Science Diet

History

Science Diet was developed in the 1960s by Mark L. Morris Jr. PhD DVM (February 3, 1934January 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.

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".

Recalls

Science Diet has had multiple product recalls.

• March 16, 2007 & March 27, 2017 — 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)
• 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.
• 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.
• January 31, 2019 — Manufactured Recall on Hill's Prescription dog food as well as wet Science Diet for "Elevated levels of vitamin D"

References

References

1. "Hill's Pet Nutrition".
2. "Original 1959 Letter from Mark Morris Jr. to Hill Packing Company".
3. "Mark Morris Sr.". Mark Morris Institute.
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.
5. Barrington, Kate. "Science Diet Dog Food : 2019 Review, Recalls & Coupons".
6. (March 16, 2007). "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. and Canadian recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods".
7. (January 30, 2009). "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods.".
8. (July 24, 2008). "Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.".
9. (June 2, 2014). "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".
10. "Hill's Science Diet Recall History".
11. (August 6, 2019). "Dog Food Recalls 2018-2019: Is Your Brand on This List?".