Nature’s Recipe Class Action Says Pet Food Isn’t All Natural

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A class action lawsuit claims that more than 40 types of Nature’s Recipe pet food are not “all natural” as advertised, and actually contain artificial ingredients.

Plaintiffs Theresa Acquard and Tom Butler are two New York residents who have filed a class action lawsuit against Big Heart Pet Brands Inc., the company that produces Nature’s Recipe pet foods.

Acquard says she purchased Nature’s Recipe pet food approximately every 13 weeks between July 2015 and October 2018.

She says that she purchased the Adult Grain Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe in New York and online at Chewy.com. Allegedly, she paid “a premium” for the products.

Butler claims that he purchased Nature’s Recipe pet foods between 2017 and 2018 for his dog.

According to the Nature’s Recipe class action, Butler purchased a range of pet food from the company, including Puppy Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe, Grain Free Puppy Chicken Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe, and Grain Free Salmon and Potato Recipe.

Allegedly, the company knew or should have known that the products were not “all natural” and advertised the pet food as such as an attempt to maximize their sales of the products and appeal to consumers’ growing preference for all “all natural” foods.

“In fact, the Products contain non-natural, artificial, and/or synthetic ingredients including but not limited to sodium tripolyphosphate (‘STPP’), synthetic vitamins and minerals, citric acid, and lactic acid,” the Nature’s Recipe class action lawsuit states.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) is a suspected neurotoxin that could cause skin irritation.

The Nature’s Recipe class action lawsuit further points out that synthetic vitamins and minerals added to the pet food are not naturally occurring and some of them are toxic if ingested.

Food additives citric acid and lactic acid are not recognized “natural” ingredients either, the Nature’s Recipe pet food class action lawsuit states.

The Nature’s Recipe class action lawsuit argues that because the company advertised their pet foods as all natural but they were not, consumers who purchased the pet foods did not receive what they were sold, and were financially injured as a result.

The plaintiffs state that on “primary display panels” of Nature’s Recipe pet food, the products display words that would mislead a reasonable consumer including “All Natural,” “All Natural Dog Food,” and/or “All Natural Cat Food.”

“At all relevant times, Defendant made the Natural Representations because consumers perceive all natural foods as better, healthier, and more wholesome,” the Nature’s Recipe class action states.

Acquard and Butler claim that had they known that the products were not all natural, they would not have purchased them or would not have paid as much for them as they did.

The Nature’s Recipe pet food class action lawsuit states that many reasonable consumers would be similarly misled by the representations of the pet foods as all natural.

Allegedly, many consumers rely solely on the advertisements of the pet foods, and may not know which ingredients listed on the back of the product are natural or not natural.

The Nature’s Recipe dog food class action claims that Big Heart Pet Brands knows this or should have known this and used it to their advantage, to the detriment of their customers.

The Nature’s Recipe false advertising class action lawsuit notes that consumers are increasingly showing a preference for all natural foods over those with synthetic, or man-made ingredients, because all natural products are seen as healthier and better for the environment.

The Nature’s Recipe class action lawsuit presents data to support their claim that this trend extends to pet foods, and that people are willing to pay a premium for products, including pet food that are all natural.

Allegedly, Big Heart Pet Brands capitalized on this trend by advertising their products as all natural even though they are not.

Acquard and Butler are represented by Michael R. Reese of Reese LLP and Benjamin Heikali of Farqui & Farqui LLP.

The Nature’s Recipe “All Natural” Class Action Lawsuit is Theresa Acquard, et al. v. Big Heart Pet Brands Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-00050-LJV, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, Rochester Division.