US swine, cattle feeds face recalls
Minnesota-based Ridley alerted users of its Ultralyx 24-165 block on Friday that one batch of the product intended for use with beef cattle on pasture was “out of specification” according to information from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The product has elevated levels of non-protein nitrogen, which have been linked to “adverse health effects” for cattle.
The recall specifically relates to a poured block Ultralyx 24-16-5 batch with the lot number EB0144949, the FDA reported. No other batch or lot number for that product has been included in the voluntary recall.
Additionally, no other Ridley Block Operations products are involved in the recall, the agency said.
However, products from that batch and lot should be removed from distribution and inventory and feeding should cease, the FDA said.
Ridley is a subsidiary of Alltech.
Swine feed recall
New York-based Gramco announced the recall of its hog grower pellets on Monday.
One lot of the feed was found to have high levels of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, also known as vomitoxin, which can impede swine growth and is “potentially fatal to young swine,” according to information from the company.
“Vomitoxin (Deoxynivalenol) is known to cause vomiting (emesis), ulcer in the mouth, feed refusal, and decreased body weight gain in swine of all age classes,” the company reported. “Swine exposure to elevated levels of vomitoxin in feed for extended periods may lead to intestinal and liver damages, kidney failure, immune system failure, and eventually death.”
The swine feed was generated on July 8 and carries the lot number 47284, the company reported. The feed was packaged in 50lb bags.
The recall was initiated after the FDA tested a sample of the feed and found that the vomitoxin levels exceed the guidelines for swine feed, according to recall information. No complaints have been made at this time regarding feed refusals or regarding “animal health issues or worse.”
“The FDA notified us of the results and that they were considered too high for swine feed and we took action as soon we learned of it,” the company said in its recall announcement. “This product was sold to a retailer in the Bradford, Pa. area and other than that, it was sold to end-users who either had it delivered to their farms for use or picked it up at the plant for use at home.”
The recall has been “going fine” a company spokesperson told us. It is working to account for all the feed from the lot.
No information about how much is included in the lot is being released at this time, he said.
Additionally, Gramco is working with the FDA to institute a revamped testing program in an effort to prevent similar issues in the future, according to the company.
That development process is currently a “work in progress”, added the spokesperson.
Past recalls
They are not the only US feed companies hit with product recalls in 2019.
Agri-giant, Cargill, recalled a selection of Southern States feeds based on elevated aflatoxin levels earlier this year, while Purina Animal Nutrition had a recall for feed cubes in January following the deaths of several cattle in the southeastern US.
