Fact Check: Purina Response to Online Rumour

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 Rumour – January 15, 2024

Pet parents continue to be understandably scared by an online rumour that there is an issue with Purina pet foods. This rumour 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 in North America 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 rumour, 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. 

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Q&A: Purina Response to Online Rumour

We know that a recent social media rumour 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 rumour? Several individuals are working together to spread the rumour 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 rumour. We recommend researching the source of these posts. 

3. Is Purina investigating the claims made online? How do you know this is a rumour? In light of this rumour, 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. As a company that feeds more than 100 million cats and dogs in North America 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 behaviour 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 be 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. We don’t take risks with pet health, ever.

Purina Response to Online Rumours

January 5, 2024

Please be aware of online rumours 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 in North America every year. The quality, safety, and nutrition of our products are 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.