Why is there a shortage of Pedigree dry dog food

Add Dog Food to the Ongoing Shortage List All the Details

Residential dog owners, dog shelters, and vet clinics have all been impacted by the current dog food shortage. But it isn't just dog food. There's also a limited supply of cat food and other pet food products.

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While people are facing inflation and shortage issues, pets and their owners have also been feeling the pinch. There has been a veterinarian shortage. Some owners have to travel out of state to get treatment for their pets.

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Why is there a dog food shortage?

A series of other shortages have contributed to the current dog food shortage. Supply chain shortages have contributed to delays and getting the products out to stores and vendors, while the aluminum shortage has caused there to be a significant decrease in canned foods. Aluminum is one of the most common types of packaging for animal food. There has also been a scarcity in the ingredients used in animal food products. With skyrocketing demand for pet food, companies cant keep up, especially now.

Dogs, cats, and other similar household pets rely on a balanced and unique diet. This is one of the reasons why humans can't consume animal food products. Animals rely on specific ingredients to help maintain their coats, teeth, growth, internal health, and more. These ingredients include animal-based oil and fats, as well as oil and other food sources that come from crops such as wheat, oat, and rice.

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Other industries such as automotive, industrial, and transportation also rely on oils from animals and plants, as those are used to produce renewable diesel, which can fuel diesel engines. Those industries have been tremendously impacted by the war between Ukraine and Russia. Russia is one of the biggest oil exporters in the world, and countries have looked for alternative imports and sources of oil. Natural oils have been in high demand to help make renewable diesel as an alternative.

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Animal food products can have a lot more natural ingredients than processed human foods. The shortage of plant and animal-based items put food manufacturers in a bind. The prices for these foods have gone up significantly in certain areas of the U.S. and some retailers don't have products left for pets. Hills Pet Nutrition and The Honest Kitchen are just two of the dog food producers that have announced that they're raising prices due to shortages.

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Trader Joes announced in May that it will discontinue most of its wet pet food products since there's limited sourcing available for ingredients. The grocery chain can't keep up with the demand. The company discontinued items such as Grain-Free Beef Recipe Dog Food, Turkey & Giblets Dinner Premium Cat Food, and Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food. The company is dealing with shortages in its other everyday items, so discontinuing the pet food will allow it to focus more on its grocery items.

How to handle the dog food shortage.

Consult with a veterinarian to discuss the best options for taking care of your pet during the current shortage. They may be able to offer advice on possible alternatives, such as mixing dog food with natural grocery foods. A veterinarian can also offer insight on the best brands if you're looking to switch to cheaper dog food.

Pedigree Recall History and Pet Food Brand Info

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Important Pedigree recall information appears below.

Brand Name: PedigreeRelated Brands: WhiskasProduct Lines: Pedigree Healthy Weight, Pedigree Healthy Joints, Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition, Pedigree Healthy Longevity, Pedigree Sensitive Nutrition, Pedigree Puppy, Pedigree Choice Cuts, Pedigree Little Champions, Pedigree Healthy Digestion, Pedigree Healthy Heart, as well as Dentastix and other dog treats Company: Pedigree Petfoods (a subsidiary of Mars Inc.) Headquarters: 315 Cool Springs Blvd, Franklin, TN 37067 Website: https://www.pedigree.com Phone: 1-800-525-5273 Contact Form: https://www.pedigree.com/contact-us

Pedigree Company Overview

Pedigree Petfoods is a subsidiary of Mars Inc., the candy maker that in recent years has grown to become the worlds No. 1 pet food company in terms of sales. Everything we do is for the love of dogs, from the dog food we make to the dog adoption drive we support, the company states.In addition to its own Pedigree brand dog food and Dentastix oral care treats, Pedigree offers resources and tips on pet care as well as gear for dog lovers.Below, we share more information about the history of Pedigree dog food including up-to-date recall information.

Pedigree HistoryLittle is known of the Chappell Brothers, a small team of dog food makers, operating in Manchester, England, in the 1930s. They called their product Chappie Dog Food.It was an era when dogs were dogs, and people didnt worry so much about the taste or nutrition of their dogs food. The Chappells, whose company was named after them, put together their dog food out of the meat scraps that people didnt want to eat. This second-grade meat was then canned.The product was cheap and popular, which caught the attention of a man named Forrest Mars Sr., who bought the Chappells out in 1935. Chappie Dog Food became Mars Inc.s first pet food acquisition.Forrest Mars Sr. returned to America and reconciled with his father, who headed Mars Inc. at the time. The son and father had quarreled over the companys direction in the years since the 1930 introduction of the Snickers candy bar, but that quarrel was now set aside.Fast Company says that first dog food acquisition was monumental to Marss mind-blowing success over the following decades.A candy company that buys a dog food brand might seem like its barking up the wrong tree, the publication said. But today, the majority of Marss business comes not from treats like M&Ms [introduced in 1941], but from pet brands such as Pedigree and Whiskas.There would be more pet food acquisitions to come.

Mars Acquires Kal KanIn 1936, a rival was producing Kal Kan dog food.Kal Kan was made up mostly of horse meat, butchered in Vernon, California. Racehorses that had outlived their championship days were led to slaughter to make Kal Kan, which became popular in the 1960s the decade in which Mars purchased Kal Kan Foods.Its impossible for consumers to know how much of Marss current dog food line owes its existence to Chappie and how much to Kal Kan. The exact recipe of any dog food is typically proprietary. And Forrest Mars Sr. inherited and ran Mars Inc. for the majority of the 20th century.The Chappie brand continued to be manufactured in the United Kingdom, and Kal Kan was made in the United States. Both lines used locally sourced ingredients, so they were not identical.

Kal Kan Foods Becomes Pedigree PetfoodsIts safe to say these 2 strands of the industry Chappie and Kal Kan both contributed to what is, today, known as Pedigree Petfoods.In 1988, Mars Inc. began adding the name Pedigree to packages of Kal Kan in the United States: The food was sold as Kal Kan Pedigree.Around that time, pull-top cans were introduced to Kal Kan Pedigree. It was said to be the first dog food distributed nationally with this easy-open can design. One newspaper article described the innovation as coming straight from the why didnt they think of this sooner department.Gradually, the name Kal Kan was dropped altogether, making it just Pedigree dog food though the former name would later get a new life as Kal Kan dog food sold at Walmart.The name change to Pedigree reflected a changing market. Whether or not a dog has a pedigree, they are likely to be regarded as a cherished member of the family. The new name mirrored the wave of concern over pet nutrition and whether lower-end processed pet food could be shortening the already short lives of companion animals.Nostalgia, however, makes everything old new again. Today, you can find cans of the original Chappie canned dog food. Its unlikely that the recipe is the same as it was in 1935, but those who fear change can rest assured that the name is the same.As of 2020, Mars Petcare Inc. was the No. 1 pet food company in the world, with over $18 billion in annual revenue, according to data provided by Pet Food Industry.

Has There Ever Been a Pedigree Recall?

There has been a Pedigree recall, according to our research. In August 2014, certain bags of Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food were recalled because of possible metal fragments in the bags. The bags were sold at a few different Dollar General and Sams Club stores in the United States. According to the recall announcement, no dog illnesses or injuries had been reported, and the foreign material was not embedded in the kibble.That was not the first instance of foreign objects in Pedigree: In June 2012, a few varieties of Pedigree weight management wet dog foods were recalled after small pieces of blue plastic showed up in some of the cans. While a small number of consumers have reported finding the plastic pieces, we have not received any reports of injury or illness associated with the affected product, the company noted.Years earlier, in September 2008, there was a massive recall of dozens of products produced by Mars, including certain Pedigree dog foods, because of potential salmonella contamination. Just weeks prior, in August 2008, some Pedigree foods were recalled in certain locations for the same reason.In September 2007, a recall of Pedigree chilled dog rolls was issued only in New Zealand because metal fragments may have found their way into the packages. No U.S. products were part of that recall.In March 2004, after hundreds of puppies and dogs reportedly died from kidney failure, a recall was issued for certain Pedigree and Whiskas dry pet foods that had been manufactured in Taiwan and Thailand and distributed to a few different Asian countries. No U.S. products were part of that recall. Inspections at the Taiwan plant discovered mold on rice and corn ingredients.Pedigree later conceded that there was a connection between the mold and the illnesses in dogs.A panel of animal health experts has now concluded that toxins produced by mold found in raw materials at our dry pet food factory in Thailand were the most likely cause of the dog illnesses, the company announced in a June 2004 important message on its international website.In July 2004, Pedigrees Asian distributor, Effem Foods Thailand Co., threatened to sue an animal group for libel. The group had made wild claims that Effem intentionally poisoned the dogs so that customers would then have to buy a new Pedigree product designed for dogs with kidney failure. Effem has never done anything and will never do anything to intentionally harm pets, said Allan West, general manager of Effem in North Asia, in a half-page newspaper ad published in Taiwan.Months later, business was back up for Pedigree in Asia and things were back to normal in the manufacturing plant in Pakchong, Thailand, albeit with some additional safety measures.It was kind of hard to regain the peoples trust on our brand after what had happened to us, but we just had to continue showing them that Pedigree is safe, May Reyes, a marketing official at the plant, remarked in November 2004. An attorney for the plant noted that customers are coming back primarily because of Pedigrees responsible way of responding to the problem.Scroll down below to see the full list of all Pedigree dog food recalls, including all relevant details.

Pedigree Recall History

August 2014Cause: Possible foreign material: small metal fragments. Announcements:FDA reports dated Aug. 26, 2014 (archived here)and Aug. 31, 2014 (archived here).What was recalled: The specific Pedigree dog food described below:

• Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food, 15 lb. bags, UPC #2310010944, Lot #432C1KKM03, best by Aug. 5, 2015, and sold at certain Dollar General stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee)
• Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food, 55 lb. bags, UPC #2310010731, Lot #432C1KKM03, best by Aug. 7, 2015, and sold at certain Sams Club stores in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio

June 2012Cause: Possible choking hazard. Announcement:FDA report dated June 30, 2012 (archived here).What was recalled: The following canned Pedigree dog foods with a Lot Code that begins with 209, 210, 211 or 212 AND a best by date that falls between Feb. 24 and March 23, 2014:

• Pedigree+ Healthy Weight Premium Ground Entre in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310034974
• Pedigree Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Beef & Liver Dinner in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310001913
• Pedigree Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Chicken & Rice Dinner in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310023045

September 2008Cause: Potential for salmonella. Announcement: FDA report dated Sep. 12, 2008 (archived here).What was recalled:The following Pedigree dry dog foods with a PAE inthe 6th, 7th and 8th digits of theLot Code on the bag,manufactured at Mars Petcares Everson, Pennsylvania, facility fromFeb. 18 toJuly 29, 2008:

• Pedigree Large Breed Adult Nutrition, 20 lb., 30.1 lb., 36.4 lb. and 40 lb. bags
• Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites Adult Nutrition, 4.4 lb., 8.8 lb., 20 lb., 32 lb., 40 lb., 44 lb. and 52 lb. bags

August 2008Cause: Potential for salmonella.Announcement:FDA report dated Aug. 8, 2008 (archived here).What was recalled: 20 lb. bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada (UPC #2310014719, Lot #830BFCAT02, best by July 2009).

September 2007Cause: Possible metal fragments. Announcement: Newspaper report from Sept. 6, 2007.What was recalled: The recall involved Pedigree brand chilled dog rolls manufactured and sold only in New Zealand. No U.S. Pedigree products were part of this recall. The affected products included the following varieties with best by dates of Oct. 1619, 2007:

• Pedigree beef and liver, lamb and vegetable, beef rice and vegetable, and chicken and rice dog rolls
• Optimum beef, lamb and vegetable, chicken and rice, and selected meats rolls

March 2004Cause: Suspected link to cases of kidney failure in dogs. Announcement: Company announcement from March 2004 (archived here) and newspaper reports. What was recalled: The recall involved certain Asian countries, not the United States. The products were made in Taiwan and Thailand and were sold in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. The affected products included:

• Pedigree Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Puppy Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Puppy Small Breed Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Dogs Delight Ringo
• Pedigree Dogs Delight Tasty Bone
• Pedigree Puppy Biscuit Dog Treats
• Whiskas Dry Cat Food, all varieties
• Kitekat Dry Cat Food
• Kal Kan Brekkies Dry Cat Food
• Cesar Duo

Again, no U.S. pet food was affected by this 2004 Pedigree recall, which involved only food sold in the Asian countries noted above.

Pedigree Company Complaints

Foreign Objects And InsectsDuring 2017 inspections of the Mars Inc. canning facility in Columbus, Ohio, where Pedigree, Iams and Cesar pet foods are manufactured, along with other brands, Mars told inspectors it was hearing consumer complaints about foreign objects including insects in the pet food.But the company insisted it was working to fully implement corrective actions.Pest control records at the facility noted damaged cans covered in flies, and dozens of employees had complained about cockroaches in the area, especially at night. Different employees described seeing multiple roaches, an invasion of roaches, roaches everywhere and even millions of roaches which we hope was an exaggeration.Inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) themselves observed 2 live roaches. The FDA stressed the seriousness of the pest problem, and the company promised correction.

Wires in Pedigree Dog Food?Around 2015, we started hearing reports of so-called wires or plastic being found in Pedigree dry dog food.In August 2015, we counted dozens of comments like these pouring in on Pedigrees Facebook page:

• I have found these little black wires in my dog food they are throughout the whole bag!
• Found a plastic wire in my dogs food. Not just one piece, but 27 pieces so far. This dog food is not safe.

The company responded, These are naturally occurring fibers from meat and bone meal, like pig hair, and are completely safe for your dog to consume.That wasnt the first time the issue of pig hair had come up with Pedigree. A few months earlier, customers had complained about stiff fibers showing up in Pedigree Marrobone dog treats. Mars had commented:Its possible for natural fibers such as pig hair to appear in the finished product. While consumers may not have noticed these natural fibers when feeding their dog, we can assure them that the treats are safe for dogs to enjoy.One pet food safety advocate, Mollie Morrissette of the blog Poisoned Pets, cried foul. The problem with Marss explanation is that filth, such as animal hair, is not allowed in pet food at least not much of it, anyway. And certainly not in the amount consumers are finding, she said.Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelinesspecify that meat and bone meal should have no hair, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.Morrissette asked: Is Mars capable of manufacturing a pet food without hair, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices?Petful publisher Dave Baker went out and bought a random bag of Pedigree dog food in August 2015, and he, too, found wire-like hairs in the food. Heres a photo he took:

Have You Had a Problem With Pedigree?

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2. Leave a comment below to share your experience with others.

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References

• Top Pet Food Companies Current Data.Pet Food Industry. 2020.https://www.petfoodindustry.com/directories/211-top-pet-food-companies.
• About Us. Pedigree.https://www.mypedigree.ca/en/why-pedigree/about-us.
• Our History. M&Ms.https://www.mms.com/history.
• McCorvey, J.J. They Bought What? 10 Surprising Acquisitions.Fast Company. March 20, 2017.https://www.fastcompany.com/3068606/they-bought-what-10-surprising-acquisitions.
• Mars Expands Pet Food Business Into U.S. Market. Mars Inc.https://ind.mars.com/about/history/1960/mars-expands-pet-food-business-us-market.
• Picker, Leslie. Better Known for Candy, Mars Makes a Big Bet on Pets.New York Times. Jan. 9, 2017.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/business/dealbook/mars-to-buy-pet-hospital-chain-for-7-7-billion.html.
• Kal Kan Foods Inc. History. Funding Universe.http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/kal-kan-foods-inc-history/.
• Lazarus, George. Kal Kan Getting a New Pedigree.Chicago Tribune. Aug. 12, 1988.https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-08-12-8801220385-story.html.
• Hupp, Susanne, and Denise Salvaggio. The Home Front.Orlando Sentinel. March 7, 1987. G1.
• Kal Kan at a Price Worth Fetching (Advertisement).Palm Beach Post. July 13, 1989. Advertising Supplement.
• Morrissette, Mollie. Mars Says Pig Hair in Pedigree Is Natural, So Get Over It. Poisoned Pets. July 3, 2015.
• What Is in Pet Food? Association of American Feed Control Officials.https://www.aafco.org/Consumers/What-is-in-Pet-Food.
• Entis, Phyllis. Millions of Roaches Plagued Maker of Pedigree, Iams, Cesar, Other Pet Foods. Food Safety News. June 7, 2018.https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/06/millions-of-roaches-plagued-maker-of-pedigree-iams-ceasar-other-pet-foods/.
• Establishment Inspection Report: Mars Petcare US Inc. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). July 26, 2017.
• Mars Petcare US Announces Voluntary Recall of 22 Bags of Pedigree Brand Adult Complete Nutrition for Dogs Sold at Dollar General in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana. FDA. Aug. 26, 2014. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ucm411789.pdf.
• Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition Limited Recall Due to Metal Fragments. FDA. Aug. 31, 2014. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ucm412314.pdf.
• Mars Petcare US Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Pedigree Brand Wet Dog Food. FDA. June 30, 2012. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ucm310400.pdf.
• Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination. FDA. Sept. 12, 2008. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ucm112497.pdf.
• Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Limited Bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites at Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination. FDA. Aug. 8, 2008. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ucm112479.pdf.
• Metal Fragments in Dog Food Prompt Recall.New Zealand Herald. Sept. 6, 2007.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10461986.
• Recalled Products, Obtaining Refunds. Pedigree. March 2004. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/pedigreeinfo-2004-asian-dog-food-recall.pdf.
• Pedigree Expands Recall of Dog Food to 9 More Asian Countries. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. March 11, 2004.
• An Important Message to Pet Owners. Pedigree. June 2004. Archived athttps://www.petful.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/pedigreeinfo-2004-Taiwan-recall.pdf.
• Mold in Dry Pet Food Blamed for Dog Illness. Philstar Global. March 24, 2004.https://www.philstar.com/metro/2004/03/24/243763/mold-dry-pet-food-blamed-dog-illness.
• Kaur, Sharmilpal. AVA to Test Dog Food Linked to Pet Deaths.Straits Times (Singapore). March 17, 2004.
• Dog Food Distributor Threatens to Sue Taiwan Animal Group for Libel. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. July 5, 2004.
• Pet Advisory From Pedigree.Manila (Philippines) Bulletin. Nov. 14, 2004.

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