The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising pet owners not to feed certain Darwin’s Natural Selections chicken-based raw pet foods to their dogs and cats.
The warning came after the FDA found Salmonella in three lots of the company’s dog food and three lots of cat food.
One of the lots also was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The FDA’s advisory specifies the following products, all of which are sold in frozen 2-pound packages:
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats
- Lot No: 10832 MFG. Date: Jul 25, 2024
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats
- Lot No: 10856 MFG. Date: Aug 04, 2024
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats
- Lot No: 10890 MFG. Date: Aug 13, 2024
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs
- Lot No: 10828 MFG. Date: Jul 24, 2024
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs
- Lot No: 10844 MFG. Date: Jul 30, 2024
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs
- Lot No: 10887 MFG. Date: Aug 12, 2024
The FDA has recommended that the manufacturer, Arrow Reliance, Inc. (Tukwila, WA) recall the six contaminated production lots. The company has not yet done so.
Arrow Reliance, Inc., has a long history of disagreements with the FDA regarding the significance of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in raw pet food. In February 2023, the company received a formal Warning Letter from the FDA, citing several unresolved issues following an inspection of the manufacturing facility.
What should consumers do?
If you have any of the Darwin’s Natural Selections pet food product listed above, stop feeding the product to your pets and throw it away in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it. Do not donate the food.
The product lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left unit of the package of food. If you no longer have the package or can’t read the lot code, throw the food away.
Consumers who have had the products listed above in their homes should clean and disinfect all pet supplies, including all storage containers, bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with, including your refrigerator or freezer. Clean up the pet’s feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed. Consumers should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces.
What’s the big deal?
Pet foods contaminated with Salmonella and L. monocytogenes are of particular public health importance because they can affect both human and animal health. Pets can get sick from Salmonella and may also be carriers of the bacteria and pass it on to their human companions without appearing to be ill.
The FDA is aware of cases in which humans and/or animals have gotten sick from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated pet foods. Although FDA is not aware of a documented case of a person acquiring L. monocytogenes infection from a pet food, once Salmonella or L. monocytogenes get established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria in the feces when it has a bowel movement, and the contamination may continue to spread. It is important to clean up the animal’s feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed, in addition to cleaning items in the home.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. Refrigeration or freezing does not kill Salmonella or L. monocytogenes.
How to report a pet illness
People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians. Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella and L. monocytogenes may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household with a person infected with Salmonella or L. mono.
The FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. Additionally, consumers can visit the SmartHub – Safety Intake Portal – Report a Product Problem (fda.gov) to obtain electronic assistance with submitting a report.
“A complete and compelling account of the hidden and not-so-hidden ways the food we give our beloved pets can be contaminated.” – JoNel Aleccia, Health Reporter, Food & Nutrition, The Associated Press.
“An invaluable resource for busy pet owners” – Food Safety News
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