17 Jun 2021
Fold Hill Foods has issued a statement in which it says it is “alarmed and saddened” following a recall of three brands of cat food it produces that may be linked to a spike in cases of pancytopenia.
Joshua Silverwood
Job TitleA pet food manufacturer has issued a statement saying it is “deeply saddened” after three brands of cat food were voluntarily recalled over potential pancytopenia links.
Fold Hill Foods, based in Lincolnshire, issued a statement after researchers at the RVC discovered a possible link between hypoallergenic cat food made in the firm’s Boston factory and the condition, which causes cats to stop producing blood cells.
The manufacturer produces dry hypoallergenic cat food for brands such as AVA, Applaws and Sainsbury’s own brand, all of which have now been recalled.
The Food Standards Agency and Defra issued advice to cat owners to dispose of the products, citing 130 cases of pancytopenia in 2021 alone.
Ben Mankertz, general manager for Fold Hill Foods, said: “We are alarmed and deeply saddened to learn of reports from the food and veterinary authorities of some health issues in cats.
“As cat owners ourselves, we fully understand how upsetting and stressful this situation is for families, and although diet has not been confirmed as the cause, we would prefer to act now to ensure the absolute safety of cats.
“As one of the leading pet food manufacturers in the UK, ensuring your pet’s safety is our priority and, therefore, we have chosen to recall the ranges of cat food that we manufacture for the brands that have been identified.
“We feel this is the safest course of action until an exact cause of the issue has been found.”
One of Fold Hill Farm’s product lines, AVA Cat Food, was exclusively sold through pet care retailer Pets at Home.
A spokesman for Pets at Home said: “We are aware of the recent rise in feline pancytopenia cases identified by the RVC.
“The health and well-being of pets is our top priority, which is why we are supporting the manufacturer’s product recall of AVA and Applaws dry cat food ranges.
“This is a precautionary measure while further investigations are carried out and we are working closely with the Food Standards Agency, RVC and wider industry to determine the cause.
“In the meantime our store colleagues are on hand to help customers select a suitable alternative.”
Michael Bellingham, PFMA chief executive, said: “The health and well-being of pets is the top priority, and we fully support this recall.
“We understand the concern this will cause cat owners and we would like to reassure them that a thorough, top-to-bottom investigation is under way to determine the cause.”
