it on 20 April 2018 and it is closed. The product never tested positive for Clostridium botulinum, and no illnesses in dogs, cats or people were reported. It was recalled because the sardines measured longer than an FDA size guideline; the section below explains why that guideline exists. Primary source: the FDA notice.

OC Raw Dog freeze-dried sardines — the April 2018 recall, explained

This recall is closed and historical, but the brands and the reasoning behind it are still worth understanding if you feed freeze-dried fish treats. 

If you have a bag of OC Raw Dog freeze-dried sardines from 2018 still in a cupboard, here is what was affected and what to do.

Recalled Treat  

The 2018 recall covered a product called OC Raw Dog Freeze Dried Sardines. This treat is manufactured by OC Raw Dog, LLC, which has its headquarters in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

The 3.2-ounce bag of freeze-dried sardines with the UPC number 095225853043 was recalled. The UPC number is printed on the bottom right-hand corner on the back of the product.

Reason for Recall  

The stated reason is narrow and worth quoting precisely: the product exceeded an FDA compliance guideline on fish size. The sardines were un-eviscerated — not gutted — and measured 6 to 6.5 inches, against the FDA’s 5-inch limit for un-eviscerated salt-cured, dried or fermented fish.

That guideline exists because of botulism risk, which is why the recall is often reported under that heading. The two are not the same thing. No Clostridium botulinum was found in this product.

Botulism itself is serious — the toxin affects both people and animals — but the recall was precautionary, triggered by a measurement rather than by a positive test or a sick animal.

How Was It Discovered?  

The Department of Food and Agriculture tested a sample of OC Raw Dog’s freeze-dried sardines in the state of Minnesota. 

When measured, the sardines used to make these goodies came in between 6 and 6.5 inches in length, which is longer than the size requirements set out by the FDA for fish that are considered compliant with their regulations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that fish of this length are more likely to be infected with Clostridium botulinum. This assessment is based on previous botulism illness outbreaks.

Deeper Explanation  

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has discovered that botulism poisoning outbreaks between 1981 and 1987 and in 1991 were associated with the consumption of salt-cured, dried, or fermented un-gutted fish that were more than 5 inches in length. 

Since fish with a length more than 5 inches have been associated with botulism outbreaks, the FDA has implemented a compliance guideline that indicates salt-cured, dried, or fermented fish with a length greater than 5 inches must have their guts removed.

As a result of this FDA recommendation, the OC Raw Dog sardine treats have been recalled since the product ingredients matched these criteria.

At this point, no instances of botulism have been linked to the consumption of these treats by people, cats, or dogs.

Test Results  

It is essential to point out that the sardine sample did not test positive for Clostridium botulinum; the only conclusion is that larger sardines have a more significant potential for becoming tainted with the toxin.

Salmonella testing was also performed on the Minnesota Department of Food and Agriculture sample in addition to Clostridium botulinum testing. The outcomes of these tests were also negative.

Where Could I Have Purchased It?

These tasty sardine snacks, which had been freeze-dried, were sent to distributors in the following states:

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Pennsylvania
• Texas

These wholesalers would then sell the confections to individual consumers after purchasing them from the distributors. 

Independent pet businesses in the states mentioned above may have sold this product.

Info About Botulism  

The Clostridium botulinum bacterium produces the botulin toxin, and it has the potential to be lethal to both humans and animals. 

It is possible for dogs who consume these treats or people who have touched a contaminated treat and subsequently touched other parts of their face, such as their eyes, nose, mouth, etc., to get infected with botulism.

The following are some of the frequent symptoms of botulism poisoning:

• difficulty breathing
• muscle weakness
• dizziness
• trouble speaking or swallowing
• blurred or double vision
• constipation
• abdominal distention

Seek urgent medical assistance if you or your pet are exhibiting any of these symptoms following the possibility of eating or coming into touch with any of the freeze-dried sardine snacks.

OC’s Response  

OC Raw Dog, LLC guarantees that high standards of quality and safety are always adhered to. 

As a result, they have voluntarily withdrawn their dried sardine snacks from the market. In addition, they will be reassessing and maybe switching their sardine suppliers to ensure that future batches of treats will include sardines shorter than five inches. If the sardines are over five inches long, they will have to have their stomachs removed first.

OC claims that they are committed to creating safe goods of high quality, and it will continue to utilize only ingredients and products inspected and approved for human consumption by the USDA.

What should I do?  

If you still hold an affected bag, stop feeding it and return it to the retailer for a full refund.

If you have any questions or complaints, call OC Raw Dog at 844-215-3647 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The original FDA advisory is here on fda.gov.

Observation  

Even though no cases of sickness have been recorded and no tainted freeze-dried sardines have been found at this time, you must closely check your pet and yourself for any signs that the disease may be developing. 

Suppose you notice your dog behaving unusually after consuming any of these treats. In that case, get in touch with the veterinarian who cares for your dog to seek advice and potentially make an appointment.

Have you bought these goodies specifically for your pet dog? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments section below.