Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall & Safety Review
Manufacturer: Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. (General Mills) · Also known as: Blue Wilderness, BLUE
Safety Status
Blue Buffalo's most notable FDA-documented recall was in March 2017, when one production lot of BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe wet food was pulled after elevated naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone caused hyperthyroidism symptoms in a small number of dogs (all recovered). Widely circulated claims of a 'lead' recall are not substantiated by any FDA record; a related 2017 lawsuit was dismissed in 2018.
Want extra peace of mind?
Blue Buffalo has some flagged concerns. These alternatives have a cleaner track record if you'd rather not take the risk.
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 12/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
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Life stage
Weight
Special concern
Recall History (1)
- medium severityResolved
Elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone from incompletely trimmed animal gullets, causing hyperthyroidism symptoms in a small number of dogs
Affected products: BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food for Adult Dogs, 12.5oz cans, best-by 6/7/2019
Source: FDA CVMView source
Controversial Ingredients
No controversial ingredients flagged in our review.
Safer Alternatives
Lower-risk brands from our own reviewed dataset, based on the same recall data shown on this page.
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 7/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
- No FDA-verified recalls on record
- Risk score 12/100 — reviewed 2026-07-22
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Risk scores are compiled from FDA recall databases, company announcements, and public ingredient records. They are informational only and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Read our full methodology & data sources.