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  1. Outbreaks and Advisories

FDA Advisory: Do Not Feed Certain Lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Pet Food Due to E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella

July 29, 2025

Fast Facts

  • The FDA is cautioning pet owners that a sample of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products beef dog food made by Arrow Reliance, Inc. tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 that is associated with a human illness. In addition, one sample of Darwin’s chicken dog food and one sample of Darwin’s duck dog food tested positive for Salmonella Infantis and Hadar, respectively.  Closed product from the three affected lots, which were obtained from the household freezer of the ill human, was tested by a private third-party laboratory in May and June 2025.
  • In August 2024, a four-year-old child became infected with E. coli O157:H7 and subsequently developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), requiring hospitalization and extensive follow-up care. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) provided by the third-party laboratory shows that the E. coli O157:H7 present in the closed product sample of the Darwin’s beef dog food from the household freezer is a genetic match to the E. coli O157:H7 detected in a stool sample from the ill child.
  • According to complaint information provided to the FDA, a dog in the household that exclusively ate Darwin’s pet food began vomiting one day before the child fell ill. The dog’s symptoms resolved without veterinary care. 
  • The child had direct contact with the family dog but no known direct contact with the contaminated dog food, suggesting that the E. coli O157:H7 exposure may have been via contact with the family dog or through objects or surfaces in contact with the waste of the dog that ate the food.
  • Because this incident occurred in 2024, there were no retail samples available for collection and testing when the complaint information and private laboratory results were submitted to the FDA in June 2025. Additionally, Darwin’s Natural Pet Products does not have samples from the same product lot available for additional testing. Therefore, the FDA reviewed the results of the third-party testing conducted by the lab, which is accredited by the FDA Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) program.
  • Darwin’s Natural Pet Products are sold online through a subscription service.
  • The FDA recommended that Arrow Reliance, Inc. recall the product lots that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. To date, the firm has not recalled the affected products. These products, which were manufactured in May or June 2024, were sold frozen, have no expiration date on the label, and could still be in consumers’ freezers. Therefore, the FDA advises consumers to check their freezers for the affected lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products prior to feeding to pets.
  • If consumers have any pet food on the list below, they are advised to throw it away in a secure container. Do not feed it to pets. Do not donate the food.
  • Clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that the food or pet had contact with.
  • E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella can affect both people and animals. People with symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella infection should consult their health care providers. Consult a veterinarian if your pet has symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella infection. See information about human and animal symptoms below.

Product Information

The affected lots of pet food were sold in frozen 2-pound white and clear plastic packages with four separate units. The beef and chicken BioLogics dog food have orange labeling, and the duck Natural Selections dog food has blue labeling. Product lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left unit of the package. The affected varieties and lot codes are:

  • Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, BioLogics All-Natural and Grain Free, Beef Recipe for Dogs
    • Lot 10662, MFG Date: May 30, 2024
  • Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, BioLogics All-Natural and Grain Free, Chicken Recipe for Dogs
    • Lot 10683, MFG date: June 05, 2024
  • Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, Natural Selections Duck Recipe for Dogs
    • Lot 10638, MFG date: May 22, 2024
BioLogics 1
BioLogics 2
Natural Selections

What do I need to do?

If you have any of the lots of Darwin’s BioLogics or Natural Selections pet food products listed above, stop feeding the product to your pets and throw it away in a secure container where other animals, including wildlife, cannot access it. Do not donate the food.

The product lot codes are printed on the front of the lower left unit of the package of food. If you no longer have the package or can’t read the lot code, throw the food away. 

Consumers who have had the products listed above in their homes should clean and disinfect all pet supplies, including all storage containers, bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with, including your refrigerator or freezer. Clean up the pet’s feces in yards, parks, or other places where people or other animals may become exposed. Consumers should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces. 

What is E. coli O157:H7 and what are the symptoms of this type of E. coli infection?

E. coli O157:H7 is a harmful type of E. coli bacteria called shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). STEC are of particular concern because the bacteria produce shiga toxins, which can cause damage to the intestinal lining, kidneys, or nervous system. People can become infected with STEC by consuming contaminated food or being in close contact with infected animals, people, or environments. Symptoms may begin anywhere from a few days up to nine days after exposure. Symptoms of STEC infection in people generally include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. People with possible STEC exposure who develop symptoms of an infection should consult their health care provider.

Some STEC infections can cause severe, bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.

Symptoms of HUS can include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin, fatigue and irritability, small and unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, and decreased urination. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and death. Although people of any age can become infected, children under age 5, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness and HUS. People who experience symptoms of HUS should seek emergency medical care immediately. 

Dogs and cats can become infected with STEC, although the symptoms are generally milder than symptoms in people. Dogs and cats infected with STEC can develop watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and vomiting. Symptoms may be more severe in pets with weakened immune systems. The infection is rarely lethal in pets, but deaths have been reported in infected dogs. If your pet has symptoms of a STEC infection, consult a veterinarian promptly.

Pets do not need to display symptoms to be able to pass STEC on to their human companions. Whether or not a pet is symptomatic, once STEC gets established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria when having bowel movements, contaminating their environment.

What is Salmonella and what are the symptoms of Salmonella infection?

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness and death in humans and animals, especially those who are very young, very old, or have weak immune systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without treatment, but in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream and then to other body sites unless the person is treated promptly. Consult your health care provider if you have symptoms of Salmonella infection.

Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with Salmonella, 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 a veterinarian promptly. You should also be aware that infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces without showing signs of being sick.

Why is the FDA concerned about E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in pet food?

Pet foods contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella are of particular public health importance because they can affect both human and animal health. Pets can get sick from E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella and may also be carriers of the bacteria and pass it on to their human companions without appearing to be ill. In addition to the recent child case of HUS associated with pet food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, FDA is aware of cases in which humans and/or animals have gotten sick from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated pet foods (Salmonella-human cases, Salmonella-kitten, Salmonella-kitten, dog). 

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. Refrigeration or freezing does not kill E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella. 

How can I report a pet illness?

People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians. 

The FDA encourages consumers and veterinarians to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. Additionally, consumers can visit the SmartHub – Safety Intake Portal – Report a Product Problem (fda.gov) to obtain electronic assistance with submitting a report to FDA.

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