Which Dog Food Have Never Been Recalled?
The last thing that you want to do is feed tainted dog food to your dog. One of the best ways to determine if a dog food company might have a recall in the future is to check if they’ve had a recall in the past.
We tracked down the dog food brands that have never been a part of a recall. We double-checked each of the entries with the FDA pet food recall database to give you a list that you can trust.
Since a company can have a recall at any moment, we recommend checking the database yourself once you settle on a dog food for your pup!
The 10 Popular Dog Foods That Have Never Been Recalled
Blackwood
| Food Types | Dry and wet |
| Cost | Medium |
| Founding Year | 1978 |
If you want a dog food from a company that’s been around a while with no recalls, Blackwood dog food is probably the way to go. It makes both wet and dry foods and has tons of recipes that you can pick from.
While it doesn’t have any fresh, freeze-dried, or frozen food options, it’s still extremely likely that it’ll have what you’re looking for. The company itself is reliable and has a proven track record.
Nature’s Logic
| Food Types: | Dry, wet, frozen, and dehydrated |
| Cost: | Medium-high |
| Founding Year: | 2006 |
If you’re looking for top-notch dog food, it’s hard to top Nature’s Logic. While it’s a relatively newer dog food brand, it has tons of options to choose from, and none have had a recall.
That means you can pick from the entire lineup of high-quality dry, wet, frozen, or dehydrated dog foods and know that you’re getting a safe and nutritious meal for your pup. There are also tons of protein options available, so you can find the perfect recipe for your dog.
Acana
| Food Types | Dry |
| Cost | Medium |
| Founding Year | 1979 |
Acana is a dog food company that makes high-quality dog food and has for quite a while. Since Acana formed in 1979, it’s had zero recalls, which is an impressive track record.
However, it doesn’t have a ton of food options available. In fact, if you want Acana dog food, you have to go with a dry food. It doesn’t make anything else, although it does have plenty of recipes for you to choose from.
Eagle Pack
| Food Types | Dry |
| Cost | Low |
| Founding Year | 1985 |
If you want a dog food that doesn’t have a history of recalls, you don’t need to spend extra money for it. Eagle Pack has a trusted history of zero recalls, and it’s one of the most affordable dog foods on this list.
There are not many recipe options to choose from, but no matter what you go with, it will be affordable. Don’t let the lower-price tag fool you; the brand only uses high-quality ingredients.
Annamaet Petfoods
| Food Types | Dry |
| Cost | Medium-high |
| Founding Year | 1986 |
Annamaet is a dog food company that has produced high-quality dog food for over 35 years without recalls, meaning you can rest easy knowing that the food that you’re giving them is completely safe.
However, this brand only produces dry dog food. If you’re looking for something else, you won’t find it here.
Zignature
| Food Types | Dry and wet |
| Cost | Medium-high |
| Founding Year | 2010 |
If you’re looking for a unique protein choice for your dog, Zignature dog food is sure to have it. It has all the traditional protein choices, like chicken, turkey, pork, duck, and beef, but it also has exotic proteins, including kangaroo, whitefish, catfish, trout, venison, and guinea fowl. This means if you have a pup with food allergies, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find a formula that works for them.
Even with all these unique protein choices, Zignature has steered clear of recalls on all of its lines. This gives you the confidence to go through the entire lineup and find a dog food that works for your pup.
Now Fresh
| Food Types | Dry and wet |
| Cost | High |
| Founding Year | 1999 |
While Now Fresh hasn’t had any recalls, it belongs to a large conglomerate that owns several other dog food brands, and a few of those brands have faced recalls. This is a big hit for Now Fresh.
Still, it produces both dry and wet dog foods and only uses high-quality ingredients. It also has many recipe options, helping you find the perfect food for your dog. However, it only offers grain-free recipes, and unless your dog has a grain allergy, most vets recommend having some grains in their diet.
This dog food also has a high price tag.
Jinx
| Food Types | Dry |
| Cost | Low |
| Founding Year | 2020 |
Jinx is by far the newest dog food company on this list, which does affect its claim of no recalls. While it’s true, plenty of companies have had zero recalls in their first few years.
However, we’re hopeful that Jinx will keep producing food without any recall issues. It’s a relatively transparent company that produces high-quality food, and it’s available for a great price.
The main problem is that it doesn’t have many choices for you to pick from, although it does have supplemental food toppers.
ZiwiPeak
| Food Types | Air-dried and wet |
| Cost | Very high |
| Founding Year | 2002 |
ZiwiPeak is the most expensive dog food on this list. It costs two to three times as much as many other dog foods, and it even costs more than many fresh dog food options.
However, when you’re looking at the quality of the food, there’s no comparison. With how well-vetted everything is with ZiwiPeak, there are few pet food brands with a lower risk of a recall.
But if this is the food that you want to go with, you’ll need to get an air-dried or wet food recipe because it doesn’t offer traditional dry kibble.
Canine Caviar Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food
Our number five pick is perfect if you’re looking for dog food with limited ingredients and calories. Canine Caviar flash-cooks its kibble to maintain maximum nutrition, so your dog can absorb all the goodness from this food. The holistic formula doesn’t contain any meat by-products, chemical preservatives, or gluten or GMO ingredients.
Canine Caviar is also the only alkaline dog food on the market that we can find! The formulation of this food is designed to help keep your dog’s body pH between 7.1-7.4, the optimal level for your dog to feel and look at their best.
- Expensive
- Available in three bag sizes
- Lamb as the first ingredient
Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Dog Food That’s Never Been Recalled
What is a product recall?
When a manufacturer makes a product recall, they’re asking customers who have purchased a particular batch of dog food to stop using it.
Concerning dog food, you’ll see three different types of recalls:
- The voluntary recall by the manufacturer
- FDA-requested recall
- FDA-ordered recalls by statutory authority
How can I find out if a dog food has been recalled?
You can look up the FDA’s updated list of recalls and withdrawals. Manufacturers and distributors will often also send out an alert when dog food is recalled. They’ll usually list the UPC for affected bags or cans, so you can check if yours is included.
Why would my dog food be recalled?
Now that you know who can issue a recall, you may want to know a little more about why dog food gets recalled. You know that sometimes food can lead to illness, but what is causing these illnesses? Below you will find a list of the most common reasons dog food has been recalled in the past.
- Contamination: When it comes to contamination, there are many different hazards. Dog food can be contaminated with bacteria or with harmful chemicals. Bacterial contamination occurs when mold or other bacteria are on the processing equipment that produces the food. Bacterial contaminants can also be found on packaging and picked up during transportation. Chemical contamination occurs when the food comes into contact with harmful chemicals. The most famous case of chemicals in dog food involved melamine contamination which is extremely dangerous for dogs.
- Packaging Issues: Packaging issues are a significant contributor to dog food recalls. This problem is one that sometimes cannot be helped. For example, if a package gets opened during transportation, it may expose the food inside to moisture or other bacteria.
- Foreign Materials: Foreign materials found in food are sometimes responsible for recalls. These materials can include metal, plastic, or wood from manufacturing facilities. These foreign substances can cause severe digestive problems for your dog and have been responsible for recalls in the past.
- Nutritional Problems: When producing dog food, companies may administer testing to ensure nutrient levels are balanced. Unfortunately, dietary imbalances can occur, which can have severe effects on dogs. These nutrient imbalances can cause dogs to experience a nutritional deficit which will affect their health over time. On the other hand, there can be excess nutrients in dog food that can cause dogs to overdose; this is extremely dangerous.
Who Issues a Dog Food Recall?
Different agencies can issue a food recall. First, the government can issue a recall as a result of an outbreak. On the other hand, the product manufacturer can also issue a voluntary recall of their food. When it comes to dog food, either of these recall options is possible.
Government Recall
Across America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for all food manufacturers’ health and safety procedures. The FDA is responsible for both human food and pet food. Depending on the severity of the problem with the food, the FDA can either strongly encourage a recall or demand a recall. These situations typically arise if the manufacturer did not test the food. Federal agencies will test the food, and if it is found to be potentially harmful, they can request or demand a recall. A request typically happens if the food has not been found to lead to illness yet. In contrast, demand is issued if people or animals have experienced illness from the food.
Voluntary Recall
On the other hand, companies can issue a voluntary recall. These recalls are usually a result of testing within the manufacturing facility. Sometimes when producing, packaging, and shipping food, mistakes are made. Companies will identify these problems as they arise and issue the recall voluntarily. Although a recall is a negative thing, a voluntary recall does demonstrate that the company in question cares about the safety of its consumers enough to fess up to the problem and fix it.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know about nine of the best dog food companies out there and where you can check if they’re still steering free of recalls, it’s up to you to find the best food for your dog and order it!
With any of the dog foods on this list, you should be able to rest easy knowing that you’re giving them a high-quality meal from a company with an outstanding track record.
