Purina has denied “online rumours” that raised safety concerns about its Pro Plan pet food, after several social media accounts claimed the pet food maker’s products sickened hundreds animals, mostly dogs but also cats.
The company last week moved to dismiss concerns shared in TikTok videos, some of which have been viewed by thousands, as well as in a public Facebook group with nearly 67,000 members called Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time.
The posts related to accounts of dogs having seizures, diarrhea and vomiting, some of which were said to have died, which pet owners say happened after the animals ate Purina Pro food Plan. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration does not have a recall listed for any Purina products.
“False claims can create unnecessary stress for pet parents. There are no health or safety issues with any of our products, and they can continue to be fed with confidence,” concluded St. Louis-based subsidiary of Swiss conglomerate Nestlé Friday in an online statement responding to what it called “online rumors.”
As of January 11, the public Facebook group received 729 anecdotal reports of sick animals (547 dogs and 182 cats) in the US, Ireland, UK, Serbia, Hungry and Canada, including 177 pet deaths, according to efoodalert.
Those behind the posts include “well-intentioned pet parents who are genuinely concerned and trying to be helpful, while others may be trying to create confusion and mistrust of certain brands as an opportunity to sell their own products,” Purina said in its statement.
Purina investigated the claims made online, and “we found no data or trends to indicate an issue,” a company spokeswoman told CBS Friday in an emailed statement. The scenario “exposes a dark side of social media and how it can be used to intimidate people who don’t deserve it,” the spokesperson added.
Purina products feed 114 million dogs and cats a year, and the company performs more than 100,000 quality tests each day in its factories to ensure its pet food is safe for animals, according to the company.
The company in March 2023 Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental prescription dog food recalled due to potentially high vitamin D levels.
