Note: This post is NOT in defense of any pet food contaminated with a pathogenic bacteria, especially E. coli. The intent of this post is to hold FDA accountable for its actions.
On July 29, 2025 the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine issues an “Advisory: Do Not Feed Certain Lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Pet Food Due to E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.”
“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.”
The FDA states: “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.”
Concern: While very serious, the child’s illness was a year ago (August 2024). Why has it taken a full year to trace this illness?
The pet food was not tested until 10 months after the child’s illness. “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.” The FDA did not disclose why testing of the pet food was delayed for 10 months (after the child’s illness).
FDA continues: “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.”
“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.”
However…later in the FDA press release the agency states: “Symptoms may begin anywhere from a few days up to nine days after exposure.”
Concern: The time frame of potential pet food related exposure provided by the FDA does not match with the illness of the child. If symptoms begin “a few days” after exposure, and the dog was ill “one day before the child fell ill” – something is off.
The FDA press release states: “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.”
But…the agency press release does NOT tell pet owners that because “Darwin’s Natural Pet Products are sold online through a subscription service”, they are not legally required to issue a press release recall notice.
Per an email from FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine to us in 2022:
The FDA knows that federal law does NOT require Darwin’s to issue a press release recall statement, the agency knows the ONLY requirement Darwin’s has to meet is direct communication with their customers. Yet, the agency made a public announcement contrary to this.
And at the end of the FDA Advisory notice the agency states: “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.”
Federal law might require the above, BUT FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine certainly does not enforce these laws.
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine directly allows pet food to:
- Source diseased animal material such as condemned beef or chicken with no disclosure on the pet food label to inform consumers;
- Source non-slaughtered animal material such as dead, decomposing carcasses with no disclosure on the pet food label to inform consumers;
- Label a pet food as ‘Made with Real Chicken’, display images of roasted chicken on the label and website, while the chicken ingredient in the pet food is USDA condemned chicken and was never roasted.
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine has the audacity to tell the public about what federal law requires of pet food, when the director of the agency stated in response to a Citizen Petition: “We do not believe that the use of diseased animals or animals that died otherwise than by slaughter to make animal food poses a safety concern and we intend to continue to exercise enforcement discretion.”
The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine’s pants are on fire.
Per documents provided to us by Darwin’s Pet Food (for consideration in the 2025 List), the company sources 100% USDA inspected and passed meats (human grade).
If the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine wants to have consumer trust in their regulation of pet food, we suggest the agency start with enforcing existing law – all laws, all styles of pet food. As well, we suggest the agency stop misleading the public in public advisories.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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