Petfood Industry News reported a manufacturer recall of eight "Wet Noses Simply Nourish" products, citing a vitamin D imbalance. You can read the full article here.
There is an important lesson to learn from Wet Noses' missteps.
Many dog food consumers are aware of AAFCO standards, but they should also note the nuanced difference between AAFCO nutrient analysis based on formulation versus finished product analysis. WSAVA understands this and calls on pet food manufacturers to be transparent about finished product analysis.
Many pet food manufacturers simply test formulations but they don't test finished products because it costs more money. If Wet Noses tested their own finished products, they would have noticed their vitamin D levels were out of bounds, and they would have avoided a recall on eight of their products.
Ingredient quality is important, but proper nutrition is all about balance. Pet food manufacturers need to test balance in formulation and in finished product.
Dr. Christian Cumberbatch, DVM says, "just like baking a cake, you can have the best sugar, flour, eggs, and butter, but if you don't know how many eggs and how much flour to use, the cake is going to be a disaster."
