Soon after I switched to raw food for their diet. I do feed ground instead of whole like most raw-feeders. Today, unlike nine years ago, people who don't want to feed raw at least have access to a few choices of good quality food that is grain-free. This poisoning of many pets will likely serve to drive the pet-owners who really are concerned, like yourself, to the better food manufacturers and away from grocery/pet-store brands....
We are all very vulnerable. I learned this when I came down with Lupus and read a book on how to regain my health without all the drugs they normally push on us. Like you I became an avid label reader..
You wouldn't believe how much I threw away from my cupboard. Mostly I shop the fresh food aisle at the market and use limited seasonings, opting for those that are preservative-free.
I am growing my own seasonings (basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic and onions)and veggies in my garden now. Many of these can be grown inside the house in pots year-round. Heck, I even have a huge flower pot with lettuce growing in it (it’ll be my first harvest this year).
When we were growing up my siblings and I ate mostly beans (poor Southern folks), in fact I know folks here that have beans every meal.
Right now I am considering finding a source for ground cornmeal and flour that I can trust. The things we need that we can’t grow are flour, meal, and sugar.
I am also lucky enough to live in the country, so I can kill a squirrel or deer if need (in legal season, of course).