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Keep an eye not just on your own holiday meals this year, but on what your pets are eating as well. The Kroger Co. recently announced that it is voluntarily recalling some of its pet foods from some Kroger retail stores because the products may pose a health risk to pets.

The Kroger pet food recall includes Kroger, Old Yeller and Pet Pride dry dog and cat food and is due to the presence of aflatoxin, reports Yahoo News. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring chemical by-product that is toxic. It grows from a fungus called Aspergillus Flavus which is found in corn and other crop foods used to produce pet food.

Yahoo reports the stores and states affected by the recall are the following: Kroger stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Other stores in the Kroger food network that are affected by the pet food recall include: Dillons and Gerbes stores (Kansas and Missouri): Baker's stores (Nebraska); Food 4 Less stores (Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana and the Chicago area); and Jay C, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's stores located in Illinois and Indiana.

The foods under recall have a sell by date of Oct. 23-24, 2011. The pet foods included the recall are:

Pet Pride Cat Food - 3.5 # package
Pet Pride Cat Food - 18 # package
Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry and Seafood Cat Food - 3.5 # package
Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry and Seafood Cat Food - 18 # package
Pet Pride Kitten Formula - 3.5 # package
Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food - 22# and 50# packages
Kroger Value Cat Food - 3 # package
Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food - 15# and 50# packages

According to the FDA, if your pet shows any symptoms of illness such as sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, yellowish tint to the eyes and/or gums, and severe or bloody diarrhea, you should consult your veterinarian immediately.

Consumers who have purchased any of the foods under the Kroger pet food recall should immediately stop using the food. Questions or assistance with the recall can be referred to Kroger by phone at (800) 632-6900 or on the Kroger Pet Food recall assistance website.

Kroger customers can return unused portions of pet food to Kroger stores where they were purchased the product for full refund.

Related Resources:

• Kroger Recalls Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk (FDA.gov)
• Defective and Dangerous Products - FAQ (FindLaw)
• Companies Indicted Over Tainted Pet Food (FindLaw's Common Law)