ucm454416Carnivore Meat Company, LLC is recalling select products and lots of Carnivore Vital Essentials pet foods because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Healthy cats and dogs rarely become sick from Listeria monocytogenes. In humans, however, Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

If an animal becomes ill with Listeria, it will display symptoms similar to the ones listed above for humans. People with concerns about whether their pet has Listeria should contact their veterinarian.

The lots involved in this voluntary recall are: Vital Essentials Frozen Beef Tripe Patties, UPC 33211 00809, Lot # 10930, Best by date 20160210 Vital Essentials Frozen Beef Tripe Nibblets, UPC 33211 00904, Lot # 10719, Best by date 12022015

The “Best By” date code and lot # is located on the back of the package. The affected product was distributed in WA, CA, TX, GA, IL, CO, NM, FL, PA, RI, OH and VT.

This voluntary recall has been issued because the FDA has reported an independent lab detected the bacteria in samples during a recent review. The company has received no reports of human illness as a result of these products.