Comments on: Truth in labeling, or, a picture is worth a thousand words

By: Carol V

Carol V — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:31:53 +0000

oops…wrong story to post that Let Go My Listeria Eggo link..thought I was at safe food story…sorry!

By: Carol V

Carol V — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:23:18 +0000

I actually came here now to post this little tidbit…the real story we can’t find Eggos!

snippet..
But ConsumerAffairs.com has confirmed the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) in September found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Eggo Buttermilk Waffles made at the Atlanta plant. Health officials took the sample during a routine inspection of the facility

By: Carol V

Carol V — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:21:06 +0000

Sandi K…I had been in contact with Dr Rumbeiha at MSU who was very interested in following my kitties as they initially survived. He had said he wanted to be able to see the effects longer term as there were no studies..but he said he was unable due to no funding and he would keep in contact in case things changed and he knew I had access to other survivor pet owners…but they never did and my two have since passed on…I truly felt he would if he could…Too bad monies were not mada available for that—-especially when the melamine showed up in Chinese baby formula (and here) I had wondered if our canaries would have helped…

By: Sandi K

Sandi K — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:57:33 +0000

So, the article on Menu Foods says they’ve paid out millions in legal settlements…really? Last I read the primary lawsuit on behalf of petowners had been challenged and nothing has been paid out and more than likely will be held up for years to come. So I’d like to know who the recipients of those millions in legal settlements are? Their counterparts in the pet food industry?

And as for Mr. Menu Foods, the poor guy, he felt very alone during the 2007 ordeal, I feel so bad for the….jerk. It is all about him afterall…Its a memory he would just as soon put behind him. Im sure the thousand of petowners would have liked to do that too but sadly, they are currently dealing with sick pets from the effects of kidney damage from the food or the memories of their beloved pets who died in 2007 and who are still dying from the effects as each week goes by. He said all they can do is learn and move on…they havent learned a thing.

In the meantime while Mr Menu Foods is putting out his woe-is-me statements, Ive always wondered why no veterinary universities did any sort of follow-up on the surviving pets of the 2007 pet food recalls. How many are still surviving and with what types of symptoms and damage. Pets are suffering the effects to this day from the toxin damage and it would have perhaps been important to see how the 2007 recall is not over for many pets and their families to this day.

By: Jim Davari

Jim Davari — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:54 +0000

Raw is the best if you know the source.
Choosing a good food for your best friend doesn’t always seem easy. The labels on the packages appear designed to confuse, and beyond identifying whether a food is chicken or lamb-based, people often come away feeling they need a science degree to decipher the rest. And while an ingredient may sound good and conjure up images of plump juicy meat parts, you need to be aware that the definition of what constitutes that ingredient (if it even has a definition) can be quite different. Well, we can’t change the labelling laws here – but we can give you an overview of what we think you should be looking for in a good quality dry dog food.

First and foremost, dogs are carnivore/omnivores – a good proportion of their diet needs to be meat protein sources. Plant proteins tend to be more difficult for dogs to digest, are less palatable and offer less nutrition. Grains are lower than vegetables on the digestibility and nutritional adequacy scale.

So, look at the top five or so ingredients - these form the major portion of the food. The ingredients in dog food are required to be listed in order of weight. So that means that the first ingredient on the list is the one with the greatest volume in the food. We want this to be a named meat source – eg. Chicken, beef or lamb. Never unidentified “meat” and never a “by-product”. Note also that since the list runs in order of weight, it is better to see “chicken meal” than “chicken” at the top of the list. “Chicken” includes a high degree of water content, “chicken meal” does not – so with “chicken” it is quite possible that once the water content is removed, it may actually be the fourth or fifth ingredient, not necessarily the first as suggested.

Within the first five ingredients we want to see at least two (preferably more) named meat sources, and as few grains as possible. The first ingredient should certainly be a named meat source. Grains are almost unavoidable but they are not a natural source of food for dogs, are often undigestible (what’s the point of a food if your dog can’t digest it?) and are common allergens. Whole ground grains are far better than grain fragments (floor sweepings?) which typically have little or no nutritional value. Brown rice (a whole grain) is better than white rice, which has been stripped of about 75% of its nutritional value. Whole fruits and vegetables are better nutritional sources than grains.

Looking further down the list, we prefer not to see any corn products in the food (corn, corn meal, corn gluten meal, corn syrup, etc) as corn is very difficult to digest, of little nutritional value, and a very common allergen in some dogs. Same goes for wheat products/fragments and for beet pulp or molasses (sugar). It should go without saying that we would never buy a food with any form of corn or wheat in the top five ingredients.
A good link to check for dog food http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com
jd

By: Karen Fraser

Karen Fraser — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:19:57 +0000

I am pleased to see that the recall memories have not faded! As an entrepreneur my response to the recalls was to gather a team of experts and start Trust Pet Meals. Talking to people about their pets is a daily joy but often shocking. I am used to the thoughtful pet people on this blog.
I am told- that is all fixed. “They” fixed it.
I buy my brand because the dog in the ad is soo cute.
Don’t know what I buy but it’s $70.00 a bag.
When did you become a food Nazi?
Can’t afford good food. Did I tell you that the knee operation for my(overweight) dog was $4000.00?
It was all China’s fault.
Pet food and my food are completely different systems.
And my favorite- what do you mean my dog needs good nutrition?
Do they learn? Yes but it takes patience. So I am venting here to gather my patience for another day. Thanks for reading.
Hope you have a chance to catch Trust on
Cats 101 on Animal Planet November 21 at 9:00 p.m. est

By: Anne T

Anne T — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:13:11 +0000

Marion Nestle has always said “It’s the same food source” so it really doesn’t matter whether it goes to us or our livestock. In the long run, we’re all eating the same things. Our governing bodies in the guise of USDA and FDA are too underfunded and under the thumb of politics via lobbyists for BIG Agra and Pharma to fulfill their tax payer funded mandate of food safety. I personally find that frightening! Be afraid, very afraid.

By: Megan

Megan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:56:59 +0000

Not trying to stick up for cheap pet food or rendering, but the phrase “Unfit for human consumption” doesn’t always mean the meat is poor quality. I toured the Natura foods plant (awesome tour and a lovely facility), and even their meat had to be labeled “unfit for human consumption” simply because it was sent to a pet food plant rather than a human food plant. The same chicken headed for processing into chicken nuggets or other processed human foods did not have to carry the “unfit for human consumption” label.

By: Janeen

Janeen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:53:48 +0000

I buy ‘unfit for human consumption’ meat from a couple of local meat processors. Mostly the same ones I send my meat to get processed at. Miscut pieces, organ meats, ears, feet, bones - the beasties adore it. Some probably comes from local feedlots, but I can live with that - heck, even I eat a fast food burger every now and then.

I also give them the bits of fruit and veggies we turn our noses up at. Well, in truth they have to share these with the chickens.

That said, my dogs would have to awfully hungry and I’d have to be awfully broke before I fed them most processed food.

By: Anne T

Anne T — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:33:03 +0000

Here’s to the USDA and FDA’s total inability to monitor food safety in our country. They are just fulfilling their orginial Rethuglican mandate, kill off the little people whose tax dollars fund us since our perks are paid for by lobbyists from big Agra and Pharma. Why should we care if you or your pets die? You only pay our bills. Obama is giving us more of the same. There is no meaningful overhaul of our food industry happening. So much for ‘change’.
I am with PB on this one. His post about Jason Fagot almost caused me to christen my screen with merlot. And I am a post menopausal woman who does dog sports with purebred dogs and occasionally participates in AKC, so that shows you what an unholy alliance it is. Humor is always worth its weight in whatever current commodity fetched the best price on the stock market. Doubtful PB appreciates it. lol