𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

An independent investigation has found no link between Years dog food and suspected cases of dry eye in pets, the brand has said.

Years said an investigation led by independent experts had found no contamination, toxins or other safety issues in connection with its food, and no link to reported cases of sudden bilateral dry eye.

The luxury dog food brand issued a voluntary recall in August after receiving dozens of reports of suspected eye issues in pets.

The premium subscription service, offering fresh dog food “tailored” to an animal’s needs, emailed customers on August 17 to say it had identified a “potential link” between its buckwheat ingredient and a dry eye condition and urged users to stop feeding Years’ products to their pets or any other animal.

The company originally said it had received “a small number” of reports of dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat – a common and approved ingredient, which it included in its meals.

The subsequent investigation tested buckwheat for 940 distinct substances – including tropane alkaloids, mycotoxins, pesticides, heavy metals, and fagopyrin – with no toxin, safety, or contamination issues identified.

The firm said 96 dogs with no history of eating Years food had developed sudden bilateral dry eye, both in the UK and in international markets where Years food was neither sold or consumed, therefore proving that the issue was not specific to the brand.

As a result, Years said it would resume serving customers in October.

It added: “Since customers have expressed a preference to return to our previous recipes, and as a precaution, all Years recipes will now be buckwheat-free.”

Darren Beale and Ivan Barashki, the co-founders of Years, said: “When these reports emerged, we stopped the entire business and focused all our time and effort on understanding what was happening.

“We wanted the investigation to look at every credible possibility, and to be as comprehensive as possible, and this is why it took weeks rather than days.

“Our investigation is now complete. After extensive independent laboratory tests and two separate manufacturing reviews by independent experts, no contamination, toxin, safety or packaging migration issue has been found in Years food, and no link has been identified between Years food and sudden bilateral dry eye.

“We know this conclusion may not feel like a resolution if you’re caring for a dog with sudden bilateral dry eye. We see how hard this has been. These findings don’t change that, nor do they answer the wider question of what is causing this unusual pattern of cases, which is also impacting dogs that were never fed our food, both in the UK and internationally.

“Whilst we have completed our investigation, we still want to help find those answers, which is why we’ll keep sharing our findings with Bravo (the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists) and other independent bodies for as long as it takes.

“For us, and for our customers, the investigation provides important reassurance about the safety of our fresh food, and we look forward to serving customers again in October with our buckwheat-free recipe.”