Science Diet Cat Food: Where Is It Manufactured?

Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. The food is manufactured in company-owned facilities in the United States and sold in 86 countries. The brand was developed in the 1960s by Mark L. Morris, Jr. PhD DVM, the son of veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris Sr. DVM, who pioneered the field of veterinary clinical nutrition. The Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet brands have had some success, but consumer preferences have shifted towards pet foods marketed as natural, and Science Diet is perceived as being artificial. The brand has also had multiple product recalls, including for melamine contamination and salmonella contamination.

Science Diet is owned by Colgate-Palmolive

Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. The brand was developed in the 1960s by Mark L. Morris, Jr. PhD DVM, the son of veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris Sr. DVM, who first pioneered the field of veterinary clinical nutrition.

The Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet brands gained market share over the years, peaking in 2008 at 10.7% of dog food sales. However, by 2011, this had dropped to 9.4% as consumer preferences shifted towards pet foods marketed as "natural", and consumers began to perceive Science Diet as being "artificial".

In 1976, Hill's Pet Nutrition was purchased by the Colgate-Palmolive company, and it continues to produce its food in company-owned manufacturing plants in the United States. Despite being owned by such a massive corporation, Hill's still employs a giant team of more than 220 veterinarians, nutritionists, technicians, and food scientists to develop its pet foods and perform research.

The company has had multiple product recalls over the years, including one as recently as 2019 when dangerously high levels of vitamin D were found in several batches of Hill's food. This resulted in a class-action lawsuit being filed against Hill's.

Science Diet offers a wide range of products suitable for different cats, including premium-quality dry and wet cat food for healthy adult cats, food for kittens and seniors, and food for cats with sensitive stomachs, skin problems, and more. They also offer an entire line of prescription pet foods that require a veterinarian's authorization to purchase.

While Science Diet has received praise for helping cats live long and healthy lives, there is some criticism of the brand. Some cat owners have found it to be expensive, and some ingredients, such as corn gluten meal, are considered cheap filler proteins that are not ideal for cats.

Science Diet was created by veterinarians

The first Science Diet recipe was created for Buddy, a German Shepherd and the original seeing-eye dog, who had kidney disease. The Morrises' success in creating a diet that supported Buddy's health led them to develop additional recipes under the Science Diet brand name. These recipes were designed to support cats and dogs with specific health conditions and those at particular life stages.

Science Diet cat food is now available in two ranges: Science Diet and Prescription Diet. The former can be purchased over the counter, while the latter requires a veterinarian's prescription as the recipes are formulated to deliver therapeutic nutrition for specific health concerns. Both ranges include recipes for cats of different ages and with different health needs, including cancer support, urinary care, and digestive health.

Science Diet cat food is produced in company-owned manufacturing plants in the United States and is sold in 86 countries worldwide. The recipes are developed by a team of over 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and Ph.D. nutritionists, who perform research at the Hill's Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kansas. This facility is considered world-class and helps the brand maintain its status as a leading authority on animal nutrition.

Science Diet cat food recipes feature a mix of animal-based and plant-based ingredients. The brand's Adult Dry Cat Food recipe, for example, includes chicken, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, and chicken meal as its first five ingredients. While the animal-based ingredients provide high-quality protein, the plant-based ingredients are included as a source of carbohydrates to provide calories, as well as for their fibre content.

Science Diet cat food has been recalled multiple times since its creation. The most recent recall was in 2019, when certain recipes were found to contain elevated levels of vitamin D. This issue was attributed to a supplier error, and Hill's was mandated to implement corrective measures following an FDA investigation.

Science Diet has had multiple recalls

Science Diet has had multiple product recalls over the years, though most have been for dog food rather than cat food products. The first recall was in 2007, when Science Diet was one of more than 100 brands included in a wide-ranging recall of pet food that the FDA and other food safety officials determined may contain melamine—a chemical used in plastics manufacture. Every single can of Hill's Science Diet Savory Cuts cat food was recalled.

In June 2014, 62 bags of Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food were recalled in California, Hawaii, and Nevada because of potential salmonella contamination.

In November 2015, all date codes of seven Science Diet canned dog foods and one canned cat food recipe were withdrawn from pet store shelves. This was likely due to a labelling error.

The most recent Hill's product recall happened in January 2019 when 33 different recipes of Science Diet dog food—22 million cans—were recalled due to toxic levels of Vitamin D. Hill's attributed the issue to a supplier error but, following an FDA investigation, Hill's was criticized for not adhering to safety protocols and mandated to implement corrective measures. A class action lawsuit was later filed with the U.S. District Court in Kansas City involving 300 plaintiffs whose pets were affected by the recalled products.

Science Diet is available in the UK and Europe as Science Plan

Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. In the United Kingdom and Europe, Science Diet operates as Science Plan.

Science Diet was developed in the 1960s by Mark L. Morris, Jr. PhD DVM, the son of veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris Sr. DVM, who pioneered the field of veterinary clinical nutrition. The success of Dr. Morris Sr.'s original formulation of canine kidney disease food led him and his son to devise additional condition-specific and life-stage pet food formulas under the Prescription Diet and Science Diet brand names.

The Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet brands gained market share over time, peaking in 2008 at 10.7% of dog food sales. However, by 2011, this had dropped to 9.4% as consumer preferences shifted towards pet foods marketed as "natural", and consumers began to perceive Science Diet as being "artificial".

Science Diet cat food is available in the UK and Europe as Science Plan and is sold in 86 countries worldwide. The company employs a team of over 220 veterinarians, nutritionists, technicians, and food scientists who develop their pet foods and perform research in a world-class facility in Topeka, Kansas.

Science Diet cat food offers premium-quality dry and wet food for healthy adult cats, as well as specialty recipes for kittens, seniors, and cats with sensitive stomachs or skin problems. They also offer an entire line of prescription pet foods that require a veterinarian's authorization to purchase.

Science Diet cat food has had multiple product recalls, including one in 2019 for elevated levels of vitamin D. In 2015, they voluntarily recalled some dog food varieties over labelling issues, and in 2007, they recalled products due to salmonella and melamine contamination.

Science Diet offers food for cats with specific health conditions

Science Diet offers a wide range of cat food products for cats with specific health conditions. The Hill's Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kansas, is considered a world-class research facility and helps the company maintain its status as a leading authority on animal nutrition. The company has over 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and Ph.D. nutritionists working to develop its products.

The Science Diet and Prescription Diet product lines include dry food, canned food, and semi-moist cat food formulas. The Science Diet line is available over the counter, while the Prescription Diet line requires a veterinarian's prescription as the products are formulated to deliver therapeutic nutrition for specific health concerns.

Science Diet offers cat food for the following health conditions:

• Urinary issues
• Kidney care
• Digestive issues
• Food sensitivities
• Weight management

Science Diet also provides life stage-specific recipes, including kitten, adult, and mature adult formulas. The company offers several resources on its website to help customers select the right food for their cat's specific health needs.

Frequently asked questions