Pet owners are being warned not to feed their pets any of the Texas Tripe brand raw frozen pet food listed below, because several samples of Texas Tripe raw pet food have tested positive for Salmonella and/or Listeria contamination, according to a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The recall was triggered as a result of sampling by The Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC). The OTSC collected 23 finished product samples at Texas Tripe Inc., 16 of which tested positive for Listeria and/or Salmonella.

According to the recall notice, the FDA followed up these findings with an inspection and collected and analyzed samples of unopened finished product, after the firm performed corrective actions, from additional lots of some of the same products tested by OTSC; “FDA testing showed some of the samples contained Salmonella and/or L. mono.”

FDA and OSTC shared their test results with Texas Tripe Inc., which led to the firm initiating a recall on July 3, 2019 by directly notifying some of its customers via email.

The FDA urges consumers who have any of the recalled product to stop feeding it to their pets and throw it away in a secure container wher other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it. Both bacteria can cause serious illnesses and sometimes death in people and pets.

The recalled Texas Tripe Inc. products are sold frozen, in 20-pound and 40-pound cases. These cases contain multiple plastic pouches. Lot codes to help identify recalled product are printed on the outside of the cases, however, the FDA said the lot codes are not printed on the individual sealed plastic pouches, also known as “chubs.” Therefore, if the case has been discarded, there are no unique identification numbers on the individual “chubs” that allow customers to determine that they possess the recalled products.

For consumers who have any of the product varieties listed below and cannot determine whether it is affected by the recall, FDA recommends that you exercise caution and throw the product away.

The recalled products were manufactured by Texas Tripe Inc. and were sold direct to consumers online and by phone, the recall notice said. According to the firm, recalled products have been sold directly to consumers in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

The chart below lists the recalled products and lot numbers provided by the firm to FDA on Aug. 6.

According to the recall notice, the following additional product lots sampled by the FDA tested positive for Salmonella and/or Listeria, and have not yet been recalled by the firm. The following products tested positive for Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes:

• Texas Tripe Chicken Blend – Lot 19196-6
• Texas Tripe Pork Blend – Lot 19190-09
• Texas Tripe Beef Blend – Lot 19191-05

Symptoms in people and pets

Pets with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Even while apparently healthy, infected pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.

People who handle pet foods that are contaminated with Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes can contract infections serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Also, utensils, pet bowls, storage containers, countertops, refrigerators and freezers can become cross contaminated with the bacteria. Both pathogens survive freezing temperatures.

Salmonella may produce a range of gastrointestinal symptoms in infected people, including, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mild fever and stomach cramps.

Listeria monocytogenes also can produce gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy adults. It can take up to 70 days for symptoms to develop, so anyone who has been exposed to the recalled pet food should monitor themselves in the coming weeks for signs of infection.

Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune symptoms are at risk of experiencing more severe symptoms from Listeria infections. Pregnant women may miscarry, or pass their infection to their newborn babies either before or during delivery.

Consumers who experience any of the above symptoms should contact their healthcare providers.

Pet owners whose pets exhibit any of the indicated symptoms within a few days after being fed one of the recalled products should consult their veterinarians.

What consumers should do

• Do not feed any of the recalled products to your pet. Discard any recalled product in a secure location to keep it safe from children, pets, and wildlife

• If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has symptoms of Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes infection, contact your veterinarian.

• If you or a member of your household is experiencing symptoms of Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes infection, contact your health care provider.

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