Cat food recalled over potential link to serious illness – Which? News

Fold Hill Foods is voluntarily recalling a number of its hypoallergenic cat food products from brands such as Applaws, AVA and Sainsbury’s because of a possible association with an outbreak of a potentially fatal disease called cat pancytopenia.

Update:

June 22, 2021 – Wilko has made a voluntary recall for several of its cat food products manufactured by Fold Hill Foods due to the same safety concerns. We have added the Wilko products to our full list of recalled products further down the page.

Wilko products were not included in the Fold Hill Foods voluntary product recall published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as the FSA says there is no evidence that products made on behalf of Wilko Have been associated with cats with pancytopenia. Wilko products are also not included in the Royal Veterinary College’s ongoing investigation.

June 18, 2021 – This article was originally published on June 16, 2021 and stated at the time that only the Applaws products with best-before dates from December 2022 to June 2023 were included in the voluntary recall.

However, since it was first reported, Fold Hill Foods has released an update that includes all best-before dates for the Applaws products listed below with site code GB218E5009.

End of updates.

The manufacturer took this precaution after the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) reported a sudden surge in cases of severe pancytopenia in cats. An investigation into what caused this surge is underway.

Pancytopenia is a very rare condition in which the number of blood cells decreases rapidly, causes serious illness, and can often be fatal.

Read on for the full list of recalled products and what to do if you’ve purchased or fed these products to your pet.

What do I do if groceries I own are recalled? Your consumer rights explained

Which cat food products have been recalled?

Affected are products from Applaws, AVA (sold at Pets at Home) and Sainsbury’s.

Only products with the best before dates given below will be recalled.

No other cat food products were affected by this recall.

Applaw’s recall of cat food

• Applaws Cat Dry Chicken 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Salmon 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaws Kitten Dry Chicken 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Lamb 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Duck 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaw’s cat dry ocean fish 350g, 1.8kg and 6kg. Best before: all date codes
• Applaws Cat Dry Senior Chicken 400g, 2kg and 7.5kg. Best before: all date codes

From Sainsbury’s Cat Food Recall

• By Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe Dry cat food with salmon 1+ years 800g. All batches and best-before dates
• By Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe Dry Cat Food with Chicken 1+ years 800g. All batches and best-before dates

Recall of AVA cat food

• AVA adult fish 2kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Adult Ripe Chicken 7+ 2kg and 4kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Senior Chicken 12+ 2kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Sensitive Skin & Stomach 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA weight management 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA hairballs 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA oral care 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA British Shorthair 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Persian 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Maine Coon 1.5kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA kitten chicken 300g and 2kg. All batches and best-before dates
• AVA Adult Chicken 300g, 2kg and 4kg. All batches and best-before dates

Recall from Wilko cat food

• Wilko meaty feast cat rabbit / chicken / vegetables 950g. Item number 0267053
• Wilko best salmon & tuna dry cat 800g. Item number 0463508
• Wilko Best Beef & Chicken Dry Cat 800g. Item number 0463507
• Wilko Active Health Salmon cat food 800g. Item number 0470811
• Wilko active health chicken cat food 2kg. Item number 0481421
• Wilko active health salmon cat food 2kg. Item number 0481422
• Wilko dry cat food active health 7+ 800g. Item number 0470808
• Wilko cat food active health hairball control 800g. Item number 0470809
• Wilko dry cat food active health 800g. Item number 0470807
• Wilko cat food active health chicken 800g. Item number 0470810

Point of Sale notices will be posted in all retail stores that sell these products.

Check out our roundup of the best cat food brands

What do I do if the cat food I have purchased has been recalled?

If you have purchased any of the above products, stop feeding your cat immediately and return the food to your nearest store for a full refund.

If your cat has already eaten the food and you are concerned about its health, you should seek advice from your veterinarian immediately. Below are symptoms to look out for.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact the appropriate dealer.

Requests

Sainsbury’s

AVA

Wilko

How to choose the best cat and dog food – let our experts advise you.

What are the symptoms of pancytopenia?

Pancytopenia is a serious but usually very rare condition in which the number of blood cells (red, white, and platelets) decreases rapidly, leading to serious conditions such as anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Pancytopenia can often prove fatal.

Here are some symptoms to look out for:

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Spontaneous bleeding (e.g. nosebleeds, bleeding gums)
• Spontaneous bruising
• Pale gums
• Pinprick rash from blood stains

What does Fold Hill Foods say?

“As a precaution, we voluntarily recall the dry products we manufacture. We are also supporting an investigation by the Food and Veterinary Authorities into a potential safety issue in cats. ‘

What does the Royal Veterinary College say?

‘We welcome the Food Standards Agency’s product recall notice. While we have not definitively identified diet as the cause of pancytopenia in these cats, we are continuing to work with the pet food industry and regulators to investigate the matter and identify the possible underlying causes. ‘

Contact the Royal Veterinary College for more information.

Why are the Wilko products not included in the FSA recall?

The FSA informed us: “The FSA is aware that Wilko has carried out a voluntary, precautionary recall of certain products. There is no evidence that products manufactured on behalf of Wilko have been associated with cats with cat pancytopenia. For this reason, Wilko products were not included in the Food Hill Foods voluntary product recall published by the FSA.

Investigations will continue rapidly and warnings will be issued if additional products are identified as potentially unsafe. ‘

Fold Hill Foods told us, “Wilko’s decision to launch a precautionary recall of their brand was a purely commercial decision by Wilko and was not supported by the FSA. The RVC investigation concerns the brands AVA, Sainsbury’s and Applaws. ‘

What rights do I have in the event of a food recall?

If you purchased a product that has been recalled, you are entitled to a refund under the Consumer Rights Act.

The dealer who sold it should offer you a full refund, even if it has been in your shop cabinet or freezer for several months.

If you’ve already consumed or thrown the product away, you can still get a refund if you can provide proof of purchase such as a receipt, bank statement or online order confirmation.

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