Nestle sued over fish allegedly caught using slave labor

Four consumers of Fancy Feast cat food have sued Nestle S.A. over claims that the food contains fish from a Thai supplier that uses slave labor.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, seeks to represent all California buyers of Fancy Feast who would not have bought the product if they knew the fish was allegedly harvested using slave labor.
“By hiding this from public view, Nestle has effectively tricked millions of consumers into supporting and encouraging slave labor on floating prisons,” Steve Berman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “It’s a fact that the thousands of purchasers of its top selling pet food products would not have bought this brand had they known the truth — that hundreds of individuals are enslaved, beaten or even murdered in the production of its pet food.”
Nestle has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said forced labor “has no place in our supply chain.” The company said it is working with non-governmental organization Verite to “to identify where and why forced labor and human rights abuses may be taking place” in Thailand and southeast Asia.
A July article in the New York Times chronicled the lives of several men forced into labor on fishing boats in the South China Sea, off the coast of Thailand. These boats catch fish that are later shipped to the US and other places to be used in pet food and livestock feed.
Some of the fish caught on these boats is sent to a cannery called the Songkla Canning Public Company, which is a subsidiary of Thai Union Frozen Products, Thailand’s largest seafood company. According to US customs documents, more than 28 million pounds of seafood-based cat and dog food in the past year for brands sold in the US, including Iams, Meow Mix and Fancy Feast.

Fancy Feast cat food brand recently introduced its new Fancy Feast Mornings gourmet cat food line of breakfast-inspired morning meals for cats.
The new Fancy Feast Mornings cat food line includes entrees made with poultry or seafood, vegetables and real egg, and are available in stores throughout the US.
Specific varieties include:
• Souffle With White Meat Chicken, Garden Veggies and Egg
• Souffle With Turkey, Garden Veggies and Egg
• Souffle With Wild Salmon, Garden Veggies and Egg
• Medley With White Meat Chicken, Garden Veggies and Egg in Sauce
• Medley With Trout, Garden Veggies and Egg in Sauce
• Medley With Wild Salmon, Garden Veggies and Egg in Sauce
Along with the launch of the new cat food line, Fancy Feast brand recently surveyed cat owners, looking into morning rituals of Americans and their cats. The survey found that more than 60 percent of cat-owner respondents said their cats were most eager to get their attention in the morning to eat; nearly 45 percent of cat owners said they feed their cats first thing in the morning; and more than 70 percent of cat owners said they are awakened in the morning by their cats or their alarm clock.


Fancy Feast's new Mornings cat food line includes six varieties, available in US stores nationwide.
To wake cat owners, Fancy Feast brand created a free mobile alarm clock iPhone application called "MorningPurr," which will be available in early July in the App Store. "MorningPurr" enables cat owners to record their cats' purrs as alarm wake-up sounds and personalize alarm screens with photos of their cats.

Fancy Feast finishes 10th on marketer viral video list

Fancy Feast's "Storybook Wedding" cat food commercial was named to the list of Top 10 Viral Video Ad Campaigns on AdAge.com.

Visible Measures, an online video advertisement measurement provider, compiled the list, which focuses on brand-driven viral video ads that appear on online video-sharing destinations. Fancy Feast's cat food commercial created by AFG ranks as number 10 on the list.

Fancy Feast's March petfood commercial most likeable on Nielsen Co. index

Fancy Feast's  commercial featuring a couple meeting the parents and their cat topped the Nielsen Co. ranking of "Top Ten Best Liked New Ads" in March.
The 60-second commercial aired between March 1 and March 31, earning a score of 170 on Nielsen's Likeability Index. Others on the list included Subway, Tide and Jell-O.

Nestle Purina brand ranks among top cat foods

Nestle Purina topped the list of cat treats sold this year thanks to its Fancy Feast Appetizers line, according to the market research firm ACNielson.
The company earned US$25 million in domestic sales of its Fancy Feast product just one year after it was launched. The company also broke into the top 10 list of wet cat food sold this year, ranking 10th, according to the market research firm SymphonyIRI Group. Retail sales showed that pet owners purchased more brand names like Purina, with private label wet cat food sales decreasing by 3% over the previous year.