Darwin’s pet food tests positive for Listeria and Salmonella

The FDA has again found bacterial contamination in Darwin’s Natural Pet Products dog food and the producing company, Arrow Reliance, is again refusing to recall its products.

The implicated products have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes after the Food and Drug Administration tested samples following a consumer complaint.

Arrow Reliance has repeatedly failed to issue recalls of its products under similar circumstances in the past.

The affected products this time are sold online through a subscription service in frozen 2-pound packages and consist of certain lots of Darwin’s BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs.

“The FDA recommended that Arrow Reliance, Inc. recall the two affected product lots. The firm reportedly sent a letter to customers notifying them about the two lots testing positive for L. mono, but the letter did not inform customers about the presence of Salmonella in one lot,” according to a consumer warning issued by the FDA.

“Although Arrow Reliance may have notified its customers that it is withdrawing the two lots for L. mono, the firm has not yet provided sufficient documentation to the FDA to show that this action has removed affected product from the marketplace and customers’ freezers. Consumers may want to check Darwin’s BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef for Dogs products for the affected lot numbers prior to feeding to pets.”

• If consumers have any pet food on the list below, they are advised to throw it away in a secure container. Do not feed it to pets. Do not donate the food.

• Clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that the food or pet had contact with.

• Salmonella and L. mono can affect both people and animals. People with symptoms of Salmonella or L. mono infection should consult their health care providers. Consult a veterinarian if your pet has symptoms of Salmonella or L. mono infection. See symptom information below.

Product Information

The affected lots of dog food are in 2-pound white and clear plastic packages with “BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free” in orange lettering. Each package is split into four separate half-pound units. The lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left corner of the 2-pound package. The affected varieties and lot codes are:

• Darwin’s Natural Pet Products BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs
  • Lot 11895, MFG Date: Jul 29, 2025
• Darwin’s Natural Pet Products BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs
  • Lot 11826, MFG Date: Jul 07, 2025

If you have any of the Darwin’s BioLogics pet food product listed above, stop feeding the product to your pets and throw it away in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it. Do not donate the food.

The product lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left corner of the 2-pound package of food. If you no longer have the package or can’t read the lot code, throw the food away.

Consumers who have had the products listed above in their homes should clean and disinfect all pet supplies, including all storage containers, bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with, including your refrigerator or freezer. Clean up the pet’s feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed. Consumers should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces.

Pet foods contaminated with Salmonella and L. mono are of particular public health importance because they can affect both human and animal health. Pets can get sick from Salmonella and may also be carriers of the bacteria and pass it on to their human companions without appearing to be ill. 

People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should contact their veterinarians. Pet owners who develop symptoms of Salmonella or Listeria infection should contact their doctors. See symptoms below.

The FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. Additionally, consumers can visit the SmartHub – Safety Intake Portal – Report a Product Problem (fda.gov) to obtain electronic assistance with submitting a report. 

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has fed any of the implicated products to their pets and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has been exposed to the implicated products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has fed any of the implicated food to their pets and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/09/darwins-pet-food-tests-positive-for-listeria-and-salmonella/