Over the past five years – July 1, 2020 to 6/30/25 – the FDA issued 45 different recall messages. The number of recall messages varies from year to year, not necessarily due to food safety increases during a certain year. We assume that this variance in the number of recalls from year to year depends on supervisory monitoring (or lack of supervisory surveillance).
The number of recall messages is a bit misleading. As an example, over the past five years, 20 Kibble has been recalling announcements and 16 raw food messages to pets. But when you compare the pound of pet foods that are recalled with each announcement, the information looks very different.
By breaking down styles of pet foods that recalled, Kibble Pet Foods was responsible for 99% of pounds recalled at £ 68.8 million. Raw pet food was the least recalled pet food style (based on pounds), with 79 thousand pounds.
Over the past five years, pet food has been recalled for six different reasons; Aflatoxin pollution, salmonella and/or listeria pollution, elevated levels of vitamin D, incorrectly labeled pet food, foreign objects and pollutants of pet food with very pathogenic aviary flu (HPAI).
Based on recalled pounds, aflatoxin pollution was the main cause of recalled pet food with more than £ 60 million. All aflatoxin recalls were in Kibble Pet Foods, linked to two manufacturers: Midwestern Pet Food and Sunshine Mills.
Based on recalled pounds, pathogenic bacteria (salmonella and/or listeria) were the second leading cause of recalled pet food with more than £ 8 million. Kibble Pet Foods had the largest proportion of pounds recalled for pathogenic bacteria, cooked/sold cooled was the second highest pet food style in this category at 1.4% of recalled pounds, and raw pet food was the third in this causal category at 0.7% of the total pounds recalled for pathogen.
The two best brands that produced salmonella and/or listeria polluted pet food were Midwestern pet food with £ 6.5 million withdrawn and JM Smucker Meow mixture with £ 1 million recalled.
The manufacturer that recalled most kilos of pet food in the last five years – 93% of the total kilo recalled by pets – was Midwester pet food with over £ 64 million. This pet manufacturer recalled pet food for both aflatoxin and salmonella pollution.
Unfortunately, (to our knowledge) almost all these recalls began because some PET became ill or died.
Personal opinion: We believe that every pet manufacturer should be fined of $ 1.00 per pound recalled pet food. These fines could/could be used to properly test pet foods before a pet gets sick or dies. Proper control of pet food requires expensive tests. Penalties for contaminated products can finance that tests and probably result in many pet life saved.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author buyers watch out, co -authors dinner pawsible
Truthabouttfood.com
Association for truth in pet food
Become a member of our pet food consumer association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is aa -interest organization that represents the voice for pet food consumers at Aafco and with the FDA. Your membership helps representatives to participate in meetings and voting consumer problems with supervisory authorities. Click here to learn more.
What is in your pet's food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese import? The Petsumer report tells “the rest of the story” of over 5,000 cat food, dog food and pets. 30 days satisfaction guarantee. Click here to preview the Petsumer report. www.petsumerreport.com
Find healthy pet food in your area Click here
2025 list
Susan's list of trusted pet food. Click here to learn more.
Treat list 2025/26
Susan's list of reliable manufacturers of pets treat. Click here to learn more.
