mamoru:

🇨🇦recall of frozen pet food due to deadly bird flu contamination🇺🇸

12/24/24 Voluntary Product Recall

Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw Frozen Pet Food Due to HPAI Contamination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-December 24, 2024

Portland, Oregon, Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

Consumption of raw or uncooked pet food contaminated with HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one case of illness in a domestic cat has been reported in connection with this issue.

The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI and WA in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon.

some emphasis mine. although it says one batch, it is not listed how big that recalled batch is. given the lengthy list of states (and province), it seems like a lot.

also not mentioned in the recall is the fact that the “one case of illness in a domestic cat” resulted in death. which is pretty fucking important information here. the oregon department of agriculture (ODA) had the following to say about their investigation.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz. “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 oregon health authority (OHA) also reports that to date, no human cases of bird flu have been linked to this pet food.

the best by dates of the recalled pet food extend well into 2026, so it is going to be an ongoing challenge to get this contaminated food out of people’s freezers before it can do more harm and cause more pet death.

as always, when it comes to contamination like this, it is likely that more than just the one cat has been or will become infected. whether human or feline, illness from food contamination is very under-reported.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should immediately discard the product and contact the place of purchase for a full refund.

For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872 from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST, Monday through Friday.

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high quality for the front, potato quality for the back. not sure why.

this recall was announced on december 24th, meaning a lot of people probably missed it, and potential emails about the recall may have gotten lost among a torrent of holiday marketing. bird flu can be transmissible through contaminated raw meat, unpasteurized cream or milk, and contact with infected animals.

although very unlikely, the US CDC reports that it is possible for a human to become infected from contact with an infected mammal. one person got sick from a pet cat in 2016, and another person got sick from a cow in 2024. no person-to-person spread has been confirmed in the united states.

right now, the main risk from this contamination is pets getting sick.

help keep pets safe! check those freezers!