Big Heart Pet Brands is facing a class action lawsuit filed by two pet food purchasers in New York over its use of the word “natural”, according toan article on PetfoodIndustry.com.
The article says that the plaintiffs claim that the presence of certain chemicals—including sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, and synthetic vitamins and minerals—renders the “natural” claim incorrect.
However, the article notes, the words “with added vitamins, minerals and nutrients” appear on the packaging, which has proven important in similar class action lawsuits.
Ryan Yamka, PhD, told Petfood Industry that the AAFCO Official Publication for 2017 guidelines for the use of the word “natural” allow added vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. “The disclaimer would need to appear with the largest or most prominent use of the term ‘natural’ on each panel. For example: front of bag, back of bag, etc.”
