Northwest Naturals has pulled almost a ton of raw pet food from shelves nationwide after federal testing discovered salmonella and listeria in two chicken-based products, prompting concern from pet owners and calls for accountability.
The Portland, Oregon-based company announced a voluntary recall of 1,956 pounds of frozen raw chicken recipes distributed to retailers across the United States. The recall followed Food and Drug Administration tests that found salmonella in the company’s two-pound Frozen Chicken Recipe and both salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in its six-pound Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe.
The recall affects specific lots: 53 cases (1,272 pounds) of the two-pound product labeled with lot number B-5, a best-by date of January 26, 2028, and UPC 087316384956, as well as 19 cases (684 pounds) of the six-pound product with lot number B-19, a best-by date of January 25, 2028, and UPC 087316380392. Both products were distributed to retail stores nationwide, raising concerns about how many households might have purchased the contaminated food.
No illnesses had been reported in connection with the recall as of August 28, but the company urged consumers to stop feeding the affected products to their pets and to return any unused portions for a full refund. Northwest Naturals also advised consumers to wash their hands after handling raw pet food and to clean and sanitize any items or surfaces that came into contact with the products.
The FOX Business report noted that federal testing was responsible for detecting the contamination, underscoring the critical role of government oversight in protecting consumers and their pets from foodborne illnesses.
This is not the first time Northwest Naturals has faced scrutiny over contaminated pet food. Earlier, Oregon authorities linked an indoor cat’s death to H5N1 bird flu in a recalled batch of the company’s raw frozen turkey pet food. As the New York Post reported, genome sequencing matched the virus in the pet food to the infected cat, and the affected batch was sold across 13 U.S. states and in British Columbia. In that incident, consumers were again urged to discard the product and seek refunds, though no human infections were linked to the case.
These repeated recalls should serve as a wake-up call to both pet owners and federal agencies. While the FDA’s current detection of salmonella and listeria has so far not resulted in any reported illnesses, both bacteria can cause severe illness or death in pets, and they pose real risks to people, especially children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals who might handle contaminated food or come into contact with pet dishes and surfaces.
The FDA’s ability to detect contamination before illnesses occur is commendable, but the burden should not rest solely on federal agencies. Companies like Northwest Naturals have a clear responsibility to ensure the safety of their products before they reach store shelves. Each recall, particularly those involving raw pet food, reveals the limits of voluntary compliance and the risks of trusting that every batch meets safety standards.
Pet owners deserve better than reactive recalls and after-the-fact warnings. When nearly a ton of potentially hazardous food is sold nationwide, it’s not just a matter of bad luck, it’s a failure of quality control that can put families and their pets in harm’s way. The lack of clarity about which retailers carried the recalled products only adds to the confusion and risk, leaving consumers to wonder if what’s in their freezer is safe.
While Northwest Naturals and the FDA have taken steps to address the latest contamination, the pattern of recalls in the pet food industry suggests deeper problems with oversight and transparency. The government’s intervention is only as effective as the companies’ willingness to implement rigorous safety measures from the start.
Pet owners across the country are left cleaning up the mess, literally and figuratively, while waiting for assurance that the food they buy for their companions is safe. Until producers and regulators treat food safety as a non-negotiable priority, Americans will remain exposed to needless risks from contaminated products.
When government and industry leaders fail to put safety first, it’s everyday families, and their pets, who pay the price.