Dog-food manufacturer Years is set to resume deliveries after an independent probe found “no evidence” linking its recipes to a dry eye condition.
The UK-based company plans to restart filling customer orders in October having voluntarily recalled its fresh dog meals in August.
Years' product withdrawal followed 57 reports of sudden dry eye in dogs, a condition known as bilateral keratoconjunctivitis sicca, which is marked by low tear production and typically resists standard treatments. In severe cases, it can cause eye damage.
On 22 September, the Nottingham-based business published the outcome of an investigation, which was launched in July following 11 initial customer complaints.
According to Years, the review, overseen by independent experts, found no contamination, toxins or food safety problems in its meals, ingredients or packaging.
However, all its recipes will now be produced without buckwheat.
“This reflects both customers' expressed preference to return to our previous recipes, and a further precaution,” it said.
Darren Beale and Ivan Barashki, the co-founders of Years, said: “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.
"That meant testing retained production meals, food returned by customers and individual ingredients, looking for a wide range of possible contaminants and other causes. We also had our manufacturing, supplier and food-safety processes independently examined.”
They added the company would continue to share findings with BrAVO, or the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, along with other independent organisations, for “as long as it takes”.
Across the inquiry, 21,757 individual test results were generated, covering 1,129 substances in a 1 March to 17 August timeframe.
Testing covered 273 meals spanning all six of Years' recipes, as well as 101 ingredient samples.
Buckwheat was screened for 940 separate substances, including tropane alkaloids, mycotoxins, pesticides, heavy metals and fagopyrin.
Years said no evidence of toxins, contamination or safety concerns was identified.
The investigation also found that 96 dogs in the UK, as well as pets in unserved overseas markets, developed sudden bilateral dry eye despite never eating Years' food.
“The issue, therefore, extends beyond Years and is not specific to Years food,” the subscription-based business said.
Besides, it pointed to independent validation of its cooking process that confirmed “significant” built-in safety margins.
The review also verified a “robust” supplier approval process and “competently run” production sites, added the company.
Founded in 2023, Years sells “minimally processed” dog food, primarily through the direct-to-consumer channel, while it also has listings with select retailers, including Pets at Home.
The co-founders added: "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."
In July, it secured backing from Verlinvest and Five Seasons Ventures.
