A federal judge has entered a consent decree against a raw pet food manufacturer in New Jersey.

The United States Food and Drug Administration FDA has announced that Bravo Packing, Inc., a Carney's Point, New Jersey-based animal food manufacturing company, has agreed to cease selling, manufacturing, and distributing raw pet food in order to comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

Today's action is the first consent decree of permanent injunction against an animal food manufacturer for violating public safety standards under Part 507 of the Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA Preventive Controls for Animal Food Regulation. Part 507 requires, among other things, that animal food facilities take adequate precautions to prevent animal food from becoming contaminated and that all animal food manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding be done under conditions that minimize the potential for the growth of undesirable microorganisms in order to protect against animal food contamination.

"The food we give our pets should be safe for them to eat as well as safe for us to handle," said Steven Solomon, DVM, MPH, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "The FDA has taken this action to protect public health because, despite multiple inspections, violations notifications, and recalls, this firm continued to operate in unsanitary conditions and produce pet food contaminated with harmful bacteria." We will not tolerate companies that endanger people or animals, and we will take enforcement action if necessary."

The FDA inspected the facility in 2019 and 2021 and issued a warning letter in 2020. The FDA discovered evidence of significant food safety violations during these inspections, including grossly unsanitary conditions and a failure to follow CGMP regulations for animal food. Salmonella was found in multiple samples of finished raw pet food products collected during the inspections. Salmonella-contaminated pet food can cause illness in both the pets who consume it and the humans who handle the food and care for the pets. Listeria monocytogenes were found in some finished samples as well as environmental samples from the two inspections.

The consent decree of permanent injunction entered by U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman between the FDA and Bravo Packing, Inc., as well as the company's owner and secretary, Joseph Merola, and its president, Amanda Lloyd, prohibits the defendants from receiving, preparing, processing, packing, holding, labeling, and/or distributing pet food until the company achieves corrective actions. In the event of future violations, the FDA may order a shutdown, recall, or other corrective action, and the defendants must pay the costs of inspections performed in accordance with the decree. Failure to comply with the agreement may also result in civil or criminal penalties.

Consumers who believe they or their pets have been harmed by these products should seek medical attention and contact the FDA to report any problems with this or any FDA-regulated product.

The FDA's complaint was filed on its behalf by the United States Department of Justice.