Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food Lawsuit: What Is Active, What Was Dismissed
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The Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food lawsuit in the courts right now is a 2025 California class action against Post Consumer Brands, which has owned Nutrish since April 2023. It alleges the “no artificial preservatives” label is false because the food contains manufactured citric acid. In March 2026 a federal judge trimmed the case but let it continue. There is no settlement, no fund and no claim form. Older suits over glyphosate and grain-free diets were dismissed.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Active Lawsuit Says
Plaintiff Sevak Krikorian filed a proposed class action against Post Consumer Brands LLC in California federal court on March 10, 2025. The lawsuit alleges that Rachael Ray Nutrish pet foods are marketed as “natural” with “no artificial preservatives” while they contain citric acid that is artificially produced. According to the complaint, Post used those front-of-bag claims to charge a premium.
The complaint pleads unjust enrichment, breach of express warranty and violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. It asks for a jury trial, injunctive relief and compensatory, statutory and punitive damages. These are allegations; Post has not been found liable for anything. This is a labeling case — it does not claim that Nutrish made any dog sick.
Case Details
The active case is Krikorian v. Post Consumer Brands LLC, No. 2:25-cv-02122, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Post is the defendant because J.M. Smucker sold the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand, along with 9Lives, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Nature’s Recipe and Gravy Train, to Post Holdings in a deal that closed on April 28, 2023 (transaction value about $1.2 billion, per Smucker’s SEC filing). Rachael Ray herself is not a defendant; the brand is licensed to the companies that make and sell the food.
The earlier glyphosate case was Parks v. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC, No. 1:18-cv-06936 in the Southern District of New York, filed against Ainsworth and J.M. Smucker. The grain-free heart-disease case was Cohen v. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, No. 2:20-cv-05289 in the Central District of California.
Status: One Active Case, No Settlement
Every other Rachael Ray lawsuit over Nutrish that we could verify ended in dismissal, not a payout. Anything advertising a “Rachael Ray settlement” payment for Nutrish buyers is describing something that does not exist as of October 2026.
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Who Would Be in the Proposed Class
The complaint seeks a nationwide class and a California subclass of consumers who bought Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food within the four years before the suit was filed. Nothing is decided: a judge has not certified any class, and the final definition could be narrower.
You do not sign up for a class action. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, notice goes out through a court-approved administrator, and the notice explains whether receipts are needed. If you buy Nutrish regularly, keeping store loyalty records or online order history is the simplest proof of purchase — though many food-label settlements pay small amounts without receipts (see our guide to settlements with no proof of purchase).
Is There Money?
Rachael Ray Nutrish Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
August 2018 — Glyphosate Suit Filed
Parks v. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is filed in New York federal court, alleging that “natural” Nutrish dog food contained trace glyphosate, a weed killer.
- 2
2019–2020 — Glyphosate Case Dismissed Twice
Judge Louis Stanton dismisses the case on April 18, 2019, then dismisses the amended complaint on February 21, 2020. The plaintiff files a notice of appeal to the Second Circuit on March 20, 2020.
- 3
January 21, 2021 — Grain-Free Case Dismissed
Judge Mark Scarsi dismisses Cohen v. Ainsworth, a suit tying grain-free Nutrish to canine heart disease (DCM), with prejudice.
- 4
April 28, 2023 — Post Takes Over Nutrish
J.M. Smucker closes the sale of Rachael Ray Nutrish and other pet food brands to Post Holdings, including the Meadville, Pennsylvania plant.
- 5
March 10, 2025 — Preservative Suit Filed
Krikorian v. Post Consumer Brands (2:25-cv-02122) is filed in the Central District of California over “no artificial preservatives” labels and citric acid.
- 6
March 20, 2026 — Case Trimmed, Not Dismissed
The court removes the implied-warranty and omission claims but lets other consumer-protection claims go forward. As of October 2026, no settlement exists.
Three Things to Watch For
A popular brand, a celebrity name and a lawsuit with no claim form is an easy setup for imposters:
“Claim your Rachael Ray settlement” sites
There is no Nutrish settlement and no claims portal as of October 2026. A page asking for your card number or Social Security number to “release” a payment is collecting data, not filing a claim.
“Your dog got sick from Nutrish — you qualify” ads
The active case is about label wording, not illness. Ads promising injury payouts from “the Rachael Ray lawsuit” are lead-generation for law firms or worse. If your pet was harmed, talk to your vet and keep records; signing a retainer is a real legal commitment.
Fake recall-refund messages
Texts or emails claiming a Nutrish recall refund, often with a gift-card or “shipping fee” step, are a known pattern. Check recalls directly with the FDA and the brand, never through a link in the message.
Rachael Ray Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food lawsuit right now?
Yes. Krikorian v. Post Consumer Brands, No. 2:25-cv-02122 in the Central District of California, alleges that Nutrish pet food is falsely labeled as having “no artificial preservatives” because it contains manufactured citric acid. It survived a motion to dismiss in part on March 20, 2026.
Is there a Rachael Ray settlement I can file a claim for?
No. As of October 2026 there is no Rachael Ray settlement for Nutrish buyers, no fund and no claim form. If one is reached, a court-approved administrator will publish an official website and notice. Our list of open class action settlements shows cases you can actually claim from today.
Is Rachael Ray personally being sued?
No. The suits target the companies that make and sell the food. The current case names Post Consumer Brands; the earlier ones named Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and, in the glyphosate case, J.M. Smucker.
Why is Post the defendant and not Smucker?
Smucker sold Rachael Ray Nutrish to Post Holdings in a deal that closed April 28, 2023. Post now owns the brand and its labels, so the 2025 labeling suit names Post.
What happened to the glyphosate lawsuit?
It was dismissed. In Parks v. Ainsworth, the court held on April 18, 2019 that a reasonable consumer would not read “natural” to mean zero trace glyphosate, then dismissed the amended complaint on February 21, 2020. According to a case summary, the detected levels were 0.005% to 0.01% of the FDA tolerance. The plaintiff appealed; we could not confirm the appeal’s outcome.
Did a lawsuit say Nutrish causes heart disease in dogs?
One did. Cohen v. Ainsworth alleged that grain-free Nutrish was linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Judge Mark Scarsi dismissed it with prejudice on January 21, 2021, finding the plaintiff had not plausibly shown the link.
What about the dog DNA claim?
A 2020 suit over Nutrish “Just 6” alleged that DNA testing of one Lamb Meal and Brown Rice sample found 0.008% dog DNA and 0.012% horse DNA. These were the plaintiff’s test results, not a court finding, and we could not verify how that case ended.
Do I need to do anything now?
No. You do not need to join, register or sign anything to be part of a proposed class. If you buy Nutrish, keeping order history is enough. Ignore anyone who asks for money or personal data to “secure” a payment.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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