Nutro Products

The Nutro Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of pet food. The company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated since 2007,[1] is the developer and manufacturer of the Max, Wholesome Essentials, Ultra, Wild Frontier, and Crave brands of dog and cat food, as well as Greenies dental treats. The company is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, US.

History

The Nutro brand began in 1926 when Herben Serois started the company,[2] which was then purchased by the Saleen brothers in 1933. John, Herman, and Albert Saleen owned and operated a fox farm where they raised foxes and developed their own fox food. They also developed wet dog food which they distributed through Kal Kan. John took over the business in 1947.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, John Saleen renewed the Nutro Dog Food Company trademark in 1952 from the family of Herben Serois, who had received approval to use the trademark Nutro on May 12, 1936.[2]

Food safety and criticism

In 1998, two samples of Nutro Premium (together with various other brands) were subject to qualitative analyses for pentobarbital residue by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) due to suspicion that the anesthetizing drug may have found its way into pet foods through euthanized animals, including cats and dogs. DNA test for all the samples failed to detect cat and dog DNA but Nutro's two samples tested positive for the drug, presumably from rendered cattle. The CVM stated that due to the low level of exposure, the risk of adverse effects is low.[6][7]

In March 2007, Nutro was listed as a company affected by the Menu Foods recall.[8]

In April 2008, consumeraffairs.com reported multiple cases of diarrhea, vomiting and other intestinal problems in pets fed Nutro products. Nutro stated that their products undergo rigorous safety testing and are 100% safe. Some customers have backed the company, saying that their pets are not having any problems with the food. Veterinarians interviewed stated that it might not necessarily be the food that is causing problems.[9] In September 2008, the Pet Food Product Safety Alliance (PFPSA) tested samples of Nutro dog food in response to the consumer complaints on consumeraffairs.com and found levels of copper in excess of Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommendations. Zinc levels were approximately 2–4 times the minimum recommendation of 120 ppm, but still within the maximum recommendation of 1000 ppm. The PFPSA has criticized the recommended zinc levels as excessive; even the minimum recommended levels are 10 times that of adult human requirements (based on body weight). PFPSA has also stated that the symptoms of zinc toxicity are consistent with consumer complaints regarding Nutro dog food.[10][11] Nutro rejected PFPSA's claims stating that both zinc and copper levels were within recommended levels, reiterating that their products undergo "rigorous quality assurance testing".[12]

In May 2009, Nutro issued a recall of selected dry cat food due to excess levels of zinc and low levels of potassium, which the company blamed on a production error by a premix company. Nutro stated that it received no complaints related to the recall. Symptoms includes "reduction in appetite, refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea."[13] Both consumeraffairs.com and PFPSA have claimed a link between this incident and earlier complaints and also questioned Nutro's claim of quality control and product testing.[14][15] In June, lab tests of a sample of Nutro Max Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor showed zinc levels at 2100 ppm. Dr. Stephen Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and senior vice-president of Animal Health for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) described the zinc levels as "awfully high". While he stated that the long-term effects of such levels are not known, he mentioned the possibility of "significant intestinal upset and liver and kidney damage." Unlike the 1000 ppm maximum for dog food, the cat food maximum set by AAFCO is 2000 ppm. In comparison, the European Union's maximum for all animal feed is 250 ppm, with a recommended maximum of 150 ppm.[16]

type	Private fully owned subsidiary
industry	Food
foundation	1926 as Nutro Products in Industry, California, USA
founder	Herben Serois
location	Franklin, Tennessee, US
area served	Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and US
parent	Mars, Incorporated (2007–present)‡R1R‡
brands	Crave Max Ultra Wild Frontier Wholesome Essentials
products	Pet food
homepage	nutro.com

History

Products

Food safety and criticism

External links

References