Pet Food Brand Issues Recall, Halts Production After Contamination Warning: FDA

A pet food company is recalling dog food over the possibility it may be contaminated with the listeria bacteria and said it would be stopping production of its products, according to a notice published on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website.

Raaw Energy said the recall impacts products made between July 17, 2025, and Dec. 23, 2025, along with items that were produced on March 31, 2026.

The dog food products were distributed in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the notice said. A full list of recalled items can be accessed on the FDA website.

“While not all products from this period tested positive, this action is being taken out of an abundance of caution. Some products produced during this timeframe were not tested, and bacterial presence was identified during the same period,” the May 22 notice said. “As a result, products manufactured within these dates could possibly be affected.”

Consumers are advised not to use, sell, or consume the affected products. The items should be immediately discarded to mitigate the risk of illness, according to the notice.

“For your safety, please treat these products as potentially contaminated. We ask that you dispose of them in a secure manner so they cannot be accessed by people or animals,” the notice stated.

The recalled products were packaged in two-pound or five-pound clear plastic tubes that were sealed with metal clips, and sold frozen in brown cardboard boxes that contain five to 20 tubes. The boxes have white labels that include the product flavor, date code, and ingredients, it said.

In the notice, Raaw Energy said that it is stopping production of dog food as of May 21 to take the “appropriate corrective actions” and will improve its production facility.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. As a small business, we are committed to doing the right thing and correct any issues,” the company said.

The recall announcement on May 22 expanded on a previous advisory that was issued by the FDA in January 2026.

The FDA said on May 22 that the New Jersey Department of Agriculture had “collected and tested four samples of dog food made during this time period,” and “all four samples of dog food tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.”

“Since the original issuance of this advisory in January 2026, the FDA has received additional consumer complaints of illness in animals who have consumed recalled product,” the agency said.

The FDA says on its website that Listeria monocytogenes can “rarely cause disease in dogs and cats and, even when infected, pets usually have only mild gastrointestinal signs, such as diarrhea and vomiting,” but in some cases, more serious issues such as fever, muscle pain, breathing issues, pregnancy loss, and death have been reported.

“After consuming contaminated pet food, dogs and cats often don’t show any signs of listeriosis but can become carriers of the bacteria. This means that even if the pets appear healthy, they can still shed L. monocytogenes in their stool and then spread the bacteria to the home environment,” the FDA stated.

In people, listeria symptoms can be mild and include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the agency. More serious illnesses can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.