Rachel Ray Dog Food Bad

While Rachael Ray started off her career by cooking for humans, she soon morphed into an all-around domestic diva — and then into a pet care guru. How did she go from people food to pet food? Rachael recalls that she decided to create her own dog food because she wanted her beloved pit bull, Isaboo, to eat as well as the rest of the family (meaning Rachael and her hubby, since she has no kids). She said she had difficulty finding a dog food that would taste good as well as being nutritious — which makes us wonder, was she actually tasting different foods herself? Reading between the lines, it would seem that Isaboo was just a picky eater.

Anyway, Rachael enlisted the aid of Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, and the Nutrish line of pet foods was born in 2008. Just eight years later, it had become the fastest-growing U.S. pet food brand (via PR Newswire), so obviously Isaboo wasnt the only dogger to find it yum-o!

The Nutrish brand of dog foods by now encompasses five different lines: Nutrish, Nutrish Dish, Just 6 (referring to the number of ingredients), Zero Grain, and the protein-rich Peak. Dog Product Picker rates Nutrish products very highly: a 99 percent approval rating for Nutrish, 96 percent for Zero Grain, 93 percent for Dish, 89 percent for Peak, and 85 percent for the Nutrish line of wet dog food.

Dog Food Advisor, however, is a little less enthusiastic about the product, awarding Nutrish 3 out of 5 stars and calling it an average dry product as far as nutrition goes. The Just 6 line also received only 3 stars, but the Zero Grain varieties earned between 3.5 and 4 stars.

As to how the product tastes — well, dogs, like people, have their own individual preferences. Consumer Affairs, however, reports a consumer satisfaction rating of just over 3 out of 5 stars for the entire Rachael Ray Nutrish line of dog food products, so it seems that some pups like it, while others are less enthused.

A 2018 lawsuit filed against Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, manufacturers of the Rachael Ray Nutrish line of pet foods, proved to be quite the embarrassment for the Food Network as well as for one of its biggest stars. According to Fortune, a consumer claimed that the Nutrish brand was practicing deceptive advertising by claiming that their product was all-natural when, in fact, it contains glyphosate, a potentially harmful herbicide. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the lawsuit was dismissed in 2019 because there was no indication that the trace amounts of herbicide contained in Nutrish had any detrimental effect, and that the phrase “natural” in and of itself was no guarantee against a product containing such an ingredient,

While neither Ainsworth nor the Rachael Ray Foundation was on the hook for the $5 million that the plaintiff was seeking, the lawsuit was still not the kind of PR that you want for pet food, or for any food product. While Nutrish continues to sell quite well and hasnt been indicated in any cases of doggie illness or death, there may always be some doubt remaining in the minds of pet parents.

A proposed class action alleges Rachel Ray Nutrish-brand Zero Grain dog food is harmful to dogs in that the product is deficient of taurine and contains legume-based protein, a combination linked to a potentially fatal heart condition when used in grain-free foods.

A Quick Guide to Rachael Ray’s Sub-Brands

Still not sure which Rachael Ray sub-brand is right for you? This short video from Chewy can help.

List of Rachael Ray Nutrish Recalls

Cause: Potentially elevated levels of Vitamin D. Announcement: FDA report dated June 4, 2015 (archived here). What was recalled: The following varieties of Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food:

  • Paw Lickin’ Chicken & Liver, 2.8 oz. single pack, “Best by” date of Aug. 17, 2015
  • Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore, 2.8 oz. single pack, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • Ocean Fish-a-licious, 2.8 oz. single pack, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • Tuna Purrfection, 2.8 oz. single pack, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • Lip Smackin’ Sardine & Mackerel, 2.8 oz. single pack, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • Two variety packs that contain some of these recalled products also were recalled:

  • Chicken Lovers Variety Pack, 12 count pack of 2.8 oz cups, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • Ocean Lovers Variety Pack, 12 count pack of 2.8 oz cups, “Best by” date of Dec. 1, 2016
  • If you have not done so already, we urge you to sign up now for Petful’s FREE recall alerts by email. Our free alerts are saving pets’ lives.

    Lets all notice who owns Rachel Ray, the Smucker Company. Rachel Ray sold Nutrish to them for $2 billion in Spring of 2018.

    The lawsuit states that the source of the glyphosate in the canine chow isn’t known to Parks, but speculates that “crops such as peas, soy, corn, beets and alfalfa are sprayed with the chemical in order to dry them and produce an earlier, more uniform harvest. By deceiving consumers about the nature, quality, and/or ingredients of the products, Rachael Ray Nutrish is able to sell a greater volume of the products.” This gross negligent of quality control is blatantly apparent and is the source deadly path of the horrific inclusion of melamine poisoning which caused the deaths of countless thousands of pets only 11 years ago. More than 150 animal foods were recalled for containing melamine and an uncountable amount of pets died from melamine poisoning, as a result of kidney failure after ingesting the food.[2]

    Markeith Parks law suit states that “The products at issue are not ‘natural.’ Instead, the products contain the unnatural chemical glyphosate, a potent biocide and endocrine disruptor, with detrimental health effects that are still becoming known.” Court papers claim glyphosate, the active ingredient used in weed killers, was found in tests done by an independent lab. Therefore, glyphosate is a herbicide used in brands like Roundup and is, by any means, not safe to ingest. In 2015, the “World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogenic to humans and animals. Additional studies have linked Roundup to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or NHL, a cancer that begins in the cells of the lymphatic and immune system.”[1] There are new studies, as well of reports of health problems of those that with long-term exposure to Roundup and related products containing glyphosate.

    Pets that consume pet food containing high levels pentobarbital can experience the following: drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, mystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), and inability to stand. Coma and death are the results of consuming high levels of pentobarbital.

    To learn How to Report a Pet Food Complaint or Animal Drug Side Effects and Product Problems to the FDA visit, https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/ .

    FAQ

    Why was Rachael Ray’s dog food recalled?

    Warning In June 2019, the FDA implicated Rachael Ray Nutrish’s dog food in at least 10 cases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (or DCM), a potentially fatal heart condition.

    Does Rachael Ray dog food have preservatives?

    Recalls of Rachael Ray Nutrish.

    2015 – Several cans of Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food were recalled for high levels of Vitamin D, which can be toxic to cats and dogs. 2019 – The FDA recalled multiple brands of grain-free dog foods, including several varieties from the Nutrish line.