Open Farm pulls six dog food products over plastic film issue

Open Farm has initiated a market withdrawal of six dog food products after identifying small pieces of food-grade plastic film in limited production lots, an event that has drawn attention because the company says the material is non-toxic and does not pose a health risk to dogs. The affected products include five Freeze-Dried Raw Morsel recipes and one Front Range Ancient Grains RawMix recipe, and Open Farm directed distributors to destroy impacted lots and retailers to remove them from sale. Dog Food Advisor, which first highlighted the move for consumers, emphasized that this was not being treated as a recall, but as a quality issue. (dogbonemarket.com)

The background here is important. According to Open Farm’s notice circulated through retail channels, the problem was traced to pieces of liner from raw protein ingredients that were not fully removed during manufacturing. Open Farm said it had received only one consumer complaint and no reports of injury, and described the withdrawal as a precautionary step to uphold product quality standards. The company, founded in 2014, has built its brand around premium positioning, traceability, and trust with pet parents, so even a low-risk quality event carries reputational weight. (dogbonemarket.com)

The products listed in the withdrawal notice span multiple sizes and lot codes across Homestead Turkey, Grass-Fed Beef, Surf & Turf, Pasture-Raised Lamb, and Farmer’s Table Pork Freeze-Dried Raw recipes, plus Front Range Ancient Grains RawMix. A retailer reposting the company’s notice said two affected lots had already been pulled from its shelves. Dog Food Advisor reported that consumers who purchased affected lots could receive a refund or replacement, and that Open Farm has added material-handling requirements and stronger quality inspections to prevent a repeat. (dogbonemarket.com)

There also appears to have been a regulatory footprint beyond retailer communications. A January 2, 2025 report from Truth About Pet Food said FDA Enforcement Report records reflected a withdrawal tied to “foreign object (plastic)” contamination and noted that no FDA recall press release was expected. That doesn’t by itself change the company’s core message that the issue was low risk, but it does show how these events can move through the regulatory system even when they are not framed publicly as full recalls. (truthaboutpetfood.com)

Direct outside expert commentary on this specific Open Farm event was limited in public sources, but FDA guidance offers the clearest practical lens for clinics: foreign objects in pet food are a reportable product problem, and complaints can be submitted through the agency’s reporting portals. FDA also advises consumers to contact both the manufacturer and the agency when they find a foreign object or suspect a food-related issue. For veterinary teams, that means client calls about visible contamination should be treated as both a medical triage question and a documentation opportunity. (fda.gov)

Why it matters: Even when a manufacturer says a contaminant is non-toxic, the phrase “plastic in dog food” can trigger understandable concern from pet parents and confusion at the practice level. For veterinarians, the real-world task is to separate toxicologic risk from physical-risk and perception issues. In this case, the reported material was soft, thin, and malleable, which lowers concern compared with hard or sharp foreign material, but clinics may still field questions about GI upset, obstruction risk, whether to induce vomiting, and whether to switch diets abruptly. The event is also a reminder that quality withdrawals can have the same communication burden as recalls, especially for premium brands whose clients may expect a high degree of manufacturing control. (dogfoodadvisor.com)

For the broader pet food sector, this episode underscores how preventive controls and ingredient-handling steps remain central to trust, not just compliance. Open Farm says it has already implemented additional handling requirements and enhanced inspections. If that proves sufficient, the story may fade quickly. If more complaints surface, or if FDA elevates the matter through additional enforcement visibility, veterinary practices may need to update their client messaging and adverse-event reporting workflows. (dogfoodadvisor.com)

What to watch: The next signals will be whether FDA further classifies or expands the public record around the withdrawal, whether additional lots or products are named, and whether Open Farm or industry groups offer more detail on the manufacturing failure and corrective actions timeline. (dogfoodadvisor.com)