FDA Warns Dog Owners to Avoid This Food Over Salmonella and Listeria Risk

Dog eating from a bowl in a kitchen — Credit:
Grace Chon / Getty Images

The FDA issued an advisory for Raaw Energy frozen dog food after samples tested positive for harmful bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Campylobacter jejuni. The issue was identified following a consumer complaint about a dog illness.
The affected products were sold across multiple states and include various flavors and batch date codes, primarily packaged in 2- and 5-pound plastic tubes. Contamination varies by batch, with some testing positive for multiple pathogens.
These bacteria can sicken both pets and humans, with pets potentially spreading infection through saliva or feces. The FDA advises consumers to discard the products safely and thoroughly clean any surfaces or items that came into contact with the food.

Check your freezer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released an FDA advisory for Raaw Energy dog food because samples of the product tested positive for one or more types of harmful bacteria, specifically Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Campylobacter jejuni.

The testing occurred after the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CTDA) received a consumer complaint about a dog illness. The initial FDA notice reported that the products had also tested positive for E. coli O157; however, the agency has since determined that the E. Coli is not a pathogenic strain.

Raaw Energy dog food is ordered online and picked up in person by customers. The products were sold across Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Products are sold frozen and packaged in 2-pound or 5-pound clear plastic tubes sealed on each end with a metal clip. Products are sold in brown cardboard boxes containing 10 plastic tubes. The cardboard boxes have white labels identifying the product flavor, ingredients, and date code.

Different batches of the product are identifiable by a date code (date of manufacture) printed on white stickers on both the individual plastic tubes and the brown cardboard box.

The following products are affected:

Chicken Medley, 2-pound tubes, date code 7.17.25 (pathogens found: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni)
Chicken Medley, 5-pound tubes, date code 11.22.25 (pathogen found: L. monocytogenes)
Chicken Medley, 5-lb tubes, date code 12.12.25 (pathogens found: L. monocytogenes and Salmonella)
Salmon, 5-pound tubes, date codes 12.5.25 and 12.12.25 (pathogen found: L. monocytogenes)
Beef Chicken Medley, 5-pound tubes, date code 12.16.25 (pathogen found: L. monocytogenes)
Beef Turkey Medley, 5-pound tubes, date code 12.18.25 (pathogen found: L. monocytogenes)
Beef Chicken Tripe Medley, 5-pound tubes, date code 12.23.25 (pathogen found: L. monocytogenes)

The FDA reports that L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Campylobacter can affect both people and animals. Pets can become ill from the bacteria and may also be carriers, potentially passing it on to their human companions. Infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces and saliva, further contaminating the household environment, other animals, and sometimes people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeriosis in humans can cause various symptoms, including headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, muscle aches, and fever. Infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection of the newborn. If you have symptoms of listeriosis, contact your healthcare provider. Listeriosis infections are uncommon in pets, but they are possible, according to the FDA.

People infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, according to the CDC. Pets do not always display symptoms, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite, and/or decreased activity level. If your pet has these symptoms, consult your veterinarian.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrheal illness. One way people can get an infection is by touching animals that carry C. jejuni. According to the CDC, symptoms of campylobacteriosis can include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea (often bloody). While most people recover within two to five days, some C. jejuni infections can be fatal. If you're exhibiting any of these signs after having contact with the product or a pet (or the bodily fluids or feces of a pet) that has eaten the product, contact your healthcare provider.

C. jejuni infections are more common in young and immunocompromised animals. Infected dogs and cats can develop symptoms, including diarrhea (watery, mucoid, or bloody), vomiting, straining, lethargy, and fever. Young, elderly, and immunocompromised animals are more likely to develop severe symptoms, while infected healthy adult animals may not show any symptoms.

If you have any of the listed pet food, discard it in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it. Do not feed it to pets, and do not donate the food. Clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces, including storage containers, bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that had contact with the food, including your refrigerator or freezer.

FDA Warns Dog Owners to Avoid This Food Over Salmonella and Listeria Risk

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