Freshpet Inc. is recalling a lot of Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe (4.5 lb. bag), with a sell-by date of 10/29/22, because of potential contamination with Salmonella.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is a risk to humans, notably children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, when handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or surfaces exposed to these products.

Dogs with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some dogs will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy dogs can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your dog has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The lot may have been sold at limited Walmart stores in Alabama and Georgia; and limited Target stores and other select retailers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Product NameRetail UPC CodeLot CodeSell by Date
FRESHPET® SELECT FRESH FROM THE KITCHEN HOME COOKED RECIPE62797501167310/29/2210/29/22 L3

As of the posting of this recall, Freshpet has received no reports of illness, injury, or adverse reaction. 

If pet owners have products matching the following description and sell by date in their possession, they should stop feeding it to their dogs and dispose of it immediately.

Freshpet had designated this single lot for destruction, but a small portion of the lot was inadvertently shipped to retailers in limited geographic markets in the last two weeks. 

About Salmonella infections

Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has used any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)