From ClassAction.org “A proposed class motion lawsuit alleges that Mars Petcare US, Inc. has falsely marketed its Nutro Pure Alternative canine meals as containing ‘No Synthetic Flavors, Colours, or Preservatives’ when, in actuality, the merchandise include synthetic preservatives.”
From the lawsuit criticism: “The Merchandise’ labels prominently signify that they include ‘No Synthetic Flavors, Colours, or Preservatives’”:
“This illustration is fake. Nutro Pure Alternative canine meals include each citric
acid and combined tocopherols. Citric acid and tocopherols are each synthetic preservatives.”
“Whereas there’s a pure type of citric acid extracted from fruit, this isn’t the shape
utilized by Nutro within the Merchandise. It’s because ‘[a]proximately 99% of the world’s manufacturing of [citric acid] is carried out utilizing the fungus Aspergillus niger since 1919,’ and using naturally produced citric acid in industrial meals is prohibitively costly.”
“Nearly all citric acid utilized in U.S. industrial meals—together with that used within the
Merchandise—is produced by means of a multi-step industrial manufacturing course of, not by extraction from any pure supply.”
The lawsuit explains the commercial manufacturing technique of citric acid:
“The fashionable citric-acid course of begins with glucose (sometimes derived from
genetically modified corn) which is fermented with the commercial mildew Aspergillus niger in large-scale bioreactors. The ensuing fermentation liquor is then chemically precipitated with calcium hydroxide to kind calcium citrate, which is subsequently reacidulated with sulfuric acid and crystallized into refined citric acid. Chemical solvents comparable to n-octyl alcohol and artificial isoparaffinic petroleum hydrocarbons are used to extract the citric acid from the A. niger fermentation liquor, and incessantly survive the reacidulation course of in fragmentary kind.”
“These steps—microbial fermentation, chemical precipitation, and acid-base
reacidulation—are basic hallmarks of artificial manufacture, not pure derivation. The citric acid within the Merchandise meets this definition exactly: it isn’t extracted from fruit or any pure materials however is manufactured from industrial feedstocks utilizing fermentation and chemical processing. Cheap shoppers wouldn’t perceive substances derived from these processes as ‘pure.’”
The lawsuit additionally claims “The Tocopherols Within the Merchandise Are An Synthetic Preservative”.
“D-alpha tocopherol is a pure tocopherol, sometimes derived from vegetable oils
comparable to soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, or wheat germ oil.”
“Against this, dl-alpha tocopherol is an artificial tocopherol derived from
petrochemical sources. Its manufacturing course of includes the synthesis of
trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) and isopropyl, that are each sourced from petrochemical feedstocks comparable to acetone, phenol, and isobutylene.”
“There’s a substantial price distinction between the 2: pure d-alpha tocopherols
price between half once more, to twice as a lot per kilogram as artificial dl-alpha tocopherols. This value distinction displays variations between the 2 kinds as to ease of manufacture and the value of substrates.”
“Reflecting this price distinction, nearly not one of the tocopherols used as a
preservative in pet meals is pure d-alpha tocopherol. Nearly all of those tocopherols are artificial dl-alpha tocopherols.”
As a result of many various pet meals embrace citric acid and tocopherols and make related ‘No Preservatives’ label claims, we assume there are fairly a couple of producers carefully watching this lawsuit.
Click Here to learn the total lawsuit.
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Creator Purchaser Beware, Co-Creator Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Discover Wholesome Pet Meals in Your Space Click Here
The 2026 Listing
Our trusted ‘listing’ of pet meals. Click Here to study extra.
The 2025/26 Deal with Listing
Susan’s Listing of trusted pet deal with producers. Click Here to study extra.
Affiliation for Fact in Pet Meals is a stakeholder group representing pet meals shoppers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend conferences and voice shopper considerations with regulatory authorities. Click Here to study extra.
