Several raw dog food products sold directly to consumers online and by local boutique pet stores in Hawaiʻi were recalled because of possible salmonella and listeria contamination.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Health Food and Drug Branch issued an alert Thursday afternoon following Lystn’s recall of two types of beef and one chicken ANSWERS Pet Food brand raw dog foods, all of with expiration dates in either January, March or May 2026 and come in half-gallon cartons, after discovering the contamination potential.
The Food and Drug Branch is following up with local pet stores to ensure the recalled products are no longer available for sale.
Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with salmonella, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea (which could be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and/or decreased activity level.
If your pet has these symptoms, consult a veterinarian immediately. Be aware that infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces without showing signs of illness.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection in pets.
While rare, infected pets might display symptoms including mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervousness, muscular and respiratory issues, miscarriage, depression, shock and death.
Pets exposed to contaminated food can also be asymptomatic.
Infected pets, even those without symptoms, can transfer Listeria monocytogenes through feces and saliva into the home and to people and other pets.
If your pet has eaten any of the recalled product identified, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes also pose a risk to humans handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to the products.
People can become infected with salmonella and/or listeria illness by handling the contaminated products, having contact with pets that have eaten the contaminated products and/or having contact with surfaces the contaminated products touched, such as bowls, utensils or countertops.
Risk of illness increases if people do not thoroughly wash their hands after handling the food or having contact with their pet, or by not thoroughly cleaning contaminated surfaces.
The very young, very old and those with weak immune systems are particularly at high risk.
People infected with salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Most people recover without treatment, but some people can have severe diarrhea requiring hospitalization. With these patients, the salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the blood stream and then to other body sites unless the person is treated promptly.
Consult your health care provider if you have symptoms of salmonella infection.
Listeria monocytogenes can also result in listeriosis in people, which can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
Healthy people might suffer symptoms such as fever, severe headache, muscle aches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and/or diarrhea.
Although people can develop listeriosis up to 2 months after exposure, symptoms will usually start within several days from exposure, often with diarrhea.
Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics. Contact your health care provider immediately if you are exhibiting symptoms after being exposed to any of the recalled products.
To date, there have been no reports of illness attributed to the recalled products.
The Food and Drug Branch advises consumers to check for the recalled products by the “best used-by date” and do not feed them to their pets or any other animals.
Use gloves — do not touch the products with bare hands — and seal the contaminated food in a plastic trash bag and dispose of it to make sure children, pets and wildlife cannot get to it.
Any areas the products might have touched should be sanitized.
If you have any recalled products and would like a refund, submit a receipt, product pictures and the retailer’s information to info@answerspetfood.com.
For additional information, email ANSWERS Pet Food at the same address.
