Blue Buffalo By-product Concerns

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I've always wondered how Blue Buffalo managed to offer seemingly high quality ingredients at low prices while running a massive ad campaign. It seemed too good to be true--turns out it was! Purina recently sued Blue Buffalo for using by-products while claiming that they didn't. A few days ago, Blue Buffalo admitted that they accidentally used by-products, due to a mix up in labeling by one of their sources. While they say they stopped doing business with the company, their lack of quality control and verification make me a little uneasy about the brand... Oddly enough, I think we can thank Purinia for this disclosure!

Also of note, other pet food companies may also be impacted by this mislabeling... Certainly a developing issue.

Article: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/surprising-statement-from-blue-buffalo...

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Thanks for posting this- we all knew about the lawsuit, but I hadn't seen any updates in my searches online recently. I've never been a BB fan- too much advertising for my taste and discretion, but this will create a whole new set of issues for them. 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

This update doesn't seem to have made it far in the mainstream news, despite the fact that Blue posted it on Facebook and their website. It's so sketchy that the only reason this came out was because of Purina's lawsuit. Clearly, Blue needs to stop spending money on advertising and focus on quality control and reputable sourcing.

I know Blue is one of the most popular brands in my circle, because it's affordable to feed to multiple large dogs and is considered to be high quality.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I posted the article you shared in this discussion on my Facebook. What is perhaps most unsettling is the company that is so publicly opposed to the inclusion of by-products in pet food claims that the inclusion of by-products in their own food "poses no health, safety or nutrition issue."

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

It's really an incredible story. It's great that you posted it. My friends pretty much consider me to be an "elitist" when it comes to dog stuff. For example, they don't agree with my beliefs on things like health testing breeding dogs (but have dogs with health concerns) and think of me as generally a little nutty on food. One has dubbed Oliver, "Sir Oliver" who speaks with a British accent.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It was really only a matter of time before we had to take Blue off of our recommended brands list anyway; they have gotten way too big for their britches and will probably be going public within the next year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/us-bluebuffalo-ipo-idUSBR...

Shareholders are bad for quality, lol. 

I guess we'll be saying Bye Bye Blue.

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

It's amazing how many companies have abandoned the health of our pets for corporate profits. It's kind of irrational, but Champion's higher prices make me feel more confident in their quality. It's really hard for me to understand how it can even be possible to produce quality pet food for less than a few dollars a pound.

I'm sure you read Truth About Pet Food--you and Susan seem to be very similar; incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated to keeping our animals healthy and safe! Thank you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Elizabeth. To be honest, I don't read Susan Thixton. I find her to be something of an alarmist and have found inaccuracies in many of her articles in the past. (I also won't pay for information I can get free elsewhere, lol)  She actually has no background in science or nutrition, so she sometimes misunderstands things and then passes that mistaken idea along. I think some years back she had people unnecessarily alarmed about sodium selenite in food, I seem to remember some members asking about that. She became a crusader about pet foods after one of her pets was affected by the 2007 recalls. I do think she is passionate and no doubt has helped open the eyes of many pet owners. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

So sad. We don't use BB, but started Yogi on it originally. It seemed like a widely available brand which would have served us well down the road when start full time traveling.
It did always make me wonder when there would be reps in the pet stores actively pushing this brand.
Too bad Purina had to "call the kettle black". Haha, guess that saying might too old for some of younger members. ;-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All the advertising has placed BB as one of Purina's main competitors. I'm pretty sure that's why Purina went after them. 

I haven't been crazy about certain things about BB anyway (Omega 6:3 ratios in most of the formulas, for one thing) but we are having fewer and fewer options for lower priced foods, not to mention LID foods. 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

That Purina discovered this was by far the most fabulously ironic part of this whole story. Can you even imagine the laughter in Purina's boardroom when their execs got the lab results back?!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wonder if Purina didn't use this same supplier, knew that Blue used them as well, and had some of this stuff show up in one of their own products. :)

[Stephanie and Ragley]

That was one of my mom's favorite sayings so not too old for me!