Pet Food Recall Due to H5N1 Avian Flu or a Regulatory Screw-Up?
By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, BFRAP
< Updated 2025-02-03 >
< A link for this page –https://forcefreepets.com/Pet-Food-Recall-H5N1-DEC24 >
The Northwest Naturals Voluntary Recall
On December 24th, 2024, Northwest Naturals initiated a voluntary recall of one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it “allegedly” tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI-H5N1) virus. I’ll explain why I’ve used the word “allegedly” as you read on.
The recalled product has “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/206 BI and was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI and WA in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada.
While we sell Northwest Naturals products at Green Acres, neither of these batches was, to our knowledge, distributed in Maine.
Reports indicate that one cat became ill and died from bird flu after allegedly consuming this food. While the death of any pet is tragic, it is essential to investigate each such incident carefully and by following protocol. The Oregon Department of Agriculture appears to have failed to follow protocol,
Laboratory tests using genome sequencing confirmed that the H5N1 virus recovered from the open bag of Northwest Naturals food in the cat’s home matched the virus from the infected cat. However, for good reason, regulatory authorities are required to test unopened product samples, as once a package has been opened, it could have been contaminated by its environment. This failure to follow standard protocol caused Susan Thixton, the founder of The Truth About Pet Food, to state, “Oregon Department of Agriculture just proved to the entire world they are a corrupt regulatory organization. How? By violating the #1 rule in testing protocol and recall procedure.” Additionally, she stated, “Oregon Department of Agriculture has severely damaged the public’s confidence in raw pet food by neglecting to follow their own required procedures. This is unacceptable.” I concur entirely with Thixton’s assessment.
It is essential” to test an unopened package of the suspected product before concluding that the containment came from the product. No other reports of NWN products being contaminated with (HPAI-H5N1) exist.
Secondly, there is also contradictory information about the cat, with some reports indicating the cat never left home and others suggesting the cat was outdoors frequently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website: “If your domestic animals (e.g., cats or dogs) go outside and could potentially eat or be exposed to sick or dead birds infected with bird flu viruses, or an environment contaminated with bird flu virus, they could become infected with bird flu.” Even if the cat was indoor-only, if family members venture outside the home, they could bring the virus into the house.
FMI – NWN Press Release – https://www.nw-naturals.net/12-24-24-voluntary-product-recall/
FMI – Northwest Naturals – Recall FAQs – https://www.nw-naturals.net/recall-faqs/
FMI – The Truth About Pet Food – Ending 2024 with the WORST Pet Food Regulatory Failure0Open Sample vs Unopened Sample – The difference between the two are MASSIVE – https://truthaboutpetfood.com/ending-2024-with-the-worst-pet-food-regulatory-failure/
FMI – PETS+ – Bird Flu and the Northwest Naturals Recall: Retailers Have Questions – https://petsplusmag.com/bird-flu-and-the-northwest-naturals-recall-retailers-have-questions/
What Am I Doing
I will continue to feed my pets primarily frozen raw or freeze-dried pet food from several manufacturers, including Northwest Naturals.
Northwest Naturals is one of the few pet food companies that makes its food in a USDA-approved facility. That means it must meet strict hygiene, 
quality control, and safety regulations for processing meat and other ingredients used in pet food. The USDA is also onsite daily on every shift and has offices in each NWN facility. That also means all the ingredients in the pet food it sells are fit for human consumption, a rarity in pet food manufacturing.
Two other manufacturers of frozen raw and freeze-dried foods that we sell and that I feed Muppy and Boomer are Steve’s Real Food and Vital Essentials. They have already addressed this issue despite no one questioning their food. I like that level of awareness and being proactive. I have visited three manufacturing facilities that prepare frozen raw and freeze-dried pet food, and I am more comfortable with the way they handle fresh meat than I am in any supermarket.
What Should You Do?
If you are concerned about avian protein, the easiest thing to do is switch proteins. Fortunately, most of the companies offering frozen raw and freeze-dried foods have foods from non-avian sources like beef, fish, pork, rabbit, and venison.
You may also wish to consider cooking for your dogs and cats, but if you do so, I suggest you follow recipes that have been developed to ensure your pet gets all its necessary nutrients. It is not as simple as cooking food and tossing it in a bowl.
Online Resources
· Northwest Naturals – 12/24/24 Voluntary Product Recall – https://www.nw-naturals.net/12-24-24-voluntary-product-recall/
· Northwest Naturals – Recall FAQs – https://www.nw-naturals.net/recall-faqs/
· The Truth About Pet Food – Ending 2024 with the WORST Pet Food Regulatory Failure Open Sample vs Unopened Sample – The difference between the two are MASSIVE – https://truthaboutpetfood.com/ending-2024-with-the-worst-pet-food-regulatory-failure/
· FMI – PETS+ – Bird Flu and the Northwest Naturals Recall: Retailers Have Questions – https://petsplusmag.com/bird-flu-and-the-northwest-naturals-recall-retailers-have-questions/
· Oregon Department of Agriculture – Northwest Naturals of Portland Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food Due to HPAI Contamination – https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODA/Posts/Post/morasch-meats-voluntary-recall-feline-raw-pet-food-hpai
· Pet Food Industry – FDA offers guidelines to reduce HPAI risk in cats, emphasizes pet food safety – https://www.petfoodindustry.com/safety-quality/pet-food-safety/news/15710547/fda-offers-guidelines-to-reduce-hpai-risk-in-cats-emphasizes-pet-food-safety
· Steve’s Real Food – What We Know About Raw Pet Food and Avian Flu – https://stevesrealfood.com/2024/12/30/what-we-know-about-raw-pet-food-and-avian-flu/
· Vital Essentials – Vital Essentials’ Commitment to Food Safety and Quality – https://www.vitalessentials.com/in-the-news/vital-essentials-quality-and-safety-commitment
CDC – Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) – https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/index.html
