Viva Raw recalls dog, cat food due to potential listeria contamination

Viva Raw dog food recall overview: 

• Who: Viva Raw has recalled dog and cat foods including the Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies. 
• Why: The five products are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and are a potential health risk to people and pets.
• Where: The Viva Raw recall is active across the United States.

Viva Raw has recalled five varieties of dog and cat foods due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, posing a potential health risk for humans and pets.

The recall was issued July 1 on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website. It applies to batches of the Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies products manufactured under Lot No. 21244. 

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets. But humans can also become exposed just through handling the contaminated products, or through having contact with pets that have eaten them. 

“Risk of human illness from Listeria monocytogenes contaminated pet food increases if people do not thoroughly wash their hands after handling the food or having contact with their pet, or by not thoroughly cleaning contaminated surfaces,” the recall notice states. 

No illnesses related to the contaminated products have been reported to date. Top Class Actions follow recalls closely as they can sometimes result in legal filings. 

Contaminated product ‘inadvertently released’ to market

The issue was discovered during a facility inspection conducted by the FDA and its local partners in North Carolina. 

The FDA tested samples of Viva Turkey for Dogs and found samples from Lot 21244 were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. All products produced in Lot 21244 were slated for destruction, the company said. 

However, it then learned some of the product from the lot was “inadvertently released” from the warehouse.

Pets rarely experience Listeria monocytogenes illnesses, but infected pets may display symptoms such as mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and even death, the recall states. 

Destroy affected products

The products were distributed directly to consumers in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Viva Raw is notifying all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16 and June 28, 2024.

Consumers in possession of any of the recalled products should contact Viva Raw at info@vivarawpets.com for a refund, according to the recall notice.

“You should then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access,” the notice says. “Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.”

In May, Mars Petcare US issued a recall for 315 bags of PEDIGREE® Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food over concerns the product may have been contaminated with loose metal pieces. 

Are you impacted by the Viva Pets recall? Let us know in the comments.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Nestlé Purina Petcare class action claims facility emits noxious fumes
• Bausch + Lomb announces dog eyelid wipes recall due to potential bacteria, fungi development
• Pet owners win class cert. in Nutramax Cosequin supplement class action
• Pup-Peroni class action claims product falsely advertised as containing real beef