Purina Recalls Low Fat Wet Dog Food Due to Labeling Error

Nestlé Purina PetCare said it is recalling the mislabeled cans 'out of abundance of caution.'

Nestlé Purina PetCare Co., a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Nestle  (NSRGY) - Get Free Report, said it is voluntarily recalling a limited amount of its Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Low Fat prescription wet dog food due to a labeling error.

The company said it is making the move "out of abundance of caution," according to a filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Nestlé Purina said that for a brief period on Sept. 15, cans of a different adult dog food, Purina ONE True Instinct Tender Cuts In Gravy With Real Turkey & Venison wet dog food, were labeled as PPVD EN Low Fat in one of its factories. 

'While we have not received any reports to date of illness or injury to dogs fed this mislabeled product, we are conducting this voluntary recall as a precaution," the company said.

The mislabeled diet is safe to feed, the company said, but it is not the intended formula for dogs requiring a prescription PPVD EN Low Fat diet, who may have sensitivities to traditional diets or difficulty digesting fat.

"We became aware of the issue after being contacted by several pet owners who observed the texture of food in their PPVD EN Low Fat cans was not the same as previous meals," Nestlé Purina said  "The mislabeled product contains chunks in gravy, while the correct product looks more like a pate consistency".

The affected product was available by prescription only and distributed through veterinary clinics and other retailers with the ability to validate a prescription.

'We’re Pet Owners, Too'

"We have asked our veterinary and other retail partners to remove the affected product,"Nestlé Purina PetCare said. "We also recommend that you discard any of the affected product you may have, and we will replace it as quickly as possible." 

Consumers can identify the mislabeled product by the UPC (38100 17599), production code (22581159 L4TR6) and “Best Before Sept 2024” date on the bottom of each PPVD EN Low Fat can.

No other Purina products are affected by the recall

"We apologize to pet owners for any concerns or inconvenience this situation has caused," Nestlé Purina. "We’re pet owners too, and we know how important the health and well-being of our pets is, which is what led us to make this decision. We are taking action to investigate and notify pet owners and veterinarians of the situation."

Consumers can contact the company with at 1-800-579-7733, Monday-Saturday, 8am - 5pm CST or via email.

In addition to Purina and its namesake chocolate products, Nestle owns more than 2,000 brands worldwide, including Kit Kat, Gerber, San Pellegrino, Perrier, Cheerios, Coffee mate, Dreyers, Lean Cuisine, Nesquik, Toll House, as well as a perpetual global license to sell Starbucks-branded consumer packaged goods and food service products (outside of Starbucks’ coffeehouse locations).

Last month, Nestle CEO Mark Schneider said underlying earnings per share should rise 6% to 10% annually in constant currency through 2025, according to Bloomberg. Schneider also gave margin targets for those years that exceed analysts' expectations. 

In October, Nestle said it was buying the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand from Starbucks  (SBUX) - Get Free Report for an undisclosed amount.The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.