"Natural" and "Holistic" are terms that are not regulated, therefore mean nothing, when it comes to pet foods. Using the term "natural" makes one feel good, but my horses' manure is all natural, but isn't something I want to eat, nor feed my dogs. (Nevermind that most dogs think it is a delicacy!)
I think the first thing is to avoid grains, in pet foods, because it is unlikely the companies are spending the money for non-GMO, organic grains. And, while canids in the wild get some grain, when they consume their prey, it is usually the lowest dog on the totem pole that gets the intestines and grains of the prey. Even if a dog eats an entire rabbit, they are still only getting a small percentage of grain.
As far as things like Salmonella, I have seen many more reports in the news of humans being hospitalized and being in organ failure due to handling dry, processed dog kibble, than I have seen of humans handling raw meats. 19 cases were critical, and possibly going to need transplants, reported earlier this year. I wouldn't let fear of bacteria stop me from feeding raw food to a pet.
And yes, many of the foods, including "holistic" brands have had recalls. If they are sourcing their vitamins and minerals from China, it is only a matter of time before massive numbers of pets are injured and killed, just as with the issues from 2007. FDA won't confirm it, but there is some fairly strong reasons to believe the jerky recalls are due to drug levels found in those treats, and it is a drug, allowed in China, but banned in the USA, or banned at the higher levels, or having a long withdrawal period before slaughter, that was not adhered to, being of Chinese import.
On a side note, permission has been granted to allow poultry to be imported into the USA from China, for human consumption. There is no telling what sort of issues are looming on the horizon for our food supplies.
