Gravy Train Dog Food

PetfulSeptember 29, 2023

⚠ 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.

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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About Petful

This content was written by the lead research team at Petful®, led by publisher Dave Baker, a longtime advocate for pet food safety. Our team has been tracking pet food recalls for nearly 15 years, and we spend countless hours combing through databases and news archives going back 40 years or more to bring you the most accurate pet food information possible. About 40,000 safety-conscious pet parents are subscribed to our free recall alerts, and Animal Radio has called Petful’s list of pet food recalls “the best, most complete list” online. Learn more about Petful, or explore our Pet Food Recall Center.