Iams dog food is on display in New York. In March, Menu Foods recalled dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II / March 17, 2007)
Posted on 10/01/2007 7:07:26 PM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
The pictures on pet food labels show dishes fit for a buffet table: A platter heaped with sliced tender beef covered in gravy, a brimming bowl of chunky stew.
But do consumers really know what's in the can when they buy food for their cats and dogs?
Some pet owners and animal advocate groups say no. Obscure labeling requirements keep shoppers in the dark, they say. And glossy packaging or advertising, showing meals styled to look like human cuisine, lead people to believe they are treating their beloved animals to qualityfoodalmost good enough for themselves.
Ingredient lists must state if the food is made with poultry or meat by-products, they say — but don't mention that feathers, heads, feet and blood can be included in that broad category. "Premium" brands sold in upscale pet stores may vary little from discount ones sold in supermarkets, as multiple labels often are produced by the same manufacturer and there is no "premium" standard that must be met.
Federal legislators, concerned about the recent recalls involving contaminated pet food and treats, are calling for more guidelines for labeling. A food and drug safety bill passed late last month includes requirements that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration draft pet food labeling standards within the next two years, implement more controls on manufacturing plants and devise early warning systems when problems are discovered. Current standards are administered by each state and may vary slightly......
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Iams dog food is on display in New York. In March, Menu Foods recalled dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II / March 17, 2007)
Pet food label ping.
We’re back in the pet food buying business again after a 3 year absence. Got a little kitty from one of the neighbors yesterday. Guess we’ll have to pay more attention to this than in the past.
I’ve got two lovely cats that are rather elderly now and set in their ways. After much investigation during all of the pet food recalls I switched them to Natura foods. They love the EVO dry food and the California Naturals Deep Water Fish in cans. Here is the website if you’re interested:
The only label change needed is whether anything in the product came from China.
Thanks. I’ll look in to that.
I’ve had my dog since June, 2001. I’ve fed him a pound of $.50 hotdogs everyday except for the days I feed him Chicken bones and a Hershey’s candy bar. All these people I hear feed their pets top notch pet foods and are losing their pets left and right. My friends have lost 2 cats they suspect was related to recalled foods. Personally I won’t feed my dog anything I wouldn’t eat myself, aside from the chicken bones of course. He loves them !
Please stop feeding chicken bones to your dog. My son lost a cat when someone fed it chicken bones during a dinner party. The cat suffered for more than a week...they took him to the vet with no idea what was wrong, and finally, the cat died...and an autopsy revealed a sharp bone had punctured the intestine. Horrible, painful, and expensive.
I’m having a very difficult time finding any ‘rawhide’ chews, preferrably white, not flavor coated, for my dog that aren’t made in China, Venezuela, or worse. Does anyone know of an American made brand (manufactured, not just distributed). I’m looking for the kind that she can chew on for a few days, that doesn’t readily get eaten.
Please be aware that feeding your pet sodium nitrates everyday is not the best course of action if you wish them to remain healthy.
This is, of course, in addition to the fact that the theobromine found in chocolate is outright poisonous to dogs.
Thanks for the ping JACK.
Have been looking for a new dog, have been so depressed since the Chinese killed my baby.
Son and wife feed their dog Solid Gold and it is doing fine.
The only thing I’m really concerned about adding to labels these days is if any ingredients from China are used in the manufacturing process.
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