Two cats fell ill after eating Darwin's raw cat food, and one needed hospital care.
Those illnesses prompted a public warning from the Food and Drug Administration, but the manufacturer has declined to recall either of the two lots that tested positive for salmonella.
Here's what to know
The warning covers the Natural Selections chicken recipe for cats sold by Darwin's Natural Pet Products, according to Food Safety News. A consumer reported the illnesses to the FDA, and both cats recovered after stopping the food.
The affected packages from the Arrow Reliance brand carry lot number 12731, manufactured July 8, 2026, or lot number 12493, manufactured April 2, 2026. Neither lot has an expiration date.
Darwin's sells its products through an online subscription service. The food arrives frozen in 2-pound packages, each containing four individual portions.
The FDA wants consumers to check lot information before feeding the food to their pets. The concern is that affected products may still be stored in household freezers.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
Darwin's has manufactured raw pet food since 2004, but the latest warning follows a series of contamination findings, according to Food Safety News.
In 2024, FDA investigators also detected salmonella at the production facility in Tukwila, Washington. Its products have been found to be contaminated on six occasions since 2023, with additional pathogen findings before then.
Third-party testing of a family's unopened Arrow Reliance pet food found salmonella and shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria matching a sample from their child, according to a Department of Justice complaint. The complaint says the 4-year-old boy developed kidney failure.
The government alleges that Arrow Reliance failed to comply with preventive-control requirements and allowed adulteration of its raw pet food, according to Food Safety News.
What can be done?
The FDA advises cleaning and sanitizing pet items and surfaces exposed to the affected food. According to Food Safety News, the agency also recommends putting the food in a securely closed container for disposal.
Both salmonella-positive lots were the subject of an FDA recall request to Arrow Reliance Inc.
A permanent injunction would bar business operator Gary T. Tashjian and Arrow Reliance from producing and selling raw pet food. The Justice Department is seeking that order through a complaint alleging violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
According to Food Safety News, the FDA logged 49 consumer complaints between 2016 and January 2026 involving pets fed Darwin's raw food. Those reports described 34 sick dogs, five of which died, and 35 sick cats, four of which died.
Where can I learn more?
Other pet products and human food have also faced contamination concerns.
• Dog supplements sold through Amazon and Chewy were recalled over salmonella risk.
• U.S. food recalls reached 26 in August as salmonella warnings jumped sixfold.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
