⚠ Important recall information appears below.
Gravy Train dog food is owned by Big Heart Pet Brands / J.M. Smucker Company. It was the first to advertise that mixing its dog food with water created a gravy that dogs couldn’t get enough of.
Big Heart proudly proclaims its belief in integrity, courage and action to make the best choices for pets. Although the tagline on the bag says, “Stir Up a Nourishing Meal,” Gravy Train is generally considered to be a very low-quality pet food.
Big Heart Pet Brands, formerly a branch of the Del Monte Pet Products group, was acquired by The J.M. Smucker Company in 2015. Its portfolio of brands includes Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles ‘n Bits, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs and Milo’s Kitchen.
Gravy Train Quick Facts
Brand line includes: Gravy Train Beef Flavor Dry Dog Food; Gravy Train Beef, Liver & Bacon Dry Dog Food; Gravy Train Chicken & Rice Flavor Dry Dog Food; Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks; Gravy Train Meaty Ground Dinner with Beef & Bacon; and a variety of treats
Cost: $
Company: Big Heart Pet Inc. (a subsidiary of J.M. Smucker Company)
Headquarters: One Maritime Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94111
Contact info: 415-247-3000, website
Has Gravy Train Ever Been Recalled?
Yes. Independent testing in February 2018 by a TV news investigative team reportedly turned up traces of pentobarbital — often used as a euthanasia drug — in samples of Gravy Train. Pentobarbital can be deadly when consumed by dogs or cats. As a result of that investigation, The J.M. Smucker Company announced a recall of various flavors of Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Ol’ Roy and Skippy canned dog foods.
In this video, Petful publisher Dave Baker discusses the news:
UPDATE: We Now Know What Mystery Meat Was in Tainted Gravy Train
More than 10 years earlier, there was a previous Gravy Train recall, when the brand’s Beef Sticks dog snacks were pulled as a precaution during the 2007 melamine contamination. Full details of all Gravy Train recalls appear below.
List of Gravy Train Recalls
February 2018
Cause: Potential for low levels of pentobarbital. Announcement: Gravy Train website announcement (archived here); company email to Petful dated Feb. 15, 2018 (archived here); and FDA announcement dated Feb. 16, 2018, and updated March 2, 2018 (archived here). What was recalled: The following canned dog foods manufactured from 2016 to Feb. 15, 2018:
- 13.2 oz. With T-Bone Flavor Chunks, UPC# 7910052541
- 13.2 oz. With Beef Strips, UPC# 7910052542
- 13.2 oz. With Lamb and Rice Chunks, UPC# 7910052543
- 13.2 oz. With Beef Chunks, UPC# 7910034417
- 22 oz. With Beef Chunks, UPC# 7910051647
- 13.2 oz. With Chicken Chunks, UPC# 7910034418
- 22 oz. With Chicken Chunks, UPC# 7910051645
- 13.2 oz. Chunks in Gravy Stew, UPC# 7910051933
- 13.2 oz. Chicken, Beef & Liver Medley, UPC# 7910051934
- 13.2 oz. Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks, UPC# 7910034417
March 2007
Cause: Melamine. Announcement: FDA report dated March 31, 2007. What was recalled: Gravy Train Beef Sticks Dog Snacks meeting the following specifications:
- Production Code TP7B19 and “Best by” Aug. 19, 2008
- Production Code TP7B20 and “Best by” Aug. 20, 2008
- Production Code TP7B21 and “Best by” Aug. 21, 2008
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