Update 2/19/25

Last Friday 2/14, the Oregon and Washington state Departments of Agriculture released public notices warning of the danger of avian flu (HPAI or H5N1) in raw pet food.  However, today Susan Thixton pointed out that “test results provided by Washington Department of Agriculture to the pet food manufacturer – Wild Coast Pet Food – did NOT positively confirm the presence of avian flu in the pet foods tested. The lab results reported “Non-negative” and “Negative“ results. No testing (up to current day) of Wild Coast Raw has tested as Positive.”

Thixton explains that non-negative in a lab result “means that a test did not come back completely negative, it is not a definitive positive result and requires further analysis in a laboratory setting”.  Which leaves everyone reading the public notices referenced above either deeply worried, or scratching their heads.

Meanwhile, Northwest Naturals has released an update.  The FDA audit of their facilities is complete and the voluntary recall has ended. The results of the FDA audit as reported by NWN:

“The FDA’s audit did not contain any findings related to H5N1 or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), and the FDA did not identify the source of the alleged contamination found in the opened bag of our product. Additionally, our product was never included in the FDA’s list of Recalls & Withdrawals, which can be found at https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/safety-health/recalls-withdrawals. Upon the completion of FDA’s audit, we updated the status of our voluntary recall with ODA to “closed” and the recall has since been terminated.”

Jennifer Flanagan, owner of the supply store that sold the bag of Northwest Naturals that was the original source of the recall, stated ““I was 100% confident that the initial ODA findings were false. Morasch Meats has a food USDA office on-site, and its farm sourcing is precise. The farm that the turkey came from has had zero cases. The only way bird flu could have contaminated the customer’s bag was privately in the home.” Flanagan had stated during the recall that the cat who had died was not “strictly an indoor cat,” as the ODA had reported.”  She added “the batch had been sold since August 2024, so for this to be the only report speaks for itself. We also let customers know that the ODA went against protocol and ONLY tested a bag from the home and released false information before testing unopened bags of the same batch from the facility.”

Where do we stand?

If the opened bag of Northwest Naturals that tested positive for H5N1 had been contaminated in manufacturing or packaging, at least one other unopened bag from the same batch would have tested positive for H5N1 as well – and/or the FDA audit of the manufacturing facility would have shown some evidence to support the possibility – and/or at least one other animal would have fallen ill from consuming other bags from the same batch.  Given that none of the above came to pass I have to conclude that the original opened bag was contaminated by the cat or a human in the household.  Regarding the Deptartment of Agriculture public releases, a ‘non-negative’ lab result should be treated as what it is: inconclusive.

Update 1/18/25

Yesterday, Truth About Pet Food founder Susan Thixton posted the exchange she had with the Oregon Department of Agriculture regarding the Northwest Naturals voluntary recall.  In response to her original inquiry, ODA confirmed that an unopened bag as well as the open bag had both been tested, and only the open bag came back positive for avian flu.  Northwest Naturals meanwhile was not informed of the unopened bag test – they found out through Susan Thixton’s post.  Despite the negative test result on the unopened bag, ODA has not changed their position. And ODA also seems unconcerned that the cat who tragically died was actually not a strictly indoor cat.

Their position makes even less sense now than it did a few weeks ago.  No other illnesses or deaths have been connected to the food, an unopened bag from the same batch tested negative, and the cat was known to take outdoor excursions.  As Susan Thixton points out, their position is inconsistent and biased (at best – I would add it also seems reckless and damaging).  For more, read all of her exchange and Northwest Naturals’ updated letter to consumers.

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.