Several pet food products are currently under active recall in the United States, mostly due to Salmonella contamination or nutritional deficiencies. The FDA maintains a running list of recalls, and as of early 2026, the affected brands include Quest Cat Food, Elite Treats, Bonnihill Farms, Raw Bistro, and several others. Here’s what you need to know about each one and what to do if you have these products at home.
Pet Foods Currently on Recall
The following products are listed as active (not terminated) recalls on the FDA’s official recall database:
- Quest Cat Food, Chicken Recipe Frozen (February 2026): Recalled by Go Raw LLC because the food may contain low levels of thiamine (vitamin B1), an essential nutrient for cats.
- Quest Cat Food, Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried Nuggets, 10 oz bag (February 2026): Same issue, same company. A separate recall for the freeze-dried version.
- Elite Treats Chicken Dog Treats (February 2026): Recalled by Elite Treats, LLC for potential Salmonella contamination.
- Country Vet and Heartland Harvest Dog Biscuits (December 2025): Recalled by Consumers Supply Distributing, LLC for potential Salmonella contamination.
- Bonnihill Farms BeefiBowls Beef Recipe (December 2025): This gently cooked frozen dog food in 16 oz. chubs was recalled by Fromm Family Foods due to potential plastic contamination.
- Raw Bistro Frozen Beef Dog Food (October 2025): Recalled by Raw Bistro Pet Fare for potential Salmonella.
- Gold Star Distribution products (December 2025): All FDA-regulated products held at this facility, including pet food, were recalled due to Salmonella risk, rodent and bird contamination, and unsanitary storage conditions.
This list changes frequently. The FDA’s Recalls & Withdrawals page at fda.gov is the most reliable place to check for updates.
Why Pet Food Gets Recalled
Looking at the pattern of recent recalls, three categories account for nearly all of them.
Salmonella contamination is by far the most common reason. It shows up repeatedly across different brands, product types, and manufacturers. Raw and minimally processed pet foods carry higher risk, but conventional kibble and treats are not immune. Salmonella is dangerous not just for pets but for the people handling the food, which is why these recalls are taken seriously even when no illnesses have been reported yet.
Nutritional deficiencies are the second major category. The Quest Cat Food recalls, for example, involve low thiamine levels. Cats cannot produce thiamine on their own and depend entirely on their diet for it. A prolonged deficiency can cause neurological problems, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, death. Dogs can also be affected by nutritional imbalances, though vitamin D toxicity has been the bigger historical concern on the dog side. Doses as low as 0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight can cause problems in dogs, with higher doses leading to kidney damage from calcium buildup in the tissues.
Physical contaminants round out the list. The Bonnihill Farms recall involved plastic fragments in the food, which can cause choking or internal injury. These recalls are less common than pathogen-related ones but tend to be straightforward: if the product matches the recalled lot, throw it away.
Aflatoxin, a toxic compound produced by mold that grows on corn and other grains, is another recurring threat. The FDA sets an action level of 20 parts per billion for pet food. Aflatoxin contamination has caused dog deaths and large-scale recalls in 1998, 2005, 2011, and 2013. While no current pet food recall is active for aflatoxin specifically, a December 2025 recall of Nutrena Country Feeds Cracked Corn (a livestock feed) flagged elevated levels, which is a reminder that grain-based ingredients remain a vulnerability in the supply chain.
Risks to You, Not Just Your Pet
Salmonella-contaminated pet food is a genuine health risk for the humans in your household. You don’t have to eat the food to get sick. Handling contaminated kibble or treats, then touching your face or preparing your own food without washing your hands, is enough. Children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system are especially vulnerable. A major investigation into pet food made by Mid America Pet Food linked multiple human Salmonella cases to contaminated products sold under the Victor, Eagle Mountain, Wayne Feeds, and Member’s Mark brands.
Listeria is another pathogen that occasionally triggers pet food recalls. Dogs and cats rarely get seriously ill from it, and many become carriers without showing any symptoms at all. When they do get sick, the signs are typically mild: vomiting and diarrhea. But more severe outcomes are possible, including fever, breathing problems, and pregnancy loss. The bigger concern with Listeria-contaminated pet food is often the risk to humans in the home, particularly pregnant women, for whom Listeria infection can be devastating.
What to Do if You Have a Recalled Product
Stop feeding the product immediately. Don’t try to cook it or treat it in any way to make it safe. Place it in a securely tied plastic bag and throw it in a covered trash can where other animals can’t access it. If you’ve been storing the food in a separate container, wash that container thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Clean any surfaces, scoops, or bowls that came in contact with the food.
If your pet has already eaten a recalled product, watch for signs of illness. Salmonella in dogs and cats typically shows up as diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Thiamine deficiency in cats develops more gradually, with early signs including poor appetite and weight loss, progressing to neurological symptoms like unsteadiness and head tilting.
How to Report a Problem
If you believe your pet got sick from a food product, you can file a complaint through the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal. Having certain details ready will make your report more useful: the exact product name as it appears on the label, the lot number (usually stamped near the expiration date in small print), the UPC code, and where and when you bought it. If your pet is sick, note what symptoms appeared, how soon after eating, how much of the product was consumed, and your veterinarian’s contact information and diagnosis.
These reports matter more than most people realize. The vast majority of pet food recalls are voluntary, meaning the company pulls the product on its own. The FDA gained the power to order mandatory recalls under the Food Safety Modernization Act, but it can only use that authority when a product poses a reasonable probability of serious harm or death to humans or animals, and only after giving the company a chance to act voluntarily first. Consumer complaints are often the first signal that something is wrong with a product before any formal testing confirms it.
How to Stay Ahead of Future Recalls
The FDA publishes all active recalls on its website and sends email alerts you can subscribe to. Signing up takes a few seconds and gives you a direct notification whenever a new recall is posted, rather than relying on news coverage that may or may not pick up every recall.
Beyond tracking recalls, basic handling habits reduce your risk. Wash your hands after touching pet food or treats. Don’t let pets lick your face after eating. Store dry food in its original bag (which contains the lot number you’d need in a recall) rather than dumping it into a generic bin. For raw or frozen pet foods, keep them separated from human food in your freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator rather than on the counter. These steps won’t protect you from a nutritional deficiency in the formula, but they significantly cut the risk of foodborne illness from a contaminated batch.