Ainsworth Rachael Ray Canned Cat Food Recall | Dr. Justine Lee

Posted by justinelee in Blog, Recalls

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Voluntarily Recalls Five Nutrish® Wet Cat Food Varieties For Potentially Elevated Vitamin D Levels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 4, 2015 – Ainsworth Pet Nutrition of Meadville, PA is voluntarily recalling five varieties of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® wet cat food, including Ocean Fish-a-licious, Lip Smackin’ Sardine & Mackerel, Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore, Tuna Purrfection, and certain lot codes of Paw Lickin’ Chicken & Liver due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of excessive vitamin D consumption usually develop within 12-36 hours after ingestion and may include:

• Gastrointestinal signs (e.g., not eating, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea)
• Elevated calcium levels due to Vitamin D
• Kidney failure (e.g., increased thirst and urination)
• Neurologic signs (e.g., muscle tremors, seizures).

Any cat experiencing these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Evidence of problems include elevated calcium or Vitamin D levels.

Two variety packs that contain some of these recalled products (the Chicken Lovers Variety Pack, and the Ocean Lovers Variety Pack) will also be recalled. The recalled products are distributed nationwide. No other Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® products are affected by this recall.

The UPC code can be found on the bottom of the cup. The Best By code can be found on the side of the cup.

To date, there have been 11 reports of illness associated with these products.

After conducting a number of product tests, Ainsworth confirmed that the affected products have elevated levels of vitamin D. The high levels result from the natural levels of vitamin D that are found in some of the fish ingredients that were used in these specific formulas.

“At Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®, the safety and quality of our products is our top priority,” says Jeff Watters, CEO. “For the time being, we recommend disposing of any of the affected wet cat varieties. Rest assured we have implemented additional operating procedures to prevent an issue like this from occurring in the future. We sincerely apologize to our loyal consumers everywhere.”

Ainsworth is working to ensure the removal of all affected products from store shelves. Retailers with affected products are asked to contact 888-943-4218 for additional information.

Consumers with questions about the recall are encouraged to contact Ainsworth’s Consumer Care Team at 877-650-3486 or visit www.nutrishforpets.com/news.

Representatives will be available from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET Monday thru Friday and 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

Vitamin D is important in regulating calcium and phosphorus in a cat’s body. But, when ingested at very high levels, it can lead to serious health issues.

Production of the affected varieties has been suspended and will resume after reformulation.