Purina sues competitor Blue Buffalo, alleging misleading ads

St. Louis-based Nestlé Purina PetCare filed a lawsuit in federal court that charges Connecticut-based competitor The Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd. with making marketing claims that it can’t back up.

Nestlé Purina – a division of Swiss-based Nestlé and manufacturer of pet-food brands Beneful and Friskies – is accusing Blue Buffalo of lying to customers in its advertising and disparaging Purina and other brands, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The St. Louis pet-food company says independent tests show that Blue Buffalo uses chicken byproducts and corn in its products — despite spending $50 million in advertising claims to the contrary.

Blue Buffalo says it will prove in court it can support its marketing messages.

Read more from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.