Fromm's canned Shredded Chicken Entrée consistency

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Does anyone here use Fromm's canned Shredded Chicken Entrée food, and if so, have you noticed the change in consistency (more like chicken broth than the more solidly packed previous consistency) over the past year? Its been an area of contention with me for some time. Months ago I contacted Fromm's about the change, and they assured me they were aware of the problem and were working to correct it. They even offered to give me vouchers for new canned food, as long as I gave them lot numbers of affected cans. I've been keeping a log and would like to send in the information to get the vouchers. Problem is, I've gone through about 6 cases of food and the consistency is STILL broth like. So far there have been only 2 batch lot numbers (and 'best by' dates) of affected cans, and one year later I'm still getting cans from the same batch/lot numbers delivered from the 2 sources I go through for this food. I don't want vouchers for food that will be the exact same consistency of food I'm replacing. So I continue to wait and continue to be frustrated. I really wish they would put a recall out on the affected lot batches, but since its not a health hazard I doubt that will happen.

 

Fromm's canned Shredded Chicken Entrée is one of the most expensive canned foods you can buy, at about $2.69 - $3.90 a can, depending on where you buy it. I'm seriously considering making my own shredded chicken 'entrée' to portion out and freeze. Lucy eats 2 types of dry Fromm's and that, so far, has been of a consistent quality, as far as I can tell. I'm just very disappointed that they can't seem to get their act together on their canned food, and it doesn't do much to help assure me that their other foods' quality (dry included) isn't going downhill as well.

 

[Carolyn Shusterman]

We make our own chicken to add to the kibble.  We buy chicken breast with ribs attached at the market when it goes on sale for 99 cents per pound.  We cook about 5 pounds or more in a stock pot covered with water for 20 or 30 minutes after the water has come to a boil.  Cool the chicken, remove the skin and bones and cut into 1/4 cup chuncks.  Place them on a large tray or cookie sheet and put into the freezer to freeze individually.  When frozen, place the chicken in a plastic freezer bag and each day you want chicken, remove one chunk and place in microwavable dish with a little water and cook for 2 minutes at 50% power.  Our 'Hershey' isn't a foodie so we bury the chicken under the kibble so she has to eat the kibble by way of collateral damage. 

The broth from the chicken can also be used.  Besides drinking the broth,  Hershey loves carrots cooked in the broth.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't give them the broth, the fat content is extremely high. Very high fat foods can bring on pancreatitis and also a risk factor for bloat. If you want to continue using some of the broth, I would remove the skin and all visible fat before cooking.

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's really simple to degrease any broth or liquid. Just place it in a tall container, like a 1 quart container from take out. The refrigerate it overnight and the next day you can easily remove the fat top layer. It really adds no major work and I do this with all kinds of things on those fewer and fewer occasions that I cook.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I do this with food for me and my family, because cooking the chicken with the fat and skin does add flavor. But the dogs don't need it, and can't appreciate the difference in flavor anyway, as they have fewer and less sensitive tastebuds. The broth will still have a higher fat content even if you skim the cold congealed fat off than it does if you just remove the skin and fat before cooking.

I cook skinless boneless chicken breasts for JD, he eats a pound a day, and the amount of fat in the liquid is staggering, even without the skin.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

I mostly use skinless breasts when I cook too. But for instance if I am making chicken soup, I cook them in fat free College Inn broth to make the soup more flavorful besides adding onion, carrots, parsely and parsnips : )

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Cooking for humans, I go for flavor. I use whole pullets when I make chicken soup, which I haven't done in years, hating to cook as I do. And then skim the fat as you described.

But cooking for dogs, I go for nutritional value, or I wouldn't be doing it at all, lol.

[Carolyn Shusterman]

We let the broth cool then remove the fat from the top.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

What a great idea for making individual servings so easy to keep in the freezer. I may add some veggies and broth and package them in individual sandwich bags, and then keep them all in a large freezer bag.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I don't know anything about it but it sounds very frustrating.  I think it would be very easy to make your own. Boil whole chickens in water and throw in some carrots.  When they are completely cooked remove from pot and take all the meat off the bones.  You can save some of the liquid and the carrots to add to the meat and portion it and freeze.  I should think about two hours from start to finish and you would have enough put away.  It would be much cheaper too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

See above comment re: broth from chicken cooked with all the skin and fat. :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You might also want to look at some other canned foods. Evanger's in particular makes a variety of canned single protein foods, including chicken, with nothing at all added except water. Not meant to be fed as the sole diet, just used as a topper, or to supplement a lower protein food.

Fromm's is a very reliable company, one of the few that is family owned, does not use imported ingredients, and makes only pet foods.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Interesting... I'll look into Evanger's. Does their canned chicken actually look like chicken? We have a holistic pet store nearby that carries Evanger's. Lucy only gets a heaping soup spoonful of wet food added to her dry food. I've always mixed the wet into the dry, and never used it as a topper, as I'm afraid she'd just eat the topping off and leave the rest :-)