Northwest Naturals Pet Food Recalled: Check Your Freezer First

If you feed your dog or cat raw food, stop and check your freezer right now. Northwest Naturals, a Portland, Oregon pet food maker, voluntarily recalled two of its frozen chicken products nationwide after FDA testing found Salmonella in both — and Listeria monocytogenes in the dog food. The part most headlines won't tell you: a contaminated bag can sicken the humans who handle it, not just the pet eating it.

The good news is this is a simple problem to fix. Check for two products, two lot numbers, and two best-by dates below. If you have one, don't feed it, double-bag it or take it back for a full refund, and wash everything it touched.

The 30-second recall check

• Northwest Naturals Frozen Chicken Recipe (cat food / dog topper), 2-lb bag — Lot B-5, best by 01/26/2028, UPC 087316384956
• Northwest Naturals Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe, 6-lb bag — Lot B-19, best by 01/25/2028, UPC 087316380392

What exactly was recalled?

Northwest Naturals announced the voluntary recall on August 28, 2026. It covers 53 cases (1,272 lbs) of the cat food and 19 cases (684 lbs) of the dog food — roughly 1,956 pounds total, shipped to retail stores across the country.

The contamination surfaced through routine FDA sampling: the cat food tested positive for Salmonella, the dog food for both Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

Why this matters even if your pet seems fine

Here's the detail most recall coverage misses: pets infected with Salmonella or Listeria can carry and shed these bacteria without ever looking sick. They can pass them to other animals in the house — and to you. People typically pick it up by handling the food or bowls, or touching a pet's fur after it has groomed itself, then touching their mouth or food without washing up.

In pets: lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea (especially bloody), or loss of appetite. If your pet stops eating after eating a recalled lot, see our guide on when a cat not eating is an emergency — the same urgency applies to dogs with bloody diarrhea or vomiting.

In humans: fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea. Listeria is the more serious threat — it can cause headaches, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance, and it hits hardest among pregnant women, adults over 65, and anyone immunocompromised.

What to do if you have a recalled bag

1. Stop feeding it immediately — even if your pet has eaten it before without problems.
2. Double-bag it in a sealed bag and place it in a secure trash can pets and wildlife can't reach, or return it to the store for a full refund (no receipt needed — the recalled product itself is your proof).
3. Wash everything it touched — bowls, scoops, counters, storage bins, your hands — with hot soapy water.
4. Monitor your pet for 7 days for Salmonella symptoms.
5. Monitor your household for up to 70 days for listeriosis — Listeria's incubation period is unusually long.
6. Call your vet or doctor if anyone — two-legged or four-legged — shows symptoms.

Northwest Naturals consumer line: 1-866-637-1872 / recallinfo@nw-naturals.net

No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall so far, according to the company.

Why raw pet food keeps landing on recall lists

This isn't Northwest Naturals' first brush with contamination — and it's worth knowing the pattern before deciding how you feel about raw feeding in general. In December 2024, the company recalled its Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen food after it was linked to H5N1 bird flu that killed a house cat in Oregon. In 2026, another raw brand (Wild Coast) was recalled after cats died of bird flu across two states.

The common thread: raw meat diets aren't cooked, so they carry whatever the source animal carried — Salmonella, Listeria, and in recent years avian influenza. That doesn't mean every raw product is unsafe, but it does mean raw feeders should treat recall checks as a routine habit, not a one-time panic. The FDA's running list of pet food recalls is worth bookmarking.

If you feed raw: handle it like raw chicken in your own kitchen. Separate cutting boards, hand-washing after every serving, no face-licking from pets right after meals, and keep young children, elderly family members, and immunocompromised household members away from the prep area. And if you're weighing a switch, our breakdown of what dog food labels actually say covers how to read an ingredient panel regardless of the diet type.

Is the rest of the Northwest Naturals line safe?

The recall is limited to the two chicken recipes with the lot numbers above. Other products and lots aren't affected — but keep your bag on your radar and check the FDA recall notice for updates, since recalls sometimes expand.