Purina debunks TikTok rumors about pet food safety

Purina has been forced to refute what it described as “online rumors” that have caused a stir on TikTok in recent weeks, claiming that its Pro Plan food had sickened dozens of pets, especially dogs.

Days after the company issued a statement saying that “these false statements may cause unnecessary stress for pet parents,” a Purina spokeswoman said Thursday that there was “absolutely no data showing us that there is a pattern of problems” with any Purina product.

“In recent days we have seen an increase in consumers who are concerned and reaching out asking if we have a recall or issue after seeing this rumor,” spokeswoman Lorie Westhoff said in an email. “In response, we are informing them that these rumors are not true and that our food is safe to feed.”

Purina, based in St. Louis and a subsidiary of Nestlé, responded to unsubstantiated accounts shared in TikTok videos that racked up thousands of views and in a 62,000-member public Facebook group called Save pets One pet at a time. According to these reports, dogs suffered from seizures, vomiting and diarrhea, and some died after eating Purina Pro Plan food.

Concerned pet owners encouraged a Purina boycott. Last week the Facebook group did just that received nearly 197 anecdotal reports that animals – 151 dogs and 46 cats – had become ill and 51 of them had died.

Purina said there was no evidence to support these reports.

“We know this is a rumor because we have absolutely no data showing that there is a pattern of problems with any specific product,” Ms. Westhoff said. “As a company that feeds more than 100 million cats and dogs every year, we will never again take risks with pet health.”

In its statement last week, Purina said the sources of some messages were “well-meaning pet parents who are genuinely concerned and trying to be helpful,” while others “may be trying to create chaos and distrust toward certain brands as an opportunity.” to sell their own products.”

In 2022, consumers spent more than $136.8 billion on pets in the United States, where more than 65 million households have dogs and approximately 46.5 million have cats. This is evident from a study by Forbes Advisor published last week.

The numbers suggest the potential influence online communities can have on the pet food industry.

Rachel Fusaro, who has 275,000 followers on TikTok, cited reports in recent videos that have racked up millions of views in recent weeks that hundreds of dogs had become ill after eating Purina. Ms. Fusaro, whose website says she has a bachelor’s degree in food sciencereferred to some descriptions on Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time.

“I don’t confirm whether or not there is anything wrong with Purina,” she says said in a video on TikTok. But she added that she would “personally stop” using Purina products, despite the lack of an official recall. Ms. Fusaro could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In response to emailed questions on Thursday, Purina said Ms. Fusaro had not provided any evidence of a link between any illness and any Purina product.

Ms. Westhoff, the Purina spokesperson, said the company was “considering other options to address this directly with those who spread the rumor.”

“They have acknowledged in multiple ways that they have no evidence there is a problem with Purina products, yet continue to purposefully spread this misinformation,” she said.

The Food and Drug Administration does not have a current list for a recall involving Purina products. Purina’s last voluntary recall took place in March 2023, after a “food supplier error” resulted in possibly increased levels of vitamin D in Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental prescription dog food.

Ms Westhoff said there was “no correlation” between the latest rumors “and the food we voluntarily recalled last year.”

In that case, she said, investigators following a pair of consumer complaints discovered that the cause was “an error that occurred with a third-party blender.”

“We immediately made the decision to voluntarily recall the product and notified the FDA,” she said.

The FDA said in a statement Thursday that it could not comment on the recent reports of pet illnesses circulating online, but that it is evaluating them “generally speaking” to determine whether action is needed. It encouraged pet owners and veterinarians to report illnesses or other adverse reactions associated with pet food directly to the agency.

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