Fact Check: Purina Response to Online Rumor
This page has been updated to reflect an updated statement and the addition of a Q&A to address key questions. The original statement can be found at the bottom of this page.
UPDATED STATEMENT: Purina Response to Online Rumor – January 15, 2024
Pet parents continue to be understandably scared by an online rumor that there is an issue with Purina pet foods. This rumor is false, and we are saddened to see the confusion and fear that it has caused for pet owners. There are no health or safety issues with our products, and they can continue to be fed with confidence.
If you have any concerns at all with your pet’s health, please contact your veterinarian. And if you read something online that concerns you, or you have any questions about your pet food, please feel free to reach out to our team.
At Purina, your pets are our highest priority and that is reflected in the care that goes into the quality, safety and nutrition of each and every one of our products. As a company that feeds more than 100 million cats and dogs each year, and has been in business for 130 years, we don’t take risks with pet health ever.
We always take feedback from concerned pet owners and veterinarians very seriously. In light of the rumor, our Quality Assurance team has reviewed all incoming consumer contacts, manufacturing, and quality assurance data (this includes ingredient testing, analytical data throughout the production process, and quality assurance post-production testing) for the past year, and we have found no data or trend that would indicate an issue. We continue to stay on top of this situation, and rest assured that if the possibility of a real issue arises, we will act immediately and make sure our consumers have the information they need.
The health and safety of pets – yours and our own – will never be compromised.
###
Q&A: Purina Response to Online Rumor
We know that a recent social media rumor has scared many pet parents into wondering if Purina products are safe to feed. Below is a list of questions you may be asking.
Please reach out to our team with any additional questions.
1. What does Purina do to ensure product safety and quality? Purina has a comprehensive quality and safety program in place that is designed to catch any potential issues long before a product would ever make it to a pet owner. Each of our pet food factories has an in-house quality assurance lab staffed by scientists. Across our factory network, we conduct more than 100,000 quality checks DAILY – from testing as ingredients come in, throughout the production process, and finished product.
The safety and quality of our products is our top priority because millions of pets, including our own, eat Purina food every day.
2. Who is driving the online rumor? Several individuals are working together to spread the rumor that there are issues with Purina products. Many of them market and/or sell products that compete with Purina, and some have served as paid social media influencers to promote products and brands that are not being actively targeted by this rumor. We recommend researching the source of these posts.
3. Is Purina investigating the claims made online? How do you know this is a rumor? In light of this rumor, our Quality Assurance team has reviewed all incoming consumer contacts, manufacturing, and quality assurance data (this includes ingredient testing, analytical data throughout the production process, and quality assurance post-production testing) for the past year. Additionally, our Office of Consumer Affairs, which takes calls and messages from pet parents and works closely with our quality assurance experts, veterinarians, nutritionists, a veterinary toxicologist and many others, to investigate product complaints, has reviewed its data from the past year. Thorough investigations by both teams have found no data or trend that would indicate a product issue that has not been previously addressed. In question 7 below, you will find details of a voluntary recall that we initiated on February 8, 2023 following two complaints of dog illness. This was addressed quickly and without hesitation.
As a company that feeds more than 100 million cats and dogs each year, we don’t take risks with pet health ever.
If you have a concern with a Purina product, please feel free to reach out to our team. We take all concerns seriously and act quickly if an issue is confirmed.
4. What should a pet owner do if their pet is refusing to eat or showing other signs of illness? We encourage any pet parent who notices changes in their pet’s appetite, energy level or behavior to visit their veterinarian. Your trusted veterinarian is in the best position to assess the health and well-being of your dog or cat. As always, if your veterinarian has any questions, they may contact Purina directly to speak with one of our veterinarians.
5. Are any Purina pet foods currently being recalled? All Purina products are safe to feed, and we do not have any current or pending recalls. Information about a recall is immediately shared with the FDA, consumers, retailers and veterinarians.
6. I’ve read that Purina may be doing a ‘silent recall’ of its foods. Is this true? All Purina pet food are safe to feed. We have no current or pending product recalls. There is no such thing as a ‘silent recall,’ and quietly retracting product from the market that has been proven to be harmful to pets would be both irresponsible and illegal. Information about any recall is shared immediately with the FDA, consumers, retailers and veterinarians.
7. If there is a true issue with a Purina product, how quickly do you act? As few as two complaints about the same Purina product can trigger an internal investigation. If an issue is validated, we act quickly and without hesitation. Our 2023 voluntary recall of one of our prescription diets was issued after receiving and investigating two complaints of illness. We issued that recall within days and before the FDA had begun its investigation. We don’t take risks with pet health, ever.
8. There was information online in December about a Purina product testing higher for heavy metals than normal. Any updates on that? See below for an official statement.
UPDATE: Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach - Heavy Metals Testing Error Confirmed
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach remains safe to feed. The higher-than-expected levels of heavy metals reported in the initial veterinary diagnostic laboratory report that was circulated in social media by a concerned pet owner merited further investigation by the laboratory. Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory conducted a retest of the samples to confirm the levels. As part of their investigation, they also sent the samples to be tested at Iowa State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to confirm the results. A retest by K-State of the same food and an independent test of this same food by Iowa State’s analytical laboratory found only trace levels of these elements in both samples consistent with expected levels. Trace levels are typically found in food and beverages from these naturally occurring elements.
We appreciate K-State's diligence and are saddened by the confusion and fear that this caused pet owners who may have seen the initial flawed results on social media and rightfully been concerned. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach and all Purina products remain safe to feed.
---
Purina Response to Online Rumors
January 5, 2024
Please beware of online rumors claiming there are issues with Purina products – these false statements may be creating unnecessary stress for pet parents. There are no health or safety issues with any of our products, and they can continue to be fed with confidence.
At Purina, we take pride in feeding 46 million dogs and 68 million cats every year. The quality, safety and nutrition of our products is our highest priority, and we take feedback from concerned pet owners and veterinarians very seriously. Our Quality Assurance team leads more than 100,000 quality checks EVERY DAY across our factory network with the goal of ensuring our products are safe at every stage of the process – from when our ingredients arrive at our factories to when we ship our final food and treats out to retailers and consumers. Our comprehensive program ensures the foods you feed your pets, and that we feed our own, are safe.
The health and safety of pets – yours and our own – will never be compromised.
If you read something online that concerns you, or you have any questions about your pet food, please feel free to reach out to our team. We also recommend researching the source of these posts. Some are well-intentioned pet parents who are genuinely concerned and trying to be helpful, while others may be trying to create chaos and distrust of certain brands as an opportunity to sell their own products. Either way, please know that if there is a confirmed issue with any Purina product, we will be sharing that information with our consumers first.
###