On January 5, 2024, Purina Pet Foods issued the next assertion (daring added):
“Please watch out for on-line rumors claiming there are points with Purina merchandise – these false statements could also be creating pointless stress for pet mother and father. There aren’t any well being or questions of safety with any of our merchandise, they usually can proceed to be fed with confidence.”
Purina additionally states (daring added): “For those who learn one thing on-line that issues you, or you’ve gotten any questions on your pet meals, please be happy to achieve out to our group. We additionally suggest researching the supply of those posts. Some are well-intentioned pet mother and father who’re genuinely involved and making an attempt to be useful, whereas others could also be making an attempt to create chaos and mistrust of sure manufacturers as a chance to promote their very own merchandise.”
Private opinion: I’m conscious of many people which are working lengthy hours behind the scenes – NOT ONE OF THEM is making an attempt to ‘create chaos’ or utilizing this regarding state of affairs ‘as a chance to promote their very own merchandise.’ It’s regarding that Purina made this assertion – selected these phrases – concerning the veterinarians, advocates, and pet house owners which are ONLY making an attempt to assist their fellow pet house owners.
How has Purina dealt with “on-line rumors” of the previous?
Beginning in 2007, there have been ‘rumors’ of sick and lifeless pets linked to Purina’s Waggin Practice hen jerky treats. On the time, the FDA stated:
“Since 2007, FDA has obtained stories of diseases in pets related to the consumption of jerky pet treats. As of December 31, 2015, FDA has obtained roughly 5,200 complaints of diseases related to consumption of hen, duck, or candy potato jerky treats, a lot of which contain merchandise imported from China, which produces a lot of the jerky pet treats in the marketplace. The stories contain greater than 6,200 canines, 26 cats, three folks, and embody greater than 1,140 canine deaths.”
(Purina Waggin Practice jerky treats had been one of many merchandise related to pet diseases and deaths.)
In 2012, Purina printed a web site – “Rooster Jerky Canine Treats: The Details” (www.chickenjerkyfacts.com) offering pet house owners with “Myth” and (their) “Fact” details about hen jerky treats. Purina’s web site instructed pet house owners it was a “Delusion” that “hundreds of canines have gotten sick or died from consuming jerky treats.”
The Purina web site additionally instructed pet house owners it was a “Delusion” that the “FDA advises pet house owners to not feed hen jerky treats.”
Truly, previous to Purina’s ChickenJerkyFacts.com web site – the FDA had issued two warnings concerning the treats. In 2007 the FDA posted “FDA Cautions Customers about Rooster Jerky Merchandise for Canine” stating “The Meals and Drug Administration is cautioning customers of a possible affiliation between improvement of sickness in canines and the consumption of hen jerky merchandise additionally described as hen tenders, strips or treats.”
The second warning came from FDA in 2008 – “Preliminary Animal Well being Notification – Rooster Jerky Merchandise for Canine”. This warning said “The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to warning customers of a possible affiliation between the event of sickness in canines and the consumption of hen jerky merchandise additionally described as hen tenders, strips or treats.”
Lastly, in January 2013 many manufacturers of jerky treats imported from China had been faraway from retailer cabinets. Testing by NY Division of Agriculture discovered unlawful antibiotics in Purina’s Waggin Practice and quite a few different manufacturers. Different jerky treats on the time – corresponding to Milo’s Kitchen, additionally implicated in pet sickness and deaths – issued a recall.
Purina didn’t. As a substitute, Purina issued a “voluntary withdrawal” telling pet house owners the issue was “attributable to regulatory inconsistencies” and the Waggin Practice jerky treats “are protected to feed as directed.”
The 12 months following the Purina Waggin Practice jerky deal with withdrawal – in 2014, Purina initiated a lawsuit in opposition to competitor Blue Buffalo and printed the web site www.PetFoodHonesty.com.
Purina said on this web site: “At Purina, we consider that honesty is crucial ingredient within the relationship between pet house owners and their pet meals firm. That’s the reason now we have undertaken our lawsuit, and it’s why we established a web site, www.petfoodhonesty.com, the place pet house owners can study the reality. (Might 14, 2014)” The “honesty” Purina was referencing with this web site was with competitor Blue Buffalo.
Nevertheless only a 12 months earlier, Purina was less than honest with FDA and pet house owners relating to many stories of sick and dying pets linked to its Beneful pet food.
Throughout FDA investigation of three Purina Beneful manufacturing crops, testing revealed six samples examined above “allowable stage for cyanuric acid and ammelide (melamine)” and “six samples collected contained ethoxyquin, nonetheless, the additive was not indicated on the product labeling.” Throughout the identical inspections, and Purina refused to supply FDA what “routine contamination” testing the corporate carried out on pet meals, refused “to supply the precise content material or weights of particular person components that went into the implicated tons”. FDA inspections on the time additionally discovered one plant – in Edmond, OK – “doesn’t have a written protocol for dealing with complaints”.
When lawsuits had been filed in opposition to Purina relating to sick and lifeless pets believed to be linked to their Beneful pet meals, the corporate offered CBS News this assertion: “We want to reassure you that there aren’t any high quality points with Beneful. Like different pet meals, Beneful is often the topic of social media pushed misinformation. Beneful is a top quality nutritious meals, loved by hundreds of thousands of comfortable, wholesome canines every year. You’ll be able to proceed to feed Beneful with full confidence.”
In 2015 Purina termed the stories of sick pets linked to their pet meals as “social media pushed misinformation”.
In 2024, Purina termed the stories of sick and lifeless pets linked to their pet meals as “false statements” “making an attempt to create chaos and mistrust”.
My how issues have modified…or have they?
When you’ve got a sick pet you consider is linked to their pet meals, please report that difficulty to FDA and/or your state feed official. Extra data will be discovered HERE.
We sadly can not inform pet house owners which manufacturers of pet meals are concerned within the present state of affairs, we are able to share that the volunteer pushed Fb group Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time is doing their greatest at documenting the various client complaints. Reviews of sick or lifeless pets are linked to dry and moist pet meals, and contain each cats and canines.
Now we have requested FDA (twice) to supply pet house owners with an replace to this present state of affairs surrounding a number of Purina pet meals. To this point the company has ignored our requests. Now we have additionally filed a Freedom of Info Act request for all pet meals hostile occasion stories obtained by FDA courting again to 11/1/23.
Pet house owners and veterinarians are inspired to e-mail FDA asking them to maintain us knowledgeable. AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov. We completely deserve for FDA to replace the general public.
