FDA warns the public of salmonella risk with certain Nature’s Deli dog treats

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Federal health officials are warning consumers of a popular dog treat that may be tainted with Salmonella. The warning comes after the distributor of the dog treats declined to perform a voluntary recall at this time,according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release Dec. 6.One lot of affected product, Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats, packaged and distributed by Kasel Associates Industries Inc. of Denver, Co., was recalled in early October after routine testing revealed the presence of Salmonella.The affected lot during the October recall of the dog treats is lot number BEST BY 091913 DEN. This lot was distributed to 57 Sam's Club locations in the following states: CO,IA,ID,IL,KS,MO,MT,NE,OK,SD,UT and WY.However, the Nature’s Deli product lot the FDA is warning about now comes after a retail sample of Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats lot code BESTBY061913DEN taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested positive for Salmonella in November.Kasel did not include this additional lot in the recall and declined to recall it now.According to the FDA, The product is sold in 3.0 lb. packages labeled as Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats. The product is packaged in flexible plastic, which is yellow, blue, green and red, with black and white print writing. The packaging also has a digital photo of a dog on the front panel, and transparent sections to view the product inside. Lot code BESTBY061913DEN is located on the reverse side of the packaging in the transparent section immediately following the term “All American Dog.”The affected products are sold at Costco stores in the Denver, Colo., area. Costco is working with FDA and has removed all of the affected products from its shelves. The company will also contact customers who may have purchased the product to provide additional instructions.Salmonella is a pathogen to both humans and animals. There is a risk for humans handling the contaminated dog food if poor hand washing techniques are not performed or surfaces in contact with the dog food are not properly cleaned.In humans, Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.Pets, including dogs, with Salmonella can become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The clinical features of canine salmonellosis vary on strain, amount ingested and dog host factors.Many dogs however are asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria and may shed Salmonella for up to 100 days after being infected. This can become a risk for family members and anyone with confirmed salmonellosis without a known risk of exposure, the family pet should be tested regardless of symptoms.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page