Ava is an own-brand product made for and sold only in Pets At Home, and the By Sainsbury’s food is sold only in Sainsbury’s supermarkets. Applaws is widely sold by many retailers in the UK. Fold Hill Foods said products under the Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe range and Pets at Home Ava range are being recalled. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Defra are advising cat owners not to give their pets food made by manufacturer Fold Hill as a precaution.

If you feed or have fed your cat one of the foods specifically listed above, you must stop feeding it to them immediately. You might understandably wish to speak to your vet, even if your cat appears to be fine, about the risk of illness. This is a precautionary measure whilst further investigations are carried out and we are working closely with the FSA, RVC and wider industry to determine the cause. Cat or dog food recalls in the UK are very uncommon, because we hold pet food manufacturers to the same high standards we do for food designed for our own consumption. However, there’s currently a very large-scale cat food recall in place in the UK (June 2021) affecting a number of product lines (but not complete ranges) sold under the Applaws, By Sainabury’s, and AVA cat food brands respectively. All of the cat foods affected by the recall to date (as of 20th June 2021) are dry cat foods manufactured by a company called Fold Hill Foods Ltd. A government spokesman said: "Working with the Royal Veterinary College, the Animal Plant and Health Agency and other government departments across all four nations of the UK, local authorities and the pet food supply chain, we are investigating a possible link between specific cat food products and feline pancytopenia.

By Sainsbury’s cat food recall 2021:

Fold Hill Foods general manager, Ben Mankertz, said: “We are alarmed and deeply saddened to learn of reports from the food and veterinary authorities of some health issues in cats.

Owners are also advised to use an alternative food if their cat’s usual food is included the recall.

What cat foods have been recalled to date?

Only certain specific cat foods from within each of these ranges is affected by the recall, not every variant of cat food within their ranges.

It is important to note that while any cat owner who found they had inadvertently been feeding their cat a food involved in a recall due to suspicions of it causing serious illness will be very concerned, the vast majority of cats fed these foods have suffered no ill effects. The FSA said the current outbreak of pancytopenia was potentially linked to specific cat food products. Fold Hill Foods Ltd., has issued the recall notice for the above-mentioned cat foods because “there is concern over the safety of the products listed.” Put simply, a significant number of cats in the UK have recently become ill with a health condition called pancytopenia (and in some cases, related illnesses). This is usually an incredibly rare condition; the average UK veterinary clinic might see one, or no, cases of this a year. There is no evidence to suggest this outbreak of feline pancytopenia presents any risk to human health." However, Fold Hill Foods Ltd is a manufacturer, not a brand; and they produce cat food for several different UK brands, and three of these are affected. These are Applaws, AVA, and By Sainsbury’s respectively.The recall notice for AVA cat food applies to all of the following dry cat food types, and applies to every batch number and best before date. This means if you feed your cat any of these foods, they are affected by the recall. These are regarding a potential association between some of the foods within these ranges, and serious illness in a small but significant number of cats that are fed them. If your cat does become ill or you have any suspicions about their health, call your vet right away and inform them of the relevance of their diet and the recall; all UK vets are aware of the recall, the association with pancytopenia, and the risks involved. As one of the leading pet food manufacturers in the UK, ensuring your pet’s safety is our priority and therefore we have chosen to recall the ranges of cat food that we manufacture for the brands who have been identified. A Pets at Home spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the recent rise in feline pancytopenia cases identified by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). The health and wellbeing of pets is our top priority, which is why we are supporting the manufacturer’s product recall of Ava and Applaws dry cat food ranges.