FDA warns on eight Quest cat food lots over thiamine risk

Steve’s Real Food’s Quest cat food line is facing a sharper FDA warning after agency testing found eight lots of frozen and freeze-dried products contained extremely low, or no detectable, thiamine, an essential nutrient for cats. In its March 13, 2026 advisory, the FDA said it had received multiple consumer complaints, including a report from a veterinary neurologist, involving severe thiamine deficiency in cats eating certain Quest products. The agency said it recommended that Go Raw LLC, doing business as Steve’s Real Food, recall all eight tested lots, but that the company had recalled only three lots as of the advisory. Those three lots were first addressed through a February 17, 2026 recall and a February 26, 2026 expansion covering one freeze-dried chicken lot and two frozen chicken lots, while the company also said it would stop sale of all Quest products until the issue is addressed. (fda.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a nutrition-linked safety event with real clinical consequences. The FDA said affected cats may show early gastrointestinal signs such as decreased appetite and vomiting, then progress to neurologic findings including cervical ventroflexion, weakness, ataxia, circling, seizures, and death if untreated. FDA testing found all eight lots fell far below the AAFCO minimum thiamine level for cat food of 5.6 mg/kg on a dry matter basis, despite Quest labels stating the diets were formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages. That creates both an immediate case-identification issue in practice and a client communication issue for teams fielding questions from pet parents using raw, frozen, or freeze-dried feline diets. (fda.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether Go Raw expands its formal recall beyond the three lots already recalled, and whether FDA posts additional enforcement or compliance updates tied to the remaining five lots. (fda.gov)