Imagine Jack, the giant slayer making a deal with the giant, instead of killing him. This is the story of Blue Buffalo puppy food.
General Mills, a food giant that also sells Pillsbury and Cheerios, bought Blue Buffalo for $8 Billion in 2018. General Mills had essentially sold human food up until then.
Although it was risky, the move has been paying off so far. If you consider the ability of a company to repay the interest it borrowed to acquire a company, that is a measure of success.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We share more information about Blue Buffalo’s fascinating history, including recall information that goes back as far as 2007.
Blue Buffalo Recall Mail
The following recall information was found on the Blue Buffalo website (although it is not easy to find). This recall information is believed to be current. Blue did not provide a date on the announcement. A phone call to Blue resulted only in being connected to Voice Mail.
Blue Buffalo’s home page was accessed by clicking on the ‘Health and Nutrition” link. In the drop-down menu, there was the option to ‘Blue News. This information was found on the Blue News page – there was no date.
“Latest news”
Vitamin D Recall
Blue Buffalo Founder, Bill Bishop, explains the circumstances leading to a voluntary recall of a few limited production runs of three dry dog recipes which may contain Vitamin D levels that are above product specifications.”
The link provided took me to the following information…again, without a date… Dear Fellow Pet Parent,
Blue Buffalo believes that the health and well-being of our pets is our most important concern. We are recalling certain production runs of our Wilderness Chicken, Basics Salmon, and Large Breed Adult Dog products. These products may have higher levels of Vitamin D than required by our product specifications.
This conclusion was reached after we discovered that the supplier of the Vitamin D supplements had made a scheduling mistake and that he had produced a Vitamin D supplement right before we prepared the ingredients for the BLUE products in question. Some of the Vitamin D supplements could have been transferred to our products. This may have resulted in higher Vitamin D levels than what is required in our formulas.
Although the increased Vitamin D levels may not pose a serious health risk to dogs, any adverse reactions to these products have been limited to a small number of canines who are sensitive to it. We also have zero tolerance for products that do not meet our requirements. You will agree with me that the decision to remove these products was the right one.
All products manufactured after the date will be taken off retailers’ shelves. You should immediately stop feeding any products that have the codes below. Blue Buffalo can be reached at 1-877-523-9114 for reimbursement and return arrangements.
These are the only codes that can be recalled.
Product bag size best used by dates
BLUE Wilderness Chicken (Dog), 4.5 lb. 11 lb. and 24 lb. JUL1211B, JUL1311B, JUL2611Z, JUL2711Z, JUL2811Z
BLUE Basics Salmon (Dog), 11 lb., 24, lb. AUG2111B, AUG2211B
BLUE Large Breed Chickens 30 lb. SEP 22 11 PM, SEP 23 11:00 P, OCT 26 11 PM
The Vitamin D issue will not affect any other codes dates for these products, or any other Blue Buffalo cat or dog food. You can also purchase new bags of Wilderness Chicken and Basics Salmon, as well as Large Breed Adult Chicken to continue feeding BLUE with complete confidence.
Your veterinarian should be consulted if your dog shows any signs of an allergic reaction to the recalled products. The most common symptoms include excessive water intake, excessive urination, and sometimes vomiting. Blue Buffalo will cover any testing or veterinary expenses incurred due to illness caused by these products.
Blue Buffalo is a family-owned and operated company. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused to you and your pet family members. We have taken serious corrective actions to ensure that this kind of human error does not happen again.
Blue Buffalo History
Let’s go back a few years. Blue Buffalo was a small, startup pet food company that placed emphasis on natural ingredients. How did it become so successful? General Mills chose to acquire Blue Buffalo, a start-up pet food company that focuses on natural ingredients.
In 2003, Bill Bishop (notice the similar initials of Blue Buffalo and him) began his pet food empire. It was simple. Dog food should be nutritious and free from the “filler” ingredients found in cheaper products.
The Blue Airedale was a beloved member of the Bishop family. Their family loved their dog, and he was an integral part of the family. Blue was also a hero after he beat cancer twice.
Blue was diagnosed with lymphoma and it spread quickly to his entire body. After losing their beloved companion, Blue, the Bishops began to be interested in all aspects of dog health.
According to the company’s website, the team worked with a veterinarian as well as a dog nutritionist to create dog food that contains “only the best healthy ingredients.” The company now offers a complete line of treats and food for dogs and cats.
A Fast-Acting Idea That Catches on Quickly
Since its inception, Blue Buffalo has enjoyed steady growth in popularity and sales.
The company made $730 million in 2012 revenue, which was more than twice its profit from two years prior. Blue Buffalo’s success is due to its aggressive advertising strategy and in-store marketers.
Nestle Purina PetCare Company was furious at Blue Buffalo’s success and filed a lawsuit against it in 2014. It claimed that Blue Buffalo had misled customers about the absence of poultry and grains in its pet food. Blue Buffalo responded by pointing out the antibiotic content in Nestle Purina’s Jerky Treats. The lawsuits were finally settled in 2016 under confidential “mutually acceptable” terms.
Blue Buffalo went public in 2015 and sold shares at $20 per unit. This was a smart move that attracted investors who wanted to get in on the healthy pet food industry. The company sold $676 million worth of shares in just one week.
2017 saw profits surpass the $1 billion mark. General Mills was most likely influenced by this meteoric rise, which led to the $8 billion purchase of Blue Buffalo in 2018.
According to data from Pet Food Industry, General Mills was one of the top 10 pet food businesses in the world in 2020 with more than $1.4 billion in annual revenues.
Are there any recalls of Blue Buffalo dog food products?
Blue Buffalo Company recalled some packages of its Wilderness Chicken and Basics Salmon dry dog foods.
Blue Buffalo is Bad For 2021 Dogs?
Blue Buffalo, along with other industry professionals, participated in a symposium about DCM hosted by the FDA at Kansas State University in September 2020. No causal link has been found between DCM and a dog’s diet that is grain-free.
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Blue Buffalo Pet Food
Important Blue Buffalo recall information is available below.
Imagine Jack, the giant slayer making a deal with the giant, instead of killing him. This is the story of Blue Buffalo pet food.
General Mills, a food giant that also sells Pillsbury and Cheerios, bought Blue Buffalo for $8 Billion in 2018. General Mills had essentially sold human food up until then.
Although it was risky, the move has been paying off so far. If you consider the ability of a company to repay the interest it borrowed to acquire a company, that is a measure of success.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We share more information about Blue Buffalo’s fascinating history, including recall information that goes back as far as 2007.
Blue Buffalo Quick Facts
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Contact Blue Buffalo to get more info.
A Fast-Acting Idea that catches on quickly
Since its inception, Blue Buffalo has enjoyed steady growth in popularity and sales.
The company made $730 million in 2012 revenue, which was more than twice its profit from two years prior. Blue Buffalo’s success is due to its aggressive advertising strategy and in-store marketers.
Nestle Purina PetCare Company was furious at Blue Buffalo’s success and filed a lawsuit against it in 2014. It claimed that Blue Buffalo had misled customers about the absence of poultry and grains in its pet food. Blue Buffalo countered by pointing out the antibiotic content in Nestle Purina’s Jerky Treats. The lawsuits were finally settled in 2016 under confidential “mutually acceptable” terms.
Blue Buffalo went public in 2015 and sold shares at $20 per unit. This was a smart move that attracted investors who wanted to get in on the healthy pet food industry. The company sold $676 million worth of shares in just one week.
2017 saw profits surpass the $1 billion mark. General Mills was most likely influenced by this meteoric rise, which led to the $8 billion purchase of Blue Buffalo in 2018.
According to data from Pet Food Industry, General Mills was one of the top 10 pet food businesses in the world in 2020 with more than $1.4 billion in annual revenues.
Blue Buffalo Warnings & Lawsuits
Before we go into detail about the recall history of Blue Buffalo, we want to remind readers that in late June 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified Blue Buffalo among 16 pet food brands potentially linked to heart disease in cats and dogs.
None of these 16 brands were recalled in the ongoing investigation by the agency. The majority of pet food formulas are either “grain-free” or dry (kibble), but not all.
According to the FDA, this is a complex scientific issue that could involve multiple factors and it is not possible to prove that diet is the cause. See our article for more information.
We want to also point out that there has been no so-called “Blue Buffalo lead recall”. A lawsuit was filed in June 2017, claiming that 3 Blue Buffalo dog food recipes (Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe, Blue Freedom Grain Free Chicken Recipe, and Blue Basics Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe) contained high levels of lead. The lawsuit was dropped by a judge in 2018.
In response to the lawsuit, the company said:
“Blue Buffalo strongly rejects these allegations. They represent unsubstantiated claims made by one person and are not supported by evidence or data.
In January 2020, Blue Buffalo was once more in the news after a customer from New York sued Blue Buffalo. She claimed that Blue Buffalo made her dog obese and diabetic. Shannon Walton, the plaintiff, claimed that she was “inspired” to purchase Blue Buffalo dog food by the wolf diet.
Is Blue Buffalo Ever Recalled?
Yes. Yes. This is a brief overview. We will then go into more detail.
Recently, Blue Buffalo recalls a single batch of Blue Wilderness canned food due to potentially high levels of beef thyroid hormone. (certain Wellness canned food was also recalled).
Blue Buffalo had recalled cans of Homestyle Recipe dog food a month prior in February 2017, due to possible aluminum (or metal) contamination. The company also recalls wet dog food cups due to a packaging issue.
May 2016: Mold and moisture issues led to a limited recall for some Blue Buffalo sweet potato dog food.
A Blue Buffalo recall was issued on one lot of some chew bone Blue Buffalo products in November 2015. Salmonella contamination was the cause. A few weeks earlier, in November 2015., limited quantities of Blue Kitty Yums cat food treats had been removed from shelves due to reports of propylene glycol. This is an unacceptable ingredient in cat treats according to FDA guidelines.
Blue Buffalo voluntarily recalled some products in October 2010. due to a sequence error made by an ingredient supplier. Some carryover from previous processing of Vitamin D may have leaked into the products.
In April 2007, part of the larger Meal Recall that shocked the nation, the FDA confirmed the existence of melamine within rice protein concentrates in food manufactured for Blue Buffalo by American Nutrition Inc. Blue Buffalo denies knowing or consenting to the presence of the additive in the product.
“How did Blue Buffalo know that ANI was putting rice concentrate in our canned food?” The company stated this in a press statement. We trusted them. We trust our partners in business and life to do the right thing.
The company stated that this is product tampering and has been ongoing for some time.
Blue Buffalo recalled American Nutrition and ceased all manufacturing operations, even those not affected by the recall.
Bill Bishop lamented about the randomness of 2007’s melamine recalls. Blue Buffalo founder Bill Bishop said that he didn’t know rice protein concentrate was from China before the incident. He said that if it were his fault, he could have taken it better to Wilton, Connecticut.
We have listed the details for every Blue Buffalo recall.
Blue Buffalo Recall F.A.Q.
Is Blue Buffalo bad for dogs 2020?
FDA has cited Blue Buffalo and 15 other brands as possible causes of dog heart disease. Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc., Wilton, is one of 16 brands of dog food that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites as a likely contributing cause of canine congestive cardiac failure.
Why is Blue Buffalo so bad for dogs?
Blue Buffalo claims that their Blue Wilderness products contain high levels of dietary carbs are misleading. These are neither good for dogs nor good for grey wolves. Dogs can digest carbohydrates faster than wolves thanks to their gut microbiomes.
What was the recall of Blue Buffalo?
Blue Buffalo Company has voluntarily recalled one lot of BLUE wilderness(r), Rocky Mountain recipeTM Red Meat Dinner, Wet Food for Adult Dogs because it could contain elevated levels naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormones.