United Pet Group initiated a "massive" recall of rawhide products in June 2017, citing potential chemical contamination in the products' manufacture.
On social media, pet owners are frequently inundated with warnings about purported dog and cat safety dangers, many of them anecdotal and unconfirmed. However, in this case on 10 June 2017 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the following to the "Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts" section of their web site:
United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc. is voluntarily recalling multiple brands of packages of rawhide dog chew products that were distributed to retail outlets and sold online in the U.S. The recall involves the brands and products described below.
The recall was initiated after United Pet Group identified that certain of its rawhide chew manufacturing facilities located in Mexico and Colombia, as well as one of its suppliers in Brazil, were using a quaternary ammonium compound mixture as a processing aid in the manufacturing of rawhide chews. The compound is an anti-microbial chemical that is approved for cleaning food processing equipment, but it has not been approved in the U.S. as a processing aid in the production of rawhide chews for dogs.
United Pet Group received very limited reports of pet illness based on the volume of possibly affected rawhide chew products manufactured and distributed. The primary complaint received from consumers was that the affected product had an unpleasant odor. Diarrhea and vomiting were also reported.
Exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds through direct ingestion may cause the following symptoms in dogs: reduced appetite, and gastric irritation including diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms may require treatment by a veterinarian depending on severity.
The affected product was distributed nationwide from United Pet Group’s Edwardsville, Illinois distribution facility and was delivered to consumers through various retail establishments including online outlets. All of the dog chew products included in the voluntary recall identify an expiration date ranging from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 located on the back of the package.
American Beefhide, Digest-eeze, and Healthy Hide were among the brands listed in the notice. The FDA provided additional identifying information for dog owners to determine whether they are in possession of the potentially tainted treats:
This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide. Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH, AV, A, AI, AO, or AB and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall. This includes all package sizes and/or weights.
The notice also advised consumers to contact United Pet Group for reimbursement:
We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and we are continuing to investigate the cause of this problem. We are implementing changes across the affected manufacturing facilities in order to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future. United Pet Group is also working with retailers to ensure that the affected products are no longer sold and removed from inventory.
If you have these products, please contact the United Pet Group consumer affairs team at 1-855-215-4962 between the hours of 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time for a refund.
The Seattle Times published a lengthy list of specific products included in the United Pet Group recall:
AMERICAN BEEFHIDE:
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE 11 IN 1 CT; SKU: SX-61111-1; UPC: 91093611112
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE BEEF 6 IN 1 CT; SKU: 62106; UPC: 91093621067
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE SM 5 CT; SKU: SX-61154; UPC: 91093611549
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE 11 IN 1 CT; SKU: SX-61111, UPC: 91093611112
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE 9 IN 1 CT; SKU: 61109 UPC: 91093611099
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE 9 IN 1 CT; SKU: 61109-1; UPC: 91093611099
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE BEEF 4 IN 4 CT; SKU: 62144; UPC: 91093621449
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE BEEF 8 IN 1 CT; SKU: 62108; UPC: 91093621081
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE CHK 6 IN 1 CT; SKU: 63106; UPC: 91093631066
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE BONE LG 1 CT; SKU: SX-61107; UPC: 91093611075
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE CHIPS 1 CT; SKU: SX-61204; UPC: 91093612041
AMERICAN BEEF HIDE CHIPS BEEF 4 OZ; SKU: 62204, UPC: 91093622040
DIGEST-EEZE:
DIGESTEEZE BONE 6 IN 5 CT; SKU: 28724-1; UPC: 91093287249
DIGESTEEZE BONE 4 IN 8 CT; SKU: 28723-1; UPC: 91093287232
DIGESTEEZE BONE 4 IN 8 CT; SKU: 28723-2; UPC: 91093287232
DIGESTEEZE BONE 4 IN 4 CT; SKU: 28757CAN; UPC: 91093287577
DIGESTEEZE BONE 6 IN 5 CT; SKU: 28763CAN; UPC: 91093287638
DIGESTEEZE BONE 7 IN 1CT; SKU: 28714; UPC: 91093287140
DIGESTEEZE BONE 9 IN 1CT; SKU: 28715; UPC: 91093287157
DIGESTEEZE BONE 9 IN 1CT; SKU: 28755CAN; UPC: 91093287553
DIGESTEEZE BONE PORK-BEEF CHICKEN 4 IN 4CT; SKU: 28711; UPC: 91093287119
DIGESTEEZE BONE PORK-BEEF CHICKEN 4 IN 4CT; SKU: 28712; UPC: 91093287126
DIGESTEEZE CHIPS 3.5 OZ; SKU: 28716; UPC: 91093287164
DIGESTEEZE CHIPS 3.5 OZ; SKU: 28756CAN; UPC: 91093287560
DIGESTEEZE ROLLS 8 IN 3 CT; SKU: 28718-1; UPC: 91093287188
DIGESTEEZE ROLLS 8 IN 3 CT; SKU: 28718-2; UPC: 91093287188
DIGESTEEZE ROLLS 8 IN 3 CT; SKU: 28718-ST; UPC: 91093287188
DIGESTEEZE ROLLS 8 IN 3 CT; SKU: 28758CAN; UPC: 91093287584
DIGESTEEZE THIN RINGS 3 IN 8 CT; SKU: 28719; UPC: 91093287195
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 5 IN 5 CT; SKU: 28753CAN; UPC: 91093287539
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 5 IN 14 CT; SKU: P-98713-1; UPC: 91093987132
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 5 IN 14 CT; SKU: P-98713; UPC: 91093987132
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 5 IN 5 CT; SKU: 28713; UPC: 91093287133
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 5 IN 5 CT; SKU: 28713-1; UPC: 91093287133
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 8 IN 10 CT; SKU: 28722; UPC: 91093287225
DIGESTEEZE THIN ROLLS 8 IN 10 CT; SKU: 28761CAN; UPC: 91093287614
DIGESTEEZEBONE 7 IN 1 CT: SKU: 28754CAN; UPC: 91093287546
DIGESTEEZE BONE 4 IN 8 CT; SKU: 28762CAN; UPC: 91093287621
HEALTHY HIDE:
HEALTHY HIDE BONE DENTAL 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: 66609; UPC: 91093666099
HEALTHY HIDE BONE SKIN & COAT CHICKEN 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: P-31339-1; UPC: 91093313399
HEALTHY HIDE BONE SKIN-COAT 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: 31114; UPC: 91093311142
HEALTHY HIDE BONE SKIN-COAT-DENTAL 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: 31112; UPC: 91093311128
HEALTHY HIDE BONE SKIN-COAT-DENTAL 9 IN 1 CT; SKU: 31113; UPC: 91093311135
HEALTHY HIDE CHIPS SKIN-COAT-DENTAL 4 OZ; SKU: 31117; UPC: 91093311173
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN & COAT BEEF 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: 31334; UPC: 91093313344
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN & COAT BEEF 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: 31222; UPC: 91093312224
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN & COAT BEEF 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: 31339; UPC: 91093313399
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN-COAT 9 IN 1 CT; SKU: SX-31223; UPC: 91093312231
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN-COAT BEEF 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: SX-31224; UPC: 91093312248
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT BONE SKIN-COAT BEEF 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: SX-31224-1; UPC: 91093312248
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT CHIPS SKIN-COAT BEEF 4 OZ; SKU: SX-31227; UPC: 91093312279
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT CRUNCHY STICKS SKIN-COAT 20 CT; SKU: SX-31230; UPC: 91093312309
HEALTHY HIDE GOOD N FIT ROLLS DENTAL 8 IN 2 CT; SKU: 66610; UPC: 91093666105
HEALTHY HIDE ROLLS DENTAL 5 IN 7 CT; SKU: 66611; UPC: 91093666112
HEALTHY HIDE ROLLS DENTAL 5 IN 7 CT; SKU: 66611-1; UPC: 91093666112
HEALTHY HIDE ROLLS SKIN, COAT & DENTAL 10 IN; SKU: P-64015; UPC: 91093940151
HEALTHY HIDE ROLLS SKIN-COAT 5 IN 7 CT; SKU: 31126; UPC: 91093311265
HEALTHY HIDE ROLLS SKIN-COAT BEEF 8 IN 2 CT; SKU: 31130; UPC: 91093311302
GOOD’N’FUN:
GOOD AND FUN ROLLS PK-BF 7 IN 2 PK; SKU 82255; UPC: 91093822556
GOOD N FUN BONE 9 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14278; UPC: 91093142784
GOOD N FUN BEEF-CHICKEN 8 IN 1 CT; SKU: 82231; UPC: 91093822310
GOOD N FUN BONE 15 IN 1 CT; SKU: SX-14283; UPC: 91093142838
GOOD N FUN BONE 4 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14152; UPC: 91093141527
GOOD N FUN BONE 5 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14359; UPC: 91093143590
GOOD N FUN BONE 5 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14359-1; UPC: 91093143590
GOOD N FUN BONE 6 IN 1 CT; SKU: 82361; UPC: 91093823614
GOOD N FUN BONE 6 IN 1 CT; SKU: 82361-1; UPC: 91093823614
GOOD N FUN BONE 6 IN 2 CT; SKU: 80206; UPC: 91093802060
GOOD N FUN BONE 6 IN 2 CT; SKU: 80206-1; UPC: 91093802060
GOOD N FUN BONE 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14215; UPC: 91093142159
GOOD N FUN BONE 7 IN 1 CT; SKU: 25225; UPC: 91093252254
GOOD N FUN BONE BEEF 4 IN 1 CT; SKU: 25162; UPC: 91093251622
GOOD N FUN BONE NATURAL 15 IN 1 CT; SKU: SX-14283-1; UPC: 91093142838
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK -BEEF 8 IN 1 CT; SKU: 82257; UPC: 91093822570
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK -BEEF 8 IN 1 CT; SKU: 82257-1; UPC: 91093822570
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK-Beef 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: 82254; UPC: 91093822549
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 3 CT; SKU: 82232; UPC: 91093822327
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: 11335; UPC: 91093822426
GOOD N FUN BONE PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: 82242; UPC: 91093822426
GOOD N FUN BONE PRO-DIPS PEANUT BUTTER 5 CT; SKU: 55007-1; UPC: 91093550077
GOOD N FUN BONE TRIPLE FLAVOR 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: 82254-1; UPC: 91093822549
GOOD N FUN BONES 4 IN 8 CT; SKU: SX-82360; UPC: 91093823607
GOOD N FUN BONES PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 6 IN 3 CT; SKU: SX-82256; UPC: 91093822563
GOOD N FUN CHICKEN PDQ 12 OZ; SKU: P-93005; UPC: 615650930050
GOOD N FUN CHICKEN PDQ 12 OZ; SKU: P-93006; UPC: 615650930067
GOOD N FUN CHIPS 1 LB; SKU: 96271; UPC: 91093962719
GOOD N FUN CHIPS BEEF 15 CT; SKU: 64215; UPC: 91093642154
GOOD N FUN CHIPS BEEF 15 CT; SKU: 64215-1; UPC: 91093642154
GOOD N FUN CHIPS BEEF PDQ 12 OZ: SKU: P-93004; UPC: 615650930043
GOOD N FUN CHIPS CHICKEN 1 LB; SKU: 96370; UPC: 91093963709
GOOD N FUN CHIPS GRAVY 1 LB; SKU: 96369; UPC: 91093963693
GOOD N FUN CHIPS PORK & BEEF 15 CT; SKU: 64115; UPC: 91093641157
GOOD N FUN CHIPS PORK & BEEF 15 CT; SKU: 64115-1; UPC: 91093641157
GOOD N FUN CRUNCHY FLATS BEEF 50 CT; SKU: 93922; UPC: 91093939223
GOOD N FUN CRUNCHY RIBS BEEF 1.5 LB; SKU: 82365; UPC: 91093823652
GOOD N FUN CRUNCHY STICKS 100 CT; SKU: 93924; UPC: 91093939247
GOOD N FUN CRUNCHY STICKS PDQ 10 CT; SKU: 11342; UPC: 91093822471
GOOD N FUN PRO-DIPS KNOTS BEEF 4 IN 5 CT; SKU: 55001, UPC: 91093550015
GOOD N FUN PRO-DIPS KNOTS BEEF 7 IN 2 CT; SKU: 55005; UPC: 91093550053
GOOD N FUN PRO-DIPS KNOTS PB 7 IN 2 CT; SKU: 55008; UPC: 91093550084
GOOD N FUN PRO-DIPS KNOTS PEANUT BUTTER 5 CT; SKU: 55007; UPC: 91093550077
GOOD N FUN RIB BEEFY 8 CT; SKU: 64208SAL; UPC: 91093642086
GOOD N FUN RIB BEEFY 8 CT; SKU: 64208SAL-1; UPC: 91093642086
GOOD N FUN ROLL 10 IN 1 CT; SKU: 14377; UPC: 91093143774
GOOD N FUN ROLL 10 IN 1 CT; SKU: 25273; UPC: 91093252735
GOOD N FUN ROLL 10 IN 1 CT; SKU: 25288; UPC: 91093252889
GOOD N FUN ROLL 10 IN 1 CT; SKU: 27150-1; UPC: 91093271507
GOOD N FUN ROLLS 8 IN 4 CT: SKU: SX-82362; UPC: 91093823621
GOOD N FUN ROLLS 8 IN 4 CT: SKU: SX-82362-1; UPC: 91093823621
GOOD N FUN ROLLS PORK-BEEF 7 IN 2 CT82255-191093822556
GOOD N FUN ROLLS PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 7 IN 2 CT; SKU: 11334; UPC: 91093822433
GOOD N FUN ROLLS PORK-BEEF-CHICKEN 7 IN 2 CT; SKU: 82243; UPC: 91093822433
GOOD N FUN STICKS BEEFHIDE CHICKEN 10 CT; SKU: P-94124; UPC: 91093941240
GOOD N FUN TRIPLE FLAVOR BONE 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: P-82242DG; UPC: 91093822426
GOOD N FUN TRIPLE FLAVOR ROLLS 4 IN 3 CT; SKU: 82242-1; UPC: 91093822426
GOOD N FUN TRIPLE FLAVOR ROLLS 7 IN 2 CT: SKU: 82243-1; UPC: 91093822433