National raw dog food maker Albright's recalls chicken product over potential salmonella risk

Albright’s Raw Pet Food, a producer and online retailer of raw dog food, is recalling one of its chicken products over potential salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Albright's, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, announced last week it was recalling a recent shipment of its Chicken Recipe for Dogs Complete and Balanced over the product’s “potential to be contaminated with Salmonella,” the company said in an announcement posted on the FDA’s website.

Albright's said in its announcement that it issued the recall "out of an abundance of caution." 

Officials with Albright's did not respond to requests for comment Monday. 

The product, which is sold frozen in 1-pound clear plastic pouches largely online, was distributed directly to consumers’ homes nationwide, as well as to a small number of retailers in six states, including New York, the company said.

The voluntary recall follows a routine FDA screening in which product samples from the impacted chicken recipe tested positive for salmonella.

No illnesses linked to the product have been reported, according to the announcement.

Robert Tucker, franchise owner of The K9 Shop, a local raw dog food retail chain with five locations on Long Island that sells some Albright's products, said the company does not carry the chicken recipe pouches impacted by the recall. 

Tucker said his franchise operation was in immediate contact with the Indiana manufacturer last week to ensure that none of its products were impacted by the recall. Albright's advisory went out Wednesday.

Salmonella can cause illness in pets and can be transmitted to humans, according to the announcement. Pets can be asymptomatic carriers of the disease and transmit it via their feces and saliva, which can pose a serious health risk to humans, particularly young children and the elderly.

Customers who believe their dog has eaten the recalled item and shown symptoms, such as lethargy, diarrhea, fever or vomiting, should contact their veterinarian, according to the announcement.

Long Island customers who purchased the product should throw it out so that children, pets or other wildlife can’t access it, the company said. Customers who would like a refund can submit product photos and a receipt to info@albrightsraw.com.

In November 2020, Albright's issued a similar voluntary recall over potential salmonella contamination of 67 cases of Chicken Recipe for Dogs. That product line, which was sold in 2-pound chubs, had one animal illness associated with its distribution, according to the FDA.