July 7, 2024 - Update & Clarification
Three areas of confusion have arisen regarding our recall of Turkey and Puppy recipes from Lot 21244, so we want to clarify the facts. If you still have questions, the best way to get accurate responses is via email at info@vivarawpets.com. Our team is working through a large volume of tickets and we appreciate your patience as we work to respond to your questions.
Misconception: All Turkey & Puppy products distributed between May 16, 2024 - June 28, 2024 are contaminated and have been recalled.
Fact: The only products affected by our recall are Turkey or Puppy products with Lot number 21244. As a precaution, we contacted all customers who received Turkey or Puppy recipes from ANY lots shipped between 05/16/24 and 06/28/24. Not all customers who received the email notice received products from Lot 21244.
Misconception: We knew in early June that customers received recalled products and we delayed notification.
Fact: The initial recall in early June was only conducted between us and our 3rd party warehouses to hold & destroy Lot 21244. At that time, we believed that all products in Lot 21244 had been held and slated for destruction and that no customers have received this product. More recently, a customer reached out with a photo of a product from Lot 21244. We immediately, voluntarily, notified FDA of this error and began working with them to expand the recall to a public notification. We received their approval of our press release on July 1st and notified our customers the same day. We and our 3rd party warehouses have taken this error very seriously and are continuing to investigate how this occurred.
Misconception: The customer report that prompted the public recall was about a sick pet.
Fact: The customer reach out did not involve a report of pet illness.
July 1, 2024
To our customers,
We wanted to share additional information regarding our recent recall of Turkey and Puppy recipes from Lot 21244. Out of an abundance of caution we have notified all customers who purchased this product in a certain timeframe, however, only Lot 21244 is affected. At the bottom of this page, you will find the full notice that was emailed to our potentially affected customers.
Background
During an inspection, 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 and we conducted a recall directly with the 3rd party warehouses with whom we work.
After receiving a customer reach out, we realized some product from this lot was inadvertently released from the 3rd party warehouses. We promptly made the FDA aware and as soon as we received their review & approval on July 1st, 2024, expanded the recall to notify our customers.
Our Actions
In addition to direct correspondence with potentially affected customers, we are also providing answers to commonly asked questions below.
If you still have questions after reviewing all the information and would like to reach us, you can do so at info@vivarawpets.com or at 919-371-8882 from Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm EST. We are eager to help you and know that the health & safety of your pets always come first.
💜 Zach, Jenn, and the entire Viva Team
Questions
What happened?
During an inspection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (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 and we conducted a recall directly with the 3rd party warehouses with whom we work.
After receiving a customer reach out, we realized some product from this lot was inadvertently released from the 3rd party warehouses. We promptly made the FDA aware and as soon as we received their review & approval on July 1st, expanded the recall to notify our customers. We are actively investigating how this happened. At this time, we have reason to believe only a limited amount of product may have been distributed.
Only products from Lot 21244 are affected, however, out of an abundance of caution, we are notifying all customers who received any Turkey or Puppy products between May 16th and June 28th, 2024.
What products and lot numbers are affected?
While we notified a large group of customers as a precaution, the only affected products are Turkey recipes and Puppy recipes in Lot 21244. No other products are affected and no illnesses have been reported.
If I received a direct email notice, does this mean I received a product from the affected lot?
No, not all customers who received the notice received product from the affected lot. As a precaution, we contacted all customers who have received Turkey or Puppy recipes from ANY lots shipped between 05/16/24 and 06/28/24. The only affected Lot is 21244. We ask that all customers who receive the notice check their homes for the product and respond to the notice.
What are you doing to ensure the safety of your products?
We are confident in the strength of our current safety practices, which include sourcing the highest quality USDA-inspected meat and manufacturing in a USDA kitchen with strict cleaning & sanitation protocols. We are also continuously evolving and updating these practices based on new technologies and working with leading food safety experts.
As an example, we are piloting a new probiotics additive designed to eliminate pathogens. This intervention shows promising results in bolstering pathogen control in our products. We will be sharing additional details with our customers as we scale this technology.
In addition, we have significantly increased the testing & sampling frequency on our finished products which yields a higher statistical confidence in identifying pathogens such as Salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria monocytogenes if they are present in the product. All testing is performed by a 3rd party, ISO accredited lab and no products are released to customers until results are confirmed.
We are dedicated to continued improvements in our food safety & quality and are committed to sharing additional updates as we move forward.
How will you be updating your distribution practices?
All products are now held at an intermediary, in-state warehouse less than an hour away from our manufacturing facility until test results are verified. There are no longer products with pending test results held in out-of-state warehouses that ship to end consumers. All of our third-party warehouses have also conducted a thorough examination of their storage to ensure that no additional product from lot 21244 remains.
Why do you work with 3rd party warehouses?
Working with 3rd-party warehouses to store & distribute our products is common in the industry because few manufacturing facilities have enough storage to hold all finished products.
How quickly did you notify customers?
Once we received a positive sample result from Lot 21244, all third-party warehouses were immediately directed to dispose of the product and a recall was conducted directly with those warehouses. At that time we understood all affected products were destroyed and had not been shipped to customers.
After receiving a customer reach out, we realized some product from this lot was inadvertently released from the 3rd party warehouses. We promptly made the FDA aware and as soon as we received their review & approval on July 1st, we expanded the recall to notify our customers. At this time, we have reason to believe a limited amount of product may have been distributed.
While the only affected product is from Lot 21244, we issued a broader notice to all customers who received Turkey or Puppy products from May 16, 2024 to June 28, 2024.
What steps should I take if I have fed product from this lot to my pet?
Please monitor your pet for the symptoms mentioned in our recall notice (lethargy, diarrhea, fever, vomiting) and if they develop symptoms, contact your veterinarian. Please consult the instructions in our notice for safe product handling and disposal. Email us at info@vivarawpets.com or call/text us at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday to ensure this issue is properly reported and to receive a refund.
How do I get in touch if I have more questions?
Our email is info@vivarawpets.com and you can call/text us at 919-371-8882, Monday - Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST. We’re a small team so we ask for your patience with us as we work to help you guys.