Cargill enlarges feed recall linked to elevated aflatoxin levels
The company already initiated a recall earlier this month, on May 6; the expansion is a result of its own internal investigations that identified additional products containing an ingredient provided from the same supplier referenced in the first recall announcement.
Cargill said the extended recall includes products manufactured between October 31, 2018 and March 1, 2019. It is being done with the knowledge of and in cooperation with the FDA.
Cargill said it has received a small number of adverse event reports.
“These reports are currently being investigated to determine if they are related to the recalled feed. Cargill is voluntarily expanding the scope of this recall.”
Risk profile
Poultry, horses and livestock exposed to levels of aflatoxin could be at risk of several health hazards, the company said. Aflatoxin toxicity in livestock has been linked to a reduction in feed intake, liver damage, reduced weight gain, jaundice and death.
The amount of aflatoxin that can be present in a product varies based on the age and type of animal, said the FDA. It ranges from 20 parts per billion (ppb) for dairy cows, immature animals and companion animals to 300ppb for finishing cattle.
Production
The company said affected products were manufactured at its Cleveland, North Carolina, facility and are being recalled from retail outlets and distributors in the Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia markets.
Cargill said it first heard about the mycotoxin contamination issue when it was contacted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) regarding test results that showed a single lot of a specific product in the Southern States line had high levels of aflatoxin.
