A recent consent decree of permanent injunction between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Bravo Packing Inc. marks the first time an action of this kind has been taken against an animal food manufacturer for violating public safety standards. 

Bravo Packing Inc., which manufactures dog food, agreed to cease selling, manufacturing, and distributing raw dog food until sufficient precautions against product contamination are established. The consent decree also allows FDA to mandate a future shutdown, recall, or other corrective action if necessary, and requires Bravo Packing Inc. to pay for the cost of inspections conducted.

The consent decree follows a complaint made against Bravo Packing Inc. for allegedly violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA investigators found evidence of food safety violations in Bravo Packing Inc. facilities, including unsanitary conditions and failure to follow Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for animal food. Salmonella was also present in multiple samples of finished raw pet food products.

FDA stated that pet food contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella can not only lead to illness in the pets consuming the food, but in the humans who handle the food and care for the pets as well.