Commercial Foods-The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tell us what commercial foods have worked for you and which have caused problems; information, questions, warnings and advice on dog food companies, ingredients, brands, and switching foods.
(Recall information now in it's own discussion here in The Food Group)

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Or in some cases ... ONGOING Lawsuit from 2007. It is still not settled.

[Kyoko]

It is really grossing me out. I will contact the company and try to communicate and see what they have to say. But the fact that they are mushing up some random meat, dead carcasses, and bones next door makes me doubt that they truly cares about their consumers. Now I am thinking that this is how they get those peices of meat and skin to make their treat like spiral chews....I have to really study, and may end up cooking their food myself.....

[Kyoko]

Here's the reply I got from Merrick company. I am going to email them back and ask them some more questions...

Hello Kyoko,

Thanks for taking the time to e-mail us. I have answered your questions below.

* Where are your organic Chicken come from? We purchase all our meat from USDA inspected facilities to provide animals with nutritious and healthy products.

* Are they certified Organic? If not what makes them organic? Our organic chicken is produced in a certified organic plant that produces organic chicken for human consumption. We maintain all of the required documentation to show that the meat is organic.

* Do you use any products from your rending plant in dog food? Merrick Pet Care does not own or operate a rendering facility nor do we use rendered products in any of our pet foods or treats. Merrick uses only the highest quality, all natural, human grade ingredients in our products. We purchase all our meat from USDA inspected facilities to provide animals with nutritious and healthy products.

* Do you closely work with the rending plant? Mr. Merrick has several facilities in Hereford, TX, and Merrick produces a premium pet food at the multiple locations on the various campuses. The rendering facility does neighbor one of our factories.

We also have our own testing labs and we test for many things to ensure the safety of our products. Please be assured that no rendered materials are ever used in Merrick foods or treats.

I hope this information helps, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Thanks,
Cyndi

Merrick Pet Care

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Marion also left a comment in this group that she got the same answer from Merrick regarding the rendering plant; Here is her comment:


Comment by Marion Carmickle MERRICK:I felt that I should post to clear some information that was incorrect on the group. I wrote an email to Merrick yesterday...they do not have a rendering plant nor do they use any products from China. I wanted to check them out as they are my next choice for food for Riley. I have kept the email on file and, if anyone needs further information, I will be happy to give more details. Thanks!

Merrick's answer is confusing to me; first they say they don't have a rendering plant; then they say that the rendering facility does neighbor one of their facilities. Does that mean they don't own it, it just happens to be next door to one of their facilities? Regardless, though, even if they do own it, they are saying in writing that all of their ingredients are human grade and that they do not use rendered products in their food...so that seems fine to me. I hope this will make anyone who is using their products feel more at ease.
Thanks to Kyoko and Marion for providing this info.

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Been sitting this one out for 2 days now contemplating a response. I have holes in my tongue and blisters on my fingers from the restraints on them not to type = ). Two days later I feel I am able to comment rationally rather than based on my pure emotional response. I am glad you have an answer in writing and I sincerely hope that Merrick has responded to issues past and present as well as to the obvious demands of the informed consumer.

That said I also find the responses to be conflicting. The most obvious evidence of this lies in the statement that no rendered products are in any of their food or treats. ANY food that contains 'meal' of ANY source is in fact a 'rendered' product. Given that, this response is an untruth. Whether the ingredients are rendered or not is not so much the issue as whether they are 4D rendered products. If they meant to say they contain no 4D rendered products they certainly have enough knowledge to differentiate and say that, so I am left wondering why that reply was made. Also the reply as follows ~ "Do you closely work with the rending plant? Mr. Merrick has several facilities in Hereford, TX, and Merrick produces a premium pet food at the multiple locations on the various campuses. The rendering facility does neighbor one of our factories.", I like Karen would really like to know exactly what that does mean?

And yes Merrick pet care does not 'own' a rendering plant, rather they are both a subsidiary under the same Merrick family holdings and have been for multiple generations.

Regardless of the present situation, there is much supporting evidence of a plethora of past issues. Admittedly so, many are dated and of course it is the 'past' but so are many of the mass 2007 issues which continue to haunt consumer trust. Also of the 'past' are the victims, does that mean that now in the present it is okay to dismiss the past?

It is also important to note that certified organic can be deceiving. Organically raised refers to life care, it does not refer to the process by which it came to be an ingredient. You can still have a 4D resulting product from one that was organically raised. Also companies can claim organic yet only utilize the trim pieces (meat by-products) rather than the whole meat muscle they portray in their ads to appeal to us and our desire to provide only the best for our beloved furkids. Meat may be purchased from a USDA facility but not noted that perhaps it is the failed or is less premium. The implication that it comes from a USDA facility generates the warm, fuzzy feeling that they are eating the same as the rest of our family, economically this just is not possible for the price of a can of food based on my current grocery receipts. There are of course other scenarios in which you can be more certain of not only the ingredients but in what fashion they came to arrive in that can of food, certified kosher for example as there are strict guidelines not only applying to the life of the animal but also in the manner of the processing following life. Stumbling upon those are few and far between and may present other issues like the addition of grains or yeast which for many, especially in locations that are hot, humid and already having many fungal issues are particulairly troubling. Ugh, the fun never ends does it?

All of that said every bit of information preceding this closing applies to ALL brands of food and is inclusive of a mere handful of questions we might want answered. I am a believer in second chances, I have had to ask for many in my lifetime, but is has always been my experience that once granted I have to work much harder to earn it ~ that expectation is the same I have of second chances I extend to others, especially those that stand to profit from a second chance.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Dianne, the blisters on your fingers and holes in your tongue is a common affliction around here. Giving a second chance is all well and good for people, but to a company who has shown (in the past) that it cares more about profits than it does about dogs is more than I am willing to give. My dog is dead, there is no bringing her back. Many dogs are dead and many companies are going about business are usual (see Pedigree below). The fact that their response is contradictory, the fact that "meal" of any sort is used at all, the fact that the past can be forgotten or overlooked by some people, does not make the dogfood "business" one I will ever trust again. Others need to make up their own minds, of course, but I just hope a mind isn't changed after their dogs die or become ill.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks for this info, Dianne, I was hoping you would chime in. I am still pretty confused about all of these issues, but the more info we get, the better off we are.
Since Lynne has raised the issue of using meal of any kind, I would like to ask about that. It was my understanding that all meal is not necessarily bad...that at its best, meal is just a "granulated" form of a particular food with the moisture removed...I picture the corn meal that we use in baking as an example of this. Some reliable sources I have read say that meat or fish meals can be superior to the actual whole food, since with the moisture removed, there would be more protein by weight.Am I not understanding this correctly?

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Karen, that is how I understand it as well, it is a means of delivering more protein yet in a compact form resulting in as you said a superior protein to some choices based on the amount per weight. Though I cannot say with absolute certaintly I believe that the composition of the meal is a far more crucial issue than the presence of it. I have been on this one a little more lately because I was rather intrigued by the conversation I had at the expo referenced in 'just the facts'. In a weird sort of way it made so much sense to me that I did not really understand it and so was trying to. (BTW, think I may have stumbled upon some dietary stuff regarding Ella's eclampsia earlier this year).

Recently I came across this website ~ http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?p=361&more=1.
Some interesting information and like many of the cited references and authors, ahead of their time in some basic guidelines and information. This article was dated 2004, isn't it something to think that a mere couple of years ago many of us would have regarded such views as extremist? Here are 2 specific references they make to meal:

Never buy a food containing “by-product meal” or “meat and bone meal.” These rendered products are the most inexpensive sources of animal protein. The contents and quality of these meals can vary tremendously from batch to batch, and are not a reliable source of nutrition for your animal.

In general, avoid foods that rely on by-products as the sole source of animal protein. By-products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption. An occasional can of by-product-based food may be okay, since, in the wild, carnivores do consume the whole prey including the organs, but these foods are not acceptable as a steady diet.

Look for a named meat or meal (“lamb” or “chicken meal,” for example, instead of the generic term “meat”) as the first ingredient.

Ok so I can't count, but the middle one seemed to warrant placement also. They have some very good points and I would recommend a look to add to any pet owners arsenol of knowledge in order to make informed choices. One I especially liked was the suggestion to change foods every 3-4 months, I have long suspected that was a wise move and incorporate it here far more often than that even if it is just a flavor or formula change within our favorite brand. For convenience sake I think it is much easier to accomplish this variety of food exposure through the add ins be they canned food or delicious treats prepared with love by us. And the worst case scenario in this is that it would satisfy our own boredom and yet also increase our options to know what we could move to if necessary.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Pet Food Must Think 2 Years is Sufficient Mourning Period
It’s been two years since the deadly 2007 pet food recall. We can assume pet food manufacturers feel it’s ‘time’ to shove their products in front of our faces again; two years must be their allowable mourning period after the deadliest pet food recall in history.

Pedigree just spent $3 million for a 30 second Super Bowl commercial, and Pup-peroni is spending $8 million on new advertising. The NY Times business news reports that Mars has handed over its Nutro Pet Food line to BBDO Worldwide, an advertising agency that’s been handling the campaigns for Cesar and Sheba pet foods. Purina advertising group Fallon Worldwide has been awarded an estimated $1 to $2 million campaign to promote Alpo dog food; Fallon currently works with Purina promoting Dog Chow and Purina One products.

Barely two years after the deadliest pet food recall in history, pet food advertising is gearing up to attract new customers. No new safety regulations have been developed, many pet food manufacturers continue to purchase ingredients from China. Nothing has changed, except now, the advertising.

Sadly, many of us have learned our pet food lessons the hard way; a pet’s death or serious illness, a result of an inferior, highly advertised pet food. Although some have learned to only trust the ingredient list, countless others continue to be led down the pet food advertising path. Over the years, pet food marketing and advertising has become so effective, it’s almost seems to have brainwashed millions, including our veterinarians. Just try to explain to a marketing brainwashed pet owner the ‘truth’ about some pet foods or some pet food ingredients; they look at you as if you are committing blasphemy against their sacred pet food. Provide them facts about common ingredients such as by-products and animal fat, and you’re shunned; they refuse to listen. Even many veterinarians are oblivious to scientifically proven pet food risks such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and menadione bisulfate; they refuse to ‘see’ the benefits in their patients who are fed true high quality foods free of inferior leftover ingredients.

Pet Food advertising and marketing in various forms has worked its magic for years. Even the experienced petsumer can be taken in; busy day, cat’s out of food, it couldn’t be that bad just this once…could it? (yes…it could)

Our two year mourning period is over. Get ready for pet food advertising to be shoved in your face again; radio, television, celebrity endorsements, the whole nine yards. If you are tempted to ‘buy’ in, simply flip the bag or can over and examine the ingredient list. If you see ‘by-product’, ‘meat and bone meal’, ‘animal fat’, ‘BHA’, and/or ‘BHT’ (and others), consider the manufacturer believes in spending more on advertising than on purchasing the highest quality of ingredients. Which would you rather give your pet, highly advertised or highest quality of ingredients? Do your pet food homework...read ingredients; discover where the pet food is made, and country of origin of ingredients.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Truth about Pet Food
Petsumer Report
www.TruthaboutPetFood.com

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A warning from Marion Carmickle about a package of TOTW she got:

WATCH THE KIBBLE! I just got off the phone with Diamond regarding TOTW that I have (Pacific Stream) Not all the kibble was the same...some was X shaped rather than all dark and round. The company has told me to stop giving Riley the kibble and wait to hear from quality control. Not sure if it is a problem so to be sure, they said not to pursue the transition to the food. I had been told on this group to always check the kibble and now I am glad that I did...I had only given her a small amount of the food over the past two days so I hope all will be okay. Nevertheless, check your dog's food...look to see if all kibble looks the same, smell it...you can't be too careful.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Update from Marion posted 2/17/09:

UPDATE ON TOTW: I spoke with Diamond this morning and I have returned the TOTW food. It was, in fact, feline formula. Thanks to this group, I knew something wasn't right and I am thankful for the knowledge that is being shared by the members of this group. I am also glad that Diamond is suggesting that folks return the food, just to be safe.

And a similar post from Dianne today:
I am posting here since the info regarding TOTW is below. I contacted a friend this morning regarding this. She got back to me a short time ago and has informed me that they did talk to the company. They were told that they investigated and it was in fact cat food that became stuck in the machinery and became mixed with a 'limited' production of the dog food (it was totw cat). Though they indicate there is nothing of harm with this they encourage anyone who bought a bag to return it for an exchange or refund. Way to go Marion for paying attention, let it serve as a reminder to all of us how important this is. On the plus side I am pleased that Diamond acted on the side of caution in advising you to cease offering this food. Hope all is well!

[Lia]

Hi, I'm new to this site so sorry if this isn't the right place to post this, hopefully I'll get the hang of it.
My family is planning to get a goldendoodle in the near future, hopefully, so I have been researching the different types of foods to feed. Someone told me that the ingredient "choline chloride" is potentially dangerous and that I should look into a food that doesn't have this ingredient but it seems that most commercial dog foods contain it. So I was wondering if it is actually hazardous or not. I read that it is necessary but that it is also used in the lethal injections for prisoners. Can someone clarify?
Thanks,
Lia