Rice protein

[Davis]

I am so upset.  This rice protein situation has me frantic.  We have all suspected that there was more to this, and we were right, weren't we?  I just looked on the bag of food that I was feeding my cat before all this recall stuff happened, and sure enough, it is full of rice protein!!!!  I have been talking about his seizure epicodes on another thread.  He was the healthiest cat in the world before I started him on that last bag of food with the rice protein in it.  That is when it all started and I have to wonder if there is a connection.  He started to deteriorate at that time. 

What I'm so angry about is that obviously there are other grain products from China in the foods, and they have done nothing to check them or even suspect them.  They just focused on the wheat gluten.  Now it's rice protein.  Why in god's name didn't they suspect all the other grain products from China, and test all the foods that contain them?  I don't care if the FDA has to test every food on the planet, that is what they need to do!!!!   It should have been done immediately when all of this started. There is no excuse for this negligence. 

Do we really know what food is safe anymore?  No, of course not, which is why we are all here on this website constantly struggling with this and stressing about it.  I have tried to be very level-headed up until now, but I'm absolutely sick about this.  I'm sick and tired of these companies trying to increase their profits at the expense of our pets' health.  It seems to me that there is a big problem with all of the grain "proteins" (wheat gluten is also a grain protein).  Cheap filler proteins that save them money and increase their profits.  Who knows what we are really dealing with.  What will it be tomorrow?  Do we really know how many imported grain products are in the foods?  Will this nightmare ever end?  Test them all, you fools!  Sorry for venting.

[Davis]

And another thing, why are they still putting imported grains from China in the foods, even after the recall and this huge disaster?...imported grains of any kind!  And without even testing it?  What is wrong with them?  I can't believe it!!!!!!!!

[Davis]

Quoted from howl911

As word has spread today about the Natural Balance recall of foods containing rice protein concentrate, a few pet parents astutely observed that Natural Balance has changed their website's list of ingredients for the affected foods. Just a few short days ago, the suspect ingredient was not included among the ingredients listed on the Natural Balance website but, today, after the FDA announcement that melamine was found in the rice protein concentrate, the website was changed to add this ingredient. I believe there is an AAFCO (or is it FDA?) requirement to list ALL the ingredients contained in a pet food on the packaging label. Now, it could be Natural Balance is just woefully behind in updating their website to reflect recent formula changes (note: there are other changes in the ingredients besides the addition of rice protein concentrate.) Conversely, it could be Natural Balance is trying to do a quick CYA. Perhaps some pet parents who purchased the recalled food can take a look at the packaging labels and let us know whether or not the suspect ingredient, rice protein concentrate, appears among the list of ingredients. If not, then this is clearly a violation by Natural Balance of both labeling laws and consumer trust.

If you haven't already, check howl911'a website.  It clearly shows the ingredient omission, only corrected yesterday. NB did not have the rice protein on their ingredient list.  This is exactly the kind of thing I have been afraid of - undeclared ingredients, so that we never really know what is in our pet's food or whether it is safe.  I've been afraid of undeclated wheat gluten too.  This is unacceptable.  NB is in trouble.  They are finished, as far as I'm concerned.

[willyagogo]

You're so right Davis!!!........unacceptable is putting it mildly!...What truly pisses me off is the image that these pet food companies put out...that they're SO concerned about our pets....but yet.....they sit around trying their best to keep naughty little secrets while more pets die on a daily basis!

If they REALLY cared, they wouldn't be dragging their asses the way they have been along with leading people to believe that because their product IS NOT on the re-call list, they are safe for pets to consume!!

If that's how they show how much they care.....I wouldn't want to be on their "shit-list!"...............I needed to vent too!..

Btw....a little off topic here but.......am I the only one that's observed that there hasn't been ANY pet food commercials on TV lately? The only one that I've seen since this whole thing started is for Cesar (dogfood) and I haven't seen that one for awhile either. What happened to all the Beneful commercials? As of recent, they aren't on the recall list.....perhaps the TV Networks know something that we don't....YET!!!!

[Laura]

  OK, want some scary ideas on how wide-spread the use of rice protein concentrate is in pet foods?  Just google "dog food, rice protein concentrate"...  it's in some Blue Buffalo formulas, Hills/Science Diet (I'm not sure which one, that's the site that popped up), it's in Wellness' treat bars (but I don't think in their food- I didn't browse through their site long), I think PetGuard?  A bunch of others....seems to be used in "Light" and "Vegetarian" formulas...I only did a brief surf-through, but...check your foods...

[Jay Jay]

Itchmo.com forum has a thread called:

     Foods that contain Rice Protein

http://64.79.216.38/~itchmo/forums/index.php?topic=64.0

jj