Instinct Dog Food Recall & Safety Review
Manufacturer: Nature's Variety · Also known as: Instinct Raw, Nature's Variety Instinct
Safety Status
Instinct's raw frozen line has three historical recalls (2010, 2013, 2015), each tied to that line specifically: two for potential Salmonella found in routine surveillance and one for a plastic-fragment choking hazard. No illnesses were confirmed in the 2013 event; the manufacturer adopted High Pressure Pasteurization industry-wide after the 2010 recall to reduce pathogen risk. Instinct was also named in the FDA's 2019 grain-free/DCM review.
Want extra peace of mind?
Instinct has some flagged concerns. These alternatives have a cleaner track record if you'd rather not take the risk.
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 12/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
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Special concern
Recall History (3)
- medium severityResolved
Routine FDA surveillance sample of raw chicken bites tested positive for Salmonella
Affected products: Instinct Raw Chicken Formula Bites, 4lb/7lb, Instinct Raw Chicken Formula Patties, 6lb
Source: FDA CVMView source - low severityResolved
Clear plastic fragments found in some bags, posing a potential choking hazard; source identified and resolved, no reports of harm
Affected products: Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula medallions and patties, best-by 10/4/2013
Source: FDA CVMView source - medium severityResolved
Potential Salmonella contamination in raw frozen chicken diets; recall later expanded to all raw chicken diets as the company transitioned the full line to High Pressure Pasteurization
Affected products: Raw frozen chicken medallions, patties, and chubs, best-by 11/10/2010
Source: FDA CVMView source
Controversial Ingredients (2)
- Raw animal protein (unpasteurized)medium concern
Raw frozen diets carry an inherent, industry-wide higher risk of Salmonella contamination; this line accounts for all of the brand's recalls
- Legume-heavy grain-free formulationlow concern
Named by the FDA in 2019 as one of 16 brands under review in its ongoing, inconclusive investigation into a possible link between grain-free diets and canine DCM
Safer Alternatives
Lower-risk brands from our own reviewed dataset, based on the same recall data shown on this page.
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 12/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
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Risk scores are compiled from FDA recall databases, company announcements, and public ingredient records. They are informational only and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Read our full methodology & data sources.