2 Pet Food Brands Test Positive for Salmonella and Listeria Monocytogenes

The US Food & Drug Administration has issued an advisory for one pet food brand, and the agency also recalled another brand. Both have tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in samples taken by the agency.

The FDA found that samples of five Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw cat and dog food, made by Arrow Reliance Inc., tested positive for Salmonella and a sixth FDA sample tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono). The privately owned pet food brand is located in Tukwila, WA, with shipping warehouses in CA and PA.

Affected products are sold in frozen 2-lb white and clear plastic packages with four separate units and consist of certain 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. The dog food has blue labeling, and the cat food has blue and green labeling. The lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left unit of the package.

The affected varieties and lot codes are:

The FDA recommended that Arrow Reliance recall all six lots of product. To date, the firm has not recalled the affected products and could continue to distribute them. Therefore, FDA advises consumers to keep checking Darwin’s Natural Selection Antibiotic & Grain-Free products for the affected lot numbers prior to feeding pets.

Second Sampling

The FDA also just announced a recall on Sept. 23, 2024, for ANSWERS pet food of Fleetwood, PA. The company is voluntarily withdrawing certain lots of ANSWERS Detailed Beef Formula for Dogs, ANSWERS Straight Beef Formula for Dogs, and ANSWERS Straight Chicken Formula for Dogs after samples for the brand were also collected and reported to have tested positive for the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. 

The lots referenced below were distributed throughout the US in retail stores and direct online sales:

The FDA considers any presence (zero tolerance) of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, regardless of origin, quantity, and type, as an adulterant in pet food.

No illnesses associated with either brand have been confirmed. 

The public, distributors, and retail stores should discard the product and clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that the food or pet had contact with. If any distributors or retail stores have these on shelves, notify the pet food company or FDA for how to return. Note that human contact of the pet food can make a person sick.