Raaw Energy Dog Food Recall: Listeria, Salmonella Found

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a formal warning letter to Raaw Energy, a small raw pet food maker in New Jersey, after agency testing found Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in its products — capping an eight-month enforcement case that began with an inspection in September 2025.

The warning letter, posted by FDA on October 7, 2026, orders the company to correct violations of federal food safety law or face regulatory action, including possible seizure or injunction. Raaw Energy has ceased production and is no longer making pet food, according to the agency.

How the Case Unfolded

• September 23–October 2, 2025: FDA inspectors visit Raaw Energy’s facility in New Jersey and collect product samples.
• Lab results: Agency testing detects Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in finished raw dog food products.
• November 2025: The company initiates a voluntary recall of affected lots.
• December 2025: A second, expanded recall follows as investigators trace the contamination.
• October 7, 2026: FDA publishes its formal warning letter documenting the violations and demanding corrective action.

What FDA Found Wrong

The warning letter details multiple violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA said the company’s products were adulterated — prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health.

Specifically, the agency cited:

• Failure to implement adequate sanitation controls to prevent contamination with Listeria and Salmonella.
• Inadequate monitoring of critical food safety steps in the manufacturing process.
• Failure to take effective corrective actions after the pathogens were first detected.

Why Raw Pet Food Draws This Scrutiny

Raw pet foods skip the heat-treatment “kill step” that destroys pathogens in conventional kibble and canned foods. That makes sanitation and testing the only lines of defense — and when they fail, contamination reaches the finished product.

The Raaw Energy case is not isolated. Earlier in 2026, today’s Northwest Naturals frozen pet food recall pulled dozens of cases of frozen chicken cat and dog food over Salmonella and Listeria contamination. Federal regulators have repeatedly warned that raw pet food poses elevated risks to both animals and the people who handle it.

For owners, the handling risk is real: Salmonella and Listeria on raw food can transfer to hands, bowls, and kitchen surfaces, sickening people — particularly young children, older adults, and anyone immunocompromised.

What Owners Should Do

1. Check your freezer. If you purchased Raaw Energy raw dog food, do not feed it. Seal it in a bag and discard it where animals and children cannot reach it.
2. Sanitize everything it touched — bowls, scoops, storage containers, countertops — with hot soapy water followed by a disinfectant.
3. Watch for symptoms. In dogs: lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, loss of appetite. In people: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever. Contact a veterinarian or doctor if symptoms appear.
4. Report problems. The FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal accepts reports of pet food problems from consumers and veterinarians.
5. Handle all raw pet food as a potential hazard — wash hands thoroughly after handling, and keep raw diets away from other foods.

The company has ceased production, so no new Raaw Energy product should be reaching store shelves. Consumers who bought recalled lots may be eligible for refunds through the retailer. (Source: FDA warning letter to Raaw Energy, posted October 7, 2026.)