Nutro recalls dry cat food

Franklin, Tenn.

-- Nutro Products Inc. is voluntarily recalling its Natural Choice® and MAX® cat foods due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium, the company announced today. No dog foods were affected.

Recalled products were dated May 12 to Aug. 19, 2010, the company says."Two mineral premixes were affected," the company explained in a prepared statement. "One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium."This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier," the company reports. "An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected."

Nutro says it is working with distributors in all the countries affected to remove recalled products from store shelves. The complete list of recalled products can be found here.

Customers who have purchased recalled products should immediately discontinue feeding them to their cats, and return them to their retailer for a refund or exchange.

While the company hasn't received consumer complaints related to the recall, officials advise cat owners to look for a reduction in appetite, refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If the cat is experiencing health issues, owners should contact their veterinarian.

As a result of the recall, the company says it will focus on stricter quality checks of its suppliers.

The recall follows an FDA-issued statement last month rebutting media reports about the company's products being the subject of an inquiry.

Questions can be directed to Nutro at (800) 833-5330 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST, or at www.nutroproducts.