FDA announces pet food products contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria

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The FDA is advising pet owners to discontinue use of 6 of Darwin’s Natural Selections raw cat and dog food products, manufactured by Arrow Reliance, Inc. The announcement came after 5 FDA samples of these products tested positive for Salmonella and a 6th tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes (L mono).¹

Arrow Reliance was advised by the FDA to recall the 6 affected product lots, according to the announcement.¹ However, the company has not recalled these products and may still be distributing them.

According to Darwin's Natural Pet Products, they contacted their clients on the same day of the FDA's announcement to offer detailed information about the situation. "As the Darwin’s community knows, transparency in communication is important to us. It is second only to our top priority: the health and wellbeing of the pets we serve," Gary Tashjian, founder and CEO of Darwin's Natural Pet Products, told dvm360.

“As part of our outreach, we specifically communicated with customers who had already received product lots that were included in the FDA’s notice – about 3% of our customers nationwide," continued Tashjian. According to the company, only a small amount of product left their facilities, and they had stopped shipping any potentially affected products earlier this month as soon as the FDA informed them about the testing.

The impacted products include specific lots of Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats and Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs. They are sold in frozen 2-pound white and clear plastic packages with 4 separate units. The Darwin’s Natural Selections products for dogs comes in blue packaging. The cat food has a combination of blue and green packaging.

The following are the impacted varieties and lot codes¹:

• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10832 MFG. Date: July 25, 2024.
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10856 MFG. Date: August 4, 2024.
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats: Lot number 10890 MFG. Date: August 13, 2024.
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10828 MFG. Date: July 24, 2024.
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10844 MFG. Date: July 30, 2024.
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs: Lot number 10887 MFG. Date: August 12, 2024.

Lot codes for these products can be found printed on the lower left corner of the front of the package. The FDA is also recommending that consumers regularly check the lot numbers of Darwin’s Natural Selection Antibiotic & Grain-Free products before feeding them to their pets.¹

In its announcement, the FDA urged any individual that has any of these 6 products to stop feeding it to their pets and dispose of it in a secure container that is inaccessible to other animals, including wildlife. The FDA also warned against the donation of these products. Moreover, the organization advises that consumers throw the products away if lot codes are illegible or if packaging has been discarded.

Should consumers be in possession of the affected pet food products, they should clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that came into contact with the food or pet, including refrigerators and freezers.

Veterinarians interested in testing pets for Salmonella and L mono can utilize the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet comes from a household where someone is infected with either of these pathogens.¹

Darwin's Natural Pet Products maintains that their meals are safe. According to Tashjian, the company hired an independent 3rd party to conduct testing using conventional methods, and found that all lots tested negative for listeria. However, the testing did reveal small trace amounts of salmonella, which is inherent to poultry, Tashjian told dvm360.

“The products were flagged under the FDA’s zero-tolerance policy, which is largely designed for human safety, not pets. In fact, under the FDA protocol, the products tested positive for pathogens only following an incubation period," said Tashjian in an email to dvm360.

“At Darwin’s, the health and wellbeing of the pets we serve is our absolute top priority, which is why we have rigorous standards for quality and safety in manufacturing and sourcing. These protocols help ensure the safety of our products while maintaining the good bacteria that are crucial to pets’ gut health and immune systems,” he continued.

Salmonella in pets

According to the FDA, animal companions may not always show symptoms when infected with Salmonella, but they could exhibit signs such as vomiting, diarrhea—including bloody diarrhea—fever, loss of appetite, and/or reduced activity levels. However, some animals may be asymptomatic and still shed the bacteria in their feces, contaminating the environment when they have a bowel movement.¹

L mono in pets

Infections caused by L mono are rare in pets, but they can occur, according to the FDA.¹ Symptoms may range from mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, and fever, in addition to nervous, muscular, and respiratory issues. This infection can also lead to pregnancy loss, depression, shock, and death. Pets can transmit L mono to humans even if they do not show symptoms. As with Salmonella, infected pets can shed bacteria in their feces and saliva without appearing ill, potentially infecting their human counterparts.

In its announcement, the FDA expressed concern over about Salmonella and L mono in pet food because these bacteria are especially concerning for public health, as they can impact both humans and animals, according to the FDA.¹ "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," wrote the FDA, in its announcement.¹

Reference

1. FDA advisory: Do not feed certain lots of Darwin’s Natural Selections pet food due to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. News release. US Food and Drug Administration. September 20, 2024. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-advisory-do-not-feed-certain-lots-darwins-natural-selections-pet-food-due-salmonella-and?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery