Nutro Pet Foods Not Free from Artificial Preservatives as Advertised, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Mars Petcare US, Inc. has falsely marketed its Nutro Natural Choice dog foods as containing “No Artificial Flavors, Colors, or Preservatives” when, in reality, the products contain artificial preservatives.

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The 21-page lawsuit charges that Mars Petcare has extracted a premium price for its Nutro Natural Choice dog foods by promoting them as natural, even though they contain the synthetic preservatives citric acid and mixed tocopherols. The suit contends that the Nutro Natural Choice dog foods at issue are misbranded, given the presence of the artificial preservatives in a product whose front label prominently represents the absence of synthetic flavors, colors and preservatives.

The Code of Federal Regulations defines chemical preservatives as substances added to foods to prevent or slow down deterioration, excluding salt, sugar, vinegar, spices and certain naturally derived additives, the filing relays. Citric acid and mixed tocopherols fall within this definition, according to the complaint.

Central to the lawsuit is the contention that, although natural forms of citric acid and tocopherols exist, the versions used in food production are likely synthetic due to cost and resource constraints.

Related Reading: Instinct Dog Food Is Not Preservative-Free as Advertised, Class Action Alleges

Citric acid, a common preservative whose function is to retard the deterioration of organic materials, is “prohibitively expensive” in its natural form, and as a result, manufacturers have relied on synthetic versions for over a century. The complaint argues that the multi-stage fermentation and industrial manufacturing process used to produce citric acid is indicative of the “classic hallmarks of synthetic manufacture, not natural derivation.”

The suit goes on to state that the tocopherols, which are fat-soluble compounds used to prevent rancidity in animal fats, found in the Nutro dog foods are also synthetic. Per the complaint, synthetic tocopherols are less expensive than the natural versions derived from vitamin E in vegetable oils and offer a longer shelf life. In light of this, the lawsuit alleges that “virtually none” of the tocopherols used as preservatives in pet foods are natural.

The complaint also cites guidance from the Association of American Feed Control Officials, which has declared citric acid and mixed tocopherols as chemical preservatives.

The Nutro Natural Choice dog food class action lawsuit looks to represent all consumers in California who purchased the products within the four years prior to the filing of the complaint on April 6, 2026.

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