Certain batches of USA manufactured Diamond Pet Foods dog and cat food may be contaminated with a toxic fungus and, as a result, have been recalled.

The toxic fungus, aflatoxin, comes from a fungus found on corn and other crops and can cause liver damage in pets.

The numbers of deaths in the United States resulting from consumption of the toxic pet food have not been confirmed. Estimates of cases vary widely and the number of deaths that have a firm link to the recalled food are unconfirmed at around the 10 deaths.

The affected batches originate from the Diamond Pet Food facility in Gaston, South Carolina. States that would receive pet food from the Gaston plant include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky (eastern), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vermont and Virginia.

FDA also has discovered that some of the recalled product was exported to at least 29 countries, including countries within the European Union.

Customers who have purchased the recalled Diamond Pet Food manufactured in the South Carolina plant should immediately stop using it and return any remaining product to their retailer.

The pet food labels recalled include Diamond, Country Value and Professional.

Symptoms
Symptoms arise over a number of days or even weeks. Early signs include lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting. Later symptoms include orange-coloured urine and yellowing of the eyes and gums (jaundice). Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody or blackened stools.

Action
Consumers who have purchased the recalled pet food should immediately stop using it and return any remaining product to their retailer. Consult your vet immediately if you have reason to suspect your animal is ill as a result of aflatoxin.

Affected Batches
The details of the FDA recall can be found here.

The batches being recalled can be identified as follows:

The Gaston facility date codes are unique from other Diamond facility codes in that either the eleventh or twelfth character in the date code will be a capital "G" (in reference to Gaston). The range of date codes being reviewed are "Best By 01-March-07" through Best By " 11-June-07". Diamond's quantitative analysis records substantiate that Diamond's corn shipments were definitively clear of aflatoxin after December 10. As such, "Best By 11-June-07" date codes or later are not affected by this notice - Info taken from FDA website.

Gaston Facility Products Removed From Sale
Diamond Low Fat Dog Food
Diamond Hi-Energy Dog Food
Diamond Maintenance Dog Food
Diamond Performance Dog Food
Diamond Premium Adult Dog Food
Diamond Puppy Food
Diamond Maintenance Cat Food
Diamond Professional Cat Food
Country Value Puppy
Country Value Adult Dog
Country Value High Energy Dog
Country Value Adult Cat Food
Professional Chicken & Rice Senior Dog Food
Professional Reduced Fat Chicken & Rice Dog Food
Professional Adult Dog Food
Professional Large-Breed Puppy Food
Professional Puppy Food
Professional Reduced Fat Cat Food
Professional Adult Cat Food