LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Some Zignature Limited Ingredient dog foods made by Pets Global actually contain grains and chicken and can cause allergic reactions, a new lawsuit says.
A group of plaintiffs filed suit in Los Angeles federal court on March 9 through attorney Alex Straus of Greg Coleman Law. The plaintiffs claimed they thought the Zignature foods they bought were worth the extra money they paid because of health claims made on their packages.
The suit notes academic research that found mislabeling in the pet food industry. At issue in the lawsuit are Zignature lamb and duck flavors.
“The back of each bag also includes an ingredient list for the Zignature Limited Ingredient Diets. For example, chicken and wheat are not listed as ingredients on the Zignature Limited Ingredient Diets’ ingredient list,” the lawsuit says.
“In fact, the Zignature Limited Ingredient Diets (lamb and duck flavors) contain significant amounts of wheat and chicken (the ‘defect’), thereby making Defendant’s representations that the Zignature Limited Ingredient Diets (lamb- and duck-flavored) products are ‘grain-free’ or ‘chicken-free’ products demonstrably false.”
An “independent analysis” apparently commissioned by the plaintiffs’ lawyers using DNA testing says the foods contain amounts above trace of chicken and wheat.
Pets Global issued a statement in response to the lawsuit that reads:
"We at Zignature are proud of our brand and the quality of dog food we create.
"It has recently been brought to our attention that a lawsuit has been filed against us for allegedly having misleading information on two Zignature formulas – Duck and Lamb. The lawsuit alleges there is more than trace amounts of chicken and wheat in those two products.
"To further our efforts in investigating these unsupported claims, we are working closely with our production team for in-depth, proper testing associated with these allegations. To date we have not seen any testing results associated with this lawsuit or been allowed to investigate the claims in the lawsuit, such that we cannot determine whether the testing results are a result of cross-contamination (for example) or otherwise determine if the testing is from a clear, unbiased, and trustworthy investigation.
"Zignature takes these allegations very seriously, as we stand by our recipes which have never included any of the alleged ingredients (chicken or wheat) in any of the Zignature product recipes provided to our co-packers.
"We are presently investigating and contesting the allegations found in the complaint and will continue to provide you and your dog the quality you expect."