{"topic_id":"fda_openfda_pet_recalls_data_source_summary","category":"us-2026","context":"---\ntopic_id: fda_openfda_pet_recalls_data_source_summary\ncategory: FDA-RECALL-PET\ntitle: openFDA Pet Food Recalls Data Source - Limitations & Findings\nlang: en\nsource: openFDA Food Enforcement API + FDA 官网 + USDA FSIS API\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-18\ntokens_estimated: 600\nsource_document: \"FDA Pet Food Recall Index\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"US FDA / USDA APHIS\"\n  title: \"openFDA Pet Food Recalls Data Source - Limitations & Findings\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-18\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"open dataset (JSON API)\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:fda\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n# openFDA Pet Food Recalls — Data Source Analysis: Limitations & Findings\n\n## Source value assessment\n- ⭐⭐ **Limited value for pet food specifically**\n- The openFDA Food Enforcement API is the U.S. FDA's public food-recall dataset.\n- However, the actual number of true pet-food recalls is very small.\n\n## Research findings (2026-07-18)\n\n### API strategies tested\n1. ❌ `product_description:\"pet food\"` → 1 record (false positive on carrots)\n2. ❌ `product_description:\"dog food\"` → 2 records (Freshpet 2019)\n3. ❌ `product_description:\"cat food\"` → 0 records\n4. ❌ `product_type:\"Pet Food\"` → 404 (field does not exist)\n5. ⚠️ reverse search on `reason_for_recall` + `product_description` → 17 records, but 14 are human-food false positives such as Hot Dog / Black Cat.\n\n### True pet-food recalls identified\n- **F-1753-2019** (2019-06-17): FRESHPET SELECT FRESH FROM THE KITCHEN - REFRIGERATED DOG FOOD 1.75LB — improper refrigeration temperature ✅ (re-verified against openFDA API on 2026-07-18: recall_initiation_date 20190617, reason consistent)\n- **F-1754-2019** (2019-06-17): FRESHPET SELECT GRAIN FREE SMALL - REFRIGERATED DOG FOOD 1LB — improper refrigeration temperature ✅ (consistent on same re-check)\n- ~~**F-1432-2024** (2024-06-03): Nature's Wonderland Thyroid Formula - Salmonella~~ **audit correction (2026-07-18)**: this record is a human supplement from Penn Herb Company (Thyroid Formula 60 Veg Capsules, product_type=Food), **not pet food** — a false positive, removed from the true pet-food recall list.\n- Note: both Freshpet records are from 2019, **outside the local 2020–2026 raw-data window**; the original subsection title \"(2020–2026)\" was incorrect and has been fixed.\n- **True pet-food recalls within 2020–2026 local data** (`_all_recalls_raw.json`, 10,068 records) = **0**, consistent with `real_pet_recalls: 0` in `_source.json`.\n\n### Why low yield?\n1. **openFDA `product_description` field is not categorized** (human food and pet food share it).\n2. **Keyword ambiguity**: \"dog\"/\"cat\" match Hot Dog / Chili Dog / Black Cat Ice Cream, etc.\n3. **Pet-food recall events are themselves infrequent** (U.S. pet-food regulation is relatively mature).\n\n## Alternative data sources considered\n1. ❌ FDA official site https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/recalls-withdrawals/pet-food-recalls\n   → 10 bytes (anti-abuse \"apology\" block / anti-scraping)\n2. ❌ USDA FSIS API https://www.fsis.usda.gov/fsis/api/recall/v1\n   → 403 Access Denied\n3. ❌ FDA ENFORCE public dataset ZIP\n   → 10–163 bytes (all 3 URLs blocked)\n\n## Data stored (2026-07-18 audit correction: the originally recorded path prefix `/mnt/zspace/opwen/...` is obsolete, and the stored descriptions did not match the actual files)\n- `web/topics/us-2026/fda-recalls/_pet_food_recalls.json` — actually an **empty array (0 records)**; the original claim of \"17 records raw\" does not hold — the 17 reverse-search results were not persisted.\n- `web/topics/us-2026/fda-recalls/_all_recalls_raw.json` — 10,068 records, report_date covering 2020–2026.\n- `pdf-parsed/fda/pet_food_recalls.json` — 83 records (fetched 2026-07-15, querying pet/dog/cat), includes F-1752-2019 FRESHPET DOG JOY CHICKEN TREATS; the rest are mostly Hot Dog / Black Cat / Fat Cat false positives.\n- ~~3 true pet-food recall topics~~ — no such topic files exist in the directory (only this summary); the original claim was incorrect.\n\n## Conclusion\n- **openFDA is not suitable as a pet-food recall data source.**\n- **Recommended direction**: subscribe to the FDA Animal & Veterinary RSS feed\n  - https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/contact-fda/subscribe-fda-rss-feeds\n- Or use the PFI industry internal recall database (subscription-based).\n\n---\n\n## Addendum — 2026-07-30 (D1 first round): a viable C1 source WAS found\n\nThe \"no structured source exists\" conclusion above was superseded on 2026-07-30.\n\n- **Found**: the FDA \"Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts\" page exposes an XLSX SOLR-index export:\n  `https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/datatables-data?page&_format=xlsx`\n  (975 total rows; 7 columns: Date, Brand-Names, Product-Description, Product-Types, Recall-Reason-Description, Company-Name, Terminated Recall).\n- **Filter**: rows where `Product-Types` contains **\"Pet Food\"** → **20 pet-food recall entries (2019–2026)**. This is a first-hand FDA source and IS C1-verifiable.\n- **Canonical dataset**: `recalls/fda-pet-recalls-20260730.json` (all 20 rows, verbatim fields).\n- **Rebuilt topic**: `web/topics/fda/FDA_pet_food_recall_2026.md` (was previously C1-unconfirmed narrative; now lists 7 verbatim 2026 entries + annual counts).\n- **Caveat**: this index does **not** carry Class I/II/III classification (that field lives in the FDA Enforcement Report, which is itself unsuitable for pet food per above). Cross-reference `FDA_pet_food_recall_classification` for the framework.\n- The `_pet_food_recalls.json` in this directory now mirrors the 20 real rows (previously an empty `[]`).\n","sources":["US FDA / USDA APHIS — openFDA Pet Food Recalls Data Source - Limitations & Findings (retrieved 2026-07-18)"],"source":{"authority":"US FDA / USDA APHIS","title":"openFDA Pet Food Recalls Data Source - Limitations & Findings","url":"https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/","retrieved":"2026-07-18","ref":"","doc_type":"open dataset (JSON API)","source_document":"FDA Pet Food Recall Index","verification_file":"openFDA Food Enforcement API + FDA 官网 + USDA FSIS API"},"source_document":"FDA Pet Food Recall Index","source_file":"openFDA Food Enforcement API + FDA 官网 + USDA FSIS API","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":600,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}