FDA warns 8 Quest cat food lots may cause thiamine deficiency

The FDA is warning that eight lots of Quest Cat Food made by Go Raw LLC, which does business as Steve’s Real Food, contain extremely low or no thiamine, an essential vitamin for cats. In its March 13, 2026, advisory, the agency said it had received multiple consumer complaints, including a report from a veterinary neurologist, and confirmed through testing that all eight lots fell far below the AAFCO minimum for cat food. FDA said the company has recalled only three of those eight tested lots so far, even though Steve’s Real Food has publicly said it stopped sales of all Quest products while it addresses the issue. (fda.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, this is a nutrition-linked safety issue that can present first as vague GI signs, such as decreased appetite and vomiting, before progressing to cervical ventroflexion, weakness, ataxia, circling, seizures, and potentially death if not recognized quickly. Two frozen chicken lots had no detectable thiamine in FDA testing, and the remaining affected freeze-dried chicken, pork, beef, and white fish lots also tested well below the AAFCO minimum of 5.6 mg/kg, making diet history especially important in cats with compatible neurologic or gastrointestinal signs. (fda.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether Go Raw expands its formal recall beyond the three already listed and whether FDA takes further action if the remaining lots aren’t demonstrably removed from the market. (fda.gov)