Like human beings, dogs can have allergic reactions to foods that contain grains, such as corn, wheat, or soy. Their owners are often willing to pay more for pet foods that are made without grains. Nestle Purina Petcare Company makes three at least Purina pet foods that it claims are made without the grains that cause frequent allergic reactions, but the complaint for this class action alleges that the foods are not free of grains as advertised.
The Nationwide Class for this action is all persons living in the US who, during the maximum period permitted by law, bought the subject foods primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and not for resale. A Georgia Subclass has also been defined for persons living in Georgia.
Three products are at issue in this class action:
- Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oat Meal Formula
- Purina Beneful Grain Free with Farm-Raised Chicken accented with Bluberries, Pumpkin and Spinach
The first two Pro Plan products are advertised as having “No corn, wheat, or soy.” The complaint shows the front of the products, which claim the pet foods are “easily digestible and gentle on the digestive system.” Also displayed are the words, “No Corn, Wheat, or Soy.”
The front of the Beneful product is also shown, prominently labeled as being “Grain Free.” The label also says that “No Corn, Wheat, or Gluten are in this recipe” [sic].
According to the complaint, however, independent testing shows that these claims are not true. The plaintiff’s attorneys for this case hired an expert, it says, “to test whether [the company] accurately represented the contents of the Subject Foods.”
The complaint alleges, “The results from this test revealed that both Pro Plan formulas contain significant amounts of wheat, while the Beneful product contains significant amounts of soy.”
The complaint claims that the company sells the “grain-free” pet foods at a premium. For example, at the Chewy website, a 23-pound bag of the Beneful product sells for $29.42, while a larger, 42-pound bag of Purina Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food sells for only $24.99.
The complaint alleges, “Pet owners who purchase limited-ingredient products pay a premium to alleviate their pets’ allergies and to provide various health and nutritional benefits associated with a limited-ingredient diet. However, it says that those who buy the products at issue are not getting the benefit of their bargain.
Mislabeling is a widespread problem in pet food, the complaint alleges: “In December 2014, a group of researchers found that only 18% of the pet food samples they tested completely matched the label claims with respect to the content of animal by-products. Thus, 82% of the products analyzed by the researchers contained non-conforming ingredients when compared to their label claims.”
Studies performed since then also confirm that pet foods often do not keep their promises as to the ingredients included or excluded.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Purina Pro Plan and Beneful Pet Foods Not Grain-Free Complaint
August 30, 2021
Like human beings, dogs can have allergic reactions to foods that contain grains, such as corn, wheat, or soy. Their owners are often willing to pay more for pet foods that are made without grains. Nestle Purina Petcare Company makes three at least Purina pet foods that it claims are made without the grains that cause frequent allergic reactions, but the complaint for this class action alleges that the foods are not free of grains as advertised.
Purina Pro Plan and Beneful Pet Foods Not Grain-Free ComplaintCase Event History
Purina Pro Plan and Beneful Pet Foods Not Grain-Free Complaint
August 30, 2021
Like human beings, dogs can have allergic reactions to foods that contain grains, such as corn, wheat, or soy. Their owners are often willing to pay more for pet foods that are made without grains. Nestle Purina Petcare Company makes three at least Purina pet foods that it claims are made without the grains that cause frequent allergic reactions, but the complaint for this class action alleges that the foods are not free of grains as advertised.
Purina Pro Plan and Beneful Pet Foods Not Grain-Free Complaint