This is bad news for Natura's retailers and customers.

The folks on many pet forums are very concerned.  On Susan Thixon's site, Amy says that Natura products were spotted at PetSmart in Houston.  LOL, that was fast!

My indie retailer in Kansas had 4 of the 15 lb bags of EVO on Friday, and when I stopped by the store on Saturday, there were NONE 'cause folks are stocking up.

I expect that Natura products will suffer the same fate as so many other pet foods.  Once a public corporation takes over, quality and customer service are low priorities.  All that matters is today's stock price.

      

Wasn't sure where to post this, but PFPSA has some new test results on Nutro
Chicken Meal and Rice cat food.

See May 4, 2010 test results which indicate high levels of Vit D.

http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

Auntie Crazie put the test results into tables, and Don posted the info at Pet Food Products Safety Alliance.

See links shown in September 2, news update.

http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

Hi Shashee,

Welcome.

Could you please give us more info about what kind of "product" you want to create?  Do you mean a "food" product?

I see that you're a university student doing research.  Is your research related to food science, veterinary medicine, marketing and advertising, manufacturing/engineering, other?

Is your "creation" a student project, or do you work for a pet food company?

Do you have contacts with a pet food company?

Would love to help, but more info needed.

Thanks.

Pet Food Products Safety Alliance (pfpsa) has new test info back from the lab.

Keep in mind, this is raw data.  PFPSA will provide a summary, time permitting.

http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

Looks like Champion update their site.

Here's BEFORE

Q | FRESH CHICKEN - Where are our chickens from? Are they free-run?
 
A | Our chicken ingredients come from the ALBERTA CHICKEN PRODUCERS and are made fresh from grain-fed Alberta chickens. Our fresh chicken is table grade and arrives FRESH – never frozen and without any preservatives – and is processed into ORIJEN the day it is received. Our chicken meals and fats are produced from human-grade chicken ingredients in Alberta, Canada.

http://www.championpetfoods.com/faq/


And here's AFTER:

Q | FRESH CHICKEN - Where are our chickens from? Are they free-run?

A | Our chicken ingredients come from the ALBERTA CHICKEN PRODUCERS and are made fresh from grain-fed Alberta chickens. Our fresh chicken is table grade and arrives FRESH – never frozen and without any preservatives – and is processed into ORIJEN the day it is received.

Please visit our FRESH REGIONAL INGREDIENTS page to learn more.


No mention of the chicken meal from a US rendering company.

Complaints from dog and cat owners continue.

Tammy of Hoffman Estates, IL lost one of her labs, but the remaining one survived. Tammy called Nutro and learned of a formula change.

Tammy writes, "After speaking with Nutro yesterday, it seems that approximately 10 months ago, they changed formula from all beef to all chicken and for some strange reason (?) they are now in the process of switching all the US plants back to all beef. The Canadian plants will remain all chicken. This just seems kind of odd that all of a sudden, the formula is changing again."

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html

While it's not uncommon for a pet food company to alter the formula a bit, a change from one protein source (beef) to another (chicken) seems extreme, IMO.


Changing subjects, from Nutro's formula change to Nutro's recall (which may, or may not, be related), the FDA's 261 page Enforcement Report for August 12, 2009 (finally) includes the Nutro recall notice:


RECALLS AND FIELD CORRECTIONS: VETERINARY - CLASS II
___________________________________
PRODUCT
1) Custom Mix Natural Max Cat Trace Mineral Premix; Net Weight 22.7 kg, 50 lb. bags; for further manufacturing use only; Nutro Code: 237047, Recall # V-253-2009;
2) Custom Mix Max Cat IND AD Chicken Base Mix; Net Weight 22.7 kg, 50 lb. bags; for further manufacturing use only; Nutro Code: 236621, Recall # V-254-2009
CODE
1) Lot #’s 1534521 through 1606708;
2) Lot #’s 1540966 through 1589684
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
Trouw Nutrition USA, LLC, Highland, IL, by telephone on May 19, 2009. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.
REASON
The premix has high zinc levels and lower potassium levels than expected. The base mix has lower potassium levels than expected.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
98,499.24 kg
DISTRIBUTION
CA, TN

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Safety/.../UCM177134.pdf



You can suscribe to FDA recall notices. Go to http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm, click on the little red envelope and follow the instructions.

You'll be amazed at what shows up in your email!

That's good news.  Hope the FDA finds something for a change.

Owner's shouldn't have to worry and wonder if the next can/bag of food will harm their pets.

Bonkers,

It's my understanding that the info is from Champion.

Would be good if others call Champion at 877/939-0006 and ask about the source of their meal.

Always helps to have confirmation from multiple sources, and we wish to be accurate, here.

The above info from Champion is quite different from the following which does appear on the Q&A page of their site:


Q | FRESH CHICKEN - Where are our chickens from? Are they free-run?
 
A | Our chicken ingredients come from the ALBERTA CHICKEN PRODUCERS and are made fresh from grain-fed Alberta chickens. Our fresh chicken is table grade and arrives FRESH – never frozen and without any preservatives – and is processed into ORIJEN the day it is received. Our chicken meals and fats are produced from human-grade chicken ingredients in Alberta, Canada.

http://www.championpetfoods.com/faq/

Received the following from a friend with permission to post/cross-post.

It appears to be from Champion's website, but I'm not able to find it there.  Champion's site has many references to "fresh", "regional", "Canadian", but I don't find any mention of meals from US rendering companies.

Very disappointing, to say the least.  If you're active on other sites, please cross post.

5CM


USDA CERTIFIED CHICKEN MEAL IN CANADA’S BEST PET FOOD?

At Champion, we’re passionate about the foods we make and we’re guided by a mandate that’s clear and strong – we make BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE PET FOODS FROM FRESH, REGIONAL INGREDIENTS.

OUR FOCUS IS ON POULTRY, FISH & MEATS THAT ARE NEVER FROZEN AND ARRIVE AT OUR DOOR FRESH EACH DAY, WITHOUT ANY PRESERVATIVES

ORIJEN contains the maximum fresh meat inclusions reaching 35%, or about half of the total meat content of the food.

With the exception of our fresh duck (which is free-run in Ontario, Canada) all of our fresh ingredients are raised or fished in Western Canada.

This includes our free run chicken & turkey, whole eggs, a variety of saltwater and freshwater fish (wild-caught), lamb, bison and wild boar (all ranch-raised and free-run).

These animal ingredients are all fresh from our region. No exceptions.

INGREDIENTS MADE EXCLUSIVELY FROM ANIMALS PASSED FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

This means all animals must pass both pre and post mortem inspection in a federally approved facility.

Our ingredient quality is certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, who approves all of our export documents and audits our factory and ingredient suppliers on a regular basis.

No exceptions.

WHY USE CHICKEN MEAL?

Due to the high moisture levels, the fresh meat inclusion is limited to about 35%. High quality cooked or dried meat ingredients (like chicken meal) are added to the fresh meats to achieve higher protein levels.

WHY USE USDA APPROVED CHICKEN MEAL?

While there are a few producers of chicken meal in Canada, none are capable of producing from chickens passed fit for human consumption.

Canadian chicken meal is made with spent hens (from egg laying operations) as well as chickens that have died, but are not processed in a federally inspected facility, or are not passed as ‘fit for human consumption’.

While our focus is “fresh and regional” our primary ingredient objective is to achieve the highest standard in nutrition, palatability and food safety. Until chicken meal from human grade chickens is available in Canada, Champion will source its chicken meal from a USA chicken processor, whose chickens and facility are USDA certified, and who has earned the appropriate European Union qualification (EU 1774).

Although our chicken meal is of the highest quality, and is produced exclusively from chickens passed fit for human consumption, the rule of law requires that the chicken meal itself is not intended for human consumption, and requires it be labeled ‘inedible’.

Confused? We’re not surprised. Call or write to us if you’d like more information.

CHAMPIONPETFOODS.COM

Here're links to the FOI documents which don't require the use of filefactory.com.

Just download the pdf files.

http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=87
http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=88
http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=89

The Cats Mother,

Can't wait to hear what they have to say.

Why this new Orijen revelation surprises me, I don't know.  Could be it's because I spent an hour on the phone with Peter back in 2007.  Made sure ingredients were human grade, and from Canada.

The irradiation debacle is bad enough.  Now, we may be about to learn that Orijen has not been honest about their ingredient sources.

Not happy!

@#$(^*$&#&@$%^&&**(%

     

Hi Bonkers,

Been busy working on house project lately, so I'm way behind on the forum and blog news.

Do you know if this new Orijen info has been picked up by other sites?  I saw links to the source documents posted on LetsTalkPetFood.

If it weren't for alert bloggers like Public Informer and all the Aussie cat folks who have held Champion accountable . . .well, I shutter to think.

Like the Administrator at LetsTalkPet Food said, this is a sad day for Orijen users.

Noticed a few things in the 66 page document.


1.  Page 25:  May 1, 2007  Certificate of Origin

"To Whom It May Concern, (blacked out) International"

[5CM - Could that be Darling International?]

2.  Page 32: April 26, 2007 Certificate of Origin

"All fresh materials of animal origin (blacked out) are collected from USDA inspected plants and are for inedible purposes only.  Animals were slaughtered in the USA under USDA inspection . . . "

[5CM - So how does inedible material go to Canada and become a "human grade" ingredient?]

3.  Page 34:  April 24, 2007 Processing Time & Temperature Verification Certification of Compliance

"are sourced from USDA/FSIA inspected processing plants in the United States"

"Company:  Griffin Industries, Inc.
Address: 4221 Alexandria Pike Cold Spring KY, 41076"

See first post, second attachment by Admin:
http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=88

Other attachments by Admin @ letstalkpetfoods
http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=89
http://www.letstalkpetfoods.org/download/file.php?id=87

HEAD EXPLODING      

Why would anyone pay $50 for 15 lbs of food - and it's made with the same old rendered crap?