Freshpet Recall June 2022: Lessons for Australian Dog Owners

The Freshpet recall of June 2022 shows why controlling which pet-food batches leave a warehouse matters as much as knowing what is in the bag. The recall involved one lot of Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe in 4.5 lb (about 2 kg) bags, identified by an October 29, 2022 sell-by date, because of potential Salmonella contamination. According to Freshpet's announcement as reproduced by the US Food and Drug Administration, the lot had been designated for destruction, but a small portion was shipped to retailers by mistake.

This was a United States recall, distributed through American stores — but the lessons travel well. Australian owners buy chilled, frozen and dry pet food from Petbarn, Petstock, Pet Circle, PetO and the supermarket, and the same questions apply here: which batch is this, how do I identify it, and what do I do if a notice is issued? This article covers what was recalled, how the affected stock reached stores, which package details mattered, what owners were told to do — and how to apply those habits in an Australian kitchen. The company announcement was dated June 17, 2022, and the US regulator posted it on June 18, 2022. The recall is now listed as completed and terminated; it is not a new alert about food currently on sale.

Which product and lot were included in the June 2022 Freshpet recall?

The notice covered a single lot, not the entire Freshpet range. Matching the product name alone was not enough: the package size, UPC barcode and date/code marking were needed to identify the recalled bags. Freshpet stated that no other products or lot codes were included in this particular recall.

Note the date format. The bag printed "10/29/22" — month first, as Americans write it. Australians read dates day-first, so imported products are an easy place to misread a code. When you check any notice, compare the code character by character rather than interpreting it.

The original notice directed owners to the bottom and back of the bag for the identifying information. Its package photographs and identifier table remain useful for understanding exactly which product was involved. A different recipe, bag size or date should not be treated as part of this recall simply because it carries the same brand name.

How did Freshpet stock marked for destruction reach retailers?

Freshpet said its team had designated the lot for destruction. Despite that decision, a small portion was inadvertently shipped to retailers in limited geographic markets during the two weeks before the announcement. This is the specific stock-handling failure described in the company's original announcement.

Two separate issues therefore need to be understood. The potential contamination explains why the food was recalled. The accidental shipment explains how some of the stock designated for destruction reached stores. The announcement does not identify the original source of the possible contamination, nor does it specify which internal picking, labelling or release-control step failed. Attributing the incident to a broken refrigerator or a particular employee would go beyond the published account.

The operational lesson is that identifying a batch for destruction and preventing its shipment are different controls. In this case, the company's stated decision about the lot did not stop every affected bag from entering distribution. That is a lesson drawn from the reported sequence, not a claim about undisclosed warehouse procedures.

In Australia, the industry framework for these controls is the voluntary Australian Standard AS 5812-2023 for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food, with accreditation run by the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA), founded in 1972. A Senate committee report on the safety of pet food examined how that framework works. Batch traceability and release control are exactly the kind of discipline such standards exist to reinforce.

Where could the recalled Freshpet bags have been sold?

Freshpet identified limited Walmart stores in Alabama and Georgia, plus 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. The distribution statement did not say every store in those locations received the lot, and no Australian distribution was listed.

Location was therefore a useful clue, not a substitute for checking the bag. The identifying details in the notice remained the way to distinguish the affected stock. Freshpet also reported that it had received no reports of illness, injury or adverse reactions at the time of the announcement. That statement describes what had been reported then; it does not mean the recalled food was considered safe to keep feeding.

What did the Freshpet recall tell owners to do?

The original notice told owners to stop feeding matching bags and dispose of the food immediately. It also asked owners with the recalled product, questions or adverse-reaction reports to contact Freshpet. Those were the instructions for the June 2022 incident; for any current concern, consult the applicable notice and the manufacturer's current contact details.

The reason for acting was the potential Salmonella risk to both animals eating the food and people handling contaminated food or exposed surfaces. The notice described possible signs in dogs including lethargy, diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and reduced appetite. It also noted that infected dogs without obvious illness could carry the bacteria. Owners whose dogs had eaten the recalled product and developed symptoms were advised to contact a vet. People who became unwell after contact were advised to see their doctor. These instructions are recorded in the regulator-hosted Freshpet announcement. If digestive signs are driving this decision, keep parasite testing in the conversation too: the dewormer coverage guide explains why a supplement label and confirmed parasite coverage are different things.

For a suspected food problem anywhere — Sydney, Perth or Brisbane as much as New York — keep purchase details, package photographs and a timeline of what your dog ate and when signs appeared. The US regulator's complaint instructions are a good model of what to record. In Australia, take that record to your vet and contact the retailer and manufacturer named on the pack. Reporting an illness helps an investigation; it does not by itself establish its cause. Keep suspect food out of the diet and clean feeding equipment and contacted surfaces, as discussed in the CDC's pet-food safety guidance.

What the Freshpet notice teaches about checking labels and dates

The recalled food had an October sell-by date even though the announcement was issued in June. This distinction matters: a product can still be within its printed date and be subject to a recall. For this incident, the product name, bag size, UPC and date/code marking had to be read together. A date check alone would not have answered the recall question.

Keep the original packaging or photographs of all identifying details. The US regulator's pet-food complaint checklist asks for the full product name, package details and codes, along with purchase and storage information. Photographing the whole label is more useful than saving only the barcode. As a practical household habit, keep any package you are querying separate from food you plan to serve until the seller or manufacturer has answered the question.

Those label-checking habits also apply to products used in an everyday care routine. When choosing Pure Majesty Liquid Collagen for Dogs — the most popular liquid collagen for dogs, with 462 mg of hydrolysed collagen types I & III and 48 mg of UC-II per 2 mL serving, A$47 — retain the bottle's identifying details and follow its own serving and storage directions. Every batch comes with a certificate of analysis, which is exactly the kind of batch-level traceability this article is about. It is a separate everyday-care consideration, not a remedy for recalled food. Before adding collagen to an older dog’s routine, use the collagen comparison by type and dose to check the collagen type, measured serving and ingredient overlap.

The same label-reading discipline is also the fastest way to compare joint products. Our guide to the best joint supplements for dogs explains which actives have the strongest evidence, what to look for on the label, and why our Advanced Hip & Joint Chews — 18 active ingredients, A$80 — are our top pick for 2026. For a closer look at the question raised here, read Natural Joint Supplements for Dogs Australia: Evidence. The separate guide, Glucosamine Chews for Dogs in Australia: Why Cold Extrusion and 18 Actives Matter, explains the choices in more detail.

The June 2022 Freshpet recall is now listed as completed and terminated. Do not interpret this historical notice as evidence of a new recall, or use it to decide the status of a different lot. For current alerts on American products, check the US regulator's animal-product recall listings; for anything bought in Australia, check the manufacturer's and retailer's current information and ask your vet.

Stock control versus storage: the distinction in the Freshpet case

Storage concerns the conditions in which food is kept. Stock handling also concerns which batch is selected and whether it should be released for sale. The Freshpet announcement described an error in that release process; it did not identify a refrigeration failure as the cause. Keeping those points separate avoids turning a documented shipping error into an unsupported claim about the product's storage history.

For owners, both checks still belong in the routine. Following refrigeration directions does not cancel a recall, and checking recall notices does not replace following the label's storage instructions. The CDC's pet-food safety guidance recommends avoiding recalled food and storing products as directed. The practical extension of the Freshpet case is to check batch status and storage directions as separate questions.

Storage deserves particular attention in Australia. In a Queensland or Northern Territory summer, a car boot can heat up fast — the RSPCA warns car temperatures can more than double the outside temperature — so take chilled pet food straight home and into the fridge, and keep dry food out of hot garages and sheds.

Applying the lessons: five checks when buying and storing pet food

The stock-release error in the Freshpet case happened before the food reached owners. The household checks below cannot correct a manufacturer's release error, but they help owners retain the information needed to respond to a notice and handle their food supply appropriately. The checklist draws on the US regulator's safe-handling advice and pet-food storage guidance, converted to metric.

A simple way to put this into practice is to keep one small record for each open product: its name, code, opening date and storage instructions. This is an organisational suggestion, not a replacement for the directions on the package. An opening date is especially useful when the label sets a use-within period.

For products added to meals, storage habits extend beyond the food bag. Keep Pure Majesty Dog Dental Powder (A$72) in a cool, dry place with the lid closed tightly after use, and use a clean, dry scoop — humid coastal summers are hard on any powder. Follow the package's serving guide for this daily oral-care step. If you are comparing a food-added dental product as well, use the dental powder evidence guide to distinguish daily plaque care from treatment of established dental disease.

Keep the recall response separate from everyday care

The Freshpet recall concerned potentially contaminated food; it was not a recommendation to replace a complete diet with supplements. Food safety and an appropriate complete and balanced diet come first. Additional care products have their own purposes and do not make contaminated food safe or replace veterinary care for a foodborne infection.

For everyday digestive support, Pure Majesty Liquid Probiotic for Dogs (A$52) combines three live cultures — Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis — with MOS and beta-glucans from an inactivated yeast cell-wall preparation and tributyrin, in a 60 mL liquid measured onto food. Compare the formula with other gut-health products already in use, such as FortiFlora or PAW Digesticare, and follow the bottle's directions. Read more in our guide to probiotics for dogs. If you are also evaluating digestive support, use the dog probiotic comparison to check named strains and serving information without assuming a gut supplement treats the skin condition.

For a different routine focused on skin, paws and ears — a common concern in humid Queensland and coastal NSW summers — Pure Majesty Yeast Support Drops (A$47) are an oral supplement that includes a postbiotic ingredient rather than a live probiotic. Give the drops by mouth as directed, not in the ears. Choose your supply by the product's intended role and current serving guide, keeping its original label. When choosing a routine cleaner, use the ear cleaner comparison to compare current ingredients and directions; a cleaner is a separate choice from treatment for an infection. If ear odor or discharge accompanies the scratching, compare the signs and next steps for dog yeast infections; appearance alone cannot confirm yeast.

Freshpet recall and stock-handling questions

Was every Freshpet product recalled in June 2022?

No. The announcement covered one lot of the 4.5 lb Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe, with the October 29, 2022 sell-by date. Freshpet said no other products or lot codes were included in that recall. See the original notice for the identifiers.

Did the June 2022 Freshpet recall affect Australia?

The distribution list named only US states and Puerto Rico; no Australian retailers were listed. For any product bought in Australia, check the manufacturer's and retailer's current notices and the full identifiers on your pack.

Was the recall caused by owners storing the food incorrectly?

That is not what the announcement reported. Freshpet described a lot designated for destruction because of potential contamination, part of which was shipped to retailers inadvertently. The published account did not establish improper storage by owners as the cause.

Does a product being within date rule out a recall?

No. In the Freshpet case, a June announcement concerned food with an October sell-by date. A printed date and a recall notice answer different questions. Check the full identifiers, not just whether the date has passed — and remember that imported packs may print dates month-first.

Can I pour dry food into a separate storage container?

The US regulator recommends retaining the original bag; it can go inside the container. If you pour food out of the bag, keep the package information and use a clean, dry container. Wash and dry it before refilling.

Should I replace a complete diet with supplements after a recall?

No. Choose an appropriate replacement food when necessary, with veterinary guidance. Collagen, probiotics and other supplements serve their individual purposes alongside the diet; they are not complete meals or a way to salvage recalled food.

Do Pure Majesty Pets products ship to Australia?

Yes. Shipping is free worldwide, and Australian orders ship with duties and GST prepaid (DDP), so there is nothing to pay on delivery.

Want supplements you can trace batch by batch? Order Pure Majesty Liquid Collagen for Dogs — certificate of analysis on every batch, free shipping to Australia, duties and GST prepaid.

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace veterinary advice. It summarises a historical US recall from public notices. Pure Majesty Pets is not affiliated with Freshpet. Supplements are nutritional products, are not registered with the APVMA as veterinary medicines and are not intended to diagnose or cure any disease. If your dog may have eaten contaminated food, contact your veterinarian.