Alert: Consumer Scrutiny on Nutro Pet Food (in the USA)
 

dear all,

i came across this article in a blog by Ms Fanny syufy. thought i'd share with it here, if you wish for more information do visit ms syufy's site " www.cats.about.com" and also the various information links she provided on her website.

pls note that neither this is not a "condemnation" of nutro pet food products by me, i'm just sharing the article here and i believe that ms syufy is also sharing information compiled from the public at her website as a service to her readers.

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Nutro Pet Food Under Consumer Scrutiny
Friday April 25, 2008

Update September 14, 2008:

Mars Petcare US announces the recall of a number of cat and dog dry foods, due to the risk of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. Although Nutro pet food products were not on the list, the symptoms of Salmonella poisoning (diarrhea, vomiting, inappetance, lethargy) were disturbingly familiar. I'm sure we will all be watching for further information about this recall. . .read more

For some time now, I've seen random complaints of sickness in cats and dogs after eating Nutro Pet Food, in email lists, forums, and blogs. These are not related to the Pet Food Recall of 2007, which involved certain Nutro Pet Food Products, but new concerns. All of them are anecdotal, and I have not yet seen any confirmation by lab tests, nor has the FDA acknowledged them. Recently, ConsumerAffairs.com picked up the gauntlet. It's report says in part:

Scores of pets from California to South Carolina have experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems.

Through an examination of reports submitted by readers, ConsumerAffairs.com has uncovered a common link among these pets: They all ate the same brand of food: NUTRO pet food.

The report goes on to say that a Nutro spokesperson denied these allegations when contacted by ConsumerAffairs.com. Nutro Pet Food management is certainly already well aware of the complaints. Its public announcement says:

100% Safe NUTRO™ Pet Food Products

Q: Are NUTRO™ products safe?
A: Yes. All NUTRO™ products are 100% safe and conform to the standards set by the FDA, USDA and AAFCO.

Q: Why is the quality and safety of NUTRO™ products being addressed?
A: We have received recent isolated reports of inaccurate information posted online regarding the quality and safety of NUTRO™ pet foods products. Many blogs and internet sites can be a repository for misinformation and hearsay regarding many topics—we are working to clarify the issue.

I've observed, that although this article includes a lengthy list of allegations by pet owners, only two of them have mentioned cats specifically. I'll only mention that my own cats have occasionally eaten Nutro foods since the products were reformulated after last year's recall. They have suffered no visible ill effects.

I'd be interested to read my readers' own recent personal experience with Nutro products, since I've listed it in my own picks of both canned and dry cat foods.