NC pet owners warned against feeding animals food from New Jersey-based company

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina agriculture commissioner is cautioning pet owners to not feed B&B brand pet foods to their animals.

N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler issued the warning after an investigation conducted by their department determined these raw meat-based products made by the New Jersey-based company were “manufactured and distributed without the required regulatory oversight,” according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

During a routine inspection at Proformance Pet Supply in Greensboro, seven different B&B products were identified as missing significant portions of the product label, as required under N.C. Commercial Feed Law as well as the Federal Fair Labeling and Protection Act.

“Significant information was missing from the product label and because the pet food products contain ingredients with a potential risk of pathogen contamination, they could put your pets at risk,” Troxler said in a statement. “If you have purchased this product and still have it, please do not feed it to your pets. Among the important missing information were the guaranteed analysis, proper feeding guidelines, quantity statement (net weight), guarantor information and intended species. In addition, these products are not registered for sale as animal food in North Carolina and it was subsequently determined that they are not manufactured under inspection by the New Jersey state regulatory agency to ensure the safety of the products.”

These products include the following:

• B&B Hi-Pro
• B&B Nutro
• B&B Special Order
• B&B Premium
• B&B Super
• B&B Super Treats
• B&B X-Factor

N.C. agriculture officials said the products are sold frozen in a silver foil stand-up pouch with resealable closure and a white with black ink printed label attached. None of the packages are further identified by a lot code.

“With a potential risk of pathogen contamination, it is important to be able to verify the products were manufactured under inspection to determine compliance with good manufacturing practices or preventive controls,” NCDA&CS animal feed program administrator George Ferguson said in a statement. “Additionally, these products lack sufficient labeling to indicate their appropriateness as a pet food and directions to ensure proper feeding which could lead to nutritional deficiencies.”

Consumers who have had this product in their homes should clean refrigerators/freezers where the product was stored and clean and disinfect all bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with, according to N.C. officials.

“Clean up the pet’s feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed,” the news release stated. “Consumers should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces.”

“We encourage consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers and discard any of these products,” Ferguson added. “If you have any of the B&B pet food products, stop feeding it to your pets and throw it away in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it.”

N.C. officials also said that people who think their pets have become ill after eating contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians.

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