Why was Northwest Naturals pet food recalled? Reasons explained 

Northwest Naturals has recalled a batch of cat food and advised customers against its use. On December 24, 2024, the pet food company announced the recall of one batch made from turkey and sold raw and frozen after the product tested positive for the HFN1 bird flu, resulting in a house cat's death in Oregon.

In its news release, Northwest Naturals stated that the recall was being conducted in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon (ODA).

The ODA released a statement on December 26, 2024, urging cat owners to do away with Northwest Natural’s Raw Frozen Turkey Recipe. It stated that testing done by the US Department of Agriculture, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, and the Oregon State University confirmed that a house cat in Washington County died after consuming the product.

The tests also showed a genetic match between the virus in the raw food and the affected cat.

Ryan Scholz, ODA state veterinarian, stated in the news release:

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said Ryan Scholz, ODA state veterinarian,”

Scholz added:

"This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other,”

The Feline Turkey Recipe Raw Frozen food was sold through distributors in the United States, British Columbia, and Canada. Consumers who had already purchased the product were advised to immediately discard it and get a full refund at the place of purchase.

More details on the recalled product by Northwest Naturals

The Northwest Naturals turkey recipe comes in blue packaging and features 98% turkey, organs, and bone. It is raw frozen, never cooked, grain, and gluten-free.

According to the brand description, the product is a complete and balanced raw diet for cats and a protein boost topper for dogs. The recalled product comes in a 2-pound plastic package with “Best if used by” dates of 5/21/26 B10 and 6/23/2026 B1.

The news release from the Oregon Department of Agriculture further confirmed that no human cases of HPAI in connection with the incident had been reported, and the risk of HPAI transmission to humans remains low in Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture also stressed the dangers of eating raw and uncooked meat:

“This case reminds us that feeding raw meat products to pets or consuming them yourself can lead to severe illness. Raw meat may contain harmful pathogens, including Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and H5N1."

The statement continued:

“These pathogens are destroyed when meat is thoroughly cooked. Raw milk, which has not been pasteurized, can also carry harmful germs. Pasteurization of milk eliminates disease-causing pathogens, including HPAI.”

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For additional information and questions on the recall, customers are advised to contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at [email protected] or 866-637-1872.

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