Selecting premium cat food for your lovely cat is difficult since there are many rumors that cat foods make sick cats. Also, we can not take risks for our cat’s health because it is a family member. You have already heard about the Natural Balance cat food. That’s why you are here and have concerns about Natural Balance cat food recall.
For your concern, there have been quite a few recalls for Natural Balance. Natural balance uses premium quality ingredients in their recipes. The latest recall took place in May 2021. Unfortunately, there are a total of 6 recalls in which natural balance has been involved since 2007. Most products recalled were dog food lines.
However, there are no lawsuit reports against Natural balance cat food. It seems there are no complaints from the customers. Natural balance is only limited to only recall. These recalls may develop the trust issue of the customers. But, we should try it one to see whether it is good or not.
We have covered a comprehensive article for Natural balance cat food. In this article, you will know the history of Natural Balance. The reasons behind this many recalls. Whether Natural balance cat food is safe or not. What is the source of their ingredients, and where are they manufactured?
About Natural Balance
Actor Dick Van Patten started up his dog food line, thinking acting jobs could disappear, but people always need to feed their pets. Natural Balance brand began over a friendly lunch in 1982.
Van Patten was having lunch with his friend, and they got to talking about pets. Van shared with his friend how he cared for pets as a child. Herrick also shared that he was once in pet rescue.
They both have the same passion for pets despite their different professions. From that conversation, two men went into business together in 1982. The product name was decided as Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance.
Van Patten brought his tennis buddy, who was a veterinarian. The vet pal told Van that good dog food must not contain fillers such as corn, wheat, and soy. The recipe changed to near ideal dog food. However, later wheat was replaced with rice in 2014.
Van developed a line of dog food with his business partner. The owner also claimed that their food is perfectly fit for humans as well. Van Patten was the face of the company, and Herrick became the president of the company. A new enterprise of the company was established in Pacoima, California.
Van did the advertising and distribution of Natural balance since he was an actor. He promoted the product on T.V. and traveled around the country for their pet food.
In 2006, Natural balance was making a good revenue annually. However, the Natural balance was unprofitable until they got a deal with Petco for distribution. In 2013, Natural balance was sold to Del Monte Company. In 2015, Natural Balance handover once again when J.M Smucker bought Del Monte.
Natural Balance Sourcing and Manufacturing
The ingredients of Natural Balance cat food are sourced from around the world. Since J.M Smucker owns Natural Balance, some sources are the United States, France, New Zealand, and Canada. Natural balance also makes use of plant ingredients in the recipes. But they are not willing to reveal specific sources for plant ingredients.
Natural balance cat foods are made in multiple manufacturer facilities in the United States. One of them is located in Topeka, Kansas.
Natural balance is transparent for their manufacturing standards adopted for pet foods. But, there is not much information regarding the source of their ingredients.
List of Natural Cat Food Recalls
Unfortunately, Natural Balance is not recall-free. The recall history of Natural balance is quite active. Recently Natural balance cat food was recalled in 2021. However, the reason behind all the recalls is minors.
In March 2007
At this time, a massive melamine recall took place that shocked the country. Many pet food brands were involved in this recall. Natural balance was also part of it. Some varieties of dog food and cat food were recalled because melamine was present in the nutrition.
Melamine is harmful to humans and animals as well. A few of the products were Natural balance beef formula dog food, Natural balance chicken formula dog food, Natural balance ocean fish formula cat food, and Natural balance venison and green pea dry cat food.
In July 2007
In the same year again, Natural balance products were recalled due to potential botulinum, a toxic that causes botulism. However, no reports of illness were there related to Natural balance pet food. Being cautious, Castleberry discarded the affected products. Only some dogs were found with this disease, but there were no cats. Four varieties of Natural balance canned dog food were recalled, such as Natural Balance Eatables for Dog Irish Stew with Beef, potatoes, and carrot.
In June 2010
Again Natural balance brand experienced recall due to high potential salmonella in pet food. However, there were two products involved in this recall. The products are Natural balance sweet potato & chicken dry dog food of 5lb and 28lb. F.D.A. reported date is June 18, 2010.
In May 2012
This time it was the same reason again due to the potential salmonella contamination in dog food. Five different dry dog foods were recalled. Natural Balance brand was involved when products manufactured at Diamond pet food facility were recalled. There was no Natural cat food involved in this recall. The dog food line involved Natural balance sweet potato & Venison, Natural Balance sweet potato & bison, and Natural balance lamb meal & brown rice dog small breed bits.
IN 2019, Heart Disease Investigation
In June 2019, the U.S. Food and F.D.A. announced 16 pet food brands linked to heart diseases in dogs and cats. Natural balance was also listed as one of them. However, none of them was recalled as the investigation was ongoing. Though, the F.D.A. says that it cannot be sure whether the diet is the cause of heart problems.
In July 2020
Second, the last recall took place in July 2020, when J.M. Smucker Company announced a voluntary recall for a single batch of cat food. The food recalled was Natural balance Ultra Premium chicken & liver Pate formula canned cat food. This food was found with excessive levels of choline chloride by the F.D.A. Choline chloride in high amounts is fatal or dangerous to cats.
In May 2021
The last recall took place recently, in May 2021, where two products were potentially salmonella contaminated. It is the third time for this for the exact cause; the natural balance was recalled. The product recalled was Natural balance L.I.D. Limited ingredient diets green pea & chicken formula dry cat food.
Customer Experience About Natural Balance Cat Food
You can thoroughly read the reviews on the chewy online store. There is mixed opinion there about cat food. The number of good reviews is far from the negative thoughts. Being pet owners, we feel the importance of reading the reviews from other consumers before selecting the best food for your cat.
Some customers have a good experience as you read the reviews having 5 stars. You will feel by reading comments how satisfied they are with the Natural Balance cat food.
However, not all can be satisfied with how things are. Also, there are some terrible experiences and complaints about Natural balance cat food. Cats are very picky eaters; they prefer to have only meat-based food. Some cats don’t choose fish meat in their food. There could be many reasons behind it. Let’s look at some of the reviews found on the chewy.
Positive Experiences
We adopted our kitten from the animal alliance and fed this dry cat food. I researched and found it to be good cat food. So I bought a bag. We both two cats love it. When we took the cats to the vet, they told us the importance of feeding quality food. When I told them we feed Natural balance cats. They were happy. I like the kitties are healthy, shiny, and they want the flavor.
Our cat is showing symptoms of gastritis which is the kitty equivalent of Crohn’s. We had to put her on a minimal diet. This was our first try with ingredients, and since she started vomiting at least once a day. We used this hard food in addition to the soft L.I.D. Salmon and pea. My cat didn’t react to either.
Negative Reviews
I bought a small bag of this food in a store, and my cat loved it. So I decided to order and got two more giant bags from chewy. The price was excellent. However, the food smelled so bad that my cat didn’t want it anymore. I don’t get why the more giant bags of the same food were different. I threw them out and wouldn’t even think to donate.
The carb count in this food is too high, 35% for a diabetic cat. When we purchased Natural balance, I wasn’t aware of this until I knew my cat had to be on low-carb dry food. So I’ve changed to Wysong. It’s essential to make sure carbs are not too high for cats to remain healthy in old age.
Neutral Reviews
This month I tried the duck dry cat food for the first time. I fed my cat this canned food and usually the Salomon dry food. My cat seems to like both of them. My cat won’t want to eat it at all. So I picked up another bag of food and mixed the two. I will go back to salmon one next time.
I have three cats, and one of them has a food allergy. They all end up eating a limited ingredient diet. None of them wants to touch this stuff. They begged for food, but they ignored it when this food was served and continued to cry. I don’t know if my cats are picky or if their food is not good. But this was the first time to see them turn down food.
Is Natural Balance Cat Food Made in China?
Natural balance produces a broader range of both dog and cat food. Most of their ingredients are sourced from the United States. The manufacturing facilities of Natural Balance cat food are very transparent.
Yes, Natural balance has mentioned that some of their ingredients are sourced from China. But the recipes are prepared in California, as noted on the packaging.
Is Natural Balance AAFCO Approved?
All pet food brands are supposed to meet the AAFCO standard before launching the food in the market. Also, it is a good habit to check if the brand is AAFCO approved before purchasing it. So that your cat does not suffer from any unusual problems. They does not certify any pet food brand if there is any doubt in the formula of food products.
Yes, All Natural balance recipes meet the AAFCO standards. Natural Balance cat foods are complete and well balanced to fulfill the cat’s dietary needs.
Is Natural balance cat food grain-free?
Natural balance produces a wide range of cat food. So some recipes are grain-free and designed to support healthy digestion and keep you fit and fine.
Conclusions – Is Natural Balance A Good Cat Food?
To sum up, Natural balance has been recalled many times since 2007. However, the Natural balance cat foods are formulated with premium ingredients to ensure the cats are healthy and active. Also, there are no such complaints that describe Natural Balance cat food as a harmful substance for cats. Also, the percentage of reviews that are in favor of Natural cat food is near 80%. So, despite its recall history, Natural balance deserves a try.
Hope this article is comprehensive for you, and don’t forget to share with other cat owners to be aware of Natural balance cat food.
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