Pet Food Recall Addressed at FMI

CAROL ANGRISANI

CHICAGO — The pet food recall remained top-of-mind at the Food Marketing Institute show here, as Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. showcased new retailer shelf tags stressing the safety of its pet food. Reading "When You See Purina, You Can Feed with Confidence," the tags feature logos for various Purina cat and dog foods, as well as treats. “Our No. 1 priority is to show that our products on the shelf are safe,” Paul Cooke, St. Louis-based Purina's vice president of trade and industry development, told SN at the show. In a separate interview, Ron Pearson, Hy-Vee’s chairman emeritus, told SN the shelf tags will complement retailer efforts to regain consumer confidence in pet foods. Pearson described the recall as one of the most “emotional” issues the food industry has faced. “Store managers have told me they’ve received more customer comments about this subject than anything else,” Pearson said. As reported, Purina was one of several companies affected by the Menu Foods pet food recall. In March, the company voluntarily recalled Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes after learning that wheat gluten containing melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by the same company that also supplied Menu Foods. Also in March, it recalled Purina's 5.3-ounce Mighty Dog pouch products with specific code dates. In other FMI news, Purina introduced its first pet food made with a Nestlé human brand: Friskies Feline Favorites dry cat food with Carnation milk. Cooke said the lactose-free product was launched in response to the growing "humanization" of the pet category.