Nutro Cat Food Review

natural-cat-food-Review

About Nutro

Nutro is one of the longest standing, natural pet food brands in the industry. From humble beginnings in 1926, when American John Saleen bought a pre-existing British pet food company and named it Nutro products, to the mega pet food brand that it’s known as today. It was eventually acquired by Mars Inc. in 2007.

All of Nutro’s products are produced and manufactured in the United States. Their goal is rooted in prioritizing the safety and health of your pets. And they do this by following their three-pronged “Feed Clean” philosophy, which is all about providing simple, purposeful and trustworthy food to your pet’s plate.

Their products are made with non-GMO ingredients and don’t contain any artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. They’ve taken serious measures to ensure their production is following strict protocol to ensure that your cat is receiving only the best, most nutritious, species-appropriate food. And they have a large selection of 31 cat food products that your feline won’t get enough of.

In 2012, Nutro was always the first pet food company to receive the Pet Food Manufacturing Facilities Certification created by the American Feed Industry Association.

Now that you know a bit more about the brand, it’s time to delve further into the products. To help you better decide on whether Nutro’s cat food is the right fit for your feline, we’ve reviewed Nutro’s highest rated wet and dry cat food below.

Best Dry Cat Food from Nutro

The Daily Cat Ratings

We have analyzed 102 of Blue Buffalo cat food products on Chewy. We took into account ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, price, product variety, customer experience, and recall history. All of these factors combined produced an overall brand score, ratings for their wet and dry food lines (maybe), as well as individual product ratings.

We give Blue Buffalo Cat Food a 6.75/10 rating and a C+ grade.

Blue Buffalo Cat Food Ratings:

  • Ingredient Quality: 6/10

  • Guaranteed Analysis: 6/10
  • Price: 8.5/10
  • Product variety: 9/10
  • Customer reviews: 7/10
  • Recall history: 4/10
  • DailyCat Score: 6.75/10

Top Blue Buffalo products

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
  • Dry food

  • Price per 100 calories: $0.18

  • Best for: Adult cats

  • Overall grade: B

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Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Natural Adult Dry Cat Food

Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
  • Dry food

  • Price per 100 calories: $0.15

  • Best for: Indoor cats

  • Overall grade: C

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Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Natural Adult Flaked Wet Cat Food

Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Natural Adult Flaked Wet Cat Food
  • Wet food

  • Price per 100 calories: $1.36

  • Best for: Cats of all life stages

  • Overall grade: B-

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Best Dry Cat Food

from Nutro

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Kitten Dry Cat Food
What we like
  • High-quality chicken protein is the first ingredient

  • non-GMO ingredients

  • Contains fiber for healthy digestion

  • Rich in Omega-6 fatty acids

  • Full of flavor that cats love

Things to consider
  • Kibble might be too large for some cats
  • Contains a high amount of plant protein
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This is a well-rounded, wholesome product made with farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient. With a taste your kitty can’t resist and clean nutrition to boost health, it promises to keep your cat’s muscles strong and taste buds satisfied.

This recipe offers good value and benefits to your cat’s diet; because it was designed with the right amount of calorie content to help support a healthy weight for indoor cats. It’s packed with enriching protein and vitamins to keep your cat in good strides, and also contains natural fiber to encourage healthy digestion. Not to mention, Omega-6 fatty acids help maintain their healthy skin and coat.

Other notable ingredients include sources of protein like chicken meal, pea protein and chicken fat, making this product very species-appropriate. And to top it off, there’s no GMOs, corn, what, soy protein or chicken by-product meal.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor and Sensitive Digestion Dry Cat Food contains 378 calories per cup.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Pea Protein, Whole Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potato Protein, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Oat Fiber, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract

Check out the complete list of best dry cat food

Best Wet Cat Food

from Nutro

Nutro Perfect Portions Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food

NUTRO Perfect Portions Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food, Paté
What we like
  • High quality protein in each serving
  • Each Perfect Portions twin pack contains two right sized individual meals

  • Free from artificial colors, preservatives and flavors

  • Smooth, rich texture

  • Contains moisture and essential taurine for good vision

Things to consider
  • Not every cat may enjoy it

  • Some customers find the lid difficult to open without spilling anything

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Now you can feed your cat wet food that is effortless and mess-free, with Nutro’s Perfect Portions Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food trays. It’s so easy to serve—you just snap the package in two, peel off the top and serve.

These portions come in a variety of flavors like Beef and Salmon & Tuna, but Chicken has to be one of the more popular ones. These pate recipes are perfectly portioned and contain pure animal protein as the #1 ingredient.

Every tray is full of moisture and all the nutrients your cat needs to be healthy and strong. Not to mention, your feline friend will be savoring the juicy texture that’s in every bite. This wet cat food is packed with vitamins, minerals, essential taurine and free from grains, fillers and GMO ingredients.

Nutro Perfect Portions Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food contains 43 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pork Broth, Chicken Broth, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity).

Check out the complete list of the best wet cat food

Best Kitten Food

from Nutro

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Kitten Dry Cat Food

What we like
  • Recipe features high quality protein as the first ingredient
  • Made with calcium for strong bones and joints

  • Free from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives

Things to consider
  • Dry food doesn’t have as much moisture as wet food

  • Kibble could be too crunchy or hard for some kittens

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If you own an adorable kitten, prepare for some rapid growth and development. Raising kittens to be strong and healthy means setting them up with a nutritionally balanced diet early on to reduce the chances of distress. That’s why this specialty formulated dry kitten food is the perfect solution.

Kittens need a diet built on a foundation of protein and fat, which is why this recipe features real chicken as the first ingredient. It’s also packed with tons of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, including: calcium for strong bones and joints, antioxidants like DHA for healthy immunity and omega fatty acids for development.

There is also nothing artificial in this product—it’s free from GMOs, corn, wheat, soy and chicken by-product, and this helps reduce the likelihood of stomach issues arising. This is not only food that is rich in nutritional content, but also in flavor. Your kitty will be savoring it up until the last bite.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Kitten Dry Cat Food contains 439 calories per cup.

Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Brewers Rice, Whole Brown Rice, Potato Protein, Whole Grain Oatmeal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Natural Flavor, Soybean Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Salt, Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), DL-Methionine, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Check out the complete list of best kitten food

Where to buy Nutro Online

Amazon
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How does Nutro stack up as a brand – Nutritional Comparisons

Nutro DRY Food

Nutro Dry Food (avg) Industry (avg)
Protein 33.8 34
Fat 16.4 14
Fibre 4.9 4.5
Avg Review
(/5)
4.6 4.3

Nutro WET Food

Nutro Wet Food (avg) Industry (avg)
Protein 10.4 10
Fat 5.3 4
Fibre 1 1.25
Avg Review
(/5)
3.9 4.1

Complete List of Nutro Dry Cat Food

Nutro Grain-Free Chicken & Potato Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food, 3-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 16 4
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Sensitive Cat Chicken, Rice & Peas Recipe Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Sensitive Cat Chicken, Rice & Peas Recipe Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 16 4
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 16 4
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Senior Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Senior Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
36 17 6
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Kitten Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Kitten Dry Cat Food, 5-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
36 19 4
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Hairball Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 17 6.5
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Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 16 4
Read more
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag
Protein Fat Fibre
33 14 7
Read more

Complete list of Nutro Wet Cat food

Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 twin-packs Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 twin-packs
Protein Fat Fibre
12 5 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Salmon & Chicken Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Salmon & Chicken Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24
Protein Fat Fibre
12 5 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken & Liver Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken & Liver Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24
Protein Fat Fibre
11.5 6 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Salmon Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Salmon Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs
Protein Fat Fibre
9 4 1
Read more
Nutro-Perfect-Portions-Grain-Free-Chicken-Liver-&-Shrimp-Paté-Recipe-Cat-Food-Trays,-2.6-oz,-case-of-24 Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken Liver & Shrimp Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24
Protein Fat Fibre
12 5 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Beef Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Beef Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs
Protein Fat Fibre
8.5 5 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Beef Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Beef Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packs
Protein Fat Fibre
8.5 5 1
Read more
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Paté Multi-Pack Real Salmon & Tuna, Real Chicken & Shrimp Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 12 twin-packs Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Paté Multi-Pack Real Salmon & Tuna, Real Chicken & Shrimp Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 12 twin-packs
Protein Fat Fibre
12 5 1
Read more

See More…

Product NameProteinFatFibre
Nutro Wild Frontier Real Chicken & Beef, Real Salmon & Trout Recipe Pate Multipack Adult High-Protein Grain-Free Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 12 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-wild-frontier-real-chicken-beef%2Fdp%2F15911512.56.51
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Chicken & Catfish Recipe Adult Cat Food Trays, 2.64-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F175695%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1101lcYZMxQi%26utm_term%3D1101lcYZMxQi8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Chicken & Salmon Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F155667%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1011lcYXWIYT%26utm_term%3D1011lcYXWIYT8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Turkey & Liver Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24https://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F118298%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1101lcYWu7wE%26utm_term%3D1101lcYWu7wE11.571
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Turkey Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F155657%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1100lcZnzhtn%26utm_term%3D1100lcZnzhtn961
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Tuna Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F155661%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1011lcYUDmCx%26utm_term%3D1011lcYUDmCx%26utm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1011lcYXX2QP%26utm_term%3D1011lcYXX2QP8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Chicken & Shrimp Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F115245%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1100lcZrsbTu%26utm_term%3D1100lcZrsbTu1251
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Turkey Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F115250%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1100lcZrsnu5%26utm_term%3D1100lcZrsnu51251
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Beef Paté Recipe Adult Cat Food Trays, 2.64-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F175691%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1011lcYXXIko%26utm_term%3D1011lcYXXIko12.571
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Chicken Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F155655%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1101lcYZNSWg%26utm_term%3D1101lcYZNSWg8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Variety Pack Chicken & Beef Recipe Adult Cat Food Trays, 2.64-oz, case of 12 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chewy.com%2Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%2Fdp%2F175689%3Futm_source%3Dpartnerize%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3D1101l114191%26utm_content%3D0%26clickref%3D1101lcYZNWvB%26utm_term%3D1101lcYZNWvB8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Variety Pack Chicken, Salmon & Tuna, Chicken & Liver Paté Recipe Adult Cat Food Trays, 2.64-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1011l9JgF/pubref:nutro-product-list/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fprf.hn%2Fclick%2Fcamref%3A1011l9JgF%2Fpubref%3Anutro-product-list%2Fdestination%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.chewy.com%252Fnutro-perfect-portions-grain-free%252Fdp%252F175689%253Futm_source%253Dpartnerize%2526utm_medium%253Daffiliates%2526utm_campaign%253D1101l114191%2526utm_content%253D0%2526clickref%253D1101lcYZNWvB%2526utm_term%253D1101lcYZNWvB1251
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Salmon & Tuna Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.6-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://amzn.to/3n7Ci4f1251
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Cuts in Gravy Variety Pack Beef, Tuna & Chicken Recipe Adult Cat Food Trays, 2.64-oz, case of 24 twin-packshttps://amzn.to/2Ke9AzZ8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Multi-Pack Real Turkey & Real Chicken Paté Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 12 twin-packshttps://amzn.to/2Ke9AzZ8.551
Nutro Perfect Portions Grain-Free Multi-Pack Real Turkey & Real Chicken Cuts in Gravy Recipe Cat Food Trays, 2.65-oz, case of 12 twin-packshttps://amzn.to/2Keqfnm8.551

Brand Recalls

Nutro has a shaky history of recalls, but given that they have been around the pet food industry for quite a while, this isn’t much of a shock. Recalls are a good thing to be aware of, but they can happen for a variety of reasons.

Here’s a brief snapshot of Nutro’s recall history:

Nutro’s apple chewy dog treats were recalled due to potential mold contamination. This recall was isolated to Nutro dog treats sold at PetSmart.

There were two recalls this year. The first was due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in the cat food due to a production error by a US-based supplier that gave them imbalance vitamin premixes.

The second recall was announced later this year by Mars Inc for various Nutro dry dog and cat food after small pieces of melted plastic were found in the production line.

This was probably the most serious recall that happened with Nutro. They were among a nationwide recall initiated by Menu Foods, a company that was manufacturing many of Nutro’s products at the time. Menu Foods recalled more than 50 different brands of dog food and 40 different brands of cat food due to wheat gluten contaminated ingredients with melamine that were imported from China.