Recalled Soy Possibly Linked to Dog Food

October 7, 2011 – According to an October 4 bulletin posted by the FDA, the Thumb Oilseed Producer’s Cooperative of Ubly, Michigan is recalling some of its packaged soy flour and bulk soy meal because of contamination with Salmonella bacteria.

Unfortunately, the affected products are used in the manufacture of both human and animal foods.

The FDA bulletin cautions consumers…

“Salmonella [is] an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products.”

What Should You Do?

As of this writing (October 7), there have been no pet food recalls actually announced.

This good news is most likely explained by the natural tendency for Salmonella bacteria as well as its associated toxins to be readily destroyed by the heat used to produce most dog foods.

However, since the recall notice specifically states the affected soy products are used to make both human and animal foods and because so many pet foods contain soy, we believe it’s important for dog and cat owners to monitor the developing situation closely.

In the meantime, check your dog food’s ingredient list for the words “soy flour” or “soy meal”. If you don’t see one of these two phrases, it’s highly unlikely you have any cause for concern.

Get Dog Food Recall Alerts by Email

If you haven’t yet done so, be sure to sign up for The Dog Food Advisor’s Recall Alert Notification list. And we’ll send you an email alert just as soon as we become aware of any news.