Trigger terms are specific words or phrases used in pet food marketing that may be open to legal action in various ways. Some terms may be loosely defined and open to interpretation by consumers and courts. Others of these marketing terms may be unsubstantiated or make unfounded claims about benefits and qualities.
Health-related trigger terms for legal action in the pet food industry
Legally risky marketing claims cover a wide range of popular trends in the pet food industry. Some terms refer to health effects or benefits from certain ingredients. Since consumers tend to consider “natural” as implying a more wholesome product, Annis categorized the term as a health effect. Several recent lawsuits have alleged that pet food companies didn’t live up to their natural marketing claims because the products contains synthetic ingredients such as citric acid. Other lawsuits have gone after natural pet food formulations for containing trace amounts of heavy metals.
Along with terms like “natural,” “all-natural” or “from nature,” other health-related trigger terms for legal action in the pet food industry include anything related to extending the lifespan of a pet. The Federal Trade Commission is paying special attention to life-extension claims, said Annis.
Origin-related pet food marketing trigger terms
Other claims assert the point of origin of an ingredient or product. One of the most common of these is Made in the U.S.A. However, the exact meaning of this is confused by varying definitions. For example, the FTC and the State of California place different requirement on labeling products as Made in the U.S.A. To avoid lawsuits related to national origin, Annis recommended using qualifying terms, such as “Made in USA of 90% US and 10% Imported Materials by Weight.”
Other origin-related pet food marketing trigger terms include, “local,” words or images of specific locations, foreign symbols and words, or images of farms and farm animals.
Quality-related marketing terms and pet food legal issues
Lawsuits against pet food companies have resulted from claims about the quality of the ingredients used, such as using poultry meal instead of chicken breast meat.
Other quality-related terms have to do with the methods used to produce a pet food or ingredient. Some of these terms include: artisanal, craft, handmade and small batch, he said. Since these terms lack regulatory definitions, pet food companies could face legal problems if their production methods don’t match consumers’ ideas of what artisanal or craft means.
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inScientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both
from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
Many hours, efforts, dollars and brainpower go into pet food companies’ and regulatory bodies’ efforts to ensure that products on the market are safe and healthy for pets.
