Albright’s Raw Pet Food recalls Chicken Recipe for Dogs amid contamination concerns

Raw dog food is back in the recall headlines — and this time it’s a chicken formula from Albright’s Raw Pet Food. The company said on May 6 that it was voluntarily recalling one lot of its Chicken Recipe for Dogs Complete and Balanced after FDA routine sampling found a composite sample that tested positive for Salmonella. The FDA posted the notice on May 7. (fda.gov) No illnesses in pets or people had been confirmed when the recall went public, but the reason this matters is simple: Salmonella is one of the rare food-safety problems that can hit both the animal eating the food and the human handling it. ### Which product is actually recalled? This is not a blanket recall of everything Albright’s sells. It covers one specific lot of Chicken Recipe for Dogs Complete and Balanced — lot code C001730 — sold as frozen 1-pound bricks in clear vacuum packaging, usually packed in 30-pound cases. (fda.gov) The recalled product carries UPC 20855404008367 and a best-by date of April 28, 2027. ### Where was it sold? The product went directly to consumers nationwide, including online sales, and also reached a limited number of retailers in Massachusetts, California, South Carolina, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and New York. That means this is not just a local freezer-shelf issue in Indiana, where Albright’s is based. If you bought raw dog food online and tossed the box, the lot code on the individual brick is the part that matters. (fda.gov) ### What triggered the recall? Turns out this started with routine FDA sampling, not with a wave of sick pets. The sampled lot was tested for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli, and one composite sample came back positive for Salmonella species. Albright’s said third-party confirmatory testing was still pending, but it moved ahead with a voluntary recall anyway. Basically, the company is treating the initial result seriously before waiting for every last lab step to finish. (fda.gov) ### Why is Salmonella such a big deal here? Because the risk runs in two directions. Dogs can get sick from contaminated food, with signs like lethargy, vomiting, fever, diarrhea — sometimes bloody — lower appetite, and abdominal pain. But dogs can also carry Salmonella without obvious symptoms and still shed it in saliva or feces. That is the catch with raw pet food recalls — a pet can look fine while still creating a household exposure problem. (dvm360.com) ### How do people get exposed? Usually through handling the food, touching contaminated bowls or countertops, or cleaning up after a pet that ate it. In people, Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, and diarrhea, and the severe cases are the ones that worry doctors most in young children, older adults, and anyone immunocompromised. (dvm360.com) Raw diets always carry this extra kitchen-safety burden — you are basically handling raw meat with all the usual foodborne-pathogen rules, but for pet feeding. ### What should owners do now? Do not feed the recalled lot. Dispose of it in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot get into it, then clean bowls, utensils, storage containers, and any surfaces the product touched. If your dog ate the food and now seems sick, call a veterinarian. (fda.gov) If you handled it and developed symptoms yourself, call a healthcare provider. Customers seeking refunds were told to contact Albright’s with purchase details, a receipt, and product photos. ### Is this a wider indictment of raw diets? Not exactly — but it is a reminder of the tradeoff. Raw feeding has committed fans, but microbiological risk is the part that never goes away. Freezing does not reliably kill Salmonella, and “no illnesses reported” does not mean “no risk existed.” It just means the recall moved before confirmed cases surfaced. (fda.gov) ### Bottom line? Check your freezer for lot C001730. If you find it, throw it out safely and sanitize everything it touched. This recall is narrow, but the household risk is not. (dvm360.com)