Elite Treats recalls one lot of chicken chips over Salmonella

Elite Treats LLC has recalled a single lot of “Elite Treats Chicken Chips for Dogs” over possible Salmonella contamination, pulling one 6-ounce product lot from distribution across five Southeastern states. The recall was posted by FDA on February 24, 2026, and covers black-and-gold bags marked with lot number 24045 and an expiration date of 04/2027. The company said no illnesses had been reported at the time of the announcement. (fda.gov)

What prompted the recall is notable: according to the company announcement posted by FDA, the issue was identified after third-party laboratory testing detected Salmonella in a related lot that had not yet been commercially released. In other words, the trigger was not a confirmed illness report or a positive test from the recalled retail lot itself, but a contamination finding in a connected production lot that raised concern about product already in commerce. The recalled treats were sold to Florida Hardware, LLC, which then distributed them to feed stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. (fda.gov)

The recall involves a relatively narrow slice of product, but the public health framing is broader. FDA says Salmonella-contaminated pet treats can expose both animals and people, including through handling the product, touching contaminated bowls or countertops, or contact with pets that consumed the treats. The agency notes that infected dogs may show lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, or may show no signs at all. Even asymptomatic pets can shed the organism in feces and saliva, creating a household exposure route. (fda.gov)

That risk profile is familiar to veterinarians, but it remains easy for pet parents to underestimate, especially with treats that may be given by hand and stored casually in kitchens, cars, or treat jars. FDA’s broader pet food safety guidance emphasizes that contaminated pet foods and treats can sicken people who handle them, and that careful disposal, handwashing, and sanitizing food-contact surfaces are core control measures after a recall. In this case, consumers were told to stop using the product, not sell or donate it, dispose of it securely, and wash and sanitize bowls, cups, storage containers, utensils, and surfaces that may have come into contact with the treats. (fda.gov)

Industry coverage has largely echoed the FDA notice, with PetfoodIndustry highlighting the same key point: a single lot was pulled after third-party testing flagged contamination in a related unreleased lot. That kind of trigger can be reassuring in one sense, because it suggests the problem was caught through testing rather than after a cluster of illnesses. Still, it also underscores the ongoing challenge of pathogen control in pet food and treat manufacturing, where a contamination signal in one lot can quickly raise questions about adjacent production runs, sanitation controls, and environmental monitoring. That last point is an inference based on standard recall dynamics and FDA’s model Salmonella recall framework, which anticipates investigations into the cause of contamination and any needed production or distribution actions. (petfoodindustry.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, the practical relevance is twofold. First, clinicians in the affected distribution footprint may want to add recalled treat exposure to the history when dogs present with acute GI signs, fever, or nonspecific lethargy. Second, this is a client communication issue as much as a clinical one: households with young children, older adults, or immunocompromised people face higher risk from Salmonella exposure, and pets may act as silent carriers. That means recall counseling should extend beyond “stop feeding it” to include environmental hygiene, safe disposal, and monitoring both the pet and household members for symptoms. (fda.gov)

There’s also a broader pattern worth noting. FDA continues to frame Salmonella in pet food as a zero-tolerance adulterant issue, and recent agency advisories on other pet food products have repeated the same message: even without confirmed illnesses, a positive pathogen finding can justify a recall because of the combined animal and human health risk. For practices, that reinforces the value of staying current on recall notices and having a simple workflow for flagging affected products when pet parents call with questions. (fda.gov)

What to watch: The next key signals will be whether FDA or the company broadens the recall beyond lot 24045, whether any illnesses are reported, and whether the investigation yields more detail on the contamination source or corrective actions at the manufacturing level. (fda.gov)