Northwest Naturals Pulled 1,956 Pounds of Frozen Chicken After FDA Found Salmonella and Listeria. Two Lot Codes, Nationwide Distribution.

Northwest Naturals of Portland, Oregon pulled 1,956 pounds of frozen raw chicken products in a voluntary recall after FDA testing detected Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes contamination in two production lots.

The numbers that define the scope

The recall covers 53 cases totaling 1,272 pounds of frozen chicken recipe cat food in two-pound bags, plus 19 cases totaling 684 pounds of frozen raw diet for dogs in six-pound bags.

Both lots went to retail stores across the country. The company reported that no illnesses linked to these products have surfaced. Affected items carry specific lot codes and best-by dates printed on the packaging.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected and tested product samples, which revealed Salmonella in the cat food and both Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in the dog food.

What this is NOT

This is not a category-wide raw food recall. It is not a consumer-illness-driven pull. It is not a manufacturing-line shutdown.

It is two specific lot codes, caught by regulatory testing before shelf-level risk turned into reported cases. The company moved proactively once FDA flagged the samples.

The misread: treating this as a signal that all frozen raw is compromised. The actual read: regulatory testing is active in the category, and this is what a proactive pull looks like when contamination is found.

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The decision you're facing if you carry Northwest Naturals frozen

Pull the two lot codes immediately. The affected products are identifiable by the lot code and best-by date printed on the package. Customers who bought these lots should stop feeding them. They can bring back any unused product to where they bought it for a full refund.

Northwest Naturals is taking calls from Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time, at 1-866-637-1872.

The liability exposure sits with the store that keeps recalled product on the shelf after the notice goes public. The brand reputation hit is contained if you move fast. A delayed response turns a two-SKU problem into a customer trust issue that touches your entire frozen set.

The freezer-space question this recall reopens

Frozen raw already carries regulatory scrutiny and handling requirements that shelf-stable kibble does not. This recall adds pressure to a question buyers in the category face every reset: does the margin justify the freezer real estate and the compliance overhead?

For stores that stock multiple raw brands, this is a moment to tighten your own intake protocols. Ask your distributor which brands run third-party pathogen testing on every production run, not just when FDA shows up. That testing record is a sales wedge when you're deciding which two brands get the freezer door and which three get cut.

For brands competing in frozen raw, a clean testing history just became a sharper pitch point. Buyers reviewing their sets after a recall are asking one question: who else might be next? Show them why you won't be.

Where the volume actually sits

At under 2,000 pounds across two SKUs, this is a narrow pull. The operational cost of checking your freezer for the affected lot codes is low. The reputational cost of ignoring it is not. The customer who bought one of these bags and sees the recall notice online before you pull it from the shelf is the customer who stops trusting your frozen set entirely.

The handling reminder applies whether you're pulling recalled product or stocking raw food on a normal Tuesday. Wash your hands well with soap and water after touching these products. Clean and disinfect any surface that comes in contact with them. Store raw pet food away from human food, and keep it frozen or refrigerated until you use it. Both Salmonella and Listeria can affect pets and the people handling contaminated products.

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