Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast Review: Ingredients, Grain-Free Nutrition & Safety

Product reviewed: Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast Lamb Meal & Vegetables Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Package: 25-lb bag

Market reviewed: United States

Last fact-checked: September 23, 2026

Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast at a Glance

What Is Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast?

Meadow Feast is part of Earthborn Holistic's Grain-Free Classics line. It is marketed as a lamb-based, limited-ingredient dry food for adult dogs.

The recipe uses lamb meal as its primary animal-protein ingredient and combines it with pumpkin, sweet potato, tapioca, flaxseed, dried egg, fruits, vegetables, prebiotic fiber and probiotic fermentation products.

The food is intended for adult maintenance rather than puppy growth.

Important: The Meadow Feast Formula Has Changed

Nutritional Adequacy

Official product statement Earthborn Holistic states that Meadow Feast is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.

That means it is intended to provide complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs when fed as directed.

Formulated vs. feeding-tested

Dog Food Scout distinguishes between a diet being formulated to meet an AAFCO nutrient profile and nutritional adequacy being substantiated through an AAFCO animal feeding test.

The current Meadow Feast product statement uses the formulated to meet route.

Earthborn's FAQ says Midwestern Pet Foods does conduct AAFCO feeding trials on some recipes, but the Meadow Feast label itself does not state that this exact formula's adequacy was established through a feeding trial.

Guaranteed Analysis

These figures are guarantees rather than exact average nutrient concentrations. Protein and fat are minimum guarantees, while fiber and moisture are maximum guarantees.

Dry-Matter Analysis

With a maximum moisture level of 10%, estimated dry matter is:

100 − 10 = 90% dry matter

Protein

24 ÷ 90 × 100 = approximately 26.7% minimum protein on a dry-matter basis

Fat

14 ÷ 90 × 100 = approximately 15.6% minimum fat on a dry-matter basis

Fiber

5 ÷ 90 × 100 = approximately 5.6% maximum crude fiber on a dry-matter basis

These are Dog Food Scout calculations based on guaranteed values rather than laboratory averages.

Calorie Content

Earthborn reports:

3,550 kcal/kg

or approximately

350 kcal per 8-fl-oz measuring cup.

This places Meadow Feast at a fairly moderate calorie density for dry dog food.

Actual feeding amounts should still be adjusted according to body condition, activity, neuter status, age and individual metabolism.

Current Ingredient Analysis

The current U.S. ingredient list begins:

Lamb meal, pumpkin, sweet potato, tapioca, canola oil, flaxseed, dried egg, natural flavor, apples, blueberries, carrots, cranberries and spinach.

It also contains dried chicory root, taurine, L-carnitine, vitamins, minerals, yucca, rosemary extract and several probiotic fermentation products.

Lamb meal

Lamb meal is the first ingredient.

Unlike fresh lamb, lamb meal has already had much of its water removed, making it a relatively concentrated source of animal protein.

Its first-place position does not by itself prove food quality, but it is a meaningful contributor to the recipe's protein content.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is now the second listed ingredient.

It can contribute carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Earthborn markets the current formula toward dogs with sensitive digestion, but Dog Food Scout does not interpret the presence of pumpkin as proof that the food will treat a gastrointestinal disorder.

Sweet potato and tapioca

Sweet potato and tapioca provide carbohydrate and energy in place of traditional cereal grains.

The use of grain alternatives does not automatically make a food healthier. A grain-free diet should be evaluated on its complete nutritional composition rather than the absence of wheat, corn or rice alone.

Canola oil and flaxseed

These ingredients contribute dietary fat and fatty acids.

Flaxseed also contributes fiber and alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid.

Dried egg

Dried egg contributes animal-derived protein and other nutrients.

This is important for owners interpreting Meadow Feast as a "lamb-only" diet: the current formula is not a single-animal-protein recipe because it also contains egg.

Fruits and vegetables

The formula includes apples, blueberries, carrots, cranberries and spinach.

Their presence may contribute small quantities of fiber and phytonutrients, but a dog food should not be rated primarily by how visually attractive these ingredients sound.

Chicory root

Dried chicory root provides inulin, a fermentable prebiotic fiber.

Probiotic fermentation products

The ingredient list includes dried fermentation products from Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Earthborn markets its dry foods as containing prebiotics and probiotics. Dog Food Scout can verify that these ingredients are listed, but we have not independently tested organism viability in a purchased bag.

Is Meadow Feast Really a Limited-Ingredient Food?

Earthborn describes Meadow Feast as a limited-ingredient recipe.

Compared with many multi-meat formulas, its current ingredient list is relatively focused. Lamb meal is its only named meat ingredient.

However, dried egg is another animal-derived protein.

Therefore, a dog undergoing a strict veterinary elimination trial should not automatically be fed this product simply because it is advertised as limited ingredient.

True food-allergy evaluation usually requires a carefully controlled diet selected with veterinary guidance.

Grain-Free Nutrition: What Does the Evidence Say?

This is one of the most important sections of the review.

"Grain-free" is a formulation characteristic, not a quality grade.

There is no good reason to assume that a grain-free food is automatically healthier than a grain-inclusive food. Likewise, FDA has not concluded that every grain-free diet is inherently unsafe.

The FDA has investigated reports of non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs eating a variety of diets. Many reported diets contained high levels of peas, lentils or other pulses, but cases have also been reported with grain-containing diets.

FDA's current position is that the available information does not demonstrate that all grain-free diets or all pulse-containing diets are inherently unsafe.

Why the Meadow Feast reformulation matters

The older Meadow Feast formula contained peas, pea protein and pea fiber high in the ingredient list.

The current formula reviewed here does not. Its main carbohydrate ingredients are pumpkin, sweet potato and tapioca.

That means older DCM-era information involving the previous recipe should not be presented as though it directly describes the current formulation.

Earthborn Holistic and the FDA DCM Investigation

Historical context should still be disclosed.

In FDA's 2019 update, Earthborn Holistic was named in 32 DCM reports submitted through April 30, 2019.

That number was based on spontaneous case reports, not a controlled trial, and it did not establish that Earthborn food caused those cases.

The FDA has also noted that manufacturers have changed formulations since the early investigation, which is one reason the agency no longer updates a simple brand-ranking list.

Dog Food Scout therefore treats these reports as relevant historical context—not proof that today's Meadow Feast causes DCM.

Manufacturer and Formulation Expertise

Earthborn Holistic is produced by Midwestern Pet Foods, a fourth-generation family-owned company.

The company says its diets are developed by a team of veterinary and nutritional professionals.

However, its current public FAQ does not provide the names, degrees or board-certification credentials of the people responsible for formulating Meadow Feast.

That limits independent evaluation compared with manufacturers that publicly identify full-time PhD animal nutritionists or board-certified veterinary nutritionists responsible for formula development.

Manufacturing

Earthborn says its dry dog foods and treats are manufactured in its own U.S. facilities.

Midwestern Pet Foods operates company-owned kitchens in:

• Indiana;
• Illinois;
• New York; and
• Oklahoma.

The company states that it manufactures its own dry pet foods and does not use outside co-packers for those dry products.

Ingredient sourcing is primarily from U.S. suppliers when possible. Earthborn specifically notes that some ingredients are sourced internationally, including lamb from Australia or New Zealand and flaxseed from Canada.

Recall and Safety History

This is the weakest area of the Meadow Feast review.

FDA warning letter

The FDA's August 2021 warning letter to Midwestern Pet Foods is particularly relevant.

FDA investigators found significant violations involving preventive controls at several Midwestern facilities. The warning letter specifically discussed confirmed Salmonella-positive lots of Earthborn foods, including Meadow Feast.

FDA stated that portions of some Salmonella-positive pet-food lots were distributed into interstate commerce.

This was a significant historical quality-control failure and is why Dog Food Scout does not give Midwestern Pet Foods a top safety score despite the current product being reformulated.

Separate 2020–2021 aflatoxin event

Midwestern Pet Foods also conducted a major recall involving potentially excessive aflatoxin levels in products made at its Oklahoma facility.

FDA reported more than 110 pet deaths and more than 210 illnesses associated with foods under investigation at that time, although those reports were not all individually confirmed as aflatoxin poisoning.

The Meadow Feast lots discussed in the March 2021 recall were associated with the separate Salmonella event, not the original Sportmix aflatoxin recall.

Recall and FDA enforcement records last checked: September 23, 2026.

Feeding Guide

Earthborn provides the following daily starting amounts for adult dogs:

Earthborn recommends adjusting feeding amounts to maintain optimal body weight. Individual calorie requirements vary considerably.

Transitioning to Meadow Feast

Earthborn recommends gradually transitioning over approximately 7 to 10 days.

A gradual transition may help reduce gastrointestinal upset when changing foods. Dogs with chronic vomiting, diarrhea or persistent digestive problems should be evaluated by a veterinarian rather than repeatedly switching diets without determining the underlying cause.

Dog Food Scout Has Not Personally Tested This Formula

Dog Food Scout has not purchased, opened or fed the current Meadow Feast formula to a dog.

We therefore do not claim first-hand knowledge of:

• kibble size;
• smell;
• texture;
• bag durability;
• palatability;
• digestive tolerance;
• stool quality;
• skin or coat changes; or
• long-term feeding results.

This is an evidence-based desk review rather than a first-hand feeding test.

Price and Value

Meadow Feast is available in a 25-lb package, which generally offers better value per pound than buying several small bags.

Dog Food Scout does not manually publish an Amazon price because Amazon pricing and availability can change frequently.

Pros and Cons

Who Might Consider Meadow Feast?

The current formula may be worth considering for:

• healthy adult dogs;
• dogs whose owners prefer a lamb-based recipe;
• dogs that tolerate egg and the other ingredients in the formula;
• owners looking for a grain-free recipe without peas or lentils high in the current ingredient list;
• dogs that do well on a moderate-protein, moderate-fat dry food.

Who Should Speak With a Veterinarian First?

Veterinary nutritional guidance is particularly useful for dogs with:

• known or suspected heart disease;
• a breed predisposition to dilated cardiomyopathy;
• suspected food allergy;
• chronic gastrointestinal disease;
• pancreatitis;
• kidney disease;
• diabetes;
• significant obesity; or
• another condition requiring therapeutic nutrition.

Owners specifically choosing a grain-free diet because they believe grains are unhealthy should discuss that assumption with their veterinarian rather than removing grains without a nutritional or medical reason.

Dog Food Scout Rating

Evidence Confidence: High

Evidence confidence is high because the manufacturer provides the current ingredient list, guaranteed analysis, caloric density, feeding guide and AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement, while FDA provides unusually detailed historical recall and enforcement records involving this product and its manufacturer.

The score itself should not be interpreted as laboratory precision. It is Dog Food Scout's transparent editorial framework for comparing documented evidence across products.

Dog Food Scout Final Assessment

Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast is more interesting today than many older online reviews suggest because the recipe has been substantially reformulated.

The current product removes the peas and pea protein that appeared prominently in the older formula and now relies on lamb meal, pumpkin, sweet potato and tapioca. That difference matters when interpreting historical discussions surrounding grain-free foods and DCM.

The recipe provides complete-and-balanced adult-maintenance nutrition, reasonable protein and fat levels, added taurine, prebiotic fiber and probiotic fermentation products.

On the other hand, Dog Food Scout cannot ignore Midwestern Pet Foods' historical safety record. Meadow Feast itself appeared in the 2021 Salmonella recall, and FDA's subsequent warning letter documented significant preventive-control problems at company facilities.

Those historical problems do not demonstrate that a current bag is unsafe, but they justify a meaningful deduction in our manufacturer and safety scoring.

Likewise, grain-free status is neither a reason to automatically reject the food nor a reason to prefer it. Owners should choose the diet based on the complete nutritional picture and their individual dog's needs.

Bottom line: The current Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast is a substantially reformulated lamb-based, grain-free adult food with a simpler modern ingredient profile than its predecessor. Its current nutrition is reasonably well documented, but the exact product's historical Salmonella recall and Midwestern Pet Foods' 2021 FDA warning letter keep it from receiving a higher Dog Food Scout score.

How Dog Food Scout Reviewed This Food

Dog Food Scout uses an evidence-first review methodology rather than rating foods primarily by how attractive their ingredient lists sound.

For this review, we prioritized:

• Earthborn Holistic's current U.S. product page;
• the current ingredient list;
• guaranteed analysis and calorie information;
• AAFCO nutritional adequacy information;
• Earthborn Holistic manufacturer and sourcing disclosures;
• FDA recall records;
• FDA's Midwestern Pet Foods warning letter;
• FDA information concerning diet-associated DCM;
• older formula information only when necessary to distinguish it from the current recipe.

Manufacturer marketing claims, verified label facts, FDA records and Dog Food Scout calculations are treated as different types of evidence.

Research Sources

Editorial disclosure: Dog Food Scout may receive commissions from purchases made through eligible affiliate links. Affiliate compensation does not change our review methodology, scoring criteria or evidence-confidence assessment.

Amazon Associates disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Medical disclaimer: Information published by Dog Food Scout is for general educational purposes and does not replace individualized veterinary advice.

Last fact-checked: September 23, 2026. Pet-food formulas, ingredients, package sizes and availability can change. Always compare the current product label with the formula discussed in this review.