Pro Pac Information
Pro Pac is a mid-sized pet food brand that is owned by Midwestern Pet Foods Inc, which also owns the popular pet food brand Earthborn Holistic.
The brand is based in Evansville, Indiana, and began life as a subsidiary of Nunn Milling Company Inc.
Midwestern Pet Foods is one of the few big pet food brands to remain independently owned and has avoided acquisition by the pet food giants like Mars Petcare or Purina.
While it’s hard to discern from their website and marketing, it appears that Midwestern Pet Foods is rebranding Pro Pac as Ultimates or Pro Pac Ultimates.
We found a new website – https://www.ultimatespetfood.com/ with recipes remarkably similar to Pro Pac’s existing recipes and an international site https://intl.propacultimates.com/ with a mixture of the old branding and the new.
We found the selection of Pro Pac recipes on Chewy.com is also dwindling, and the new Ultimates recipes are now available.
This re-brand is likely due to a major recall that Midwestern and Pro Pac had to initiate, which you can read about further on in our review.
For those concerned about foreign manufacturing, you’ll be happy to know that all of Pro Pac’s recipes are manufactured in the United States in facilities owned by Midwestern Pet Foods.
Midwestern Pet Foods uses its own facilities for all of its production and do not outsource this to any third parties like some other brands.
Pro Pac is widely available for purchase at thousands of pet food and retail stores across the United States.
Pro Pac is also sold online by many of the large online pet food sellers like Chewy, Amazon, and Petflow.
Pro Pac Product Range
Dog Food
Pro Pac has a moderate dog food range that only contains dry dog food recipes with no wet/canned recipes.
However, within this dry dog food range, there is a selection of recipes, including those for puppies, large breed dogs, and senior dogs.
It is also worth pointing out that Pro Pac’s recipes are a mix of grain-free and grain-inclusive.
Cat Food
Pro Pac has a tiny cat food range that only contains dry cat food recipes. There are two recipes within this range, and each has a different meat or fish focus.
There are no specialty cat food recipes available from Pro Pac, such as those for kittens or senior cats.
Pro Pac Nutrition
Dog Food
The nutrition provided by Pro Pac dog food recipes varies but tends to be above average when compared to other dog food brands.
This above-average nutritional profile includes above-average proportions of protein and fat and reasonable proportions of carbohydrates.
Below is an example of the nutrition provided by a Pro Pac dry dog food recipe.
As you can see, the sum of protein and fat in this recipe is almost 60% of its calorie content, with just over 40% coming from carbohydrates.
If you are interested in learning more about canine nutrition, we highly recommend you check out our Dog Food Guide.
Cat Food
The nutrition provided by the 2 Pro Pac cat food recipes is extremely similar and would be classed by many as above-average when compared to other brands.
This nutritional profile includes a high proportion of protein and fat and a proportion of carbohydrates that is below average.
It is critical that cats do not consume too much plant-based content in their diet. This is because they are obligate carnivores, which means they thrive best on a diet high in animal and fish-based ingredients.
If you are interested in learning about what an obligate carnivore means and feline nutrition, check out our Cat Food Guide.
Pro Pac Ingredients
Many pet owners are concerned about where the ingredients in their pet’s food are sourced from. Pro Pac puts these fears to rest and states the following on its website:
“Midwestern Pet Foods sources all ingredients from US suppliers whenever possible.
Some examples of ingredients that must be sourced outside the US are lamb meal from Australia or New Zealand, tapioca from Vietnam and Thailand, and flaxseed from Canada.
Vitamin premixes are formulated, sourced, and blended in the United States by a US company in a human grade facility.”
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
- Chicken
- Beef
- Lamb
- Whitefish
Pro Pac uses a small range of meat and fish ingredients in its recipes. All of these ingredients are high-quality sources of animal and fish-based protein and fat, which should be at the core of every dog’s diet.
Most of the ingredients used by Pro Pac are industry favorites. Ingredients like Chicken and Beef are so popular as they are relatively low-cost and easy to source.
Other Notable Ingredients
Pro Pac uses a range of rice-based ingredients in its recipes, including Brown Rice, White Rice, and Rice Bran.
Grain ingredients such as these can be controversial additions to pet food recipes, with many pet owners refusing to feed grain-inclusive food.
Despite this, there are also strong supporters of grain ingredients, and they can act as a dense source of nutrition.
Generally, Brown Rice is considered to be the best rice-based ingredient, thanks to the extra fiber and micronutrients it can provide. Ingredients like White Rice tend to only contribute carbohydrates and little else.
Peas and Chickpeas are both legume ingredients and feature in a huge number of dog food recipes from hundreds of brands.
They are so popular because they are relatively low-cost and can provide favorable nutrition that is high in carbohydrates and plant-based protein.
However, there are growing concerns about the high use of legumes in dog food and a rise in cases of Canine Heart Disease.
You can read more about this concerning link here.
Pro Pac doesn’t just use grains and legumes and also uses the two most popular starch ingredients found in dog food – Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes.
These starch ingredients are incredibly dense sources of carbohydrates, which means their portion size must be tightly controlled. If this isn’t done, then the proportion of carbohydrates they provide can become excessive.
Chicken Fat is a common addition to pet food and is added to recipes to improve their flavor and increase the overall proportion of animal-based fat present.
Chicken Fat is chosen over alternatives as it is extremely affordable and easy to source.
You can read more about Chicken Fat in our article Chicken Fat In Dog Food.
Dried Beet Pulp is used heavily in the industry as a reliable source of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can be critical to some dogs to ensure they keep regular digestion and stools. Outside of its fiber content, Beet Pulp provides very little nutrition to dogs.
Read more about why dog food manufacturers use Beet Pulp in our article Dried Beet Pulp In Dog Food.
Flaxseed is best known as an excellent plant-based source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These fatty acids are believed by many to provide several health benefits to dogs and humans alike.
These include an improvement in the condition of a dog’s skin and coat, as well as a reduction in the risk of certain health conditions.
However, Flaxseed can provide other beneficial micronutrients and health benefits outside of the Omega Fatty Acids that many are unaware of.
You can read more about Flaxseed and its benefits in Flaxseed In Dog Food.
Canola Oil is a vegetable oil that is commonly found in food for human consumption. However, some pet food companies use the oil to boost the levels of fat in their recipes.
It can also be used as a binding agent to help give food a consistent texture and appearance.
You can learn more about Canola Oil in our article Canola Oil In Dog Food.
Pro Pac Animal Testing
ProPac is one of a select number of pet food brands that disclose information about animal testing.
Many pet food brands avoid disclosing detailed information on their testing and trials as they fear consumer backlash.
Pro Pac state – “Midwestern Pet Foods is committed to the humane treatment of all animals and does not test on animals in laboratories.
When introducing a new product, Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) feeding trials are completed at a farm with an in-home atmosphere that is non-invasive, non-lethal, and cage-free. All animals are humanely treated.”
This transparency is much appreciated, and we hope that other pet food brands follow in Pro Pac and Midwestern Pet Foods’ footsteps.
We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated.
Pro Pac Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Pro Pac has undergone two recent recalls and is, therefore, not a recall-free pet food brand anymore.
Pro Pac had maintained a perfect recall-free record until very recently, which was impressive given their size and age.
In March 2021, Pro Pac issued a large-scale voluntary recall for much of its product range, including its core range and Ultimates range.
This recall was due to potential Salmonella contamination, which is one of the most common causes of pet food recalls in the United States.
Salmonella is a serious concern for the FDA, given that it can have serious health effects on both humans and dogs, including Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Cramping, and Fever.
This recall comes in after another large-scale recall by Midwestern Pet Food, which mostly affected their Sportsmix brand and which we will discuss shortly.
The Pro Pac products affected by this recall are shown below, along with their Expiration Date/ Lot No and Bag Size:
Pro Pac Adult Chunk – May/03/22M1,M3 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk – May/11/22M3 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk – Sep/15/22M3 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Mature Adult – Apr/28/22M3 L1 – 28lb
Pro Pac Performance Puppy – Apr/28/22M3 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Performance Puppy – Aug/01/22M3,M1 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Performance Puppy – Aug/08/22M3 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Performance Puppy – Sep/16/22M1 L1, L2 – 40lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Select – May/11/22M3 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Select – Aug/05/22M1 L1, L2, L3 – 5lb, 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Select – Aug/12/22M1 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Chicken & Rice – Aug/05/22M3 L1, L2, L3 – 5lb, 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland Choice – May/04/22M1,M2 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland Choice – Aug/10/22M1,M2 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Lamb & Rice – Aug/02/22M3 L1, L2 – 5lb, 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Lamb & Rice – Aug/12/22M1 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Adult – Sep/17/22M2 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Adult – Sep/18/22M3 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Puppy – Apr/28/22M3,M1 L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Meadow Prime – May/02/22M2 L1 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Overland Red – May/04/22M2 L1 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Overland Red – Aug/05/22M3 L1, L2 – 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Puppy – May/11/22M1,M2 L2, L3 – 5lb, 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Puppy – Aug/10/22M2 L1, L2 – 5lb, 28lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Puppy – Aug/11/22M1 L3 – 5lb
Pro Pac Ultimates Savannah Pride – Aug/11/22M3 L1, L2, L3 – 5lb, 14lb
For more information on this particular recall, we’d highly recommend reading the FDA announcement, which you can find here.
As we mentioned earlier, the recall in March 2021 isn’t Pro Pac’s only recent recall. In early 2021 and late 2020, Midwestern Pet Foods issued a large-scale recall of brands that they manage as well as other brands that they produce food for.
The most affected brand of this recall was Sportmix which had over a dozen separate recipes included in this recall.
Two Pro Pac recipes that were affected by this recall were Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, 40 lb. bags, and Pro Pac Performance Puppy, 40 lb. bags.
Specifically, this recall affected the above recipes that expire on or before July 9, 2022. You read more specifics about the expiry dates and lot numbers affected on the FDA notice, which you can find here.
This recall was caused by potentially high levels of Aflatoxin, which can cause illness and death to pets. Symptoms of Aflatoxin poisoning include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea.
If your dog experiences any of these symptoms, we recommend you contact a veterinarian.
While there is no evidence that any pets were harmed by high levels of Aflatoxin in Pro Pac recipes, this recall was necessary to ensure this.
We hope that Pro Pac and Midwestern Pet Foods can maintain the high safety and quality standards it has to be recall-free going forward.
We always ask that pet owners are vigilant of any future recalls of Pro Pac or any other pet food brand.
Best of Pro Pac
Ultimates Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Review
Pro Pac’s Chicken And Brown Rice recipe is their best-known recipe and is one of the best Chicken And Brown Rice recipes available from any brand in the United States.
Their formula makes use of Chicken Meal as its primary meat ingredient. Chicken Meal is a dense protein and fat source, as it has had its moisture removed in advance.
Many pet owners are afraid of meat meal ingredients, but they should not be as there is very little difference outside of their increased nutrition density.
The formula then uses a mix of Brown Rice, White Rice, and Rice Bran to provide carbohydrates and fiber.
It’s worth noting that we’d prefer if there were more Brown Rice present instead of White Rice and Rice Bran. Still, overall this combination provides a satisfactory proportion of carbohydrates and fiber.
Smaller portions of Peas, Dried Beet Pulp, and Flaxseed are also present and provide additional carbohydrates, fiber, and other nutrients.
Ultimates Grain Free Deep Sea Select Review
Of the two dry cat food recipes available from Pro Pac, the fish-based recipe is our favorite. It makes use of a generous portion of Whitefish Meal, which provides a large portion of fish-based protein and fat.
Whitefish is a staple of the industry and is often used in recipes that are for pets that have an easily upset stomach. However, it can also be eaten by dogs without digestive issues.
The recipe then uses a large mix of plant-based ingredients such as Peas, Chickpeas, and Tapioca. Despite the variety, the overall proportion of these carbohydrate-dense ingredients isn’t too excessive.
Lastly, there are some minor ingredients present, such as Dried Beet Pulp and Fruits. These minor ingredients provide fiber and select beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Pro Pac Featured Articles
Best Dog Food With Chicken and Rice – Chicken And Rice has been a staple of the dog food industry for decades, and there are hundreds of variations available.
In this article, we discuss some of the best Chicken and Rice recipes, including one from Pro Pac.
Full Pro Pac Product Range
Dog Food
Dry Dog Food
Ultimates Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Ultimates Puppy Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Ultimates Mature Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Ultimates Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Ultimates Large Breed Puppy Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Ultimates Large Breed Adult Chicken Meal & Rice Formula
Ultimates Grain Free Bayside Select
Ultimates Grain Free Overland Red
Ultimates Grain Free Meadow Prime
Ultimates Grain Free Heartland Choice
Superpremium Adult Chunk & Mini Chunk
Superpremium Performance Puppy
Cat Food
Dry Cat Food
Ultimates Grain Free Deep Sea Select
Ultimates Grain Free Savanna Pride