member s mark salmon dog food recall
Recalled: Mid America Pet Food Expanded Recall for Members Mark Dog Food; 2 Product Lines Involved
Maker: Mid America Pet FoodCause: Potential Salmonella contaminationAnnouncement: FDA recall announcement dated November 9, 2023 (archived here), full list of recalled products (archived here)
What was recalled on November 9, 2023
For clarity, the lot code can be found on the back of the bag.
- Members Mark, Beef & Brown Rice Recipe, Dog Food 30lb bag, UPC 193968343347, best by 10/31/2024
- Members Mark, Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe, Dog Food 30lb bag, UPC 193968343354, best by 10/31/2024
Overview
Mid America Pet Food, based in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has voluntarily recalled Members Mark Beef and Brown Rice Recipe, as well as Salmon and Sweet Potato Recipe Dog Food with Best by Dates lines before 10/31/2024. The potential contamination by Salmonella was detected after a third-party conducted random product testing on another Mid America Pet Food brand called Victor Super Premium Dog Food on October 30, 2023. On November, 9, 2023, the recall expanded to include Members Mark Dog Food products, as well as other Mid America Pet Food product lines, including recalled Wayne Feeds Dog Food products and recalled Victor Super Premium Dog Food products.
Implications for Pets and Humans:
Salmonella can have harmful effects not only on pets but also on humans. Heres what to watch out for:
- For Humans: Symptoms can range from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, to more severe issues like arterial infections, arthritis, and urinary tract symptoms.
- For Pets: Signs include lethargy, diarrhea (potentially bloody), vomiting, decreased appetite, and fever.
It is essential to note that while pets can exhibit these symptoms after consumption, healthy pets can also act as carriers, posing a risk to other animals and humans.
Immediate Actions to Take:
- Retailers are urged to remove these specific lots from shelves and inventory.
- Do not donate or sell these products.
- Consumers should avoid feeding the recalled product to their pets.
- Securely dispose of the product ensuring it is inaccessible to kids, pets, and wildlife.
- Wash and sanitize food bowls and storage containers.
Contact Information:
For more information, reach out to Mid America Pet Food Consumer Affairs either via email at [emailprotected] or call 1-888-428-7544 between 8 AM to 11 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) seven days a week.
For media inquiries, Tim Schramm is available at 908-370-4771.
Always prioritize the safety and health of your pets. Its better to be cautious and ensure that the products we provide for them are free from potential hazards. Always monitor any changes in your pets health, and if in doubt, contact your veterinarian immediately.
We urge our readers to spread the word about this recall, ensuring the safety of pets and pet owners alike. Stay informed and stay safe!
View other recent pet food recalls here, and if you have not done so already, we urge you to sign up now for Petfuls FREE recall alertsby email. Our free alerts are saving pets lives.
There were more recalls in 2023. See the previous one:
Previous Recall
(Or browse recalls by brand name)
Members Mark Dog Food Review (Dry)
The Members Mark product line includes the 2 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fifth ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.
The sixth ingredient includes dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus theyre naturally rich in dietary fiber.
However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The next ingredient is poultry fat. Poultry fat is obtained from rendering, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Poultry fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.
However, poultry fat is a relatively generic ingredient and can be considered lower in quality than a similar item from a named source animal (like chicken fat).
The eighth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The ninth ingredient is dried yeast, which can be a controversial item. Dried yeast contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients. Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system. Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies.
This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
Whats more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something weve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, we feel yeast should be considered a positive addition.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With 7 notable exceptions
Firstly, beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
Next, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
We also note that the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Additionally, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
Next, salmon oilis naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.
In addition, this food includeschicory root. Chicory is rich ininulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source ofsoluble dietary fiber, its also aprebioticused to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dogs digestive tract.
Lastly, taurine an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Members Mark Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
