The J.M. Smucker Co. has voluntarily withdrawn certain shipments of 27 different pet food products following media reports of pentobarbital contamination in some of its Gravy Train dog food.
Pentobarbital is a tranquilizer that is often used as a euthanizing agent to put down sick or fatally injured animals.
The contamination was detected during the course of a study commissioned by WJLA, a Washington D.C. area station, according to a spokesperson from the Clean Label Project, which conducted the study for the news station. Gravy Train was the only brand of pet food included in the study that was found to contain pentobarbital.
Wausau Pilot and Review first reported on this story early last week.
The study was undertaken in response to the 2017 discovery of pentobarbital in brands of canned/wet dog food manufactured by Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co. Inc., an adulteration that resulted in illnesses of several pets and at least one death.
Beginning in October 2017, Clean Label Project obtained 99 retail samples of various brands of canned/wet dog food for pentobarbital analysis by Ellipse Analytics, a Denver laboratory.
The samples were analyzed to determine both the presence and the amount of pentobarbital in the dog foods, using test methods consistent with FDA protocols. According to Smucker, the amounts of pentobarbital found in their product “…do not pose a threat to pet safety.”
To date, neither Smucker nor any government agencies had revealed whether any of the implicated dog food made it to retail shelves where the public has access to buy it.
The list of recalled dog food provided by Smucker is as follows:
| Item Name | UPC Item Code(s) |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. with T-Bone Flavor Chunks | 7910052541 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. with Beef Strips | 7910052542 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. with Lamb and Rice Chunks | 7910052543 |
| Gravy Train 22 oz. with Chicken Chunks | 7910051645 |
| Gravy Train 22 oz. with Beef Chunks | 7910051647 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. with Beef Chunks | 7910034417 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. with Chicken Chunks | 7910034418 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. Chunks in Gravy Stew | 7910051933 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. Chicken, Beef & Liver Medley | 7910051934 |
| Gravy Train 13.2 oz. Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks | 7910034417 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits 13.2 oz. Burger Bacon Cheese and Turkey Bacon Vegetable Variety 12-Pack | 7910010377 7910010378 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits 13.2 oz. Beef, Chicken, Vegetable, Meatball Pasta and Turkey Bacon Vegetable Variety Pack | 7910010382 7910048367 7910010378 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits 13.2 oz. Beef, Chicken, Vegetable, Burger Bacon Cheese and Beef Vegetable Variety Pack | 7910010380 7910010377 7910010375 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits 13.2 oz. Wet Variety Pack | 7910010375 7910048367 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits 13.2 oz. Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Beef & Vegetable in Gravy | 7910010375 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey, Bacon & Vegetable in Gravy | 7910010378 |
| Kibbles ‘N Bits Chef’s Choice Homestyle Tender Slices with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy | 7910010380 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Select Cuts in Gravy with Beef & Bone Marrow | 7910071860 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Select Cuts with Burgers & Cheese Bits | 7910050243 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Chunks in Gravy with Smoky Turkey & Bacon | 7910050246 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Chunks in Gravy with Beef & Chicken | 7910050247 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Chunks in Gravy 3 in 1 Chicken, Beef & Liver | 7910050248 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Chunks in Gravy Chunky Stew | 7910050249 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Strips in Gravy with Chicken | 7910050244 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz, Premium Chunks in Gravy with Beef | 7910050250 |
| Skippy 13.2 oz. Premium Strips in Gravy with Beef | 7910050245 |
| Ol’ Roy 13.2 oz Turkey Bacon Strips | 8113117570 |
The recall is voluntary. That said, FDA officials say they are looking into the testing and findings that prompted the withdraw of the products, though no official statement on the matter has been released.
