
Science Diet, a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., has undergone several changes in its packaging and formula over the years. In 2019, the brand introduced a new packaging design for its dog and cat food range, featuring portraits of breeds, colour coding, and text in multiple languages. The redesign aimed to highlight the brand's science-based nutrition and create an emotional appeal with photos of healthy, well-fed pets. Additionally, Science Diet has had multiple product recalls due to issues such as contamination and labelling problems. The brand also continuously upgrades its formulas and changes the aesthetics of its food products, such as kibble shape, colour, and size.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for Change | To make it easier for consumers to see the transformation Hill’s Science Diet can bring to their pet’s life |
| Changes | Portraits of breeds and color coding, text in multiple languages, images of ingredients, kibble size, and canned-food texture |
| Old Packaging Issues | Consumers preferred pet foods marketed as "natural" |
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What You'll Learn
- Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc
- The packaging redesign uses portraits of breeds and colour-coding to help owners find the right food
- The new design features striking photography of healthy, well-fed pets, showcasing the transformative effects of the food
- The packaging text is in multiple languages, reflecting its distribution across the US, Latin America, Europe, and Japan
- Science Diet has had multiple product recalls, including for elevated levels of vitamin D and salmonella contamination

Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc
Science Diet is a brand of cat and dog food marketed by Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. that was developed in the 1960s by Mark L. Morris Jr. The brand was created to provide specialised diets for pets with health issues, such as kidney disease. The Science Diet line offers a range of products formulated to meet the specific needs of pets at different life stages, including senior, adult, and small dogs. The packaging for Science Diet has recently undergone a redesign, introducing new graphics and colour-coding to help pet owners easily identify the suitable product for their furry friends.
The new packaging features portraits of various breeds, showcasing healthy and well-fed pets, along with colour-coded strips at the top of each bag. The colour red signifies everyday wellness recipes, silver represents specialty products for special needs or conditions, and pink indicates the Small Paws line for small dogs. The colour-coding system aids retailers in organising the brand on shelves and assists online shoppers in quickly identifying the right product for their pets.
The redesign also includes impactful photography that showcases the good health and unique characteristics of pets at different life stages. The packaging highlights the science-based benefits and real food ingredients used in the recipes, such as chicken. It also features a call-out stating that the brand has helped 9 million shelter pets find forever homes, emphasising their commitment to supporting shelter animals.
The Science Diet line is not a prescription brand and does not require a veterinary prescription. It is a wellness brand sold through pet specialty stores and e-commerce channels. The recent packaging redesign is a result of consumer research and feedback from pet parents, aiming to create an ownable imagery style and showcase the transformative effects of science-based nutrition on the health and well-being of pets.
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The packaging redesign uses portraits of breeds and colour-coding to help owners find the right food
Hill's Science Diet has introduced new packaging for its dog and cat food, featuring portraits of breeds and colour-coding to help owners find the right food for their pets. The new design, created by branding and design firm Beardwood&Co., showcases the brand's science-based nutrition and creates an emotional appeal with photo portraits of healthy, well-fed pets.
The packaging redesign includes colour-coded strips at the top of each bag, indicating three different product groupings: red for everyday wellness recipes, silver for specialty products addressing specific needs or conditions, and pink for the Small Paws line tailored to the nutritional needs of small dogs. This colour-coding system aids retailers in organising the brand on shelves and assists online shoppers in making informed selections.
The new packs also feature impactful photography, showcasing pets at their best across various life stages. The images highlight the unique characteristics and personalities of the animals, radiating good health and well-being. The redesigned graphics also display the kibble size or canned food texture, providing a visual representation of the product inside. Additionally, the packaging includes images of "real food" ingredients used in the recipe, such as chicken, reinforcing the brand's commitment to nutritious and wholesome pet food.
The text on the packaging is available in multiple languages, reflecting the brand's global distribution across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. The redesign affects more than 2,000 stock-keeping units, encompassing all bags and cans in the Hill's Science Diet line. This comprehensive approach ensures a consistent and modern look across the entire product range.
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The new design features striking photography of healthy, well-fed pets, showcasing the transformative effects of the food
Hill's Science Diet has introduced new packaging for its dog and cat food. The new design features striking photography of healthy, well-fed pets, showcasing the transformative effects of the food. The new packaging also includes images of "real food" ingredients used in the recipe, such as chicken. The text on the packaging is in multiple languages, reflecting the brand's distribution across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan.
The redesign affects more than 2,000 stock-keeping units, including all bags and cans. The new packs use colour coding to help pet owners easily find their pet food selection and identify different product groupings. For example, red at the top of the bag or can signals everyday wellness recipes, silver signifies specialty products for pets with special needs or conditions, and pink represents the Small Paws line for small dogs.
The new packaging also conveys the brand's commitment to science-based nutrition and its mission to enrich and lengthen the special relationship between people and their pets. It highlights the nutritional benefits of the food, which is specially formulated for each pet's life stage, life care, and lifestyle needs. The new design also showcases the brand's support for shelter animals, with a call-out on the front of each package stating that the brand has helped 9 million shelter pets find forever homes.
The refreshed design is meant to give pets the care they need to lead happy and healthy lives, offering science-based nutrition that meets their unique needs. The iconic white background has been unchanged to reinforce the brand's clinical credentials. This new packaging is part of an evolution for the brand, showcasing its commitment to innovation and providing the best nutrition for pets.
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The packaging text is in multiple languages, reflecting its distribution across the US, Latin America, Europe, and Japan
Hill's Science Diet has undergone a packaging redesign, introducing a fresh look for its cat and dog food products. The new packaging features portraits of breeds and colour coding to help consumers easily identify their desired pet food selection. The text on the packaging is in multiple languages, reflecting its distribution across the US, Latin America, Europe, and Japan.
The redesign includes more than 2,000 stock-keeping units, encompassing all bags and cans. The new packs use colour-coded strips at the top of each bag to indicate three different product groupings: red for everyday wellness recipes, silver for specialty products, and pink for the Small Paws line of specialised nutrition for small dogs. The colour coding system is also applied to the cans, with red indicating everyday wellness recipes and silver signifying special conditions.
The refreshed design preserves the brand's iconic white background while incorporating impactful photography that showcases healthy, well-fed pets. The packaging also features a call-out stating that the brand has helped "9 Million Shelter Pets Find a Forever Home," highlighting its commitment to supporting shelter animals. Additionally, the redesigned graphics display the kibble size or canned food texture and include images of "real food" ingredients used in the recipes, such as chicken.
The packaging text being presented in multiple languages reflects the broad distribution network of Hill's Science Diet products. The brand is available across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan, catering to a diverse range of consumers and their pets' nutritional needs. This multilingual approach ensures that information about the product, including its ingredients, benefits, and usage instructions, is accessible to a wider audience.
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Science Diet has had multiple product recalls, including for elevated levels of vitamin D and salmonella contamination
Hill's Science Diet has undergone a packaging redesign, with new bags and cans featuring portraits of different breeds of cats and dogs, along with colour-coded strips to help owners identify the different product groupings within the brand. The new design also includes information about the brand's commitment to helping shelter animals, images of "real food" ingredients, and the kibble size or canned food texture.
In addition to the packaging changes, Hill's Science Diet has also had multiple product recalls. In January 2019, Hill's Pet Nutrition recalled more than 20 types of canned dog food due to potentially toxic levels of vitamin D. The recall was initiated after a report of vitamin D toxicity in a dog that ate a canned Hill's dog food product. The recall was later expanded to include 19 additional products, bringing the total number of recalled products to 33. The affected products included several Science Diet and Prescription Diet varieties, distributed through retail pet stores and veterinary clinics nationwide.
Vitamin D toxicity can cause serious health issues in dogs, including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst and urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. At toxic levels, it can even lead to kidney failure and death. Pet owners were advised to discontinue feeding their dogs the recalled products and to contact their veterinarians if they suspected any cases of vitamin D toxicity.
In addition to the vitamin D recall, Hill's Science Diet has also had other product recalls in the past, including a recall for salmonella contamination in 2015. Salmonella can cause serious illness in both animals and humans, so it is important for pet owners to be vigilant about checking for recalls and following the recommended safety precautions. Overall, while product recalls can be concerning, they are an important way to ensure the safety of consumers and their pets.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, in 2019, Science Diet, marketed by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., changed the packaging for their dog and cat food. The new design features portraits of breeds and colour-coding to help pet owners find their pet food selection in-store.
The new packaging design is meant to highlight the transformative effects of Science Diet's science-based nutrition on the lifelong health and well-being of pets. The new design also conveys Science Diet's mission to help enrich and lengthen the relationships between people and their pets.
Science Diet has also upgraded some of their dry and wet formulas, changing the aesthetics and nutrition of some foods, such as kibble shape, colour, and size. Science Diet has also introduced ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit to their lifestage dry foods, which provides prebiotic fibres and antioxidants to support the vital organs of cats and dogs.










































