High Pressure Processed Pet Food Recalled Because of Listeria

A Wisconsin pet food company is recalling non-thermally processed pet food after the Maryland Department of Agriculture's testing found that the product was positive for Listeria.

There are those that feel feeding dogs raw meat is better.  To provide this product, this company processed meat using HPP (High Pressure Processing) to eliminate pathogens such as Salmonella.  Unfortunately, during post-processing handling, probably packaging, the product was contaminated with Listeria.

 Interesting, on the company's website, they provide access to test results for each lot of product.  The results are for the testing of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella - two pathogens associated with raw beef, but not Listeria, which while can be associated with raw beef, is a pathogen commonly encountered in processing facilities.


NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/07/dog_and_cat_food_recalled_over_listeria_fears.html
Dog and cat food recalled over Listeria fears
July 6, 2015

A pet food company is recalling 11 of its products nationwide after Listeria was found during a routine test.

Stella & Chewy's was ordered by Maryland Department of Agriculture to stop sale Saturday on its Chicken Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties because the dog dinners tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, the company said in a release.

The Milwaukee-based company then issued a voluntary recall for those meals as well as others that did not test positive but may have been exposed to the lot "as a precautionary measure."

No pet or human illnesses have been reported.

"The health and safety of our customers and their pets is always of the utmost importance to us," Stella & Chewy's Chief Executive Officer Jen Guzman said in a release. "We are accountable for every dinner and treat we make and recognize that we have an important obligation to provide customers with the quality products they deserve and have come to expect from us over the years."

The following products are affected by the voluntary recall: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/07/dog_and_cat_food_recalled_over_listeria_fears.html



Stella & Chewy’s Company website:
http://www.stellaandchewys.com/how-were-made/
SAFER FOOD IS BETTER FOOD.

All Stella & Chewy’s products are made at our FDA-inspected plant in the metro Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. We work closely with our network of suppliers, all of whom have filed letters of guarantee confirming each ingredient is wholesome and fully compliant with federal regulations, to ensure the highest quality ingredients go into each one of our products.

We source premium meats such as grass-fed beef from North America, Australia, and New Zealand, cage-free chicken from North America, and wild-caught salmon from North America. All fruits and vegetables are certified organic, and sourced from North and South America as seasonally available. These ingredients are complemented by added minerals and vitamins to make each dinner for dogs or cats complete and balanced as determined by the American Federation of Feed Control Officials (AFFCO). Probiotics and antioxidants are added to each dinner to further enhance each recipe.

All product is manufactured using our patented SecureByNature® food safety process. A key feature of that process is High Pressure Processing (HPP). All Stella & Chewy’s products are cold-pressed, using water at pressure equal to that found at the bottom of the ocean (87,000 lbs. per square inch), where harmful bacteria cannot survive.

HPP inactivates pathogens and harmful bacteria without high temperatures. It remains the only recognized process to not use heat as used in pasteurization, chemicals, preservatives, or irradiation, which while effective, can also erode the flavor, texture, color, and nutrition of food.

The HPP process is 100% natural and recognized by the FDA and USDA as an anti-pathogen treatment. It has been deemed as appropriate for many products, and is currently being used in meat, seafood, fruit juice, dairy products, and processed fruits & vegetables.

Stella & Chewy’s strictly follows Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HAACP) guidelines, a prevention-based food safety system established by the FDA and USDA. Low levels of safe, pathogen-fighting ozone and hydrogen peroxide prevent contamination by surface and air-borne pathogens.

While numerous steps are taken in following the proper procedures during the manufacturing process, constant monitoring also takes place to assure that the high standards established are achieved. Every batch of product is tested by an independent lab for pathogenic bacteria including salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. Only after the results are confirmed as negative is product released for shipment. Each certificate of analysis from the outside lab is posted to our website. Each product has been identified with the production lot codes for easy look-up and reference.