Announced July 3, the J.M. Smucker Company issued a voluntary recall of one lot of Natural Balance® Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Paté Formula canned cat food.
Check your cat’s food to be sure it’s not the lot involved in the recall. Product information can be located on the bottom of the can.
Single Cans:
- Natural Balance® Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Paté Formula canned cat food, 5.5 oz can, lot code 9217803
This lot is the only one included in the recall; no other Natural Balance products have been mentioned.
Image Courtesy: www.fda.gov
This voluntary recall is due to elevated levels of choline chloride. While not a food-borne pathogen, too much choline chloride can sicken cats.
While cats require choline, Greg Aldrich, PhD, of Pet Food Industry explains, “Almost all commercial pet foods contain supplemental choline, predominantly from choline chloride.”
But, sometimes the levels of choline chloride can exceed safe levels, prompting the recall.
Image Courtesy: www.fda.gov
Signs of Too Much Choline Chloride in Cats
If your cat has eaten the affected food, watch for any of the symptoms listed and contact your vet immediately:
- Nausea with heavy drooling, constricted pupils and poor vision, diarrhea or vomiting
- Difficulty walking
- Shaky muscles or tremors
- Irregular heartbeat
- Difficulty breathing
- Possible cardiac or respiratory failure
- In extreme situations, death
While the recall is voluntary, adverse reactions in cats have been reported to the J.M. Smucker Company. If you suspect your cat has become ill from eating Natural Balance® Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Paté Formula canned cat food, contact your vet.
Image Courtesy: www.fda.gov
Putting Feline Safety First
Again, the recall is voluntary. No specific food-borne pathogens have been found. However, the J.M. Smucker Company and the FDA issued the recall because one lot of cans contained high levels of choline chloride. The J.M. Smucker Company touts their safety and quality standards as keeping people and animals safe is a main priority.
The Smucker website states, “Led by our experienced Quality Assurance team, in partnership with our Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement and Commodities teams, our experts receive regular training on national and global safety and quality initiatives, as well as our own internal Smucker practices. Efforts are rooted in the expectation that our quality standards will always meet and exceed that of our consumers and customers.”
The issue with the food was discovered during one of these quality audits. If you have any concerns or questions, contact the J.M. Smucker Company at 888-569-6828 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET. Email at any time, info@naturalbalanceinc.com .
H/T: www.fda.gov