Voluntary recall of all Years fresh meals

We are aware of, and have been reviewing, a number of reports of dogs developing sudden, bilateral dry eye. Dogs' health and wellbeing have always been what drives us, and we've taken every report seriously from the moment we were made aware.

This included, promptly launching a formal investigation, while working closely with customers, vets and specialist advisors to examine product-related, supply chain and environmental factors, alongside extensive independent laboratory testing.

Our investigation has identified a potential link between buckwheat, a common ingredient, which is used in several dog foods, and these cases. Ultimate confirmation will come with laboratory testing, but we've taken the precautionary decision not to wait, and voluntarily recall all Years fresh meals with immediate effect.

We know, for some, this will strike  as overly cautious. To date, this has affected just 0.1% of our customers - 57 suspected cases of dry eye reported through our customer support channels as of 16th August, with the majority reported after the 12th.

We appreciate there will be other cases that have not been reported to Years. But even one case is one too many, and that's the standard we will always hold ourselves to.

We're sorry for the worry and disruption this will cause - both for the dogs affected and to all of our customers. In time, we'd also welcome an open discussion with the wider veterinary and ophthalmologist community, to fund an independent study into how a common ingredient, like buckwheat could have lead to such profound suffering in the dogs we love.

• Stop feeding Years fresh meals immediately, whether your dog is experiencing symptoms or not
• Do not feed the meals to any other dog or animal
• Do not donate or sell the meals
• Your subscription will be automatically paused tonight, for an initial period of six weeks. This gives us time to freshly cook your dog's meals using quinoa in place of buckwheat along with a thank you gift, for your patience, in your next subscription box.
• Your help with our investigation would mean a great deal. We'll arrange a free collection of any unused meals and apply a full credit to your account for the order.

Redness, cloudiness, or dullness in the eyes; excessive blinking or squinting; pawing at the eyes; thick discharge; general discomfort around the eyes. If you see any of these signs, contact your vet promptly and mention this recall.

• Years began receiving reports within a range that did not initially indicate an unusual pattern. In late July, we began receiving multiple reports, of dogs experiencing sudden, bilateral dry eye.
• We sought independent advice from a vet and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Clinical Nutritionist who advised, on the 1st of August, that based on the case data available, it is highly unlikely that there is any link between the feeding of Years foods and the occurrences of dry eye in dogs, but that we should investigate accordingly.

We promptly started an evidence-based investigation.

• As part of our investigation, we commissioned UKAS-accredited independent laboratory testing across both Years meals and Breed Health+ supplements, covering heavy metals, mycotoxins, alkaloids, pesticides, and veterinary drug residues.
• We proactively reached out to and engaged with ophthalmologists across the UK, working directly with them to understand the clinical picture in each case, review case numbers, and gather the data we needed to understand what was going on.
• Gathering structured data directly from customers, including a dedicated questionnaire designed to uncover patterns across the affected dogs - their diet history, their environment, and anything else that might point to a cause
• Appointed two independent experts to lead a formal, structured investigation: a root cause analysis specialist focused on our product and manufacturing processes, and a toxicologist focused on identifying any interactions at a biological level.
• As of 16th August, Years has received 57 suspected cases of dry eye, out of approximately 40,000 customers year to date - 0.1%. With the majority reported after the 12th of August.
• Rising case numbers -combined with input from customer advocates, further feedback from ophthalmologists, and growing evidence around buckwheat, have led us, on 17th August, to make the decision to proactively and voluntarily issue this full recall.

We appreciate that for customers who suspected something was wrong, the time it took to work through all of this may have felt frustratingly slow. But Years never stopped pushing, urgently, to find the answer - something many of the ophthalmologists we engaged with would attest to.