Beneful Dog Food is making big headlines right now, the pet food is linked to thousands of pet deaths and illnesses and is involved in a class action lawsuit. Much is unknown, but there are some things we do know. Here is a close look at Beneful and some reminders of complaints TruthaboutPetFood.com has received over the years linked to this dog food.
First, a look back into stories posted about Beneful on TruthaboutPetFood.com…
In March of 2013 I asked the FDA about complaints received on Beneful Dog Food. The FDA stated “For Beneful, we received 45 complaints in January, 50 in February and have 8 so far in March.”
In January 2013, one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever heard was shared with us. This family – their dog at their side – suffered through a murder of a young child, and 15 months later their beloved dog Scooby died believed to be linked to Beneful.
In October 2012 I heard from Caroline whose beautiful dog Georgia died suddenly right in front of her young son. Within 30 minutes after a serving from a brand new bag of Beneful, Georgia began to vomit and lost control of her bowels. Five minutes later she laid down and died.
Also in 2012, friend and fellow pet food safety advocate Rodney Habib posted this truthful portrayal of the ingredients in Beneful Dog Food – pictures speak a thousand words. 
Today – it is unknown what is the specific cause of these illnesses and deaths are related to.
We do know our consumer funded pet food testing found one batch of Beneful Original to contain 10 different mycotoxins, rating a Risk Equivalent Score of 32 (20 = High Risk). This food was ranked high risk “due to the number (10) and the levels of mycotoxins present”. FDA does not acknowledge the cumulative risk of multiple mycotoxins, but updated science does (read Toxic Ignored to learn more about synergistic risk of multiple mycotoxins).
Our consumer funded testing also found several antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria in this dog food including Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas. It is significant to note that Pseudomonas bacteria (found in this dog food) – per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – is associated with putrid meat.
We know this dog food contains three ingredients the FDA considers to be at high risk to contain a euthanized animal – animal fat, meat and bone meal, and animal digest. “The ingredients Meat and Bone Meal (MBM), Beef and Bone Meal (BBM), Animal Fat (AF), and Animal Digest (AD) are rendered or hydrolyzed from animal sources that could include euthanized animals.”
We know this dog food contains propylene glycol. This ingredient is available in a pharmaceutical grade and an industrial grade. The FDA has provided this ingredient with GRAS approval – generally recognized as safe. Though confirmation was not found on the website, it is assumed pharmaceutical grade would be GRAS, not industrial grade. However in an unrelated article, the Huffington Post stated “the Humane Society warns that propylene glycol is “still toxic.”
We know this dog food contains multiple dyes – Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Blue 2. The Center for Science in the Public Interest states:
“Red 40, the most-widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice.” “Yellow 5 may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals.” “Yellow 6 caused adrenal tumors in animals.” “Blue 2 cannot be considered safe given the statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats.”
We know this dog food contains multiple grains – certain to be genetically modified, treated with pesticides, and containing glyphosates. In 2013 the consumer advocacy organization Food and Water Watch reported on a study reviewing hundreds of scientific studies linking glyphosates to serious health risks. “The paper describes how all of these effects could work together, and with other variables, trigger health problems in humans, including debilitating diseases like gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Much is known about particular ingredients of pet food such as the concerning ingredients mentioned above. Unfortunately one huge gaping hole we don’t know is – what is the cumulative effect of multiple concerning ingredients?
If science proves that the cumulative effect of multiple mycotoxins (even at low levels) are magnified (as compared to the known risk of each mycotoxin individually), does the risk get magnified even more when bacteria, dyes, and pesticides get added into the mix? Is the cumulative effect of different risk ingredients (and the processing aids, and pesticides used in transit, and the denaturing agents – not listed on the label) working together to ultimately become a toxic pet food stew?
Scary.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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Ann*
February 26, 2015 at 5:18 pm
I’m afraid to ask, but what is the “TADA” ingredient?
Caroline Snyder in West Virginia
February 28, 2015 at 11:33 am
Looks like a bowl of Captain Crunch to me -LOL!
DogLover
March 5, 2015 at 11:47 am
It’s the sorry excuse fod dog food!
DogLover
March 5, 2015 at 11:49 am
Oops! I mean for, not fod. 😉
victoria
March 5, 2015 at 4:25 pm
I think “tada” is a scoop full of Beneful and it showing all those ingredients =’s that, “TADA”
Ann*
February 26, 2015 at 5:19 pm
Oh never mind, I looked again and it is the alleged food.
Betsy
February 26, 2015 at 5:21 pm
i started feeding my dogs beneful in January . My dog Ren a Minpin died January 20 . Now I’m reading all of this. I feel like I killed my dog!
Melissa
February 26, 2015 at 6:00 pm
I’m so sorry for your loss! Please don’t feel like it’s your fault – Purina does everything in their power to buy the public’s trust with flashy advertising. The Beneful bag itself is a great example of this – it’s raining fruits and veggies and fresh meat, and as people can see now, that’s not the case at all! I too fed my dog Beneful for a while until I did research into raw feeding and really learned a lot about pet nutrition. They prey on the fact that the general public – including vets – don’t know about the natural diet of canines and it’s really all for profit. Sharing your story could save another pet’s life, and please remember it was not your fault. It’s Purina! They care about the big bucks – NOT the pet!
Felicia Dale
February 26, 2015 at 6:11 pm
Betsy, I am very sorry for the loss of your dog Ren. YOU didn’t kill your dog- you were doing your best to feed your dog good food. The COMPANY may have killed your dog when they used garbage ingredients and excellent marketing to make you think it was good for your dog.
Bett
February 26, 2015 at 6:15 pm
Betsy – please do not feel guilty! Your beloved Ren would not want you to blame yourself. He does not want you to suffer. He is safe and well now.
Jane Eagle
February 28, 2015 at 12:56 am
One of so many things that anger me is the Beneful commercials: they are so sweet, and the food is presented as being so healthy and fresh, that it is easy to make the mistake of believing them. We pay the FDA and the Federal trade Commission to enforce our laws, and they take our tax money and betray us. You are NOT guilty of killing your dog; but every employee of Purina, FDA, and FTC is guilty. As we see in this great graphic, we are being sold poisoned garbage in a pretty bog.
I am so sorry for your loss. It could happen to anyone. After the results of the consumer tests came out, I switched to home cooked/raw food only for my dogs. I may not be able to afford to go out for coffee or buy clothes, but I can’t risk my dogs, knowing what is being sold to us.
Peter
March 5, 2015 at 10:51 am
Jane, you make a good point about the the commercials, and the packaging, which are designed to appeal to people. The poor dog doesn’t care what his food looks like. I believe the Beneful bag is explicitly and grossly mis-representational of the product. Nestle intends it to be such.
I have posted before, and apologize for repeating myself, but nine of the first 10 ingredients in Bemeful are high carbohydrate grains, starches and flours, low-bioavailable proteins, “by-products,” industrial chemicals, and sugars.
ronda powell
February 26, 2015 at 5:58 pm
I hv no doubt Beneful killed my 6 yr staffordshire. After being on Beneful a couple months, she began hving episodes of lethargy and sometimes vomiting. Six months, and 10,000.00 in vet bills, we put her down from kidney disease. She began having issues soon after starting on Beneful but our CLUELESS vet claimed
it was probably allergy related. This being my first dog, I trusted my vet & the food.
Is there any recourse for those of us who have suffered from these tragedies or is it like anything else from corporate? Just too bad!!!!!
Pet Owner
February 27, 2015 at 2:28 am
I am very sorry for your loss. Yes there is recourse so far as joining a Class Action lawsuit, and continuing to warn other consumers.
Please read TAPF’s article on the Beneful Lawsuit at https://truthaboutpetfood.com/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-beneful-dog-food/
Also read “Caroline Snyder from West Virginia’s” information about joining the lawsuit. The highlight is below. Thank you.
o Caroline Snyder in West Virginia on February 26, 2015 at 11:47 am
PLEASE pick up the phone and do it now! The BENEFUL lawsuit attorneys told us that ANYONE in the US who has had ANY issue with Nestle-Purina’s Beneful causing illness or death in their pets is highly encouraged to phone the team handling the Class Action Lawsuit at: 877-667-4265 or 407-452-6990 They will conduct a phone interview no matter where you are. So CALL – participation will not cost you a dime! They are asking that people save any food they still have for testing, with packaging if possible, and any vet information/records.
Jane Eagle
February 28, 2015 at 1:07 am
PLEASE join the lawsuit! MORGAN & MORGAN – 1-877-667-4265
I just got off the phone with Morgan & Morgan Law Firm, who are handling calls for the Beneful Lawsuit case. They were helpful, and sympathetic, and I urge ANYone who’s dog has been sick from eating any beneful products. The phone number is 877-667-4265 you can call any time of day or night because they are using a call center to field the massive amount of calls from this. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
dar
February 26, 2015 at 7:34 pm
yikes! ‘Propylene Glycol — Dog Food Aid or Automotive Antifreeze?’
dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/propylene-glycol-dog-food-aid-or-automotive-anti-freeze/
Dianne
February 26, 2015 at 8:22 pm
And then we have this.. http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/beneful.asp I was looking for something else. I sent them the link for the FDA warning.
dar
February 26, 2015 at 8:54 pm
looks like we two-legged critters are in the same leaky boat:
“PG has been used in more than 4,000 food, beverage,
pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for more than 50 years.
Most people consume PG every day in soft drinks, sweeteners,
some foods and alcoholic beverages.”
ibtimes.com/what-propylene-glycol-fireball-whisky-recall-centers-ingredient-1715580
moni
February 26, 2015 at 9:39 pm
If you would research your dog Food like you research your own food than you would know what foods are on and have been on every dogfood recall list….do your research first just because it’s a pretty package doesn’t mean it’s good….please check the list….we cannot trust the companys…I’m so sorry for all of your losses I wouldn’t know what I would do if I lost my furkids…..
Ava Coleman
February 27, 2015 at 12:44 am
My dog Major had seizures when he started Beneful ,he never had them before then. I took a while to make the connection. He had intermittant seizures from then till the day he died ,yrs later
Pet Owner
February 27, 2015 at 11:07 am
To hear all these experiences is so sad.
If you would like to add your’s to other pet owners and the Class Action suit, more information is provided below. There is no cost to participate.
Please read TAPF’s article on the Beneful Lawsuit at https://truthaboutpetfood.com/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-beneful-dog-food/
Also read “Caroline Snyder from West Virginia’s” information about joining the lawsuit. The highlight is below. Thank you.
Caroline Snyder in West Virginia on February 26, 2015 at 11:47 am
“PLEASE pick up the phone and do it now! The BENEFUL lawsuit attorneys told us that ANYONE in the US who has had ANY issue with Nestle-Purina’s Beneful causing illness or death in their pets is highly encouraged to phone the team handling the Class Action Lawsuit at: 877-667-4265 or 407-452-6990 They will conduct a phone interview no matter where you are. So CALL – participation will not cost you a dime! They are asking that people save any food they still have for testing, with packaging if possible, and any vet information/records.”
Anne
March 3, 2015 at 8:19 am
The problem with Beneful is the Corn: too much “refined Corn causes a Deficiency Niacin Vitamin B3; this Vitamin is necessary and a lack of the Vitamin can cause seizures; the name is “Pellagra”; I would not recommend a Dog or Cat Feed (Food) which has “Corn as the first Ingredient” or “add Vitamin Be”
Anne
March 3, 2015 at 8:22 am
Purina One Cat Food Dry uses “Salmon (steamed) as their very first Ingredient”; All Dog and Cats Feeds/Food have different formulae; Purina ProPlan use Chicken
Barbara
February 27, 2015 at 1:12 pm
see www belsharose.co.uk same thing happened in England read raw feeding part
Barbara Lawson
February 27, 2015 at 1:14 pm
take a look at wwwbelsharose.co.uk same thing happened in England see raw feeding on that site
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Catherine
February 27, 2015 at 5:40 pm
I just saw Susan on WSB evening news in Atlanta, talking about the mycotoxin findings in Beneful. I hate that this is how we get the message out, but Susan, they turned to you! Because you have independant testing! This is great. Congrats!
Susan Thixton
February 27, 2015 at 6:02 pm
Wow – thanks for letting me know. Yes – they hacked the website, then had our press release pulled to stop the word getting out about our test results. But it seems Beneful helped us get the word out anyway.
Candence Griffin
February 28, 2015 at 1:34 pm
I knew your website had been hacked!! I tried every trick I knew to ‘back door’ their site but their hackers are better.
It kind of reminded me of some of the dirty tactics used in politics.
Susan, you are the conscience for all of us who love our pets and want to keep them healthy.
Thanks!
margaret
February 27, 2015 at 5:48 pm
I basically only give my dogs human grade food, our food is sketchy enough as it is but they are worth it and we have to quit buying into the lie. My cat almost died, I got her onto wheatgrass juice and Fiji water, she came back to life. We need to get serious about our pets.
Ellie
February 27, 2015 at 8:45 pm
It is so sad to think that any vet could in good conscience recommend a food for pets that is mainly corn, flour and other ingredients that should not be consumed by anyone. These animals are not cows. They need meat and not just a bunch of jacked up substances with synthetic vitamins added to make it meet industry standards.
Animals are having tooth decay and gum disease at age 5! It is the food causing this! People still actually think they are feeding kibble to help clean their pet’s teeth! Vets still tell people that famous lie!
To me this is criminal neglect.
Ann
February 27, 2015 at 10:01 pm
I completely agree. And maybe we should start looking into this aspect too. Meaning to hold Vets responsible.
If a pediatrician told moms to feed food primarily based on flour/sugar and artificially supplemented for taste and special appeal in the form of “cookies” because the “crunch” would help clean a kid’s teeth, then we would call that doctor not only crazy, BUT irresponsible! No, a medical doctor is going to recommend whole protein, natural energy food, fruits, veggies, along with brushing that kid’s teeth.
So why does a living creature we happen to call a companion pet, who’s instinctive diet and desire is for whole protein combined with a range of naturally derrived vitamins and minerals – deserve something less. Is it because we “own” it.
Change the thinking! IF Vets are even permitted to recommend food for pets, considering they are not trained in nutrition, then shouldn’t it be whole food first, perhaps occasionally supplemented with a healthy PF.
Bob Johnston
February 27, 2015 at 11:36 pm
Ellie – you are so right. Vets frustrate the hell out me. How dumb do you have to be to not connect the increasing rate of chronic disease in our pets to a diet that isn’t close to what they adapted to eat as they evolved over millions of years. No dog is out there eating corn or wheat (these foods didn’t exist in their current state until humans cross bred them to their current state. No dogs are digging up sweet potaotes and chowing down on them. No dog is cultivating rice in ponds so it has something to eat. Our pets are adapted to eat meat and bone and organs, that’s what you need to feed them to maintain good health.
I can’t believe that a lot of vets don’t understand this.
Anne
March 3, 2015 at 8:46 am
SUMMARY TOO MUCH REFINED CORN CAUSES A DEFICIENCY OF NIACIN VITMAIN B3; A DEFICIENCY OF NIACIN VITMAIN BE CAUSES “SKIN DISORDERS; GASTRO INTESTINAL; LETHARY NERVOUS SYS. DISORDERS)
DO NOT USE BENEFUL FOR THIS REASON; PROPLAN DOES NOT HAVE ANY CORN WHATSOEVER; my 2c !
PELLAGRA CAUSED BY REFINED CORN (RAW CORN DOES NOT CAUSE IS “TREATED WITH NIACIN VIT. B3
VITAMIN BE 3 IS FOUND NATURALLY IN BRWON RICE BREWERES YEAST AND AS AN ADDED SUPPLMMENT
THE FDA DOES NOT KNOW “JACK” ABOUT NUTRIOTN! PURINA KNOWS ALL THIS THE FOOLS!!! THANK U!
key words; refined corn; vitamin b3; Niacin; Pellagra; dermatitis; lethargy; diarrhea:’ do not use baneful!
Use Purina One (very little corn) or use Proplan no corn check the labels for Corn amount have a nice day!!
Ambree
March 15, 2015 at 12:09 am
I would steer far clear of any purina, hills, royal canin, mars, grocery store brands, etc. They all have horrible ingredients. They are basically processed dry nuggets or canned mush laced with BPA that have loads of carbs and diseased parts of animals deemed unfit for human consumption. I use The Honest Kitchen, Primal, and my own homemade raw food made with supplements. Also did you know Nestle makes all Purina products including Beneful, Pro Plan, Purina one, Fancy feast, Friskies, Waggin Train, etc. Corn is not the only problem with most pet foods. Let me give you a quick overview. Propylene Glycol, mycotoxins, propyl gallate, bacteria, diseased parts, made in china, unfit for human consumption, etc……
Anne
March 15, 2015 at 11:06 am
I would say: “Refined Corn is the number one problem with “Dry Dog Pellets”:
1. refined corn does not have any vitamins or minerals basically refined starch
2. refined corn can cause allergies in some Dogs 3. Refined Corn causes “a Deficiency of Niacin Vitamin B3 (Pellagra) During the 1950 when folks began eating Refined Corn ; they all got Niacin Vitamin B3 deficiencies!!! my opinion! A
Anne
March 15, 2015 at 11:10 am
These are the symt9oms of “A Thiamine Vitamin B1 Deficiency in Cats:
Cats fed only diets low in thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. If your cat has consumed the recalled lot and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.
Primal
Source: http://www.einnews.com/pr_news/254732724/primal-pet-foods-voluntarily-recalls-a-single-lot-of-raw-frozen-cat-food
NOTICE: FEEDING “RAW FISH DEPLETES THIAMIN VITAMIN B1!!@
dar
March 11, 2015 at 6:15 pm
Greetings from the great white north of canada. we just got ‘Canadian Tire’s’ flyer …http://flyer.canadiantire.ca/Canadiantire/WeeklyAd?storeid=2400284#!/store/2400284/sneakpeek/y
On pg3 ‘get 50x bonus cdn tire money’ when you buy …yup, Beneful!
…Called head office to warn them that this would be a disaster for the corporation’s shiney image,(487 stores from coast to coast), …but… ‘One Dog Death Every 3 Days for 8 Years’ didn’t faze the Customer Service lady &she brushed it off…so phoned one of their stores& the manager was truly aghast, …but … head office calls th shots! Pity about all those dogs that are about to die,eh?
Anne
March 14, 2015 at 6:36 pm
@ DAr: the “one dog every there days for 8 years is about Chinese Jerky Treats Not Beneful Dog Food!!! Anne
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