Purina Pro Plan recently announced the brand teamed up with “tennis superstar Venus Williams“. The press release of the celebrity partnership states: “Starting the first Monday after Daylight Saving Time, March 13, through May 21, 2023, Venus and Team Pro Plan, a group of content creators and award-winning athletic pros including gold medalists Shaun White and Nastia Liukin along with pro football player Drew Brees, will issue weekly challenges. The team will invite pet parents nationwide to log active minutes with their dog, whether it’s running, hiking or playing fetch, and experience the advanced nutrition of Pro Plan Sport.”
Purina has also done some ‘teaming up’ with a veterinary school. This media announcement stated: “The veterinary industry can anticipate exciting new breakthroughs in the frontier of pet microbiome health thanks to a new partnership between Nestlé Purina PetCare Global Research and the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS). The partnership is made possible through a $2 million Purina PetCare Research Excellence Fund, which will run from 2023-2028 and will support diagnostic and interventional research conducted at the Texas A&M Microbiome Research Laboratory.”
Purina’s ‘partnership’ with Texas A&M University brings up a significant concern…
In most US states, the regulatory authority of pet food is the state’s Department of Agriculture – a government authority. But three US states give pet food/animal feed regulatory authority to a University within their state boundaries. The state of Kentucky gives regulatory authority to the University of Kentucky, the state of Indiana gives regulatory authority to Purdue University, and the state of Texas gives pet food/animal feed regulatory authority to Texas A&M University.
This means that those that regulate pet food in Kentucky, Indiana and Texas are employees of the University, the same universities that accept donations and ‘partnerships’…such as the $2 million dollar Purina partnership with Texas A&M.
The potential problems of a University employee regulating pet food/animal feed…
As example only (this same scenario could apply to the other universities as well):
- Would a Texas A&M employee pet food regulatory authority properly investigate a Purina pet food complaint knowing Purina just gave $2 million dollars to their employer?
Another concern is AAFCO – the Association of American Feed Control Officials. The University regulated states of Kentucky, Indiana and Texas are VERY involved members of AAFCO. All three states have had University employees serve on the Board of Directors, serve as President of the organization, and have held significant committee chair positions.
Because AAFCO approves new pet food/animal feed ingredients, writes legal definitions of ingredients, and pet food regulations…
As example only (this same scenario could apply to the other universities as well):
- Would a Texas A&M employee pet food regulatory authority fast-forward any ingredient approval that would benefit the pet food brand who just gave $2 million dollars to their employer?
Hiring celebrities to endorse their products is one thing, but donating $2 million and partnering with a University that just happens to be a regulatory authority is something VERY different. VERY concerning.
(Several years ago TruthaboutPetFood.com filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the University of Kentucky, Purdue University, and Texas A&M University asking for disclosure of any donations received from the large pet food manufacturers. Purdue and Texas A&M responded they had received no donations from pet food, the University of Kentucky never responded to our FOIA request.)
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Kathryn Smith
April 20, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Nothing new about the Vet Schools…used to bid for the contract to supply feed stuffs for appropriate species…and in turn would teach a Semester of (species) nutrition….
Was Hills Ravina when I was there
Gill Bray
April 20, 2023 at 7:03 pm
It really is unbelievable how this s–t continues to happen. The age-old adage .. follow the money rears its ugly head again. I absolutely despair that anyone in business or our education system is honest, currently. And they’re teaching the next generation how it’s done. They’re all a bunch of criminals, just like the government .. on both sides.
elizabeth hassinger
April 21, 2023 at 7:35 am
I attended veterinary school at Tufts, and Hills has paid for their entire nutrition dept for at least the last 30 years. They provided all of the food used in the veterinary hospital, and allowed students to purchase it from the school at less than wholesale price. No wonder why so many graduates recommend and sell the food themselves….
I got smart after my own dog from those vet school years died of hemangiosarcoma.
Feather
May 19, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Is hemangiosarcoma related to diet – excuse my ignorance I ask because I lost my GSD to that emergency several years ago – horrible experience. I would like to know so I can protect my current GSD. Thanks
Rhonda
April 21, 2023 at 8:59 am
As long as consumers buy their products the cycle will continue. Imagine if people understood the situation and sales dried up completely. Could they continue? Consumers are responsible for supporting these companies unknowingly. I didn’t know these facts. Thank you for caring enough to put so much time and effort to sounding the alarm. We just have to talk to others about this and share what we have learned at every opportunity. Thank you!!!
Nic
April 22, 2023 at 4:15 pm
Pet food companies also give scholarships to vet students in exhange for them becoming “reps” for that brand. I did a lot of research years ago about the relationship between pet food brands and higher education establishments, and the amount of control the pet food industry has in this sector is alarming.