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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Kristie Garcia
Director of Public Affairs, New Mexico Department of Agriculture
krgarcia@nmda.nmsu.edu
Cell: 575-339-5011

Dec. 17, 2022

Alfalfa cube recall issued for product distributed in New Mexico

New Mexico horse owners encouraged to check list of recalled products on FDA website

Haga clic aquí para la versión en español.

UPDATE: On January 19, 2023, FDA finalized laboratory testing of samples of Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes that confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum type C, a bacteria that can lead to botulism. 

LAS CRUCES – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned horse owners not to feed alfalfa cubes that are part of a manufacturer recall. On Dec. 16, Manzanola Feeds of Manzanola, Colorado, announced a recall of certain lots of Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes. The FDA is cautioning horse owners not to feed Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes with the following date codes:

  • 111222
  • 111322
  • 111422
  • 111522
  • 111622

This list of recalled products is also available on the FDA website

Some of the alfalfa cubes have been reported to contain what appears to be fur and animal tissues, indicating that material from an animal or animals may have been incorporated into the cubes during alfalfa harvesting. Some people have reported a foul odor in some of the bags. Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism, is commonly present in decaying animal carcasses.

Several horses in Lincoln County have recently died or were euthanized due to declining health.

Testing of the alfalfa cubes and other feed and tissue samples is in progress. The FDA is working with several state departments of agriculture – including the New Mexico Department of Agriculture – to investigate these products.

Horse owners should immediately contact their veterinarian if their horses ate this product and show signs of neurologic illness, including:

  • muscle tremors
  • difficulty eating
  • difficulty swallowing
  • difficulty standing
  • weakness
  • decreased tongue tone
  • agitation
  • collapsing 

After contacting their veterinarian, horse owners can report the illness to FDA through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in the New Mexico district at 303-236-3044. If possible, share the brand name and lot numbers of what your horse ate. 

NMDA regulates commercial feed, including livestock feed, poultry feed, fish feed and pet/specialty pet food, at the state level through the New Mexico Commercial Feed Act. NMDA Feed, Seed and Fertilizer inspectors are available to assist in investigating possible toxicities and obtain official feed samples. The goals of the commercial feed team are consumer protection, animal protection and human health protection.

This investigation is ongoing. Please visit the FDA website for more information and updates on the recall.

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