Blue Buffalo pet food facing Canadian class action lawsuit

Pop Goes The News — Canadians who purchased Blue Buffalo products for their beloved pets may be able to get some money back.

Earlier this month, Consumer Law Group (CLG) filed a class action lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court in Ottawa alleging the company misled Canadians about the ingredients in its food.

According to the statement of claim, the Connecticut-based pet food manufacturer used “exaggeration, innuendo and ambiguity” to promote the quality of its products.

Blue Buffalo is accused of “falsely, deceptively and prominently” advertising its food as containing “only the finest natural ingredients” and “providing superior nutrition.”

CLG alleges Blue Buffalo has been “engaging in a massive, uniform marketing and advertising campaign replete with false statements and misrepresentations about the ingredients and the quality” of its food.

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According to CLG, scientific testing revealed that Blue Buffalo products contained chicken/poultry by-product meal, corn, rice, grains, soy and artificial preservatives.

None of the allegations have been proven in a court.

In December, a federal judge in the U.S. gave preliminary approval to a $32 million settlement in a similar class action suit against Blue Buffalo. The company denied any wrongdoing — it blamed a supplier and broker — but said it was its “in the best interests” to resolve the class actions.

Blue Buffalo customers in the U.S. can claim between $5 and $200.

Blue Buffalo has also been sued for false advertising by competitor Nestle Purina PetCare. That case has not yet been heard.