What the Northwest Naturals recall notice says about who is doing the testing.
The bags now being recalled carry best-by dates of January 25 and January 26, 2028 — sixteen months from now. They are frozen. Anything still in a home freezer looks exactly the way it looked the day it was bought.
Northwest Naturals of Portland, Oregon is voluntarily recalling 53 cases of its Frozen Chicken Recipe in the 2-pound bag, lot B-5, and 19 cases of its Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe in the 6-pound bag, lot B-19. That is 1,272 pounds and 684 pounds respectively — 1,956 pounds in total, distributed to retail stores nationwide. The announcement was published by the FDA on August 28.
One line in the notice is the story.
The contamination was identified after product samples were collected and tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Not by the company. Not by a distributor. Not by a customer complaint that started a trace-back. The agency bought or pulled the product, ran it, and found what was in it.
The Frozen Chicken Recipe tested positive for Salmonella. The Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe tested positive for both Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella.
The 2-pound bag is described in the FDA notice as "cat food and protein topper for dogs."
That matters for who needs to check their freezer. A recall filed under a cat product reaches cat owners through the ordinary channels — the brand's cat customers, the cat sections of retail. The label itself says the same bag is sold to be spooned over a dog's dinner. A household that bought it for the dog has no particular reason to read a cat food recall.
The lot numbers are the only reliable way to know. Lot B-5 on the 2-pound bag, UPC 087316384956. Lot B-19 on the 6-pound bag, UPC 087316380392.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the recall.
The FDA states plainly on every one of these pages that it posts a company's announcement as a public service and does not endorse either the product or the company. The recall is voluntary. Nothing in the notice alleges wrongdoing, and nothing here should be read as alleging any.
What the notice does establish is a sequence: federal sampling first, company announcement second.
The notice carries handling instructions that apply to any raw pet food, not only these lots — wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact, clean and sanitize every surface, bowl, utensil and storage area the product touches, keep it separate from human food, and keep it frozen or refrigerated until use.
Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes both reach people through the handling, not only through the animal. The FDA notice lists the human symptoms at length and names the groups at higher risk of serious illness from Listeria: pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
Infected animals can carry either organism without appearing sick.
Stop feeding the affected lots and return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Northwest Naturals is taking consumer questions at 1-866-637-1872, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific, and at recallinfo@nw-naturals.net.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Company Announcement, published August 28, 2026. Every figure, lot number, UPC and date in this piece is taken from that notice.