Update 1/3/25
Another brand of pet food has been recalled for avian flu, Monarch Raw Pet Food, which has limited production and distribution (at some farmers’ markets in California). See questions surrounding the Monarch recall and the NWN recall in Truth In Pet Food blog.
Update 12/31/24
The recall has not expanded since initally called on 12/24 and thankfully, no further deaths or illnesses have been confirmed. We’ve contacted all of our raw and freeze-dried pet food brands for details on their current safety protocols. What are their safety protocols, and how can they be sure their foods are safe from avian flu (and other emerging viral or bacterial contaminants)?
Sifting through the responses as well as information from other pet industry resources, some big questions are still unanswered. Northwest Naturals manufactures their foods in a human grade USDA-approved facility with strict hygiene, quality control, and safety regulations for processing meat and other ingredients used in pet food. USDA is onsite every day. Human grade food requires testing for disease, bacteria and other contaminants at the farm level.
How could human grade turkey infected with avian flu have passed testing at the farm level? Was there a fail in USDA protocol? HPP, also known as high pressure pasteurization, has become the standard for controlling pathogens in human as well as pet food. It’s a process that uses extremely high pressure instead of heat, so foods can remain uncooked, but the cell membranes of microorganisms in the food are critically disrupted. HPP kills bacteria and is said to inactivate viruses. One of our trusted brands reports that for HPP to be effective it has to be applied for a minimum of two minutes. Some brands report using a higher than required pressure as well. How long was the food treated with HPP and at what pressure? Or is that even relevant – maybe the HPP was effective but the meat was contaminated again by grinding or some other contact with the virus after processing.
More unanswered questions. Avian flu is highly contagious and can be passed through contact, with for example droppings from an infected bird. My deep condolences to the family of the cat who died, and my sincere apologies for exploring the following questions but they need to be asked. The cat who tragically died of HPAI was reportedly a specifically indoor cat – but other reports indicate that the cat was also known to go outdoors on walks. And for some reason, when the FDA tested the Northwest Naturals Feline Turkey Formula for avian flu, they tested the bag fed to the cat – which was an open bag, specifically against protocol. The open bag tested positive, and that led to the recall. However the open bag could have been cross-contaminated (which is why they never test with an open bag). Why did the FDA not request a sealed bag from the same batch?
Updates to follow when more information becomes available.
Original Post 12/24/24
Northwest Naturals has issued a voluntary recall of their 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Frozen Raw Pet Food after testing positive for the bird flu virus (HPAI avian influenza). Consumption of HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one cat has been sickened and died in apparent connection with the HPAI contamination in the recalled food.
The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should immediately discard the product and contact the place of purchase for a full refund.
For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872 from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST, Monday through Friday.