Nutro Products
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pet food |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Herben Serois |
| Headquarters | Franklin , United States |
Area served | Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, United States |
| Products | Pet food brands including Max, Wholesome Essentials, Ultra, Wild Frontier, Crave, Greenies dental treats |
| Owner | Mars, Incorporated |
| Website | www |
The Nutro Company, Inc. operates as a wholly owned division of Mars, Incorporated and specializes in the development and production of pet food brands such as Max, Wholesome Essentials, Ultra, Wild Frontier, and Crave for both dogs and cats, alongside Greenies dental treats. The company’s main office is located in Franklin, Tennessee, USA, with distribution spanning markets across Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States.
History
Established in 1926 by Herben Serois, Nutro initially focused on pet food manufacturing and secured its trademark in 1936. In 1933, brothers John, Herman, and Albert Saleen managed a fox farm and created their own fox food and canned wet dog food that were marketed through Kal Kan. John Saleen assumed control of the enterprise in 1947 and renewed the Nutro trademark in 1952.
John’s son Steve (Stephen), a 1971 USC alumnus, played a role in advancing the family business by improving marketing approaches, enhancing retail layouts, and designing the contemporary Nutro logo. Nevertheless, his interests shifted toward automotive pursuits with the establishment of Saleen Autosport in 1983. As his children showed no inclination to continue the Nutro legacy, John sold the company to Ed Brown for $300,000 in 1975.
The year 1985 saw the launch of Nutro’s Max product line—a chicken, lamb, and rice recipe—developed in collaboration with Dr. Sharon Machlik. Rather than relying heavily on conventional advertising, Nutro preferred educating retailers through comprehensive materials focused on pet nutrition and ingredient analysis.
In 2007, Mars, Incorporated acquired Nutro and moved its headquarters to Tennessee to better integrate it within their global pet care division.
Products
Nutro’s product portfolio includes both canned wet foods and dry kibble options. Their offerings for cats feature Max Cat and Natural Choice, while dog products include Nutro Max, Natural Choice, and Ultra. The Ultra range caters specifically to the premium holistic dog food segment.
Their dry foods are manufactured using extrusion technology and incorporate vitamin E as a natural preservative.
In 2006, Nutro’s Adult Lamb and Rice formula was honored as the leading lamb and rice dog food in the U.S., receiving a blue ribbon award.
Food safety and criticism
In 1998, FDA analyses detected trace pentobarbital residues in samples of Nutro Premium products—likely originating from rendered bovine materials—with minimal risk posed to pets.
Nutro was among several brands impacted by the 2007 Menu Foods product recall.
Consumer reports in 2008 associated some Nutro products with digestive problems in pets; however, Nutro emphasized its strict safety protocols. Veterinarians indicated alternative factors might explain these issues. Later that year, the Pet Food Product Safety Alliance (PFPSA) identified elevated copper concentrations in Nutro dog food surpassing AAFCO recommendations; zinc levels were also elevated but remained within allowable limits. PFPSA linked these mineral imbalances to reported symptoms, though Nutro contested these findings, maintaining compliance with quality standards.
In May 2009, Nutro issued a voluntary recall for certain dry cat food batches due to excessive zinc and insufficient potassium caused by an error from a premix supplier. No consumer complaints were reported related to this recall. Following this event, consumer advocates raised concerns about Nutro’s quality assurance practices. Further testing revealed zinc content in some cat foods exceeded AAFCO’s maximum limit of 2000 ppm for felines and greatly surpassed European Union thresholds. Veterinary professionals warned that such high zinc levels could lead to gastrointestinal distress and potential organ damage.