Science Diet

Hill's Science Diet
Company typePublic
IndustryPet food
FoundedTopeka, Kansas (1960s)
HeadquartersTopeka, Kansas, United States
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsDog food, Cat food
OwnerColgate-Palmolive
Websitehillspet.com

Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog foods marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.[1] (a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company). In the United Kingdom and Europe, Science Diet operates as Science Plan.

History

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Science Diet was developed in the 1960s[2] by Mark L. Morris, Jr. PhD DVM (February 3, 1934 – January 14, 2007). Dr. Morris Jr. was the son of veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris Sr. DVM, who pioneered the field of veterinary clinical nutrition after being asked to formulate a specialized diet for the original seeing-eye dog, Buddy, a female German Shepherd with kidney disease. That success led Dr. Morris Sr. and his son to devise additional condition-specific and life-stage pet food formulas under the Prescription Diet and Science Diet brand names.[3]

The Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet brands steadily gained market share, peaking in 2008 at 10.7% of dog food sales, but by 2011, this had dropped to 9.4% with shifts in consumer preferences toward pet foods marketed as "natural" and consumer perceptions of Science Diet as being "artificial".[4]

Recalls

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Science Diet has had multiple product recalls.[5]

  • March 16, 2007 [6] & March 27, 2017 [7] — FDA Recall on Science Diet Savory Cuts canned cat food due to "melamine contamination" (chemical used in plastics manufacture)
  • April 1, 2007 — Manufactured Recall on Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food due to "melamine contamination" (chemical used in plastics manufacture)[8]
  • June 2, 2014 — FDA Recall for Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food products for potential "salmonella contamination" regarding 62 bags in total. This was limited to the following states: California, Hawaii and Nevada.[9][10]
  • November 28, 2015 — Manufactured Recall due to "Labelling problems" on Adult Perfect Weight Chicken and Vegetables, Small & Toy Adult Gourmet Beef Entrée, Small & Toy Mature Gourmet Beef Entrée, Adult Beef Entrée, Adult Beef & Chicken Entrée, and Mature Adult Gourmet Beef Entree.[9]
  • January 31, 2019 — Manufactured Recall on Hill's Prescription dog food as well as wet Science Diet for "Elevated levels of vitamin D" [11]

References

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  1. ^ "Hill's Pet Nutrition".
  2. ^ "Original 1959 Letter from Mark Morris Jr. to Hill Packing Company" (PDF). wikimedia.
  3. ^ "Mark Morris Sr". Mark Morris Institute. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  4. ^ Ng, Serena (2013-02-06). "Pet-Food Brand's Image Bites Back Colgate: Sales Decline for Science Diet Line as Dog and Cat Owners Increasingly Value Marketing Pitches Like 'Natural' and 'Wild'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  5. ^ Barrington, Kate. "Science Diet Dog Food : 2019 Review, Recalls & Coupons". Dog Food Guide.
  6. ^ "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. and Canadian recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods" (PDF). www.petful.com. March 16, 2007. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  7. ^ "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods". January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009.
  8. ^ "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc". hillspet.com. July 24, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008.
  9. ^ a b "Hill's Science Diet Recall History". Petful.
  10. ^ "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls 62 Bags of "ScienceDiet® Adult Small & Toy Breed™" Dry Dog Food in California, Hawaii and Nevada Because of Potential Health Risk" (PDF). www.petful.com. June 2, 2014. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  11. ^ "Dog Food Recalls 2018-2019: Is Your Brand on This List?". Petful. August 6, 2019.
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