Natural Balance Cat Food Recall

Are you interested in knowing about Natural Balance cat food recalls? You have come to the right place and my article includes everything you need to know. If you love feeding your feline friend Natural Balance products, I would give you a pat on the back for choosing a decent brand. And while the brand makes every effort possible to provide your cat nutritional food, it’s not without some flaws which include recalls.

My daughter, Jasmine, loves cats since her childhood something that we would fight about until I gave up the fight. Not that I hate cats, because my wife and I had 3 of them in the house, but her obsession with Curly, her dearie, was too much. She would cuddle her even at the dinner table. Anyway, she is now grown with a husband and one kid, a son, and 4 cats. She’s also a vet. Upon visiting her last year, I was helping her feed her cats and found much of this Natural Balance brand. Personally, I never fed brand, but it struck my eyes, and wanted to know more about it.

Today, I will be sharing with you what you need to know about Natural Balance cat food looking at the recalls among other things. I hope you find my article today helpful.

About Natural Balance Cat Food Brand

An American pet food manufacturer, Natural Balance Pet Foods is the brainchild of Dick van Patten, an actor, and animal welfare advocate. The pet food company was founded in 1989 by Van Patten with the help of his friend, Joey Herrick in Pacoima, L.A., California. Van Patten was in charge of the brand’s advertisement and distribution roles until his death in 2015 at 86.

Natural Balance brand line includes 14 products of cat and dog foods as well as treats and dental chews including Natural Balance L.I.D Limited Ingredient and more. Check more info here. The brand is produced by Big Heart Pet Inc. which is a subsidiary of J.M. Smucker Company. 

It is worth mentioning that the Natural Balance brand was bought for $337 million by the Del Monte Company and included in its pet food brands portfolio in 2013. Del Monte later rebranded itself in 2014 to what you now know as Big Heart Pet Brands which was acquired by J.M. Smucker Company for $5.8 billion in 2015. J.M. Smucker ranked at 3^rd place globally in all pet food companies. 

Is Natural Balance good cat food?

Basically, Natural Balance makes decent food for your feline friend with the most decent ingredients and at an affordable price tag. For the most part, the brand line of products has not been recalled as others in its line of quality, product variety, and price range. Also, it sources its ingredients mostly from the US and other parts around the world like France, New Zealand, Canada, and India. And although Natural Balance featured in the 2007 melamine recall, it has very few recalls in total making it an excellent choice for your kitty.

History of Natural Balance Cat Food Recall

Natural Balance has had two recalls for its cat foods in July 2020 and May 2021 for high levels of choline chloride and potential salmonella contamination. Both recalls were announced through FDA reports on dry and canned cat foods, respectively. Let us look at this in a table illustration below:

Date of Recall	Announcement	Reason for Recall	What was Recalled
May 2021	FDA Reported dated 20/05/2021	Potential salmonella contamination	Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food 5 lb. bags (UPC #2363300233, lot #1008080 06:42N811202:20) and 10 lb. bags (UPC #2363300235)
July 2020	FDA Report dated 3/7/2020	High levels of choline chloride	Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula canned cat food 5.5 oz. cans (UPC #2363353227 lot no. #921708) best before August 4, 2021

Natural Balance canned cat food recall

In 2020, Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula canned cat food was recalled following an FDA report on July 3. All 5.5 oz. cans of the above formula with lot code #9217803 (UPC #2363353227) were pulled out of the shelves for high levels of choline chloride. There were no reports of severe outcomes for cats that ate this canned food from cat owners. At least not yet. You can read more about the recall here.

Choline chloride in the diet is beneficial for dogs of all life stages as it helps in your dog’s brain development. In addition, it helps support your pooch’s liver health by protecting it from disorders such as hepatic lipidosis. On top of that, it helps promote healthy skin by preventing water loss and maintaining hydration.

If your dog, on the other hand, eats diets with too much choline chloride, it can lead to a fishy odor, salivation, too much sweating, and vomiting. Other side effects of elevated levels of this substance include low blood pressure, liver damage, and probably heightened risk of heart disease.

Natural Balance cat food recall 2020 and 2021

In 2020 and 2021, Natural Balance pulled two varieties of its products from the shelves, both dry and wet formulas for different reasons.

In the first case, two varieties of Natural Balance dry cat foods were part of the nationwide recall because of possible salmonella contamination in May 2021. The brand started the recalls after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture found salmonella in its inspection samples. However, no illnesses have been reported following the consumption of 5 lb. and 10 lb. bags of Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Chicken Formula dry cat food. Read more here.

A year before in July 2020, an FDA report led to the recall of all 5.5 oz. cans of Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken & Liver Pate Formula for high choline chloride levels. The cans had lot code #9217803 (UPC #2363353227) with the best before the date of 4 August 2021. 

Natural Balance Venison cat food recall

Two varieties of Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Chicken Formula dry cat foods were recalled in May 2021 for potential salmonella following an FDA alert. These recipes include venison in the ingredients list as a source of protein. You can read more about the recall here. 

The Green Pea & Venison cat food formula is among Natural Balance’s L.I.D. Limited Ingredients Diet line of products in the adult cat food category. This grain-free recipe features a limited number of high-quality protein and carb sources making it excellent for cats sensitive to grains. 

FAQs

Is Natural Balance dog food on the recall list?

Although most types of Natural Balance dog foods have been recalled for various reasons in the past, its L.I.D. formulas have not been recalled and the brand is not on the list yet.

Natural Balance has had a list of dog food recalls in the past and in large numbers with the first case being in March 2007. At least 9 canned and 2 dry dog foods were pulled out of the shelves for melamine contamination following an announcement from the American Veterinary Medical Association dated 22/8/2007. In July same year, 4 varieties of canned dog foods were recalled for the potential of botulinum, followed by 2 dry dog foods for possible salmonella contamination. Another batch of 5 different dry dog foods was recalled for the same reasons in May 2012 and no others since.