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 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 Salmonella 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. HUS is a serious complication that can cause kidney failure and brain damage.
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. This incident marks at least the fifth time since 2022 that the company has refused to recall its products after testing showed contamination.
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.
Refrigeration and freezing does not kill Salmonella or E. coli.
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 Salmonellacan 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 Salmonellainfection.
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
Consumers with any of the lots of Darwin’s BioLogics or Natural Selections pet food products listed above should stop feeding the product to their 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.
About E. coli infections
Food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell bad.
Anyone who has handled any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.
Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.
People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.
About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has handled any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.
Also, anyone who has handled any of the implicated products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop.
Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.
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