A recall has been issued for Kong Aussie Sticks by their manufacturer, JAKKS Pacific. According to a JAKKS spokesperson, “The products were not dried properly so a small percentage of finished goods have gone moldy.”
The recalled beef-and-rawhide sticks are sold only at PetSmart. Affected lots can be identified by item numbers 75559 and 75560 and expiration dates of 1/30/16 or 1/31/16.
Unfortunately, there’s very little information about the recall of the product. As of this writing, all of the articles about the recall that we can find link back to Dog Food Advisor as the primary source. The JAKKS website has no public announcement of the recall, but Senior Vice President of Marketing Grant Adkins confirmed the recall in an email interview with Dogster:
We discovered that two batches of product were not dried properly, so a small percentage of finished goods have gone moldy that we found in our warehouse (less than 2 percent). The mold is nontoxic and is the same mold that forms on bread and is visible on the product if it is indeed moldy. Majority of the product is fine, and the mold was caught at our [distribution center], but some product may have gotten to the one retailer we sell these two items to, so we are recalling them and destroying all the inventory we have on hand. Again, we only sell these items to one retailer.
The recall is a very small one that affects two very specific lots. If you haven’t bought that brand at PetSmart, you don’t have to worry. However, we have to agree with Dog Food Advisor when it points out that JAKKS hasn’t done a very good job of publicizing possible health problems with its product:
We are troubled by the covert nature and lack of transparency exhibited by both companies associated with this particular event.
Obtaining confirmation and collecting details about this recall were especially challenging. Apparently, the companies only notified PetSmart and relevant distribution centers.
At the very least, when a portion of your dog snacks have been affected by mold, a public announcement on the website would seem appropriate.
Via Dog Food Advisor
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