American Nutrition, Inc. Responds to Criticism

Ogden, UT, April 30, 2007 --(PR.com)-- American Nutrition Inc.’s April 26, 2007 announcement of its voluntary recall of certain products that contain rice protein has prompted questions concerning the labeling of those products, and about whether or not American Nutrition engaged in deliberate wrong-doing. A complete list of the products subject to the voluntary recall can be found at www.americannutritioninc.com.

“To set the record straight, American Nutrition did not engage in any deliberate or intentionally wrongful conduct relative to the inclusion of rice protein in certain products it manufactures”, according to Naomi Keller, a company spokeswoman.

Rice protein is an ingredient commonly used in pet products to fortify protein content and provide proper texture and consistency of canned pet products. It is not harmful to animals. To the contrary, it is believed to be a healthy additive that assists in providing appropriately high protein levels without creating unacceptable levels of fat associated with meat products.

Concern exists about rice protein not because of its inherent qualities, but rather because rice protein shipped from Wilbur-Ellis to American Nutrition was found to contain concentrations of melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may be harmful to animals if consumed. “To be clear, the possible existence of melamine – not the inclusion of rice protein in pet products – is the root source of recall concerns. The melamine in this instance unfortunately happens to have been found in the rice protein used by American Nutrition and other manufacturers”, said Keller.

While rice protein was used to fortify products involved in the recall, many other pet foods manufactured by American Nutrition (including their own house brands and products manufactured for several other companies) were not affected. The unaffected products rely on soy, corn and wheat as their primary non-meat protein sources. Conversely, the products affected by the contaminated rice protein recall had “customer-driven formula specifications for non-soy, non-corn, and non-wheat ingredients”, Keller continued. “Those customers specifically required rice-based formulations, which necessitated certain fortifications to meet label guarantees. As such, American Nutrition selected a fortification source from the same family of ingredients already incorporated into the formulation (in this instance, rice).”

The products subject to the American Nutrition voluntary recall are contract manufactured for other companies. American Nutrition is investigating the circumstances surrounding labeling, formulation and related inter-company communications, but it is “simply false to state that American Nutrition was engaged in any deliberately deceitful and/or unlawful conduct. Labeling responsibility is a cooperative effort between American Nutrition and its customers. American Nutrition believes, for their part, that they were compliant with all applicable label regulations”, said Keller. Additional information will be released as American Nutrition completes its own investigation and as they continue to cooperate fully with ongoing FDA and other governmental agency inquiries.

“We want to express our deep concern over this situation. American Nutrition places a tremendous emphasis on honesty and integrity in every aspect of our business. Our utmost concern is for the health of the pets that consume our products”, said Bill Behnken, CEO of American Nutrition, Inc.

For a complete listing of recalled pet food products, visit the FDA website: www.fda.gov. Consumers with additional questions can contact American Nutrition at 1.800.257.4530; by e:mail to feedback@amnutrition.com; or by visiting www.americannutritioninc.com.

****************************************
About American Nutrition, Inc.
Ogden, Utah based American Nutrition, Inc. manufactures pet foods under its own name and for many other companies. American Nutrition has 150 employees.

Contacts:
Media Inquiries: Naomi Keller, 801.554.0023, naomi@amnutrition.com
Consumer Inquiries: Traci Shepard, 800.257.4530 x256, feeback@amnutrition.com

###