If you’re checking the Acana cat food recall history before buying a bag, here’s the short version: Acana has never had a formal, FDA-classified recall. That doesn’t mean its record is spotless — there’s a 2011 salmonella alert, a 2018 lawsuit, a 2018 quality withdrawal, and a 2019 FDA investigation worth knowing about, even though none of them resulted in an actual recall.
This guide lays out every notable event in order, explains what actually happened in each one, and gives a straight answer on whether Acana is safe to feed your cat today.
Quick Timeline: Acana Cat Food Recall History
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Mad cow disease scare (lower-end Champion brands only) | Acana never affected — premium lines used only fresh ingredients |
| 2011 | FDA salmonella detection in one Acana Grasslands sample | Temporary import alert; independent testing came back negative, alert lifted |
| 2018 | Voluntary limited market withdrawal (Kentucky facility, elevated moisture) | Proactive withdrawal, not a safety recall — no contamination or pathogens found |
| 2018 | Class-action lawsuit over heavy metals and toxins | Champion called it “meritless”; no recall or regulatory action followed |
| 2019 | FDA lists Acana among 16 brands in grain-free DCM investigation | No recall — FDA called it a “complex scientific issue” still under review |
Has Acana Cat Food Ever Been Recalled?
This is the question at the heart of any Acana cat food recall history search: no. As of this guide’s last update, neither the FDA nor Champion Petfoods (Acana’s manufacturer) has issued a formal recall for any Acana product. That’s a notably clean record for a company that’s been making pet food since 1985 and sells across North America. The events below are things worth knowing about, but none of them meet the legal or regulatory definition of a recall.
The Full Timeline, Explained
Reading the Acana cat food recall history year by year makes it much easier to see which events actually mattered and which were just noise.
2003: Mad Cow Disease Scare (Not an Acana Issue)
Some of Champion’s lower-end, non-premium brands at the time may have contained rendered meat from a cow later found to have BSE (“mad cow disease”). Acana itself was never affected — the company has stated its premium lines used only fresh, non-rendered ingredients even at that point.
2011: Salmonella Detection and Import Alert
FDA testing detected salmonella in a single sample of Acana Grasslands, which triggered a temporary import alert on the product. Champion Petfoods responded with independent lab testing that came back negative, and the import alert was lifted. No recall was issued, and no illnesses were publicly linked to the sample.
2018: Limited Market Withdrawal Over Moisture Levels
Champion Petfoods voluntarily withdrew select Acana and Orijen products made at its newer Kentucky facility after internal testing found elevated moisture levels. This was a quality-control issue, not a safety one — there was no contamination, no pathogens, and no toxins involved, and the company pulled the affected products before any confirmed consumer complaints.
2018: Class-Action Lawsuit
A separate class-action lawsuit that same year accused Champion of failing to disclose heavy metals and toxins in its formulas, alleging “negligent, reckless” practices. Champion publicly called the claims “meritless and based on misinterpretation of the data.” No recall, FDA action, or regulatory finding followed the lawsuit.
2019: FDA Grain-Free DCM Investigation
The FDA named Acana as one of 16 pet food brands potentially associated with an increase in canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cases, mostly tied to grain-free formulas. The agency was explicit that this is a “complex scientific issue” that may involve multiple factors beyond diet alone, and it stopped short of confirming any brand as a direct cause. No recall resulted from the investigation, and it primarily concerned dog food rather than cat food.
Who Makes Acana? A Quick Look at Champion Petfoods
Part of understanding the Acana cat food recall history is understanding who actually stands behind it. Acana is made by Champion Petfoods, a Canadian company founded in 1975 in Barrhead, Alberta, that moved into pet food production in 1985 and became a fully independent pet food company in 2001. Champion manufactures at its own facilities in Alberta, Canada and Auburn, Kentucky, sourcing ingredients regionally rather than outsourcing production to third-party co-packers — the same in-house manufacturing model that tends to correlate with fewer recalls across the pet food industry generally.
Is Acana Cat Food Safe to Feed Today?
Once you look past the headlines, the Acana cat food recall history actually supports a reassuring answer. Based on the full record, yes — Acana has no formal recalls in its history, and the notable events above were either resolved through independent testing (2011), handled proactively before any safety issue emerged (2018 withdrawal), or never substantiated by a regulatory body (the 2018 lawsuit and 2019 FDA review). If you have a cat with an existing heart condition, it’s still worth discussing grain-free formulas specifically with your vet given the ongoing DCM research, but that applies industry-wide, not specifically to Acana.
How to Stay Informed on Future Recalls Yourself
No matter how thorough a single write-up of the Acana cat food recall history is, it’s a snapshot in time. Rather than relying on any single article to stay current, you can check recall status directly:
- Sign up for FDA pet food recall alerts to get notified the moment anything changes.
- Check the lot number and manufacturing date on your specific bag against any new alerts.
- Follow Champion Petfoods’ own recall and quality page for company-issued updates before they hit third-party news sites.
If you’re also comparing other premium brands, our Farmina Cat Food Reviews guide covers ingredient quality and pricing for another well-regarded option.
Acana Cat Food Recall History: The Bottom Line
The Acana cat food recall history shows a company that has never had a formal recall, despite a few moments — a 2011 salmonella alert, a 2018 quality withdrawal, a lawsuit, and an FDA review — that are worth knowing about even though none of them resulted in regulatory action. For most cat owners, that track record puts Acana solidly in the “safe, well-managed brand” category rather than one to avoid.
FAQ
Has Acana cat food ever been recalled?
No. Checking the full Acana cat food recall history confirms there are no formal, FDA-classified recalls as of this guide’s last update.
What happened with Acana and salmonella in 2011?
The FDA detected salmonella in one Acana Grasslands sample, triggering a temporary import alert. Independent testing came back negative, and the alert was lifted without a recall.
Is Acana on the FDA’s grain-free heart disease list?
Yes, Acana was named among 16 brands in the FDA’s 2019 review of a possible link between grain-free diets and canine DCM, but the agency did not confirm a direct cause and no recall followed.
Is Acana safe to feed my cat now?
Based on its full recall history, yes — Acana has no formal recalls, and its past incidents were resolved through testing or proactive action rather than confirmed safety failures.
Recall status can change at any time — always check the FDA’s recall page and your bag’s specific lot number before feeding. Last verified September 2026.
