Years, a UK dog food brand used by 40,000 people, has issued a voluntary recall of all its Fresh Meals after around 57 dogs developed a serious eye condition. The company paused all subscriptions after its buckwheat-based meals were potentially linked to keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as bilateral dry eye.
The firm notified all 40,000 customers by email on Monday, August 16, that it had removed the meals from circulation while laboratory testing is carried out. The recall covers all Years Fresh Meals, excluding the Chef's Collection range.
Company statement on the voluntary recall
On its website, Years wrote: "As a precaution, we’re issuing a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals (excluding Chef’s Collection). This follows a small number of reports of dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat, a common and approved ingredient, which we include in our meals."
The statement continued: "As of 16th August, this has affected 0.1% of our customers. We know for some, this will strike as overly cautious – but at Years, we will always put every dog’s health and wellbeing first."
Customer experience: Cookie's eye issues
David Felton, from north London, told the PA news agency that his dog Cookie developed eye problems in April after eating Years food for two-and-a-half years. He said: "Never did it occur to us that it could be a link to the food because the crazy thing is people buy Years because they want to feed their dog like high quality foods."
The company acknowledged that not all cases may have been reported to them. A spokesman for Years told the Falmouth Packet: "We’re sorry for the worry and disruption this will cause – both for the dogs affected and to all of our customers. We appreciate there will be other cases that have not been reported to Years. But even one case is one too many, and that’s the standard we will always hold ourselves to."
Next steps and independent study call
The spokesman added: "In time, we’d also welcome an open discussion with the wider veterinary and ophthalmologist community, to fund an independent study into how a common ingredient, like buckwheat could have led to such profound suffering in the dogs we love."
The recall affects a small proportion of the customer base, with 0.1% of customers reporting adverse reactions as of August 16. Years has paused all subscriptions while the lab testing continues, and the company has stated its commitment to prioritising dog health and wellbeing in its handling of the situation.
