What to Know About the FDA’s New Dog Food Recalls

As a dog parent, you want to keep your pup happy, healthy and safe. That, of course, starts with the basics, including choosing the best dog food brands. But no matter how much thought you put into that choice, you can still run into issues. Right now, two popular brands are being recalled because they could pose a serious danger to dogs—which means you need to check your pantry ASAP.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that traces of harmful bacteria have been found in several varieties of pet food. Read on to find out which products are being affected by these dog food recalls and what could happen if your pet eats this contaminated food. (Warning: It could make you sick too!)

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What brands of dog food have been recalled?

The recall affects pet food from two well-known brands: Answers Pet Food and Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. All of the affected products are raw dog food varieties.

Why have these dog food recalls been issued?

Food from both brands was found to be contaminated with salmonella and listeria, two types of bacteria that can cause illness in pets and their owners.

The FDA issued the recall and asked owners to stop feeding their pets the affected foods after salmonella was discovered in six samples of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products’s raw dog food and listeria was found in one. Only about 3% of Darwin’s Natural customers are likely to be impacted by the recall.

Answers Pet Food offered up its own voluntary recall of three of its dog food products to be on the safe side after the FDA found traces of those same bacteria in its food. By preemptively addressing the possible contamination, both pets and owners can avoid getting sick.

Currently, no illnesses have been confirmed in relation to these recalled products, according to the FDA.

How do I know if I bought a recalled product?

VIA FDA.GOV

To find out if your items are impacted by these dog food recalls, check the name of the product, sell-by date and lot number on the package.

Answers Pet Food products were sold in retail locations, and the following products are affected by the recall:

• Answers Detailed Beef Formula for Dogs, Lot Code: BUBD May 6, 2026
• Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs, Lot Code: BUBD Jan. 31, 2026
• Answers Straight Chicken Formula for Dogs, Lot Code: BUBD Jan. 2, 2026 and Mar. 11, 2026

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products are most commonly sold online, and the following products are affected by the recall. As you’ll see, a few lots of cat food are also included in the recall:

• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Dogs
  • Lot number: 10828 MFG. Date: Jul 24, 2024
  • Lot number: 10844 MFG. Date: Jul 30, 2024
  • Lot number: 10887 MFG. Date: Aug 12, 2024
• Darwin’s Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats
  • Lot number: 10832 MFG. Date: Jul 25, 2024
  • Lot number: 10856 MFG. Date: Aug 04, 2024
  • Lot number: 10890 MFG. Date: Aug 13, 2024

What can happen if your dog eats contaminated food?

According to the FDA, listeria rarely causes a dog to get severely ill, but it can cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. In more severe cases, however, it can cause fever, muscle pain, breathing problems and even death. Again, though, this is very rare. But even if a dog doesn’t exhibit symptoms, it can be a carrier for the bacteria and spread it to people—especially young children, the elderly, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems. In humans, listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms, confusion and even convulsions.

Salmonella, on the other hand, is more likely to make your dog ill, especially if you have a puppy or a dog with a weakened immune system. And according to PetMD, the chances your dog may catch it increase if you feed them raw or unprocessed meat. Symptoms may include:

• Lethargy
• Diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea)
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Decreased appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Dehydration and even death (if left untreated)

As with listeria, even if pets aren’t showing illness symptoms, they can still act as carriers, infecting other animals in your household, as well as humans. If a human contracts salmonella, they may experience symptoms similar to the ones noted above in relation to listeria or, in extreme cases, develop arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s lining and valves) and more.

What should I do if I have one of these products?

If you discover that you have any of these recalled pet food products, the FDA recommends throwing them away immediately. Be sure to dispose of them in a safe, secure way so that children, pets and other animals can’t get into them and risk getting sick. Do not touch the food directly, and if you do, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. You should also disinfect any surfaces that may have come in contact with the recalled food, including countertops, bowls and toys.

If your pet gets sick after eating any of these products, contact your vet. Your dog should be under observation or receive treatment, and your vet will contact the FDA to report the illness.

For more information about these dog food recalls, visit the Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and Answers Pet Food websites.

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Sources:

• FDA: “ANSWERS Pet Food Voluntarily Withdrawals Certain Limited Lots of Beef and Chicken Dog Foods Due to Potential Salmonella and Listeria”
• FDA: “FDA Advisory: Do Not Feed Certain Lots of Darwin’s Natural Selections Pet Food Due to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes”
• American Kennel Club: “Listeria Outbreak and Dogs: What to Know”
• FDA: “Get the Facts about Listeria”
• PetMD: “Salmonella in Dogs”

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