Taste of the Wild Class Action Says Dog Food Contains Pesticides, Metals

A concerned pet owner recently filed a class action lawsuit against the maker of Taste of the Wild dog food claiming that the products are contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals.

Plaintiff Martin Grossman is suing defendant Diamond Pet Foods Inc. over allegations that the company’s Taste of the Wild products are contaminated with harmful chemicals including pesticides.

Diamond Pet Foods manufactures and distributes Taste of the Wild products, marketing the dog food as formulated “based on your pet’s ancestral diet.”

The company further supports the quality of their products by stating: “Every ingredient is carefully selected from trusted sources, each recipe is designed by our veterinarians and nutritionists to meet specific nutritional requirements and every product is tested for quality and safety before leaving our facilities.”

Despite claims of natural ingredients and high quality nutrition, Taste of the Wild dog food may not be as incredible as marketing suggests. Grossman alleges that Diamond Pet Food products contain a series of undesirable contaminates which can cause harm to animals.

Through testing of Taste of the Wild, Grossman says he discovered the dog food contains heavy metals including arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as pesticides, acrylamide, and BPA.

These contaminates can allegedly build up in an animal’s body and cause toxicity, leading to adverse health conditions. Health conditions reported in relation to pet food contaminates include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal damage, nerve damage, neurological side effects, seizures, heart problems, cancers, and in some cases death.

In his Diamond Pet Food class action, Grossman alleges that the manufacturer knew about the contaminates in their Taste of the Wild pet foods, but chose to mislead consumers in an attempt to increase their profits. The Taste of the Wild manufacturer allegedly acknowledges and aims to capitalize on the trend of pet owners prioritizing natural, nutritious ingredients in their pet food.

“Defendants know that certain consumers seek out and wish to purchase premium pet foods that possess high quality ingredients and do not contain chemicals or contaminants, and that these consumers will pay more for pet foods that they believe possess these qualities than for pet foods that they do not believe possess these qualities,” the Taste of the Wild dog food class action claims.

Grossman seeks to represent a Class of consumers who have purchased contaminated Taste of the Wild dog food since May 1, 2013. The Diamond Pet Food class action seeks restitution, disgorgement, statutory damages, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Plaintiffs are represented by Robert K. Shelquist and Rebecca A. Peterson of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP; Joseph DePalma, Steven J. Greenfogel, and Susana Cruz-Hodge of Lite DePalma Greenberg LLC; Daniel E. Gustafson, Karla M. Gluek and Raina C. Borrelli of Gustafson Gluek PLLC; Kevin A. Seely and Steven M. McKany of Robbins Arroyo LLP; and Charles Laduca and Kathrine Van Dyck of Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca LLP.

The Taste of the Wild Contaminated Pet Food Class Action Lawsuit is Grossman v. Shell & Kampeter Inc. d/b/a Diamond Pet Foods, Case No. 2:18-cv-02344-JAM-AC, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.