FDA investigates Arrow Reliance raw pet food

FDA is looking into a pattern of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Darwin’s Natural and ZooLogics raw pet foods.

Tim Wall

February 28, 2018

image from Darwin’s Natural Pet Products website

Raw pet foods manufactured by Tukwila, Washington, USA-based Arrow Reliance Inc. are under investigation by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Washington Department of Agriculture. The federal and state agencies are looking into a pattern of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes contamination in raw pet foods manufactured by Arrow Reliance, specifically Darwin’s Natural and ZooLogics pet foods.

Since October 2016, Arrow Reliance/Darwin’s Natural has initiated four pet food recalls and had six reported complaints (some referring to more than one animal) associated with their raw pet food products, including the death of one kitten from a severe systemic Salmonella infection.

On February 13, FDA alerted pet owners to Arrow Reliance’s pet food safety history. The company has had four recalls and multiple complaints associated with Darwin’s Natural and ZooLogics pet foods. Those products were made by Arrow Reliance, doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, from October 17, 2016 to February 10, 2018.

In each instance, the company recalled these products after being alerted to positive findings of Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes in samples of their raw pet food products. Arrow Reliance conducted these recalls through personal emails, as opposed to public announcements. The company sells their pet foods directly to consumers through the mail.

History of Arrow Reliance raw pet food recalls

In its most recent recall, on February 10, 2018, Arrow Reliance/Darwin’s Natural recalled ZooLogics Duck with Vegetable Meals for Dogs (Lot #41957) and ZooLogics Chicken with Vegetable Meals for Dogs (Lot #41567) because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The latest recall was triggered by a complaint of an adult dog that had recurring diarrhea over a nine-month period. The dog tested positive for Salmonella from initial testing by the veterinarian and by follow-up testing by the FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN). The Darwin’s Natural raw pet food that the dog had been fed was also positive for Salmonella.

Arrow Reliance/Darwin’s Natural is aware of the dog's illness and the positive results and initiated a recall on February 10, 2018 by directly notifying its customers via email. The firm has not issued a public recall notice.

As part of an ongoing investigation into complaints associated with products manufactured by Arrow Reliance/Darwin’s Natural of Tukwila, WA, the FDA has confirmed that new samples of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw pet foods have tested positive for Salmonella. These raw pet foods include ZooLogics Duck with Vegetable Meals for Dogs Lot #41957 and ZooLogics Chicken with Vegetable Meals for Dogs Lot #41567.

In the case of the kitten’s death, the Salmonella isolated from the animal was analyzed using whole genome sequencing and found to be indistinguishable from the Salmonella isolated from a closed package from the same lot of Darwin’s Natural cat food that the kitten ate.

In addition to reports of illnesses associated with Salmonella contamination in the products, the FDA is aware of complaints of at least three animals who were reportedly injured by bone shards in the Darwin’s Natural raw pet food products.

List of Arrow Reliance raw pet food recalls

Since 2016, Arrow Reliance/Darwin’s Natural has recalled the following raw pet food products: