An FSIS health alert on Kroger raw chicken across nine states — and in Washington, cats are sick with bird flu as investigators look at a raw pet food link. This is Food Recall Watch — and if nine states are in the headline, we need the nine states. We'll get to the cats and the raw pet food question too. One tap on follow, and we'll be back in your ears before you know it. Meatingplace's Frank Fuhrig is tracking this. FSIS issued a public health alert overnight for a Kroger raw chicken product sent to nine states. It's an alert, not a recall — the product isn't being pulled, but the agency is flagging a possible contamination concern and telling people to check their freezers. Nine states. If you're going to put that in the headline, give people the list. I can see "Kroger" and still have no idea whether my Kroger is one of them. And you're right — Kroger's a name people recognize, but it covers a whole family of banners. Shoppers need the state list and the package details, not just the parent brand on the sign. Right, and here's the clean part — this didn't come from some recall expanding outward. FSIS opened it themselves, top down. The raw chicken was suspect before it hit anyone's kitchen; nobody's fridge created this problem. Exactly. With a health alert, the move is pretty simple — match your lot code and sell-by date to the notice. If it matches, cook it to 165 or toss it. Don't rinse it, don't gamble. Washington State Department of Agriculture writes:
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is alerting pet owners that at least two domestic, indoor cats in King and Snohomish counties in Washington have become infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), with more cats being tested. Pet owners reported feeding their cats potentially contaminated Wild Coast Raw pet food (previously identified in a prior public health alert). One of the cats was euthanized due to the severity of the illness. The second cat is being treated by a veterinarian.
WSDA says at least two indoor cats in King and Snohomish counties have been confirmed infected with HPAI. Their owners reported feeding Wild Coast Raw — a brand already flagged in a prior alert. One cat was euthanized; the other is under veterinary care. And here's the part I want to sit with — these were indoor cats. For indoor cats, the bowl is the obvious path investigators are looking at. That's the same raw-food risk we were just talking about with the Kroger chicken. Right — and compared with that Kroger health alert, this one is messier than a simple toss-or-return call. The investigation is still open. WSDA points you to their recalls and health alerts page for the specific lot numbers. I hate saying that, but it's honest — I can't tell you tonight whether to dump the bag or wait. The lots are still being matched, and it's already linked to sick cats in Oregon too. Check the WSDA lot list against your bag. If it matches, stop feeding it and call your vet. If Food Recall Watch helps you stay alert, try Ebola Watch too: a daily briefing on Ebola in the DRC and Uganda, with case counts, border tracing, WHO vaccine news, and traveler guidance. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
You'll find links to every recall and source we mentioned in the show notes, so you can take a closer look at anything that might affect your kitchen or shopping list. That's Food Recall Watch for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.