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Blue Buffalo Admits to By-Product Meal in Pet Food

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Blue

Purina issued the following response to Blue Buffalo’s admission in court yesterday that a “substantial” and “material” portion of Blue Buffalo pet food sold to consumers contained poultry by-product meal, despite pervasive advertising claims to the contrary. Blue Buffalo asked the Court for additional time to file an Amended Complaint in the litigation, naming its ingredient suppliers as Defendants.

“Despite this admission, Blue Buffalo still has not informed consumers of the presence of poultry by-product meal in Blue Buffalo pet food, refuses to accept responsibility for the product it sold, and is instead blaming its suppliers,” said Keith Schopp, a spokesperson for Nestlé Purina Petcare.

On May 6, 2014, Purina filed a lawsuit against Blue Buffalo for false advertising after testing revealed the presence of poultry by-product meal in some of Blue Buffalo’s top selling pet foods. Blue Buffalo’s CEO responded by immediately claiming the testing was “Voodoo Science” and assuring their customers that “Blue Buffalo does not use chicken by-product meal or poultry by-product meal in any of our products.”

According to Schopp, “Only when faced with undeniable evidence from the lawsuit has Blue Buffalo admitted the truth to the court: a ‘substantial’ and ‘material’ portion of Blue Buffalo pet food sold over the past several years contained poultry by-product meal. It is unclear to us if or when this practice stopped, or whether any Blue Buffalo pet food containing by-product meal is still on store shelves.”

No small company, it is estimated that Blue Buffalo sells over a billion dollars of pet food at retail and well over 10 million bags annually.

“Through a $50 million annual advertising campaign that flooded airwaves and pet food aisles alike, Blue Buffalo told consumers over and over, emphatically and without qualification, that its products never contain poultry by-product meal,” said Schopp.

Blue Buffalo also attacked “big name pet food companies,” insinuating that they were somehow misleading consumers. Consumers paid a hefty premium for Blue Buffalo products based on these claims.

“Yet none of these claims were true,” said Schopp.

Schopp added: “Blue Buffalo now claims it had no way of knowing the bags contained by-product meal. A manufacturer is responsible for knowing what’s in its product, and a simple audit of its supply chain would have revealed what we discovered after reviewing the documentation.

“Blue Buffalo owes consumers an apology for all the false statements, false labels, and false advertising. More than this, it is time for Blue Buffalo to be transparent with the public and prove to their ‘pet parents’ that no mislabeled product remains on shelves.”

For more information on Purina’s false advertising lawsuit against Blue Buffalo, visit petfoodhonesty.com.

About Nestlé Purina PetCare

Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

 

SOURCE Nestle Purina PetCare/PR Newswire

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54 Comments

54 Comments

  1. Avatar Of Melissa

    melissa

    says:

    ALL commercial dry and canned pet food is GARBAGE! Rancid, rotten foods too spoiled for human consumption, carcasses, inedible meat waste, and ingredients like ground live day old male chicks, GMO corn and soy, etc…. are used in commercial pet foods. All of this filth is boiled into an unrecognizable mash.

    There is no such thing as “Human Food”. Get over the hype and MAKE your dog’s food. If you love him enough to buy him fancy toys, collars, beds, etc…, then love him enough to stop serving him crap!

    My dog gets organic, ground turkey, basmati rice and flash frozen organic vegetables, as well as a multi vitamin.

  2. Avatar Of All-Natural-Supporter

    All-Natural-Supporter

    says:

    One thing I can say, even if they proved Blue to not be 100% natural and so on, pet owners wouldn’t switch to Purina as that stuff is utter garbage. The pet owners would switch to a different all natural food. Does Purina intend to go after every pet food company out there to try and get rid of the competition? Why doesn’t Purina clean up its act and start making healthy 100 % natural food that people might be interested in and make it fair competition verses filing claims against companies as a maneuver to get rid of the competition. Maybe people need to work on hitting Purina with the No GMO issues that are now hitting the fast food chains and see how their decline in revenue can be just as messy for them as it is for places like McDonalds that sell GMO garbage.

  3. Avatar Of Denise Palm

    Denise Palm

    says:

    I would just like to know WHICH ones were/are questionable. It stated “certain” ones had the by-products. Any way to find out which ones?

  4. Avatar Of Libby Messer libby messer says:

    I worked for BB for nine years. If there were by-products in any of Blue’s line, I am certain Bill Bishop, the founder, had no knowledge of it. He is a wonderful man, and a pet lover. He would never stand by and allow this to happen. I have fed Blue to my dogs for six + years. They are healthy, happy, and beautiful. Even though I lost my job last year, I stand by the integrity of the company.

  5. Avatar Of Libby Messer libby messer says:

    I worked for Blue Bufalo for nine years. although I lost my job last year, I can say with full confidence, if there were any by-products in any of the dog food it was unknown by the founder, Bill Bishop. He is a wonderful man and dog lover. He would never stand by and allow that to happen. Blue is a great product, I have been feeding it to my dogs for six years and they are completly healthy and happy.

    • Avatar Of Libby Messer libby messer says:

      I worked for BB for nine years. If there were by-products in any of Blue’s line, I am certain Bill Bishop, the founder, had no knowledge of it. He is a wonderful man, and a pet lover. He would never stand by and allow this to happen. I have fed Blue to my dogs for six + years. They are healthy, happy, and beautiful. Even though I lost my job last year, I stand by the integrity of the company.

  6. I applaud Purina for its work with helping animals in shelters but 1) I have a dog that suffers sever allergies to their food and 2) they are owned by Nestle which is right up there with a lot of other large companies when it comes to stupidity. Like saying the public does not have a right to free water.

    • Avatar Of Sandy Riley Sandy Riley says:

      Purina is nobody to judge anyone elses dog food. Unless an independent source tests that food, I would not believe anything they say. They have some of the worst quality food on the market,. I groom dogs and I see what that crap does to the dogs I groom. I wouldn’t feed it to anything with skin.

  7. Avatar Of Kim

    Kim

    says:

    Used BB since our dog was a puppy and she loved it until a year ago. Didn’t seem to like it anymore and was having intermittent frothy vomit and diarrhea. Switched to Orijen six months ago and the diarrhea/vomiting stopped completely. Was it BB and change in suppliers? Don’t know or care. All I care is that my much loved little herding dog is well and shiny and full of energy. Ripple effects include three friends/family with the same breed also going off BB for Orijen (they had followed my lead in BB).

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      I am actively looking for a senior food for my 33# Pug, 11 yrs old. He has been on BB for years and recently the senior version(s). I am concerned that he is listless and not eager to play anymore. I paid premium for BB thinking he was getting the very best, also he reacts or reacted to grains. How did you decide on Orijen, and any other comments would help. I will not stay with BB just because they lied and took on such a snooty attitude. I don’t care how nice that guy is, the buck stops at his door unless he is related to Obama.

  8. Avatar Of Daisy T

    Daisy T

    says:

    I’m gonna call bullshit on this article. Dogs love animal by products. Wolves love animal by products. Americans are so incredibly picky that we eat white chicken breast only, and we think that’s what our dogs should have too. The truth is that dogs love intestines and cow udders. It’s gross to us but not to them. Let your dogs be dogs, please, and give them what they want.

    • Avatar Of D Martin

      D Martin

      says:

      Animals don’t just eat the crap of an animal they it all of it! By Product are only the crap no good meat. What so you think eating feathers and beaks only are good for you dog? Your sick in the head is what you are!

    • Avatar Of Will

      Will

      says:

      Dogs like to eat poop to is that good for them?

  9. I’m so angry that Blue thinks it’s okay to flagrantly LIE about what’s in their food and make FALSE claims. These companies need to face the fact that dogs are our children and that this is a CRIMINAL offence. If my kid’s toy were suddenly found to have led paint, there would be hell to pay and it would be all over television news. We need to set the same standards for our loved 4-legged friends and there should be stiff penalties for these industrially-contrived lies. I’m happy to be using ORIJIN for my dog, the best dog food.

  10. Avatar Of Candis Ross Candis Ross says:

    My 2 cats love BB and the older one’s hair is growing back in on his rump. I just received a new shipment of BB from Amazon and am going to check the contents label. You say Origins is good. From where do you order it?

  11. Avatar Of Kathi

    kathi

    says:

    Please go to BB and see the response from them Purina ‘ so called independent testing was from some guy with questionable credentials and did this testing at home with some questionable lab equipment… Nestlé and Purina have zero wants for the health of you or your animals… My dog can’t eat BB, but I still think they are trying to do right by our critters!!!

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      They (BB) admitted to the lies. Purina has no leg to stand on either in my estimation. Check out the Beneful complaints.

  12. Avatar Of Judy Goodman

    Judy Goodman

    says:

    I do hope that this is not true. Our little Shih Tzu , Bella, is just over 2 years old, we started her on Blue since the day we got her. I did a lot of research on dog food before hand, and compared what was in different brands. I saw that Blue has no by product meal, and all that other junk that other dog foods. The food is not cheap by all means, but we wanted her on the best quality food. I am going to be very disappointed if it turns out to be true. So I wonder how do we find out for sure

    • Avatar Of Cynthia

      Cynthia

      says:

      I did the same thing after I found out my dog is allergic to most dog food. My issue now is, I pay a premium price for this dog food and I want my money back! Blue Buffalo you owe me money! Do you have any idea how much more your dog food is than the rest? We trusted you! never again!! I am going back to cooking for my dogs it is cheaper and more nutritiousness.

      • Avatar Of Ray Mack Ray Mack says:

        I absolutely agree with you. I trusted Blue Buffalo and what did I get in return? Poor quality dog food that’s far more expensive but equally as bad as other products! I’m going back to cooking for my dogs as well! They owe money back to all of us! I have been purchasing their food for 4 years now!

  13. Avatar Of Ryan

    Ryan

    says:

    Im curious to the truthfulness of this article. The source is from Purena and the writing seems to be on Purinas side not showing any proof of anything other than he said she said. If this was true I’m sure it would have been blasted all over the news and not just a statement from the company who’s investigating, a rival food company. Until a hard news article and report is done by a reputable unbiased organization I’ll leave this in the air. No reason to jump the gun.

  14. Avatar Of Ariel

    Ariel

    says:

    if a store near you sells Merricks dog food you should give it a try, after using blue buffalo both my dogs started having allergies to it and began pulling out there hair above their tail. They are gluten and grain sensitive as well. Which blue buffalo says that don’t have in their product. After using Merricks my dogs no longer have the allergies or loss of hair that blue buffalo caused. Give it a try! All the pet stores around me rave about it!

  15. Avatar Of Ray

    Ray

    says:

    Purina has yet to make a food that is actually healthy for a dog or cat. ALL of it’s food is garbage. My dog has food allergies and Blue Buffalo is one of only three foods I can buy that won’t make her scratch herself raw. Purina needs to start doing some quality control of their own before they start going after competitors. They need to get rid of the corn and fillers and the dyes. Dogs don’t give two shits if their food looks like fresh veggies (Yeah, I’m looking at you Beneful. You aren’t but a step above Ol Roy)

    • Avatar Of Shauna Bishop

      shauna bishop

      says:

      I’m sorry your dog has probable immune system deficiencies…none of which are related to a particular food but to it’s poor breeding….Purina products have worked for me and my breed since 1976….perhaps Blue would as well provided the protein level is low so there would be no liver issues in older life & it was reasonable in price in which case I would most certainly test it fully….sorry for your faulty pet 🙁

  16. Avatar Of Kiesha

    Kiesha

    says:

    I feel betrayed! I barely can make ends meet financially and I still spent the extra money for this dog food Hoping I was doing my dogs a favour! What a disgusting disappointment. I guess money is more important than honesty and interity. You let me down blue ..

  17. I’m so confused and angry. I want my dog to eat a quality food and to think that I’m feeding my dog by products an who knows what is totally disgusting to me….I HOPE. this is not true. If so i want a complete refund to say the least. I’m sick of the lies, being retired a.nd spending big bucks to keep my dog healthy on quality food brings out the worse in me, sick of fraudulent advertising.

    • Avatar Of Jaymonster

      JayMonster

      says:

      Yeah, refund isn’t going to happen. Best you can hope for will be a $10 coupon or some such nonsense that will come out of the courts and the only winner will be the lawyers.

      Just move on and find something better.

  18. Avatar Of Stephanie Noell

    Stephanie Noell

    says:

    I know this article has stirred up alot of stuff. But you have to look at who is suing them and what they are saying. all the companies sue eachother to make the other look bad…. In this case purina is suing blue and yes they admitted some stuff but how much better is blue than purina i think a million times better…

    I believe this article is a joke because if you scroll down to the end it states:
    “Blue Buffalo owes consumers an apology for all the false statements, false labels, and false advertising. More than this, it is time for Blue Buffalo to be transparent with the public and prove to their ‘pet parents’ that no mislabeled product remains on shelves.”
    AND
    Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

    How about purina owns a big huge apology for creating so cheap products that animals are dying because of it…. Purina is full of crap and does not premote responsible pet care considering they are one of the most inhumane animal testing cooperation out there. Also the global leader in nutrition , health and wellness is pure (Excuse my language) Bullshit!!!!

    • Avatar Of Renee Koenitzer

      Renee Koenitzer

      says:

      Given that the CEO of Nestle believes that all water should be privatized and sold for whatever the market will bear (he doesn’t think water is a human right) I’m not buying one damn thing from Purina, or any Nestle products whatsoever.

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      I’ll bet you voted for Obama TWICE.

  19. Avatar Of Kc

    KC

    says:

    It’s not ironic that Purina is filing the lawsuit. It’s a method of attacking a competitor. Hopefully it turns out it was the fault of the suppliers changing specs, but BB should have been testing random samples or performing some level of audit on their supply chain.

  20. Avatar Of Samuel Rubin Samuel Rubin says:

    I read the article and I don’t buy it or the intentions of the writer.
    Blue Buffalo is one of the very best dog foods on the market. I’ve done extensive research. My dogs are the proof. Every company evolves over time and I’m sure they’ve made errors in that evolution. Currently within the last year I only have praise for the quality and more importantly the results!

    • Avatar Of Susan S

      Susan S

      says:

      Well, this little press release of sorts did come from Purina, so take it for what it’s worth. However, if you research the court proceedings, which are public record, BB DID in fact admit to this, and has not notified its customers or taken any blame for it. So, you may continue to use the dog food from a company that lies to you, if you feel that is the best food for your dog, but why would you trust them to be consistent with what’s going into it ever again?

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      BS

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      Don’t trust these posts, they are claiming my earlier post was a duplicate. Not possible! How much is Blue Buffalo paying you?

    • Avatar Of Stacie

      Stacie

      says:

      They admitted it. What don’t you buy? I’ve been feeding my puppy BB his whole 6 month old life. One I found out about this a few days ago I started doing research on the lawsuit. I’ve read interviews with the owner of BB and his arrogance is shocking to the point that it made me believe he would do something like this. Not only that but the amount of bad reviews on consumer reports. Alot of sick dogs and some that even died. I’m sorry… but the fact that I’ve been paying extra money for a dog food that is premium… only to find out it wasn’t premium really tees me off. I just hope you are lucky enough that your dog doesn’t get sick…

  21. Avatar Of Ezekiel Moreno

    Ezekiel Moreno

    says:

    Gonna look into suing these guys. Ive bought their product on the belief that their advertising was legit. I would have never feed my dog this knowing the false advertising. Pure crap.//

    • Avatar Of Heather

      Heather

      says:

      This explains a lot and I would jump right on that suit band wagon! I have a chihuahua with chicken/egg allergies. I was feeding her Blue Buffalo because I thought it was the best thing for her. Well needless to say her allergy reaction became so bad she ended up at the emergency vet and is now missing hair on all her legs and has several bald spots along her sides from the scratching! If I had known there was any form of chicken (by-product or not), I would have never fed it to her! I now make my own dog food…… Time consuming and more expensive at times, but safer and worth it for my fur baby! Damn you Blue Buffalo!

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      How can we believe anything they say, dog food obamas.

      • Avatar Of Jaymonster

        JayMonster

        says:

        The next time you have a thought…. Let it go. You ramblings are incoherent and pointless at best. First you don’t believe the post, then you don’t trust blue buffalo, then you are dragging politics in where this is not point to it but to show your classless idiocy. Just go home. Your drunk. If not, then perhaps you should be.

  22. Avatar Of Phillip Brandt

    Phillip Brandt

    says:

    IT is time all pet owners abandoned all Purina Products, as Purina and its companies seem to not be able to help themselves with the lying. They make and buy products made in China, pass them off as US made, they use meal filler to the point their foods are very low in protein, all under the guise of HIGH quality food. In my opinion, there are no cheaply made dog food on the market, yet Purina does all it can to rob the public at the expense of their beloved pets.

  23. Avatar Of Gary Moscowitz

    Gary Moscowitz

    says:

    As a loyal Blue Buffalo customer thinking I was providing my dogs with the best, I am totally disgusted and dismayed ! Is there a quality pet food out there that actually is truthful. How ironic that a pet food producer(Purina) known for its cutting corners with their pet food products, using Chinese product, etc is the one suing BB for false advertising! Bottom line? BB should be forced to pay a huge fine for false advertising, forced to donate huge amounts to pet rescue groups( but not the HSUS). And for a limited time offer their customers huge rebates for purchasing their pet food products! For BB to try to sue their suppliers is ludicrous and a red herring! Shame on them!

    • Origin dog & cat food is fantastic, and we noticed a considerable difference from the various foods like even Wellness we had our cats on previously.
      It’s hard to find, it’s a Canadian Product — but it’s legit, and good stuff. one of the best out there. Fromm is good with their grain-free variety, as well, but I prefer Origin.

    • Avatar Of Jessica Jessica says:

      Before you jump to conclusions, note that the article was written by Purina.

      • Avatar Of Matt

        Matt

        says:

        Welcome to America. The place where people read one internet article, assume it’s truth, then react irrationally. Makes a person sick doesn’t it?

    • Avatar Of George Chase

      George Chase

      says:

      Stop buying the products, what else are they lying about?

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