What was recalled
The initial recall on December 30, 2020 covered specific SportMix lots: SportMix Energy Plus 50-lb bags, SportMix Energy Plus 44-lb bags, SportMix Premium High Energy 50-lb bags, SportMix Premium High Energy 44-lb bags, and SportMix Original Cat 31-lb bags — all with expiration dates of 03/02/22 through 03/03/22. On January 11, 2021, Midwestern Pet Foods expanded the recall to include all corn-containing pet food products manufactured at its Oklahoma facility — over 1,000 lot codes, too many to list individually. Affected brands distributed by Midwestern at the time included SportMix, Pro Pac, Pro Pac Ultimates, Splash, Nunn Better, Sportstrail, and Members Mark. The complete recall record is in the FDA’s consolidated SportMix advisory.
Why it was recalled
Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by Aspergillus flavus, a mold that grows on corn (and other grains) under warm, humid storage conditions. The FDA’s established action level for aflatoxin in pet food is 20 parts per billion (ppb). SportMix samples from the recalled lots tested at concentrations up to 558 ppb — more than 25 times the action level. Aflatoxin is acutely hepatotoxic; the lethal dose for dogs is dose-dependent on body weight and exposure duration but is well below 1 ppm in chronic exposure scenarios. The FDA’s subsequent inspection of the Oklahoma plant identified multiple grain-quality control failures and inadequate aflatoxin testing protocols, leading to an August 2021 FDA warning letter. Subsequent inspections also identified Salmonella contamination in separate manufacturing-floor samples, indicating systemic rather than isolated quality issues.
Health risks for your pet
Aflatoxicosis in dogs presents as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the gums, eyes, or skin), and diarrhea. In severe cases, dogs progress to acute liver failure within days; some pets died without showing significant warning symptoms. Pets that survived acute exposure may have lasting liver damage. If a pet ate any SportMix or Midwestern-manufactured food during the recall window (late 2020 through early 2021) and developed any of these symptoms, follow-up bloodwork (especially ALT, AST, GGT, and bilirubin) is warranted even years later, since chronic liver injury can be subtle.
What to do if you bought affected product
All recalled lot codes have long-since expired Best By dates. Any affected bags should have been discarded years ago; if anything questionable remains in storage, dispose of it without feeding. Consumers were directed to return product to the place of purchase for a refund through 2021; the refund window has closed. If your dog ate SportMix during the recall window and you noticed liver-related symptoms at the time, share the timeline and any bloodwork from that period with your veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian about specific health concerns — this page is editorial reference, not medical advice.
How this affects KibbleIQ’s grade
SportMix is not currently in the KibbleIQ analysis database, so the recall doesn’t directly affect a grade we’ve published. However, the brand pattern is informative: Midwestern Pet Foods was cited by the FDA for both aflatoxin AND Salmonella in separate findings within an 18-month window, which signals systemic rather than isolated quality control issues. Per our methodology, the current rubric (v15) doesn’t score recall history — that’s on the roadmap for methodology v2. For now, the practical guidance for shoppers is straightforward: pet food brands with corn as a primary ingredient have higher inherent aflatoxin exposure surface, and brands with documented pattern-of-recall history warrant additional scrutiny. Our review catalog covers stronger alternatives in every price tier — start with our best affordable dog food guide if budget is the constraint that originally led to SportMix.