FDA Advises Pet Owners to Avoid Eight Lots of Raaw Energy Raw Dog Food

The FDA issued its advisory on January 23, 2026, after the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture collected and tested eight unopened product samples, and every single one tested positive for pathogenic bacteria. The contamination included Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and, in one sample, E. coli O157, a Shiga toxin-producing strain that can damage the intestinal lining, kidneys, and nervous system.

The FDA requested that the company recall the eight affected lots, but Raaw Energy has not done so. When a company refuses the FDA's recall request, the agency can issue an advisory warning consumers directly, which is exactly what happened here.

The affected products include Chicken Medley 2-lb with a date code of 7.17.25; Chicken Medley 5-lb with codes 11.22.25 and 12.12.25; Salmon 5-lb with codes 12.5.25 and 12.12.25; Beef Chicken Medley 5-lb with code 12.16.25; and Beef Turkey Medley 5-lb with code 12.18.25. Products are sold frozen and packaged in 2-pound or 5-pound clear plastic tubes sealed on each end with a metal clip, shipped in brown cardboard boxes containing 10 tubes each. Raaw Energy products aren't labeled with lot codes; different batches are distinguishable by a date code printed on white stickers on both the individual plastic tubes and the brown cardboard box.

Dogs eating contaminated food may become sick, but even healthy-appearing dogs can carry and spread these bacteria through saliva and stool, which increases the risk of infection for people living in the same household. The FDA began testing after a consumer complaint identified pathogenic bacteria in unopened samples of Raaw Energy dog food.

The company, which promotes a "raw diet for dogs," has a disclaimer page that stipulates a no-refunds policy and states that by purchasing their products, customers "agree with raw feeding for my dog and acknowledge that bacteria can be present in the food."

If you have any Raaw Energy products in your freezer, the FDA's instructions are unambiguous. Throw it away in a secure container, do not feed it to pets, do not donate the food, and clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that have had contact with the food or pet. If you currently feed your dog Raaw Energy and cannot confirm the lot number or no longer have the packaging, the FDA recommends discarding the food immediately to avoid any risk.

People who think their pets have become ill after consuming contaminated pet food should first contact their veterinarians, and the FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. The fact that the company's own purchase agreement already acknowledges bacteria can be present in the food makes this advisory all the more pointed for raw feeders who assumed they were sourcing from a safety-conscious supplier.