Perforated Pad Alaskan Hair Saddle Pads Recalled for Anthrax Contamination
CPSC warns that 5,000 to 10,000 Alaskan Hair Saddle Pads may contain anthrax spores. Consumers should seal pads in double plastic bags and contact health departments.
What this means for you
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a high-risk pathogen (Anthrax) with a potential for fatal harm to humans, but the source text does not report any human illnesses or injuries, fitting the criteria for a High severity score.
Plain-English summary
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Perforated Pad Company have issued a warning for 5,000 to 10,000 "Alaskan Hair Saddle Pads" sold nationwide since January 1974. These pads, which utilize imported animal hair, were manufactured by the Perforated Pad Company in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and retailed for between $7 and $9. The pads are approximately three-quarters to one-inch thick, featuring cotton duck quilt on one side and exposed short, coarse, greyish-black animal hair on the other. They range in size from 26 by 28 inches to 30 by 30 inches and may bear a blue label with style numbers 238, 238R, 500, 500R, 832, or 832R.
The recall was initiated after the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services alerted the CPSC to the possibility of anthrax contamination following the death of a horse and subsequent animal deaths on a private game ranch that was fed infected horse meat. Anthrax is an acute bacterial disease that can be fatal to humans if untreated. It can be transmitted through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion of contaminated materials. The CPSC is continuing its investigation to determine if the contaminated animal hair was sold to other manufacturers.
Consumers who own these saddle pads should not attempt to sterilize, incinerate, or throw them away, as this poses a risk of further contamination. Instead, owners should place the product in a sealed double plastic bag and call a local or state health department for disposal instructions. The Perforated Pad Company has agreed to refund the price of the pads to all purchasers, who should contact their retailer to arrange for the refund.
The recalled product
- Product
- Perforated Pad Company Alaskan Hair Saddle Pads
- Manufacturer
- Perforated Pad
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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