Maker: Bravo Packing, Inc. of Carneys Point, New Jersey
Cause: Potential for salmonella and listeria
Announcement: FDA alert dated March 3, 2021 (archived here); recall expanded on March 16, 2021 (archived here)
What was recalled: The following pet foods and bones produced by Bravo Packing Inc., all dates:
- Performance Dog (chubs) frozen raw dog food, 2 lbs. and 5 lbs.
- Performance Dog (patties) frozen raw dog food
- Green Tripe frozen raw dog food, 2 lbs. and 5 lbs.
- Tripe (¼ lb. patties) frozen raw dog food
- Ground Beef frozen raw dog food, 2 lbs. and 5 lbs.
- Bones (smoked), 14 varieties
Bravo Packing, Inc. is back in the hot seat with pet parents — and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency responsible for ensuring pet food safety.
All packages of the company’s frozen raw pet food, Performance Dog, were recalled in early March 2021 because of potential contamination by salmonella or listeria bacteria. The company also produces a product called simply Ground Beef, meant for animal consumption, that was recalled as well.
Now, on March 16, the recall has been greatly expanded to include ALL pet food and bones made by Bravo Packing, Inc., in all package sizes and dates. All of the affected products are listed above.
The initial recall was triggered by positive results for both salmonella and listeria during testing of product samples by the FDA. The expansion was announced because of “potential cross-contamination,” according to the FDA.
Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported so far in either pets or people. If you have any of the affected products, discontinue feeding it and throw it away. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the product or after cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces.
For refund details, contact your place of purchase. Call Bravo Packing, Inc. at 856-299-1044 for further information.
No, Not That Bravo!
Bravo Packing, Inc. might sound really familiar to you, but we want to proactively clear up some possible confusion.
Don’t confuse this company with Bravo LLC, which also makes raw pet food but under the Bravo! brand line. That is a completely separate company that is not in any way affected by this recall. The last time that company had any recalls was way back in 2015.
Also, the product name “Performance Dog” might confuse a few readers, too. That’s because there’s another dog food brand called Raw Performance Dog Food — which, again, is not being recalled. That one is based in Canada. (Yes, all these similar-looking names can get very confusing.)
Back to Bravo Packing, Inc.
And while we are on the subject, if you want to talk confusing — why in the world doesn’t Bravo Packing, Inc. put a lot number or date code on packages of its pet food?
This oversight has only caused the company, and its customers, problems over the years.
First, during a 2018 recall of Performance Dog, also for salmonella, the FDA specifically called attention to how the lot codes are only printed on the cardboard box used to distribute the individual packages of pet food. “If the cardboard box has been discarded, there are no unique identification numbers on the individual sleeves that allow customers to determine that they possess the recalled products,” the FDA said.
In 2019, the FDA issued a caution letter to consumers warning that certain packages of Performance Dog represented “a serious threat to human and animal health” due to potential salmonella and listeria contamination. And once again, the lack of lot codes on the packaging complicated matters. Without lot codes, customers have no way “to verify whether their product belongs to the affected lot,” the agency noted.
For that reason, during the recalls in 2018 and 2019, the FDA advised consumers to simply dispose of any packages of Performance Dog if they didn’t see a date code. And that seems to be what’s happening in this 2021 recall, too. There’s no lot code or date code provided in this recall announcement — just assume it’s all possibly contaminated.
According to its website, Bravo Packing, Inc. has been producing frozen meat products for over 60 years. The company says it has “always enjoyed a reputation for having quality products and satisfied customers.”
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There were more recalls in 2021. See the previous one:
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