What was recalled
On December 24, 2024, Morasch Meats, Inc. d/b/a Northwest Naturals (Portland, OR) voluntarily recalled 2-pound plastic bags of its Northwest Naturals Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food. The recall covered product with Best If Used By dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was distributed through pet food retailers and online channels across the United States (AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI, WA) and in British Columbia, Canada.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture issued the formal recall notice on December 24, 2024. Following Northwest Naturals’ corrective actions and FDA audit, the company updated the recall status to “closed” and the recall was terminated. This was the first confirmed case in the United States of a domestic cat dying from H5N1 acquired through commercial raw pet food.
Why it was recalled
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that has spread broadly through U.S. commercial and wild bird populations since 2022, with documented spillover to dairy cattle, marine mammals, and a growing number of domestic and wild cats. In December 2024, an indoor-only house cat in Washington County, Oregon presented with severe neurologic and respiratory symptoms and died. Necropsy testing through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University confirmed H5N1 infection. Genetic sequencing established a match between the H5N1 strain in the cat and the H5N1 strain detected in opened and unopened bags of the Northwest Naturals Turkey Recipe in the household, conclusively identifying the raw frozen cat food as the source of infection. Detailed coverage from CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota documents the genetic-match traceback and the subsequent ODA enforcement action.
Health risks for your pet
H5N1 in cats presents acutely with severe lethargy, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, fever, and rapidly progressing neurologic signs including ataxia, tremors, seizures, and blindness. Mortality is high — published case series put feline H5N1 mortality at over 50% in symptomatic cats, with even higher rates when neurologic involvement is present. Unlike Salmonella or Listeria where the human risk is primarily handling and cross-contamination, H5N1 in raw cat food carries a small but real zoonotic risk to humans through close contact with infected cats or contaminated product. The CDC has documented several human H5N1 infections in U.S. dairy and poultry workers in 2024; while no human infections have been linked to the Northwest Naturals product specifically, the risk pathway exists. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s avian-flu-in-cats clinical guidance documents the presentation pattern and lab-confirmation protocols.
What to do if you bought affected product
If you have any Northwest Naturals Feline Turkey Recipe 2lb bags with Best If Used By dates 05/21/26 B10 or 06/23/2026 B1 still in storage, do not feed them to any pet and dispose of them securely so wildlife cannot consume the discarded product. Wash hands, food bowls, and any contact surfaces with hot soapy water. If your cat ate the recalled product and shows any of the symptoms above (especially lethargy, respiratory distress, or neurologic signs), contact your veterinarian immediately and mention the recall by name. The FDA and CDC both currently advise against feeding raw or undercooked poultry, beef, or dairy to cats given the ongoing H5N1 outbreak in U.S. agricultural animals.
How this affects KibbleIQ’s grade
Northwest Naturals is not currently in the KibbleIQ scored database — our methodology v15 covers commercial dry kibble, fresh cooked food, and selected raw-coated kibble per our published methodology. The 2024 H5N1 event reflects a category-level risk specific to raw pet food sourced from poultry, which the FDA and CDC have flagged repeatedly during the ongoing 2022–2025 HPAI outbreak. Northwest Naturals’ rapid coordination with ODA, transparency about the genetic match, and timely recall termination after FDA audit are quality-systems credits, but the underlying raw-poultry sourcing model carries an emerging-pathogen risk that the rubric cannot fully score on ingredient quality alone. Pet owners committed to raw feeding should look for brands with documented HPAI sourcing protocols (poultry from H5N1-tested or HPAI-free regions) and consider HPP (high-pressure processing) or freeze-drying steps, though neither guarantees full pathogen inactivation.