The pet food industry experienced significant developments this week including a Raw Bistro frozen beef dog food recall due to Salmonella contamination, Purina reporting modest sales declines but market share gains, and consumer surveys showing 68 percent of pet owners feel tariff burden with nearly half believing pet food prices are unacceptable.
- Raw Bistro Recall: Voluntary recall of frozen grass-fed beef dog food (lot 239) for Salmonella contamination affecting California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota with no reported illnesses.
- Tariff Impact: 68 percent of U.S. pet owners report absorbing tariff costs, with 48 percent believing pet food prices exceed acceptable levels and 27 percent planning to reduce spending.
- Purina Performance: Nestlé's Purina unit posted modest sales decline in first nine months of 2025 but achieved slight market share gains despite price pressures and input cost volatility.
- Leadership Changes: Hill's Pet Nutrition promoted Rauf Gurbuz to U.S. president and general manager, while BinMaster's Scott Hudson became president of Garner Industries.
- Industry Growth: SOMIC Packaging opened U.S. headquarters to expand nearshore packaging capabilities for pet food manufacturers.
The past week in the pet food industry brought a recall, financial data from a pet food giant, leadership moves and more.
Raw Bistro recalls frozen beef dog food for Salmonella
Raw Bistro Pet Fare initiated a voluntary recall of its frozen grass-fed beef dog food after an FDA-collected sample tested positive for Salmonella. The recall covers 3-pound bags and 18-pound bulk cases under lot 239 (best-by date August 27, 2026). Distribution occurred from September 1 to 17, 2025, across California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. As of the notice, no illnesses had been reported in pets or humans.
This incident underscores the persistent risk raw and frozen products pose regarding pathogen contamination. Although the scale of the recall is relatively limited so far, companies operating in the space must diligently maintain pathogen controls, validate sanitation protocols, and monitor end-product testing results.
Purina sales down, market share up, growth modest in first nine months 2025
Nestlé’s Purina unit posted a modest sales decline during the first nine months of 2025, but success in brand positioning drove slight market share gains. The company described the growth as “modest,” signaling caution even amid share strength.
The results reflect the broader challenge facing legacy pet food brands: balancing price pressures, input cost volatility and shifting consumer preferences. While volume softness may be a concern, maintaining or increasing share suggests competitive resilience in difficult conditions.
Survey: U.S. consumers report paying more for pet food amid tariffs
A survey by L.E.K. Consulting of about 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that 48 percent of pet owners believe they are already paying more than acceptable for pet food and supplies. Further, 68 percent of respondents said they feel they are absorbing tariff burden.
As a coping strategy, 27 percent of those surveyed plan to reduce pet product spending, and many indicated they would “trade down” to lower-cost brands. This mindset poses risk to premium lines and may drive further margin compression or force marketing repositioning.
Hill's Pet Nutrition names US president, general manager
Hill’s Pet Nutrition promoted Rauf Gurbuz to U.S. president and general manager, succeeding Yvonne Hsu, who recently became overall president. With over 20 years at Colgate-Palmolive, Gurbuz is expected to leverage his cross-market experience to advance Hill’s wellness and therapeutic nutrition lines.
BinMaster's Scott Hudson promoted to president of Garner Industries
BinMaster announced that Scott Hudson will assume the role of president of Garner Industries, a structural change that may influence their automation and inventory control offerings in pet food manufacturing.
SOMIC Packaging opens US headquarters
SOMIC Packaging opened a U.S. headquarters, signaling increased nearshore investment in packaging capabilities to support pet food and related consumer goods.
First for Forum offers free access to newcomers
The First for Forum program is now offering free access for newcomers to its events, facilitating greater entry to industry networking and knowledge sharing. Such moves can help smaller manufacturers, suppliers or startups connect more readily in a landscape dominated by larger incumbents.
