Hill’s Science Diet, Prescription Diet Excessive Vitamin D Class Action

Hill’s Pet Nutrition makes a great deal of its scientific foundations and safety standards, and it charges more for its pet foods. But the complaint for this class action alleges that certain products contained excessive amounts of vitamin D that sickened or killed a number of dogs. 

The Nationwide Class is all persons in the US who bought Hill’s products during the relevant time period, beginning with the earliest date when the products contained improperly high levels of Vitamin D. There is also an Ohio Subclass of all of the above who are Ohio residents.

Hill’s does a lot to give the impression that its pet foods are scientifically-based and healthy. It has named its lines “Science Diet” and “Prescription Diet,” and it sells them through veterinary clinics as well as through the normal outlets. Vets actually prescribe its products, the complaint says, for nutritional deficiencies and health issues.

The company also touts its efforts to make sure the pet foods are safe. The complaint quotes the company as saying, “We only accept ingredients from suppliers whose facilities meet stringent quality standards and who are approved by Hill’s. Not only is each ingredient examined to ensure its safety, we also analyze each product’s ingredient profile for essential nutrients to ensure your pet gets the stringent, precise formulation they need.” 

It proclaims the cleanliness and safety of its facilities: “We conduct annual quality systems audits for all manufacturing facilities to make sure we meet the high standards your pet deserves. We demand compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)…”

It declares its products to be safe and accurate in their formulations: “We conduct final safety checks daily on every Hill’s pet food product to help ensure the safety of your pet’s food.” “Guided by science, we formulate our food with precise balance so your pet gets all the nutrients they need—and none they don’t.” 

Consumers pay for this supposed scientific foundation, testing, and care. The complaint publishes a chart showing the price of its dog food to be 14 to 27 cents per ounce, as compared to other popular brands’ 8 to 11 cents per ounce.

Yet the complaint says that excessive amounts of Vitamin D in the products led to thousands of sick or dead dogs. 

Hill’s finally announced a recall of certain Prescription Diet and Science Diet products on January 31, 2019. It expanded the recall on February 7 to include additional lots of products. The complaint says that the company said the excessive amounts of Vitamin D were “due to a supplier error.” 

The complaint alleges breaches of warranties, among other things. 

 

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Consumer
Tags: Contaminated with Harmful Substances, Pet Food