Mars Dog Foods Sold at Walmart Recalled in 4 States Due to ‘Loose Metal Pieces’

Package of PEDIGREE® Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food. (FDA)

A recall has been issued for pet foods distributed by Walmart due to concerns about possible adverse health effects from metal in the products.

Mars Petcare US, Inc. is “recalling 315 bags of PEDIGREE Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food in the 44 lb. bag size only, due to the potential presence of loose metal pieces in the bag,” said a May 17 press release.

The affected items have Lot Code 410B2TXT02 and a Best By Date of March 4, 2025. The recall affects only the 315 bags sold by Walmart in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

“The potential presence of loose metal pieces in the bag could pose a health hazard to pets,“ the release said. ”If you believe your pet has consumed the affected product, you should monitor for unusual behavior and contact a veterinarian in the event of any concerns.”

Mars said there have been no reports of pet injury or illness from the product. Consumers who have already bought the item are advised to stop using it.

They can contact Mars consumer care to initiate a return or air concerns at 1-800-525-5273. The company said that no other PEDIGREE or Mars Petcare US products were affected or being recalled. Product images were published with the press release.

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Mars is “working with Walmart in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas to ensure that the affected products are no longer sold and have been removed from inventory.”

Walmart has published a list of stores where the products were sold. The recall was also published on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Multiple other pet foods have been recalled over the past year. In January, pet food manufacturer Viva recalled its duck products for dogs and cats after the FDA found some samples testing positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

These microbes “can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products,” the recall notice said.

In November, TFP Nutrition expanded a voluntary recall for cat and dog foods due to concerns about potential Salmonella contamination.

“Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever,” the recall notice said.

“Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.”

The Walmart recall comes as multiple studies have shown that pet foods can contain metals or minerals at levels beyond acceptable limits.

An October 2021 study that analyzed 100 commercial pet foods in the United States found that dog and cat foods contain aluminum, mercury, lead, uranium, and vanadium at levels that were higher than the maximum tolerable level (MTL) set by the FDA.

“Dry foods presented higher concentrations of most TM (toxic metals) than wet foods.” Among carbohydrate sources, wheat bran had the highest TM concentrations except for cobalt, mercury, and nickel.

Among protein sources, animal byproducts had higher TM compared to plant-based ingredients. “Pork fat had higher concentrations of arsenic, mercury, and antimony than fish oil and poultry fat.”

A study from April 2023 looked at heavy metal and mineral content in dog foods. It found that dry foods posed “no risk to dogs” when it came to heavy metal content.

“Dog caregivers, mainly for economic reasons and easy availability, choose dry, over-the-counter diets (OTC),” it noted.

“The worst results in terms of mineral content were obtained in mixed foods, therefore it is worth considering feeding the dog a mono-protein food,” the study said.