Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Food Recall History

---

Has Rachael Ray Nutrish Ever Been Recalled?

Yes, Rachael Ray Nutrish was recalled in 2015. The recall included five varieties of wet cat food which contained elevated levels of vitamin D. Eleven reports of illness were associated with the recalled products.

Although vitamin D is an important part of a cat's diet, excessive amounts could cause serious problems. symptoms of excessive vitamin D include vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, increase urination, muscle tremors, and seizures.

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is the company that owns Rachael Ray Nutrish. Here is the company's explanation for why the recalled pet food contained excessive levels of vitamin D.

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.

Basically, they believe the problem stems from high levels of vitamin D in fish ingredients. Although the company did mention that they would reformulate the recalled varieties of cat food, they did not provide any specific procedural changes in manufacturing.

Ideally, consumers would like to know if Ainsworth Pet Nutrition will begin checking vitamin D levels in raw ingredients before putting them in Nutrish cat foods moving forward.

List of Rachael Ray Nutrish Recalls

June 4, 2015

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition announced a voluntary recall for five varieties of Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food. Here are the identifying details for all products included in the recall.

• Paw Lickin' Chicken & Liver - UPC: 071190007032 and Best By Dates Thru: Aug 17, 2015.
• Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore - UPC: 071190007049 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016
• Ocean Fish-a-licious - UPC: 071190007056 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016
• Tuna Purrfection - UPC: 071190007063 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016
• Lip Smackin' Sardine & Mackerel - UPC: 071190007070 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016
• Chicken Lovers Variety Pack - UPC: 071190007773 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016
• Ocean Lovers Variety Pack - UPC: 071190007780 and Best By Dates Thru: Dec 1, 2016

The affected products contained excessive levels of vitamin D. According to the company, production of all affected varieties were suspended until the foods could be reformulated.

There were 11 reports of illness associated with the affected products by June 4, 2015.

Where Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Made?

Rachael Ray Nutrish is made in Thailand and the United States. The dry food varieties are manufactured in U.S. facilities. The wet (canned) food varieties are manufactured in Thailand.

We believe that the facilities which manufacture Rachael Ray Nutrish are not owned by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. Therefore, these facilities most likely produce pet food for many other brands of pet food.

Unfortunately, we could not find specific information regarding the facilities or the partners involved in manufacturing of Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food or cat food products.

Does Rachael Ray Own Rachael Ray Nutrish?

Rachael Ray does not actually own the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand of pet food. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is the company that owns Rachael Ray Nutrish. For the most part, it appears that Rachael Ray's name is simply used for marketing purposes.

As of 2017, the brand's website claims that all of Rachael Ray's personal proceeds from the Nutrish brand go to pet charities and other organizations that do good for animals. Because Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is a private company, we do not know what percentage of the proceeds belong to Rachael Ray.

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition also owns two other brands of pet food: Dad's Pet Food and Better Than!

Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Food Safe?

Since the brand's launch in 2008, it's only been recalled once. We also believe that the other two brands owned by Ainsworth have never been recalled. Therefore, we do not have any reason to question the safety of Nutrish.

Unlikely other grocery store brands of pet food, Rachael Ray Nutrish does not contain any harmful artificial preservatives (such as BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin) or artificial food dyes. In comparison to other grocery store brands, Nutrish also uses ingredients that are primarily sourced from U.S. suppliers.

Although we'd like more information regarding the manufacturing process, we believe that Rachael Ray Nutrish is a fairly safe brand of pet food.